The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: December 2019

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

12/31/19 Report - Valuable Roman Coin and Unknown Coin Find. Jupiter Beach. Passing It On.

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

Left: Very rare and valuable Roman coin found by detectorist in England.

Right: Similar coin recently found by Sharon and submitted for ID shown in yesterday's post.

Looks like we have an interesting story. Yesterday I posted a photo of a coin (right above) found by Sharon and submitted for ID. On the left above is a Roman coin that sold for over half a million dollars.

Of course there are apparent differences as well as similarities. One seems to be gold and the other not. The portrait seems to be of a different person and the wording is different. Still there seems to be enough similarity, most notably in the head wear, which suggests to me that Sharon's find could be Roman. Whether it is genuine or a reproduction or copy has not yet been determined.

Here is a bit of the story of the valuable Roman coin shown on the left.

A rare 1700-year-old coin depicting Roman ruler Allectus found by an amateur metal detectorist in a field in Kent, England, has been sold for a staggering price in the UK. The gold coin is very rare, and this set off a bidding war that smashed the auctioneer's estimate for the piece and set new records, finally being sold for £552,000 (US$700,000). It is the most money ever paid for a coin depicting Allectus and the most valuable Roman coin minted in Britain to have been sold at auction.

The exact location of the find has not been stated, but it was near Dover, in the English County of Kent.

Dix Noonan Web announced that the find was made by a 30-year-old amateur metal detectorist, who has followed the pursuit for seven years, while he was searching some tilled farmland with his brother...

You can find out more about that coin by using the following link, which was submitted by William K.

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/roman-coin-allectus-0012118

Thanks much William.

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Jupiter Inlet Beach

Photo by Joe. D.

I received the photo above and the following photo along with the following message from Joe D. yesterday.

Hello,

I was out before the sun for low tide at the inlet! Sorry to say that the constant march of bulldozers and sand has already affected the inlet beach! Very few targets now! They are past the condos heading north to the inlet beach, and the sand is washing ahead of them!

Carlin Park now has a 100 yards of beachfront, and the rocks are buried under about 15 feet of sand! The only eroded beach left, is basically the Reef Club south now!

It would be cheaper to build new buildings west of the beach, than to keep throwing money away on beach sand! If i had a nickel for every dollar they spent on sand, I'd be rich!⛱💰

Joe D.

Jupiter.

Photo by Joe D.

Thanks Joe.

Lots of shells for the shell hunter there.

Nothing more appropriate to the New Year than the moving sands of time.

It has been said that we don't own treasure. We are only the caretakers for a while.

That fits right in with my New Years theme and the following message I received from DB.

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I recently volunteered at a Christmas present giveaway and created a chest full of sand for the kids to dig in. I slowly filled it with every treasure I come across in my treks.

My family and I provided plastic baggies and answers to children of all ages. I had my detector there and gave a few special kids some stories and info about hunting. I even had a handful of children more interested in burying the treasures to replenish the box for the 125 children that came through.

We gave over 1000 shark teeth away including some very large megs. Marbles, metal detecting finds, pottery, shells, coins, seaglass. You name it and it was in there. It was over 10 years of collecting but was my overflow.

I cant explain how rewarding it was and hope I can store up enough to do it again someday. I know that those items sit proudly in many hiding spots. Hidden in a satchel or tucked away in a box. Only to be the seed of excitement created by the thrill of the hunt to hopefully someday bring the same joy over and over again.

For some, it was something they had already done and found more interesting now, but others, it was just beginning.

The best gift I could ever give on Christmas. The ability to find treasure in many things. '

DB.

Thanks DB. Very good idea. Its good for the hobby and the children that I am sure enjoyed the experience and benefited from it.

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

It looks like we'll be starting 2020 off with a week of small surf on the Treasure Coast.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Here we are about to step into a new decade. It seems like yesterday that we were preparing for the a new millenia. There were apocalyptic fears that every computer in the world would crash because of some glitch having to do with the computer's inability to handle a year that didn't start with 19. Businesses wasted tons of employee time and money on preparing for some feared disaster. Well, not much happened. The world went on with barely a hiccup.

I just had a funny thought. I find all kinds of junk that I end up using in one way or another. I just enjoy using the junk I find rather than buying stuff. I decided to list some of the useful junk I've found.

1. Boots. I've found boots that fit and that I used. One pair were attached to ruined waders. I just cut the boots off. I got some good use out of them. I also found fireman's boots in the Indian River that came in handy. They have steel toes and steel plates under the soles.

2. Reflectors. I just found nine orange reflectors on a metal plate. They were probably used at the end of a dead end or something like that. I mounted them on some posts along the driveway.

3. Wire. I like finding old wire and have a variety of gauges. I use it all the time. One recent use was to make outdoor Christmas decoration hangers. I used some to make hangers for Orchids.

4. Old bottles. Used as décor on a window ledge or book shelf.

5. Tools. Pliers, Wire Cutters, etc. Some are badly corroded and useless, but some are in good condition.

6. Wood and boards. Used to make various things.

7. PVC pipe. Used to make a variety of things. including an outdoor Christmas tree and indoor Christmas tree stand.

8. Coconuts. The shells can be cut and used as planters. I used one to make a Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween.

Those are just some off the top of my head.

Monday, December 30, 2019

12/30/19 Report - Mystery Coin for ID. Mayan Ruins Explored. Trash to Treasure.

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

Object On Right Found on Beach

Find and photo by Sharon

Sharon found the coin on the right in the photo above and is wondering if someone can identify it. Looks like it might be an ancient Greek coin to me, but I haven't done any research. A lot of these kinds of coins are used in modern jewelry - some being reproductions. Let me know your thoughts on the identify of this coin. All thoughts and opinions welcome.

Back of Same Coin Found by Sharon.

I suspect that with a little research someone will be able to come up with an exact identity for this find.

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DJ sent me the following link to a very interesting article by Zelia Nuttall published in the 1910 American Anthropologist about the archaeological exploration of the Mayan ruins found on the Isle of Sacrificios. Good reading.

Here is the link.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/659954?seq=50&socuuid=3cb098d2-9e2f-482c-a6da-80ad83963c48&socplat=email#metadata_info_tab_contents

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Red Green Of the Red Green TV Show

Source: RedGreen.com

Red Green, the redneck comedian, philosopher and raconteur, always says, "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." I can relate that to metal detecting. If what you find isn't pretty, it still might come in handy.

I'm always happy to find something useful on a beach, and a surprising number of things are. Wire can often be found, for example, and even though it isn't exactly what you are looking for, I've found that it almost always comes in handy. I use my found wire for a lot of things, including hangers for outdoor Christmas decorations.

Old coconuts, as one of many possible examples, can be useful - even if the milk and meat is no good. Here are some things I made out of old coconuts that I picked up at the beach.

Orchid Hanger Made Out of Found Coconut Shell and Wire.

To create an orchid hanger, all I had to did was cut the top off the shell, use a drill to cut a little design in the shell, then drill a couple holes near the top to attach a hanger made out of found wire. Insert a little coconut shell fibre and an orchid, and that is all there is to it.

Here is one way to make a planter out of a found coconut shell.

Coconut Shell Planter.

Cut the top off. Cut a smaller bit off the bottom, and use a section of the top for the stand. Then just add soil and a plant.

I know those kinds of things aren't what you'd like to find, but there is a lot of treasure in the trash you see, and I like finding the value in things that aren't so pretty. I'd rather convert junk than than waste my money buying stuff. It's living green too.

A little creativity can turn your less handsome finds into something handy.

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Yesterday I posted a review of 2019, including the most read posts, which were mostly about the storms and finds of the year. I gave links to the most popular posts so you can go back and check out the big topics and finds of the year. You might want to take a look at the year in review if you have not already.

It looks like the Treasure Coast surf is now down around two or three feet and will remain low for several days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Sunday, December 29, 2019

12/29/19 Report - 2019 Reviewed. Mostly About Storms and Finds. Prosecution for Object Found in Garden.

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

Well, one more year coming to a close. It seems not that long ago I was sitting here writing the first post of 2019. Now it will be one of the last.

Overall, it wasn't the most productive of years, either in the water or on the beach. There were finds, as always. And there was excitement - not all of it good.

2019 actually started out pretty good. We had some good erosion, and I issued a "3" beach conditions rating on my January 28 report. A couple days later (February 2), I posted the many shipwreck finds made on the beach by Jonah M.

The next highlight was the gold mystery find made by Terry S. reported in my post of April 2. We had a few days of good discussion on that topic.

The next highlight was the gun parts found by Will R. Will found an encrusted barrel which he was able to reconstruct by making a mold. That was detailed in my 6/25 post.

Then came the big excitement that was followed by a big let down. Hurricane Dorian looked like it might be the worst storm to ever hit the Treasure Coast, but after threatening for what seemed like days on end, turned away and left us little changed, except for all the beach closures. You can relive that by rereading my 9/1 - 9/5 posts. I kept everybody up to date on what was going on, sometimes multiple updates during the day. Those posts were read by hundreds of people.

Few finds were reported after all the Dorian excitement, but one Potosi reale find attracted a lot of attention (9/10 post).

Then there were a lot of storms in the Atlantic, including Humberto, Jerry, and Imelda to name a few, but they didn't do much for us on the Treasure Coast (9/18 post, for example).

Here are the most read posts of the year. There is a definite skewing towards the beginning of the year. People continue to read old posts as well as the new ones.

Most of the most read posts usually come from the beginning of the year, but this year all of the Dorian excitement resulted in a lot of blog activity in September. Of the ten most read posts of 2019, there were two from January, two from February, one from April and five from September. The top three posts of the 2019 were posted in September when everybody was closely following Dorian.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

12/28/19 Report - Beach Changes a Little Again. 25 Big Treasures. Mayan Palace.

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

John Brooks Beach Friday Near Low Tide.

A few of the cusps have returned to John Brooks beach. A quick check revealed that the front beach was fairly firm - more than I expected.

John Brooks Beach Friday Near Low Tide.

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Here is an article that lists 25 of the biggest treasures and treasure finds. Several were found by lucky detectorists.

https://www.thetravel.com/25-real-life-treasure-hunts-that-turned-up-millions-in-loot/amp/

Thanks to William K. for that link.

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Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered the remains of a vast Mayan palace over 1,000 years old in an ancient city about 100 miles west of the tourist hotspot of Cancún.

The building in Kulubá is 55 metres long, 15 metres wide and six metres high, and appears to have been made up of six rooms, said Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.

It is part of a larger complex that also includes two residential rooms, an altar and a large round oven. Archaeologists have also uncovered remains from a burial site, and hope forensic analysis of the bones could provide more clues about Kulubá’s Mayan inhabitants...

Here is that link.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/27/archaeologists-discover-remains-of-vast-mayan-palace

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I had another topic for today, but just couldn't get it together. Maybe some other day.

There are plenty of good treasures to look at in the TheTravel.com link above.

We are still having some high tides and a four to six foot surf. The surf will be decreasing daily for the next several days.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

Friday, December 27, 2019

12/27/19 Report - A Couple Recent Treasure Coast Gold Finds. Reflections On My YouTube Videos.

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

14K Gold Pendant With Nice Looking Stone.

I've mentioned a few times that I've been on the ring trail lately. I have been finding a lot of rings, but they've been junk. Finally I got off of that trail and found a couple better items.

I also mentioned that I've been finding beaches with good numbers of modern coins. They've been the non-shipwreck beaches. While I haven't found any tightly packed coins spots or holes, there have been good numbers of coins scattered over beach front areas. When you pick up enough coins eventually you'll get something better.

The pendant is marked 14K, but I don't know what the stone is yet.

When you find a pendant, look for the chain. It might be broken.

I also found the following bracelet.

14K Bracelet Find.

I was trying out my new waterproof ear-phones that I got for Christmas. They seem to work fine.

It reminds me of one year after I picked up a new Sovereign in Orlando, and on the way home stopped to test it out and found a gold crucifix just north of Ambersands. Always nice to find gold the first day you have a new detector out.

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I made a few YouTube videos, but not many. One of the first, if not the first, I posted back in 2011. I forgot about it but yesterday was notified of a comment. The title of the video is Beachcombing for Fossils and Sea Glass. The description is, "A walk along the beach on the Treasure Coast of Florida where a few fossils and pieces of sea glass were found." I just wanted to show how you could walk along the beach and eye-ball interesting things.

After forgetting about the video, I was surprised to see there were 11,854 views, as of yesterday and 49 thumbs-up and 48 thumbs-down. I was really surprised to see how many people had viewed the video, especially since I didn't do anything to promote it. 11,000 isn't really very many, but for something I pretty much forgot about, it seemed like a good many especially considering that it certainly wasn't very good. I just wanted to try it out, and I failed at one big thing I attempted to do with it.

Not having made any videos of that type before, whenever I bent over to pick up a fossil or piece of sea glass, my camera veered away from whatever I was picking up. I didn't know that was happening and didn't intend for it to happen, but one person thought I was being intentionally evasive. I wasn't. It was just my first attempt to do something like that, and it was difficult to keep the camera focused on the target while looking at the object and bending down to pick it up.

Despite my crude first attempt at point-of-view videography, the video received what I would consider a lot of views and a few comments, mostly negative, but there were 49 thumbs up and 48 thumbs down. It seems that some people saw some value in the video even though I failed to show the fines well. I don't know exactly what people liked, but some evidently enjoyed something about it.

Cloverfield is a movie I like, mostly because of the innovative P.O.V. way that it was shot. It was shot from the point of view of one of the characters using a personal video camera to capture what he saw just like a normal person would under extremely stressful circumstances. It didn't have the feel of most movies, which have carefully planned shots, and I liked and admired the different approach.

All I intended to do was do was show what I saw as I walked along looking for fossils and sea glass. I succeeded in that to a very limited extent, but completely failed to get the closeups of the finds. Perhaps the careful viewer could get a glimpse of some of the fossils or sea glass, but it was difficult at best.

I suspect that some of those that gave a thumbs up to my video liked the walk along the beach, and perhaps getting a look at a Treasure Coast beach with some shells and other things scattered along.

I found out that there were many similar videos of people walking the beach looking for sea glass, but they were able to clearly show what they picked up. Maybe being in with that group of videos is what drew so many viewers to my video. I don't really know much about YouTube, especially promotion, but since I didn't promote it much, it seems that views can come easily if you just have something out there.

I do not think I understand most of those who made comments. Maybe a few were trying to be helpful. Obviously they didn't find what they were looking for, but I don't know why they were expecting much more than what they got, if they were. No one asked them to watch or told them to watch. There was no cost to watch. Not even an ad. It was their choice alone, and I don't think the title or description was deceptive. So I just can't say what they were looking for - other than something for nothing. I think some of them must be like the people that like to honk car horns.
They just like to be heard or something. In any case, the comments seem to be emotive more than informative. Maybe they got something off their chest.

Another interesting thing to me is how the thumbs-up and thumbs-down were almost equal in number. People see things differently. Different people will see the same thing different ways. They bring their own perspective and predispositions, to the video or post and that determines what they get out of it. It takes two to tango, and at least two to communicate. A message requires both a transmitter and receiver, and the originator of the message can not determine the interpretation or how much the recipient will get out of the message.

What I learned is that YouTube videos can accumulate views by just being out there, and that some people will enjoy a video while others will not. That part was not new to me, but I was actually trying to figure out what people liked about a video that in my opinion wasn't very good.

Maybe in the future I'll try to make more videos although I generally prefer text. I seldom find a video that I like, and when I do look at one, I usually find myself quickly skipping over most of it. But that is just me.

I might make some more videos in the future, but they probably won't be what most people want to see. I do have about a dozen videos on YouTube but haven't paid too much attention to them even though I think some of them could be informative or helpful.

Here is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpBoxVBmVWiTF2h_r3RwBCA?view_as=subscriber

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The surf will be decreasing for a few days, but the high tides are still high.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Thursday, December 26, 2019

12/26/19 Report - High Tides and Treasure Coast Beaches. Copper Heart Find. Continuing Surf.

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

John Brooks Beach Wednesday.

I took a quick look at the beach Wednesday. The water had been up high and the four-foot cuts that were at John Brooks a day or two ago were gone.

Below is another view of John Brooks beach as it looked Wednesday near noon.

John Brooks Beach Wednesday.

Frederick Douglass beach had been smoothed out too.

Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday.

Frederick Douglass wasn't much different. In the photo below, there was one detectorist down around the bend.

Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday.

Pelicans Over Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday.

I noticed a lot of pelicans flying south yesterday. I don't know what that means, if anything, but I haven't been seeing many pelicans in recent years until Wednesday.

Pelicans are great wind surfers. Wish I could do that.

Fort Pierce South Jetty Wednesday.

Almost all of the most recent renourishment sand has disappeared at Fort Pierce South Jetty Park. You know what that means. It won't be long before they start dumping sand again.

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I found a copper puffed heart a few days ago. I forget which day now, but I had some years ago found one just like it and also a silver one with the same kind of wire connectors shown in the photo below from Deagan's book.

-

Ornamental Glass Heart Jewelry Shown in Deagan's Book,

Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of Florida and the Caribbean. P. 129.

Below are two photos of the copper one that I found about a week or two ago. The photo on the right shows the heart on a Roosevelt dime with the tip up to show the hole on that side. There is a similar hole on the top of the heart for a wire connector.

Treasure Coast Copper Puffed Heart Beach Find.

The silver one that I found years ago is almost like the copper one shown here. I think it still has the wire connectors like the ones shown on the Deagan example.

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You know you are old when you go into the store and the Santa ringing the bell looks renarkably young.

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We are having some high tides and some decent surf.

Here are the surf predictions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

12/31/19 Report - Valuable Roman Coin and Unknown Coin Find. Jupiter Beach. Passing It On.

Monday, December 30, 2019

12/30/19 Report - Mystery Coin for ID. Mayan Ruins Explored. Trash to Treasure.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

12/29/19 Report - 2019 Reviewed. Mostly About Storms and Finds. Prosecution for Object Found in Garden.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

12/28/19 Report - Beach Changes a Little Again. 25 Big Treasures. Mayan Palace.

Friday, December 27, 2019

12/27/19 Report - A Couple Recent Treasure Coast Gold Finds. Reflections On My YouTube Videos.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

12/26/19 Report - High Tides and Treasure Coast Beaches. Copper Heart Find. Continuing Surf.

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