12/31/18 Report - Treasure: The Test of a Man. Peripatetic Find. Lotto Jackpot. Massive Meteorite.

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

I saw the movie Treasure of the Sierra Madre on TV a couple days ago. I don't think I ever watched it before. I decided to watch it partly because it is about treasure, but more importantly because it is a classic movie and novel. I wanted to see what made it such a classic.

Well, the treasure hunting (gold prospecting and mining) part wasn't totally realistic. The story turned out to be more about morality and human weakness and virtue, as treasure stories often are. It was accurate to the novel, but I think it lost something in the adaptation.

I guess what I took away from it is how often treasure stories have a moral, and that is often what they are really about.

If anything is a touchstone that reveals and proves the true nature of a man, it is treasure. When tested, some will be shown as fools gold, and others as pure. To put it another way, it is not the gold that is tested, it is man himself.

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Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  You've probably heard that before.

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Another classic you might want to read is Silas Marner, which is a real work of art. A solitary miser buries his hoarded fortune which is stolen. Again, it is really about another type of treasure.

Another treasure story you might want to read is King of Golden River.

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An Israeli woman walking near ancient ruins noticed a head sticking out of the ground, leading to the uncovering of two Roman-era busts, archaeologists said Sunday.

The life-size sculptures, carved in limestone, were found in the northern city of Beit Shean earlier this month, with the Israel Antiquities Authority dating them to the late Roman period, some 1,700 years ago...

Here is the link.

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/society/192073-181230-israeli-woman-stumbles-upon-roman-busts-amid-ancient-ruins

You never know what you moight see if you are out and about.

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A British man hit one of the largest lotto jackpots in the country’s history — but left the golden ticket unchecked for weeks in a pile of papers in his van, according to local reports.

Andrew Clark, 51, only checked the ticket because his partner and her niece badgered him after they heard about a local unclaimed prize, he told Sky News. “Trisha kept telling me to check the tickets, and her niece Louise, who I was building an extension for, was also in on it once she’d heard about the unclaimed prize in the news,” he said.

Here is the link.

https://spiritdaily.org/blog/news/british-man-finds-86-million-lottery-ticket-in-his-van

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Late-night (actually Dec. 20) stargazers in Cambridge, Minnesota and beyond may have noticed — or felt — a massive fireball that streaked across the sky earlier this week.

The meteor, which entered the stratosphere just after 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, passed over the city before heading east and going dark over Harris, observer and meteorite hunter Pat Branch, who works with the American Meteor Society, told the Star Tribune...

Here is that link for more about that.

https://www.foxnews.com/science/refrigerator-sized-meteor-zooms-over-minnesota-in-one-of-the-biggest-events-of-the-year

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I can remember sitting down and doing my first post of 2018.  Doesn't seem that long ago.

Some things don't change with the years.


Happy New Year,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/30/18 Report - Nailed Old Coin Find. Ranking the Top Posts of 2018.

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

Coin With Nail Through It.

Photo by NumisRob clipped from CoinCommunity.com.

I saw this coin impaled by a nail posted by NumisRob on CoinCommunity.com.  It was found by a metal detector in a farm field.

The coin is a 1920 UK Florin.  It is 50% silver.

One of my recurrent topics is the difficulty of interpreting isolated finds.  When you have an item and you don't know its purpose, here are four categories to consider - utilitarian,  recreational, political, and superstition or religious.

I think archaeologists too often use the recreational and religious categories when they don't know what an item might be.  I've seen many items called "game piece" when there is very little evidence to support that conclusion.

Starting with the utilitarian category, how could this item [possibly be used?  Could it be a type of washer meant to hold something in place?

Political?  Maybe someone was showing their contempt for King George when they drove a nail through his likeness.

Superstition? Maybe it was mounted it for good luck or something.  A little reading might turn up something like that.

Recreational?  Maybe a spinner, top or toy of some sort.

What do you think?  Any good ideas?

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Today I'll go over the top-ten most-read posts of the year.

The most read post of the year I mentioned the other day.  It is the April report giving the names of Florida congressmen to contact regarding proposed legislation that was thought to restrict beach access in Florida.

1. https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/04/4518-report-who-to-contact-concerning.html

The second most read post of the year was posted in April.  It is about experimenting with your metal detector to get to know it better.  In this experiment three different one-cent coins were used.  The
reason for the different read-outs for the three different coins was discussed.

This was an instructional post, and I'm glad it was so well received.

2. https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/03/31018-report-experimenting-to-learn.html



Third on the list is a January report about the Palm Beach beaches being severely eroded, and also about finding shipwrecks using Google Earth.

3. https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/01/11218-report-palm-beach-beaches-low.html



Seven of the ten most read posts of the year were posted in January.  There are a couple of reasons for that.  First, beach conditions were better then, and people were detecting a lot, and good finds were being made.  Earlier posts have an unfair advantage because people continue to read old posts as long as they are available, which makes it very difficult for newer posts to have as many readers.


The fourth most read post was posted on January 21.  It showed the several shipwreck finds, including among other things, an ornate silver cross and reales.

4. https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/01/12118-report-ready-to-be-excited-first.html



The fifth most read post was posted on January 23.  It showed another Spanish reale find and some reflection on metal detecting back a few decades ago when I was in South Florida.

5.  https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/01/12218-report-another-2018-cob.html



Sixth was the January 11 post, which discussed one man's success with sifting for silver coins.  It also presented some other finds, including a spike and old bottle.

The posts on sifting, including this one, provides some very good information on a alternative technique that can be extremely effective.  There are times when it is more effective than metal detecting.

6.  https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/01/11118-report-finds-sight-and-otherwise.html



The seventh most read post of the year was another January post.  This post reported on another very old looking silver cross and a modern gold chain.

7.  https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/01/12818-report-mystery-object-and-other.html



Eighth was a post about what the beaches and detectorists were doing.

8.  https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/01/12718-report-what-beaches-and.html




The ninth most read was about an unusual pendant that looked like it could be a reale with loop attached.  Also s modern dive-watch find.

9. https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/01/12518-report-treasure-coinpendant-find.html



And rounding out the top ten most-read posts of 2018 was a post about one man's winning ways at the Treasure Coast Archaeological Society Annual Hunt.

10. https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/03/31118-report-one-mans-winning.html



To sum it up, it was a good year and good finds were made, but it was not one of the better years for beach detecting.  

Many of the most interesting beach finds were made in January.   As I've said before, January and February are often the best beach metal detecting months.  October through March is generally much better than the other months.  Good hunting can occur in any month, but we often get some of the best beach hunting in January and February.

For me personally, I didn't get to do much beach hunting at all this year.  That was due to a variety of factors, but I did mange to come up with some nice cache finds.  

As I said, most of the top posts were posted in January, both because the conditions were good then, but also because the early months have the advantage of being available to readers for a longer period of time.

It took me quite a while to look through the stats to determine the most read posts.  Maybe some of those that did not show up in the list because they were posted late in the year will get more viewers in the future.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/29/18 Report - A Couple Finds And a Look At Seagrape/Turtle Trail Area.

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

Seagrape/Turtle Trail Area Friday

Photos by Dale J.

I received these photos from Dale J. who added the following.

Stopped by this afternoon [ Fri.] an hour or so before low tide, part of my education. Turtle Trail looked the same as yesterday.

Seagrape had some shells and what appeared to be some orange sand near water's edge.

Ventusky looks like the next op will be next weekend?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, still learning! Dale J.


Thanks for the photos Dale. Decent looking area to check out.

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Sterling Silver Ring Found While Looking for Lost Bracelet

Photos and find by Joe d.

Joe D. found the above ring.  He described how it happened.

  

     I haven't posted, or detected much this year! Been a little busy with family matters! Nevertheless, Happy Holidays!

 

   I did get out to Juno Beach the other day to search for my nephews gold bracelet that he unwisely wore there while playing football the day before!   Unfortunately it was peak tide with large waves and i was unable to find it! 

   But the beach gave back a nice consolation prize that i gave to him! Not gold, but it works! 

Keep up the good work, and Happy New Year!               

                      Joe D.

That is a nice sterling ring with maker's mark.  A little research will reveal the maker.  The ring will be worth more than the silver value.  If someone looks finds it, I'd like to hear more about the designer.

And that is one way things are often lost - by young people playing sports without removing jewelry. As I've said in the past, check beach volleyball courts. I once told about the various areas where things are most often found on volleyball courts.

Also you can tell where people have been running around playing football by the roughed up sand.  Always worth a look.

I also mentioned in the past how you will frequently find something else when looking for a specific lost item.  If one person lost something in an area, others probably have too.

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Old Encrusted Treasure Coast Find

Find and photo by Steve of St. Louis

I received the above picture and following email message from Steve.  Here is what he said.

My wife and I found this on the beach this morning in Indian River Shores and think it may be a flintlock pistol. I have it in a bucket of water and am trying to figure out what my best course of action would be to get it to the right people for preservation. Are you able to point me in the right direction? 

I told him to take it to the McClarty Museum and have them take a look at it.

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The tides are more moderate now and the surf is slacking off.  Not much exciting for the next few days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/28/18 Report - Old Foreign Coin Find. Beach Cam. Popular Posts of Year. Oldest U. S. WW II Vet Dies.

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

1900 Guatemala Half Reale

Find and photo by Robert H.

Other Side Same Half Reale.

This is a nice older (1900) Guatemala half reale found a few weeks ago by Robert H.

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Image on Jensen Beach Web Cam

Submitted by Alberto S.

Alberto was checking some beach cams and noticed this piece of wood washed up on Jensen Beach.

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As the new year approaches, it is common to take a look back.  It can be good to take stock to see where you are at and what you might want to improve.

The number 1 most-read 2018 post concerned the issue of beach access.  It gave a list of Florida congress people to contact regarding proposed legislation that was said to threaten beach access in Florida.

Posts about the Curse of Oak Island TV show were always popular.  At least they got a lot of hits.

One regular reader wrote and said the most amazing thing about the Oak Island show is that real treasure hunters admit watching it.

It is a popular TV show, and, as I said, the posts about the show get a lot of hits.  I don't know if those hits are by the regular readers of this blog or not.  I suppose those posts pick up  people that Googled the TV show and found the link to this blog.

I watch the show occasionally when I run across it and sometimes turn it off, but I've also been known to watch the Three Stooges too.

The readers of this blog are discerning.  After the "crossbow bolt" was found, I immediately got emails saying it was likely something else.  I had the feeling it could be something else too, and showed examples that were unlike the one shown on the program, but I hadn't done enough research to proclaim what it was or wasn't.  Many of my readers are sharper than the "experts" on the show.

For me, the show provides a lot of examples.  Many of the examples are negative, such as the unfocused search strategies and wild and unsupported interpretation of finds.  You can think about, discuss and learn from such things even if they are scripted, setup or totally fake.  Having graduate degrees in the field of psychology and having done research in the field,  I'm always interested in the psychodynamics too.  What the participants are doing, how they approach things and how people react to them.

In any case, like I said, no matter how good or fake the program is, people watch it and discuss it, and possibly even learn something as a result.

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The oldest man in the United States and oldest veteran of World War II dies at 112.  He credited God, whiskey and cigars for his longevity.

Here is the link.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/28/oldest-man-in-us-richard-overton-dies-aged-112

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

The peak surf is over.  The wind is now from the south.  As you can see the surf will be decreasing for a few days.

I took a little walk and picked up a vintage painted-label Hires Root Beer bottle.  Didn't see much else.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/27/18 Report - Some Treasure Coast Beaches Lightly Cut And Higher Surf Coming. Curse of Oak Island TV Show Comments By Viewers.

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

John Brooks Beach Thursday Morning.

I checked some beaches this morning.  John Brooks showed some small cuts, which evidently happened last night.

John Brooks Beach Thursday Morning.

Blind Creek had been nicely eroded some time in the not too distant past.  Unfortunately I missed that.  Today was too late.  

Blind Creek Beach Thursday Morning.

Fort Pierce South Jetty was mostly poor with the exception of a short area to the north that looked better.

Fort Pierce South Jetty Beach Thursday Morning.

I'm not expecting much more improvement in beach conditions despite the larger surf that is predicted.  The wind will be shifting more to the south.

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I stumbled on some fun and interesting comments concerning the Oak Island TV show on reddit.  Here is one that echoes much of what I've said.

Curse of Oak Island has shown us a definite pattern.

Allow 'Metal Detection Expert' Gary Drayton find an interesting item or two. Last year, for example, the items included the brooch and the Tanit cross. This year it is another brooch and the Roman pilum.

The pattern:

-- Have Metal Detection Expert Gary Drayton immediately announce his assumption as to what the item is, what it consists of, and its age.

-- Call Rick.

-- Salivate over it in the War Room.

-- Hire an "expert" to say exactly what they want them to say.

-- Squeeze two or three episodes (or maybe more) out of it.

-- Include a photo of it in the show's intro as if it is some great discovery.

But the biggest thing... is it gets us arguing back and forth about the actual nature of the item and takes our focus off what we should really be looking at... the hunt for treasure!

As Dan Blankenship said in last Season's finale', as the Team sat around the Table of Pathetic, "These are just surface finds! They're leading you no closer to finding out if there's treasure on Oak Island!"

(Of course, this quote was bastardized, taken completely out of context, and used in promos for the finale', as producers clipped it to show Dan exclaiming: "... There's treasure on Oak Island!") (but I digress)

Example: They say it's Roman, they hire an "expert" to say it's Roman, and it forever becomes "Roman". Meanwhile, we do more research than the "Oak Island Team" or any UFO writer has done, and we can just about prove it isn't what the "expert" says it is.

Another classic example of this is a couple of Seasons ago when a rather obvious railroad spike was confidently pronounced by "Dr" Lori, to be a "decking nail from the Spanish Galleon". (Which just coincidentally (wink, wink) matched up with the outlandish theory of a Spanish Galleon being purposely sunk between the "two" Oak Islands, followed by the "two" islands being merged into one.)

Regardless, whether this new item is actually a pilum, a crossbow bolt, a frog gig, a property marker, etc, etc.... IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER!

Even if we assume it is a Roman pilum... BIG DEAL! It was found near the shore at Lot 26. Is that leading them to buried treasure in the Money Pit area (or anywhere else, for that matter)?

Will excavation at Smith's Cove lead them closer to buried treasure?

Will searching through spoils lead them closer to buried treasure?

Don't get caught up in all the bull. Don't get hooked by a fishing hook which "looks like it was used to haul large chests on ships".

Here is the link.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OakIsland/comments/a41qo2/roman_pilum_or_not_dont_get_hooked/

There are some other humorous ones.

Could it be that the possible Crossbow Bolt found at Smiths Cove is a weapon of Ancient Roman origin? Or, perhaps even more intriguing, could it be that it is, in reality, the rusted shank of a 19th Century Hand Drill Bit like those below? Could the Antiquities Expert be a total hack? STAY TUNED! (i.redd.it)

submitted 22 days ago by Bill0Rights

Here is that link.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OakIsland/comments/a39j2h/could_it_be_that_the_possible_crossbow_bolt_found/

I had some readers that crossbow bolt was actually something else.  It sure didn't look like the examples I saw.

Seems like the "experts" don't have a lot of credibility with the viewers and for many the show is becoming a not too entertaining comedy.  There are many posts and comments about the show out there.  It does get viewers, but many are unimpressed by their misspent viewing time.

Here are a couple more to read.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OakIsland/comments/a1cep6/what_exactly_did_jack_and_gary_unearth/

https://www.andywhiteanthropology.com/blog/category/oak-island

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

It looks like the surf will not be quite as high as expected earlier, but worse yet, the winds won't be favorable.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

12/26/2018 Report - 2000-Year-Old-Ring Found. Cool Images. Thailand Coin. Winning Lottery Ticket Found. Increase in Surf Coming.

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

Source: IsraelNationalNews.com.  (Link below)

A two-thousand-year-old ring with a solitaire gem stone was uncovered in archaeological excavations in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem.

The ring was found by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority in what appears to be an ancient mikveh (ritual bath) on the Pilgrimage Road which dates back to the time of the second Temple period. The ancient paved road runs up from the Shiloach (Siloam) pool to the Temple Mount and is thought to have been the main thoroughfare taken by pilgrims to the Temple.

According to archaeologists Nachshon Zenton, Moran Hajabi, Ari Levy, and Dr. Joe Uziel: "Just like today, it would appear that in the past, rings and jewellery were removed before bathing, and sometimes forgotten...

Here is the link for more.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256581

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I received some cool images.  I received this Metal Detecting Santa from Dale J,

The Pirate Santa came from Brian B.

Thanks to all for the greetings.

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Thailand Coin Found in Florida
Find and photo by Steve M,.

Here is another coin I can add to the foreign coins found in Florida list.

Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Haiti, European Union, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Virgin Islands. 

Here is the updated list of countries from which coins have been reported found in Florida.

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A British man hit one of the largest lotto jackpots in the country’s history — but left the golden ticket unchecked for weeks in a pile of papers in his van, according to local reports.

Andrew Clark, 51, only checked the ticket because his partner and her niece badgered him after they heard about a local unclaimed prize, he told Sky News. “Trisha kept telling me to check the tickets, and her niece Louise, who I was building an extension for, was also in on it once she’d heard about the unclaimed prize in the news,” he said...

Here is the link.

https://spiritdaily.org/blog/news/british-man-finds-86-million-lottery-ticket-in-his-van

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It looks like Thursday we'll get the increased post-Christmas surf that has been predicted for several days now.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

It also looks like we'll be having some decent tides to go along with it.

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Thanks for all the Christmas wishes and greetings.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net