10/3/18 Report - Protecting Cherished Finds. Ornate 1715 Fleet Silver Gun Side Plate. More Big Surf.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Section of Ornate Silver Gun Sideplate Dug From 1715 Fleet Wreck Beach

After decades of hunting, I've made a lot of mistakes.  Some of the most disappointing are the result of not properly storing finds.  Some things, like glass or pottery are fragile, but there are also some things that you would think would never break that will.  That includes silver and gold.

It is very disappointing to find an item that survived hundreds of years in nature, perhaps even rolling around in the surf, and then have it break in the safety of your home.  It happens.  You might be surprised by how often it happens.

Proper storage is important.  Time takes a toll.  The heat of Florida does not help.  Glass cracks with no apparent cause.  Or you can drop an item on a ceramic tile floor.  Ceramic tile floors are the absolute worst.

Thin pieces of ornate silver such as the gun sideplate shown above can break if stored under weight or pressure.  If you want to keep them nice, don't stick items like that in a box of coins or other items.  There is already a crack that you might be able to see in the photo.

Gold can break too.  You'll occasionally find gold rings that have a cracked band, but some of the old gold and tumbaga items had a lot of copper, which makes them more brittle and susceptible to breaking.  Carefully store old silver and gold artifacts so that they are not under weight or pressure.  Put them in separate containers that will protect them.

It goes without saying that old bottles can break.  The older bottles are thicker than modern bottles, but they also can have bubbles and other imperfections that make them especially vulnerable.  Just a couple days ago I found that I broke a nice amber strap flask.  I had it in a container with some other bottles.

Even fossils that survived thousands or millions of years can easily break.  That can be very disappointing.

My main point here is to store your cherished finds very carefully.

Security is another issue.  In the past I've recommended keeping valuables in a bank safe deposit box.  But even in that case, make sure that your box is large enough that you don't have to jam things in.  Put individual items in boxes or containers that will protect them.

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Leslie is heading north and away from us.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

We're still supposed to get some nice high surf.  I'm not expecting much though, due to the direction of the swells.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Wednesday the surf is predicted to be 6 to 9 feet.  You don't get that real often.

Although you see little or no erosion, that doesn't mean that sand isn't being moved.  When it accumulates on the beach, it is obviously coming from somewhere.  Anytime sand moves, you want to know where it is coming from.  When the sand builds on the beach front it is coming from submerged areas in front of the beach.  That is significant.  If it moves from the right areas, objects can be uncovered so that they are exposed.  They can then be moved onto the beach when conditions are right.  If, however, the sand is pulled back into the water, those items can be covered again.

There is another system developing in the tropics that looks like it will move into the Gulf over the next week or so.  I don't think the Treasure Coast will get much from that one.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net