7/28/13 Earliest European Inland Fort in US, Fakes and Counterfeit Coins, Ancient Plating Techniques & More

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

Recent 14K Gold Filigree
Treasure Coast Beach Find.

Dorian has disappeared, much like Chantal.  

The Treasure Coast surf is still smooth.  One to two foot surf today, increasing to a peak of  2 - 3 feet by Wednesday, decreasing again.

Not much to look forward to yet.  There are still scattered shells, fossils, iron and other miscellaneous artifacts being seen on Treasure Coast beaches, along with a some modern items.


Archaeologists have discovered the remains of the earliest European fort in the interior of what is now the United States. This find will provide new insight into the beginning of the US colonial era, and the all-too-human reasons spoiling Spanish dreams of gold and glory.

In 1567, nearly 20 years before Sir Walter Raleigh’s colony at Roanoke was lost and 40 years before the Jamestown settlement was established, Spanish Captain Juan Pardo and his men built Fort San Juan in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Here is the link for more of that story.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112905408/archaeologists-find-european-fort-in-the-appalachians-072413/



On the 23rd of this month I posted a link to an article telling about fake and counterfeit gold and silver coins.  Robert K. said he recently had a personal experience with this type of thing and wanted to warn others.

Here is what Robert said.

I'm sorry to say that I have been the victim of at least, Fraud, and possibly Counterfeiting from China.

A few weeks ago I purchased a gold coin on e-bay. I received the coin in a closed slab marked "Verified NGC 1/4 oz. 999.9 pure gold". There were 7 of these sold by this dealer. After a few days I received an e-mail from one of the 6 other buyers  saying that he brought his coin to an NGC certified grader and it was determined that both the coin and the slab were fakes.
...

Just a word to the wise, they are counterfeiting ANYTHING valuable including shipwreck coins and gold and silver bullion!!

Please ask your readers to pass this around so it doesn't happen to them.

Here is that link.

http://goldsilver.com/video/special-report-how-to-avoid-fake-silver-and-counterfeit-gold-products/


I remember once receiving an email that said that if something is plated it is of fairly recent.
Modern electroplating techniques might be recent, but back quite a while ago I[posted a string of posts talking about various older methods of gold and silver plating which has been done in one form or another for thousands of years.  Many old Treasure Coast finds including 1715 Fleet finds and the religious medallion that I showed not long ago were layered with a thin layer of precious metals.  Old buttons also commonly show silver or gold gilding.

Here is what the following linked article says.  Artists and craftsmen more than 2,000 years ago developed thin-film coating technology unrivaled even by today's standards for producing DVDs, solar cells, electronic devices and other products. Understanding these sophisticated metal-plating techniques from ancient times, described in the ACS journal Accounts of Chemical Research, could help preserve priceless artistic and other treasures from the past.

Here is a link about that.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130724124919.htm


The Royal Mint has produced a lucky 2013 silver penny for those had a child on July 22.  The lucky penny can be received free by those people by simply registering.  A scan of the birth certificate is required.  

http://www.coinnews.net/2013/07/22/royal-mint-2013-lucky-silver-penny-for-uk-babies-born-on-july-22/

The lucky penny can also be purchased by others through the Royal Mint, as well as a variety of other Royal Birth commemoratives.


You might want to check out the downloads I mentioned in yesterday's post.

The blog poll is progressing very well, thanks to you all.  We'll have some good data.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/24/13 Report - Smooth Seas, Surprise Button and Photo Editing

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

Exposed Shipwreck Being Excavated.
Source CBCNews

Here is the link to the article about the shipwreck..

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2013/07/22/pei-georgetown-shipwreck-kristmanson-584.html



Sometimes things pop up when and where you aren't expecting them.  An old button was found yesterday (photos below) by a detectorist while detecting for modern items along the towel line.   It was found between a bunch of new beer bottle caps and a very shiny brand new penny.  I wonder if it had been passed over by other detectorists because of the surrounding junk targets.

The button is very worn - almost paper thin.   You can clearly see the circle of lettering on the back, but the button is too worn to make out the words at this point.  You can also see the base of the busted off shank, which on the ends is clean and shiny.  Maybe some more editing of the photo will reveal more detail.

Back of Old Button Above and Front Below.

No Discernible Design on the Front.

Below are some old finds from years back of the same period (18th & 19th century) for comparison.  This one appears to be most like the one below pointed out by the arrow.  Notice the circle with writing going around the button.

It appears to be made like that of the following illustration.

This illustration is from the following web site.

http://www.artifacts.org/patriotic.htm



Seems like a good idea to take your camera with you when you go to the beach in case you see something old.  The lighting is often very good at the beach.


Concerning photo editing, I found a web site that seems very handy.  It is free, requires no downloading and provides a number of nice photo editing features.  The site is fotoflexer.com.   Just go to the web site and upload any photo you want to work on.  Then when you have it the way you want it, just save it.  It is that easy.

Here is a video showing a Treasure Coast beach near low tide yesterday afternoon.  Notice the lazy ocean and shells near the water line.

Up to the north where I zoomed out I meant to zoom it to show the salvage boat at work.  Since I zoomed out when I should have zoomed in, you can only see the boat as a white dot.

The surf was down around 1 foot. Very slow and lazy.

There were a lot of shells - mostly small and broken though.   It is interesting to look through shell piles.  You never know what might be found there.

The beach front was gaining sand, but the area near the water was firm.  The beach above had a small sand bar on the front of the beach that was uncovered near low tide.

The video was made by a Sony CX230.  Pretty good video camera for the price.  It lacks an external mike jack though.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/23/13 Report - Pendant Find, Gold Prices, Odyssey Marine, Fake Coins, Unlooted Tomb and Detecting Formula

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

Heavy 14K & Diamond Pendant Find

The big news for me yesterday was the increase in the prices of gold and silver.  Gold went to over 1300 again.  You might remember it was way higher than that not too long ago, but took a dive.  Well yesterday, it regained over 6 percent in a day.  Not too bad!

Some are saying that silver will increase more rapidly and have a higher upside than gold.  And some are saying to expect another pull back in gold prices after the rapid increase.   You never know.

What I do know is that gold has risen dramatically over the past few years.

As for silver, I remember the days when the Hunt brothers once controlled so much silver that they pushed the prices up over $50 dollars an ounce.


This pendant find is heavier than a lot of rings.  Nice sized diamonds and sapphire.

As you know, the primary determinant of a diamonds value is quality, and after that, size.


The CEO of Odyssey Marine was on CNBC yesterday talking about the Gairsoppa and the business aspect of treasure hunting.


As you might know, there are a lot of fake coins out there.  The Chinese are making collectible and bullion coins and selling them like crazy.  I found a fake Credit Suisse bar once.   This article gives one quick and easy method for testing silver and gold coins.   Worthwhile, I think.

http://goldsilver.com/video/special-report-how-to-avoid-fake-silver-and-counterfeit-gold-products/



Archaeologists have found an unlooted royal tomb of a pre-Inca civilization from the year 700 to 100 in western Peru.  In the tomb they found more than 1,000 artifacts, including gold and silver jewelry and bronze axes.

Here is the link.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/351312/description/News_in_Brief_Pre-Inca_empire_tomb_found_untouched_in_Peru


I've decided to create and refine the TreasureGuide (TG) MDS formula.  I've previously presented a little bit of it.

Here is the main part of the formula giving the four main factors in order of importance..    S = L x ToT x Sk x D

S stands for the amount of long term success.
L stands for the quality of the primary location where the detectorist lives.
ToT (Time on Task) is time spent detecting (includes research time as well as field time).
Sk for the skill level of the detectorist/
D stands for the quality of the detector or detectors used.

I was thinking of adding a fifth factor - E for effort.   Perhaps that factor could more accurately be described as Toughness.  Whichever I end up calling it, the factor indicates a willingness and ability to work in difficult circumstances and do difficult things.  For example, the willingness and ability to walk miles to reach an otherwise inaccessible location.  The willingness and ability to work in rough seas.  Living in a truck by the beach, etc.  That is a something that makes a definite difference.

I used to have a saying that I applied to detecting.  If you don't want to do it, do it.  One example would be working in rough seas when the bottom conditions are right and your ear phones keep getting knocked off of our head by the waves.   Or, working in a dip where it is impossible to use a scoop because of the packed rocks that won't give to a sand scoop.

That suggests another factor, C (creativity) for when you need to come up with alternate approaches to deal with difficult circumstances. 

Right now I have multiplication signs between the four main factors, but I'm sure as I refine this, some will be replaced by addition signs.  I doubt that all the factors are all multiplicative.  The only thing I feel real confident about at this point is the four main factors and their relative order. 

Let me know what you think.  What important factors am I leaving out?   Should any of the above factors be in another order?


One reader wants to do something about the current Florida laws that relate to detecting, but I haven't seen very much interest by others than that one fellow.  I'm a bit surprised by that.  


On the Treasure Coast beach detecting conditions remain unchanged.  We still have the south and southwest winds with a one to two foot surf.

For value, modern finds prevail right now.  Some rusty and encrusted artifacts are being found but not cobs or treasure coins in any number.

A nice low tide is coming up today around 3 PM.

One reader has maybe found an encrusted sward handle.  I'll report on that as we find out more.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/21/13 Report - Mystery Object, Gold Madonna Sought Near Palm Beach & John Barry

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

Very Small Rectangular Heavy Detector Find

I often tell people to not throw a find away until they positively identify it or are sure that it isn't any good.  You'll sometimes miss things at first but then notice something much later - sometimes years later.   That happened to me with the above object.  It wasn't years later, but it was weeks later.

This little rectangle (sitting on my finger tip) was sitting around for a while.  It is unusually heavy but I hadn't paid any particular attention to it.  It has a green crust on top.  Then one day recently it was under a light, and all of a sudden I notice the cut stones sticking out of the crust.  I have arrows pointing to those stones in the photo above.  I hadn't noticed those before.

I suspect the item probably isn't anything significant, but it now has my interest.  I need to clean it and test it and see if I can determine what it is.

The back doesn't show anything of interest or significance.


Here an older example of the same thing.  It is a 18th Century shipwreck medallion that I've shown before.  It is a good example of what I am talking about.  It was in a jar with a bunch of encrusted coins for a long time (months at least) before it was discovered to be a medallion. That was discovered when the coins (and it) was being cleaned.  Then the shape emerged, and eventually after more cleaning the design and words became visible.

Notice the two indentations, one at the two o'clock position and one at the 10 o'clock position.  It might have had stones at one time too.  It has little bit of gold gilding remaining.

Spanish Shipwreck Medallion Found on Treasure Coast

A fabled gold Madonna statue is being sought near a 1659 Spanish wreck off the coast of West Palm by a local treasure hunter.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-golden-madonna-20130722,0,2469769.story

Thanks to Marsha R. for submitting the link.


Reviewing some of my old metal detecting records from when I was concentrating on gold at high-end resort areas, a few things jumped out at me.

1.  How many quality gold finds came from volleyball courts.

2.  How many good gold finds came from what I called "quarter holes," which are simply concentrations of quarters.

3.  How many times multiple gold items were found very close together.

4. How many times gold items were found in concentrations of rocks and stones in dips.

5.  How many times gold items were found in holes with several lead sinkers.

6.  How few times no gold was found.



I just looked at the most recent issue of The Whig, the newsletter of the Florida Chapter of the SAR,

Do you know where the last naval engagement of the Revolutionary war was fought?   Hint: it wasn't too far away from here.

Here are a couple of paragraphs from an article about John Barry, first flag officer of the US Navy, found in the most recent issue of The Whig.


While Barry recuperated, repairs to Alliance were undertaken, hastened by the decision to use the frigate to return the Marquis de Lafayette to France.  Alliance arrived off L’Orient on the northwest coast of France on January 17, 1782.

On March 10, 1783, the last Naval engagement of the Revolutionary War was fought off the coast of Cape Canaveral. 

Alliance defeated the 28 gun frigate Sybil.  At the time of the battle, Alliance, was convoying the Duc de Lauzun, carrying money and supplies from Havana, Cuba destined for the United States.  The action enabled the Duc de Lauzun to escape and complete its mission.


On the Treasure Coast today the sky looks like it might rain again.  The wind is from the southwest.  The surf is still down around 1 - 2 feet.

It looks like the low tide will be lower than normal today.  We'll see about that.

Beach detecting conditions have been poor for finding cobs on the beach but there are still a good number of encrusted objects and miscellaneous other old finds popping up.




Here is an interesting and controversial article that you might not want to read if you are easily offended by off-topic subjects.  Fair warning.

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/10-ways-that-the-iron-grip-of-the-big-brother-prison-grid-is-tightening-on-all-of-our-lives


Happy hunting,
TreaureGuide@comcast.net

7/18/13 Finds, Metal Detecting Laws & More

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

A Musket Ball Found by Rich R.
Photo by Rich.

First I'll show a couple of nice finds by Rich R.  I showed some of his other finds the other day.

Above is a musket ball from Fort Pierce beach.  Notice the patina on this one.  I discussed how sand buried musket balls tend to have a whitish patina, while, as William M. said, those found in oxygen-scarce water environments do not.

Gold Medallion Found by Rich R.
Photo submitted by Rich

By the image I would guess this gold medallion one to be early 1900s.

Thanks for the photos Rich.  Nice finds!


Not too long ago I posted a series of posts giving statements and summaries on the rules and regulations concerning detecting in Florida.  I posted information from at least three different Florida State agencies or organizations.  This is an important topic and one that I hope to keep you somewhat informed about, and one which even the officials agree is confusing.  I do receive a lot of questions about metal detecting laws.

Jon Morgan forwarded to me a statement he received from Daniel McClarnon, Underwater Archaeologist for the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, who said, We are in the process of updating our webpage to help clarify the confusing issue of metal detecting on public lands.  Metal detecting is generally prohibited on public lands with the exception of some beaches between the high water mark and the toe of the dune; you can keep what is found on the beach.  Collecting historic artifacts (older than 50 years) in state waters is prohibited, and metal detecting in state waters within areas of the contracts and permits will likely draw more attention for someone to check in on you to make sure you are not collecting artifacts.

Mr. McClarnon went on to say, If you are out in the surf metal detecting (other than in the admiralty areas mentioned), and find modern items, no one will bother you, including law enforcement.  If any questions arise, even concerning complaints or law enforcement, feel free to contact me.

I'm pleased with the statements and attitudes expressed by Mr. McClarnon, who expresses a very productive and enlightened attitude that recognizes the detecting public of Florida.  I've said before that the Florida officials that I've had contact with have been friendly and helpful.

I've argued repeatedly in the past that the metal detecting and treasure hunting communities are some of the strongest supporters and allies of historians and archaeologists.

Jon also sent me a copy of a briefing that he received from the  Ken Detzner, Secretary of State,  for Florida.  I'll have that for you tomorrow.


I continue to hear how the guys of the Capitana "earned, and deserved" their most recent success.  One more Treasure Coast salvage contractor, who happened to be helping on the Capitana the day they discovered the gold coins, reiterated how happy they were for the crew of the Capitana.  

Once more, congratulations guys!


Elle R couldn't find Bill P's coin cleaning instructions that was listed in my link reference list.  I had deleted some of the oldest posts.  As a result the link didn't work so I sent Elle Bill's instructions by email, and she said they worked fine.

One reason I bring this up is that I deleted some of my oldest posts, so you might find some links that don't work.  I'll try to get that fixed some day.  Sorry if you've run into that.


I mentioned that I put a new wood handle on my scoop after the aluminum handle broke.  All it took was two one-inch U bolts with the bar that comes with them, and one 1 x 1 x 60 in. piece of wood, a wrench and a drill.  I might make a video to show how easy that conversion is.

I also have some other things I haven't gotten around to showing yet.


On the Treasure Coast today the surf is 1 - 2 feet.  The prediction is for that to stay the same for about a week.  That means you'll have plenty of good low tide and water detecting time.

Low tide today is about 10:30 AM.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
 

 

7/13/13 Mould Seams and Finds of the Past

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

Lead Ball Found by Ed W.

Ed W. sent me some pictures of items.  This lead ball was one of them.  I don't know the size, but it looks like it could be a musket ball.  You can see the mould seem clearly.  It was obviously never used.

 Some musket ball finds are old but some musket balls are brand new.  You might wonder why a musket ball would be new.  They do still make them now.  Some that I've found were found where battle reenactments took place.

This one is nice and crisp and does not show the white patina that is typically seen on old musket balls that have been in the sand for a long time.  I don't know the history of this one and won't attempt to guess the age.  All I know about it is the picture.

Ed also sent me a photo of a bottle which you can see below.  It seems to be a flask.  Unlike the musket ball, I can see a bunch of scratches on it.  It looks like  it was dug up.

Mould seams often provide good diagnostic information.

Notice the seam on this bottle.  It looks like the seam goes all the way to the top of the bottle.  The more recent the bottle, the higher the seam will go.

The photos are very good.

Bottle Photo Submitted by Ed W.

For good closeups you need a camera that will focus close.   Some don't.

 Another thing is the lighting.  As I was discussing with somebody the other day, I think natural sun light at morning or evening works best.

For coins, turn the item at all different angles in the sun light.  You'll see the details pop when you get the sun to hit the coin or other item at the right angle.

Taking a picture of a coin with a flash will not show the detail well when the flash is mounted on the camera and the coin is at a 90 degree angle to the camera lens.  The light will reflect directly back at the lens, blurring the details.

Just a few personal observations on taking photos of finds.


I listened to a podcast created by Jon M. the other night.  He had a microphone on his hat and was talking while he was in the water detecting.  That was different.   I found it interesting.  It is sort of like radio.  You can listen while you do something else.  You could hear the background noise of the wind and water and everything going on - even the jingle of a ring in the bottom of his scoop.

Here is the link.

http://www.letstalkmetaldetectingandtreasurehunting.com/




The other day I was looking at some old detecting records written in pen on old yellow tablet paper and noticed one day in particular.

Here is how the records read.

2/4  Nautilus 571

• gold blue sapphire ring,
• 2 gold ear rings
• gold signet ring (SC)  [ below new play equipment on beach]
• gold black pearl and diamond ring (14K) 
• silver and turquoise ring [ middle picnic area just S. of walkover]
• silver love knot ring
• silver and turquoise ring 
• gold religious charm
• 2 gold class rings
• 14K band [S. picnic area by life guard station]

The area description follows the finds made at that location.  There were three slightly different locations on the same beach described in the records where finds were made

That was 9 gold items dug in a four hour period.

The next day (2/6) resulted in a good number of gold items too.

Finds at that location seemed to taper off gradually over a period of about eight days.

I recommend keeping detecting records for reasons that I've discussed in the past.

Remnants of Chantal are floating around in the Gulf and in the Atlantic.  There are two disturbed areas that show some small chance of additional development.  I'd guess they won't produce anything significant for the Treasure Coast.

The surfing web sites are showing more of the same - south/southwest winds.  Surf at 1 - 2 feet until Tuesday, then picking up to 2 - 3 feet.

That won't change anything much.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/12/13 Report - 1815 Beach Reale and More Old Coins, Poll Results & More

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

Coins Found by Richard O.
Photos submitted by Richard O.

 Here are some of the coins found on a beach after a storm by Ricard O.  I posted some other pictures of these finds the past couple of days.


The most recent blog poll has concluded and the results are in.

People say that the three most important things with real estate is location, location, location.  Metal detecting is similar, but I'd break it down a little differently.  Location is the first thing in metal detecting, but there are other things.

Location is so important because you simply can't find things where they aren't.  To find shipwreck items, you need to be near a shipwreck.  That is obvious enough.  To find relics you have to be where there are relics.  To find good gold jewelry, you have to be where it is, etc. etc.   And not only do you have to be in the right part of the country, you have to put your coil over that very small area where the item is actually hiding.  I'm sure that location is the biggest determiner of our poll results.  That means, for the most part, those finding the most gold were in the best locations for finding gold.  There are other factors though.

I've said before that you won't find much modern gold on most of the Treasure Coast shipwreck beaches.  You'll find some of course.  A fisherman will drop a wedding band, or a tourist will drop an item occasionally.  That will happen, but not real often like it happens on busy crowded resort beaches.  The difference is huge, and I know that many, if not most of the readers of this blog, target shipwreck items and some are from other parts of the country. (I've reported on where the readers of this blog come from in a previous post.)  Without a doubt all of that had an impact on the final poll results.

What you target will determine what you find to some extent - at least if you have any idea of what you are doing, and most people do. 

In metal detecting, after location I would list two other factors that will determine how much of any item you will find.  The second factor I would say is time on task.   And third is knowledge and skill.

You might argue with my ordering of factors, but that is the order I would use - location, time, and skill.

There is no way you will find a lot of X, Y. or Z if you are not in the right area, but there is also no way you will find a lot if you are not spending time hunting.  By increasing the amount of time you hunt, not only do you cover more area and dig more items, but you are in the field enough to know which spots are hot and you are more likely to be in the right place at the right time.  You'll also learn a lot while you are in the field, and increase factor three: skill.

Skill includes a lot of things such as the knowledge you acquire from research, learning how to reading a beach, and using your detector well. I won't elaborate any more on skill now.

With all of that background in mind, now I'll get to the poll results.

40% of the respondents to this poll did not find any gold in the past 12 months.  I'd say that a lot of those people are hunting areas where there is very little gold, and some are not hunting very often.  I remember when I belonged to one of the metal detecting clubs, most of the members of that club didn't hunt real often.  That was one club and it might not be typical, but there are a lot of people that are interested in metal detecting that do not get out real often for any of a variety of reasons, one being that they have jobs, families and active busy lives so detecting is an interest and hobby that is relegated to whatever little spare time they can find.  

21% of this poll's respondents had found one or two gold items in the past twelve months, while 14% had found three to five.

I sometimes receive email from people who are just beginning the hobby.  Sometimes they want to know what detector to buy.  If you are considering beginning the hobby to make a living, yes you might be able to  make a living from detecting, but you'll have to go through a learning curve and I do not believe that everyone can make a living from it.  You'll need to get some experience before you seriously consider that. And it won't be easy.

I once received an email from a person that had not yet been detecting but who wanted to make a living detecting.  I don't recommend to anyone that they quit their day job to go into detecting as a primary source of income.  At the very least, detect enough to prove to yourself that you could make a living out of it and that you'd actually want to do it full time before quiting your day job.

Detecting professionally is very challenging.  It is challenging physically.  And if you don't live in an area where there are a lot of higher value targets, it will be real difficult.  Plus there are expenses.  Not everything is pure profit.  You'll spend a good bit of money on detectors and equipment.  There is travel to the site (again where you live is important), gas, parking fees, and other miscellaneous costs.

And unless you own a pawn shop or something and know how to market and sell your finds at a good price, you won't realize as much from your finds as you might think. 

Many detectorists have no interest in selling their finds.  Previous polls in this blog have shown that.  Many want to collect and enjoy the things they find.

It is also much more fun to hunt when there is no pressure to make finds to pay your bills.  While metal detecting as a hobby is a lot of fun, you can lose a lot of the fun if you are depending upon your finds to pay the bills.  That puts a lot of pressure on and takes the fun out of it.  Some people might not find it that way, but many will.

My point is, don't think it is an easy way for anybody to make a living.  You'll need to be in the right location, put in a LOT of time, and have a lot of skill to make it work.

Many years ago when I was between jobs, I spent six months going detecting hot and heavy.  Not real hot and heavy.  I could have put more time into it.   Nonetheless, during that time I proved to myself that I could make a living out of it if I wanted to, but I didn't need to, and I liked it much better as a hobby. 

I also tend to lose interest in things after I feel that I've mastered them, but treasure hunting is something that you can not master in all its forms.  There are always additional types of targets, hunting, and geographies to learn.

Only four percent of the poll respondents found 6 - 10 items of gold.  That seems to be the dividing point for this population of respondents.  There are a lot with fewer gold finds in this population, and a small group with more.  I'd say that in general this is the dividing line between the harder core segment and the less intense group of detectorists.  It is the line between those who are getting out a lot and those who are either more casual or are targeting other types of items or live and hunt in areas where there isn't much gold. 

I'm sure the group with more gold finds, also includes more shallow water hunters.  I once had it figured out from my years of records that water hunting produces several times more gold jewelry than beach hunting.  I think it was something like 7 to 1, but I'm not sure of that number now.

Combined, 78% of the poll respondents found less than 10 gold items in the last 12 months.  19% found 10 or more.  Three percent got lost due to rounding errors.

8% found 11 - 20 gold items, and 10% found more than 20.

I cut the range off at a relatively low number of items.  If you are detecting full time and are in the right location, and have a high level of skill,  I know that it is possible to get up in the hundreds of gold pieces in a twelve month period.  Very few detectorists are actually doing that though, which is confirmed by the data.

I'm thinking about talking a little in the future about some of the guys that I've know that have done that.


Stolen Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl, Championship and other stolen rings were recovered during a homicide investigation.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2013/07/justin-vincent-rings-homicide-investigation/

They were supposed to be put into a safe deposit box, but hadn't made it there yet.


If you need to contact the Florida State Dept of Historical Resources for any reason, here are the email addresses of about 85 of their staff.

http://www.flheritage.com/contact/people.cfm


On the Treasure Coast the wind is out of the west this morning.  Nothing much going on.   The surf is only around 1 - 2 feet, increasing up to about 2 - 4 feet by Tuesday.

That means no improvement in beach detecting conditions.  Water hunting should be easy enough.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/5/13 Report - Agatized Coral & Fall Treasure Auction Details and Deadlines

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

Agatized Coral
Image from the Florida Dept. of State
Division of Historical Resources web site.
http://www.flheritage.com/facts/symbols/symbol.cfm?id=16

It's another beautiful morning on the Treasure Coast.  Before eight o'clock the mornings have been what I call beautiful.  Not too hot yet, there is a good breeze coming from the Southeast.  That is the way it was this morning.

One thing I don't like about July 5, is the sparkler wires and fireworks trash. 

I looked at a web site this morning showing junk on the bottom of the ocean.  It reminded me of one of those things I wish I caught in a photo.  I saw a hermit crab walking around using a piece of glass bottle neck with aluminum screw top as his home.  Reminded me a small aluminum travel trailer.

I saw a cuttlefish or a squid on the beach the other day, I'm guessing cuttlefish since I saw it at about the same location on the beach where I saw what was identified as a cuttlefish a few years ago.
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Here is news concerning the upcoming Fall Sedwick Coins treasure auction that I received by email from Daniel Frank Sedwick II.

Now is not too early to consign to our Treasure and World Coin Auction #14 in the fall of 2013. In fact, the deadline will be here before you know it, so contact us soon.

We have secured the DoubleTree by Hilton at Lake Buena Vista in Orlando and have locked in a date for our first LIVE public FLOOR auction: Wednesday, October 30, 2013. Please let us know now (without commitment) if you think you would like to come, so that we can make a preliminary head count and see if we need to expand the block reservation. If you would like to make a reservation directly please use the following link click here or call the hotel and use the Group Code: SED.  Spaces are limited and will fill up pretty quickly.

Now is your chance to be part of this inaugural event and take advantage of selling your collection in a fully live venue with an elite group of bidders attending from all over the world. Lot viewing will be on site the day before the auction, and special hotel rates and complimentary food and drinks will be offered during the auction in this exclusive event at the DoubleTree by Hilton, an upscale hotel in one of the world's most-visited vacation cities with easy airport access and transportation.

Attendees from around the world will no doubt enjoy our upscale shopping areas and internationally recognized family attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and many others. Our company's renowned personal attention and state-of-the-art Internet presence will be augmented with an old-time floor auction in a top-level international gathering without the distraction of a coin show. Record prices for the finest collections will be virtually guaranteed! We expect that lot space will be limited in our first floor event, so please contact us soon to consign your special collections of cobs, world gold coins, shipwreck ingots and coins and artifacts, world silver crowns, ancients and U.S.-coin rarities.

Treasure, World & U.S. Coin Auction #14 (both LIVE on the Internet and as a live FLOOR auction at the same time) is scheduled for Wednesday, October 30, 2013, with lot viewing the day before and lot pickup the day after the auction. We can offer the same room rate all week long if you and/or your family wish to stay longer in Orlando. Come enjoy our Treasure Auction and Central Florida's attractions during our best weather season! Click here for consignment instructions. 

Already for this auction we have secured many interesting and very important items, including a very rare group of Colombian cobs and other numismatic rarities, plus extraordinary treasures like an "EnRada" gold bar from the Atocha and a stunning gold rosary and other jewelry and fine artifacts from the 1715 Fleet. Also, for first time we have the honor of presenting a new and very promising salvage company's initial finds: the collection of recoveries by Global Marine Exploration, which includes an intact and very historically important bronze cannon with matching breech block and a collection of very rare Santo Domingo silver coins minted under Charles and Joanna. Last but far from least, we will be offering Part II of the New England Collection of Brazilian coins, in addition to a large selection of rare and high-quality cobs and Latin American coins from Mexico, Lima and Potosi.

Do you know what is the Florida state stone?  It is agatized coral (See photo above.)

Agatized coral occurs when silica replaces the limy corals with a quartz known as chalcedony. The  process takes 20-30 million years.   It is essentially fossilized coral.

Here is the web site about that.

http://www.flheritage.com/facts/symbols/symbol.cfm?page=2&id=16

One of my experts on artifacts that saw photos of the point that I showed the other day, thinks it could possibly be made of agatized coral.   If that is the case, the original raw material might be from near Tampa, the nearest source of agatized coral, or perhaps a more distant source.  Maybe the point made its way to the Treasure Coast as a trade item.

Weather it is made of shell of agatized coral, I'm told it is a Newnan point from around 3000 years ago, which makes it about ten times older than our Spanish shipwreck finds.


Here is a site showing treasure found in a warriors grave in Russia, including a gold brooch.

http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/treasure-filled-warrior-grave-found-in-russia-130221.htm


And here is a image gallery showing treasure trove items found in Russia.\

http://www.livescience.com/27271-ancient-treasure-caucasus.html


On the Treasure Coast we're expecting continued southeast winds and 3 - 4 foot surf for the weekend.
As a result I don't expect any real change in beach detecting conditions.

As I showed yesterday, there are a few (very few) spots on the Treasure Coast where you might find some slight erosion.


I posted a new poll and would appreciate your reponses.  We get good data from the polls that can't be found anywhere else.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/3/13 Report - Florida History and Recent Finds

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


Men have forever been drawn to beaches.  Beaches are special places.  They are dynamic places of constant movement and change.  I've said that plenty of times before.  It is where you see the four basic elements: earth, water, air, and fire (sun) coming together, and the three forms of matter: solid, liquid, gas, along with the transforming catalyst fire

Three thousand years ago the environment and animals were similar to modern day Florida, but life was very different.  I can imagine a fellow walking along the beach, feeling the same things we do today and hearing the wind and waves just like today. 

(This link will give you some of that type of history.
http://www.ocala.com/article/20030101/OCALACOMHISTORY/101010019?p=4&tc=pg)

The beach was, of course, a place for fishing and gathering, but it also was a place where it might have seemed that the sea provided gifts.  Our beach combing friend from thousands of years ago, would have scanned the shore looking for shells that held potential - shells that might be just right for making a valuable tool or coveted ornament.  Then a lot of skilled work would go into forming a tool or ornament out of the shell.

I let my imagination run a little there because lately I've been seeing finds that cover thousands if not millions of years of history, and I was reminded of the age-old human activity of beach combing that undoubtedly goes as far back as the history of man.

The dynamic little strip of beach around the water's edge is a very high energy zone and is in many ways like nature's museum, periodically displaying items from thousands or even millions of years ago as well as much more modern items.   You never know what might appear or when it might appear.  There is always the possibility of a pleasant surprise.

Point Found on Treasure Coast Recently.

The point shown in the photo was recently found on the Treasure Coast.   I was fortunate to have a good camera handy when a lady came up to me and asked "Is this is what I think it is."  I guess she thought I looked like I might know something about it, even though I always have to contact experts for things like this to get the real story myself.

This point appears to be made of shell, or possibly heat treated fossil agatized coral, according to one of my online experts and friends.  I was told it could be three thousand years old.  That is what made me think back to how it might have been originally found back before it was shaped into a tool.

You might be able to see from the photo that it shows a lot of wear.

Since most detectorists that I talk to detect on the beach, we have to realize that nothing that is found on a beach will have any meaningful context.  You can't tell anything about it from where it was found or what it was found with.  Million year old fossils and other old items are often found on top of aluminum beer cans, and could have well been transported miles by ocean currents.  That is the way it is on the beach.

The person who found this particular point was not a detectorist.  I know of a few artifacts that have been found on our Treasure Coast beaches in recent days, and they were found by people collecting shells rather than detecting.

Since it is quite possible that you will see an artifact or something of interest if you spend much time on the beach, you should be aware of the applicable laws.  I have been trying to make people more aware of the applicable Florida laws lately.  Most often you'll read summaries based upon interpretations rather than actual laws, so be aware of that.  There is a difference. 

I know for sure that detectorists want to know the laws because I receive many questions about the the rules and regulations from both residents of Florida as well as tourists.  Unfortunately the laws are complex, and as FPAN stated, confusing.  Every park and municipality can have their own rules in addition to any state and federal laws.  I therefore am not able to  address every situation or many specific situations myself.

I am doing some research and hope to be able to tell you with some authority what to do and who to contact if you do see something of interest on a beach.  You might get tired of hearing it, but I really like how they handle artifact finds in England.  They publicize the procedures in clear terms, as I've shown in recent posts.  And since it is clearly published in a way that isn't threatening or  intimidating, they seem to get good compliance and reporting. 

The narrow strip of beach on the front of the beach and in the shallow water next to the shore is a very high energy area and items that get caught in that zone will rapidly deteriorate.  Items may remain protected by layers of sand, mud or clay for a long period, but when churned up and exposed to the churning of the front beach, they will deteriorate and be destroyed rapidly.   

Besides being subject to salt water corrosion or continual abrasion, items will eventually be stressed by immense forces under tons of sand, shell or in between rocks.  I think I've shown pictures of modern US coins bent completely in half by being caught between rocks while being buried under tons of sand and other beach material. 

Items that appear on the beach, may appear only for a very short time, often only hours, then are covered again never be seen again, and if they do reappear, they will almost certainly be worse for the wear.

Remember that the beach itself is composed of rocks and shells that were worn down to grains of sand.  Items will simply not last long in that high energy zone.  And if they are lost or destroyed, they will not become part of the data of the past.  We must do a better job of saving those items. 

The objects exposed on the beach have been separated from their original context and possibly transported miles from their original source.   Items that are thousands or even millions of years old are found mixed in with items dropped just yesterday, and just as often as not, are found sitting on top of something like an aluminum beer can or some other modern trash.

It is a shame to not protect those objects when the chance arises.  I hope we can come up with a way of saving items like that before they are lost or destroyed by the forces of nature.  After reading about the British system I'm sure a system could be devised to accomplish that.  People would then learn about archaeology and history and be interested in saving those artifacts.  There is a better way.


On the Treasure Coast today, the wind is from the southeast.  That will be the same for the next few days. 

The surf has increased a touch, and is today 2 - 3 feet.   It will increase a little more, up to 3 - 4 feet this coming weekend.  That will make water hunting a little tougher, but freshen up the front beaches.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/2/13 Report - Dept. of Historical Resources Statements on Metal Detecting and Artifacts, Lost Detector & Treasure Coast Finds

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

14K Ring with Stone 
Found on Treasure Coast

The 14K rings keep coming.  The hot weather and the holidays will have a lot of people out on the beach.

There is quite a variety out there.  I've mentioned some of the artifacts that have been showing up on the beaches as well as the fossils.  But there are also modern things.

Bill P., whose coin cleaning instructions are found listed in my reference links list, says of the ruby or garnet ring that I showed a couple of days ago, if you look up through the bottom of a garnet, it will appear smokey.  That is one way you might be able to tell the difference.

I don't know what stone is in the ring shown today.


I'm still trying to find the best number of who in the state to report artifact finds to.  I want to be able to let you all know what to do if you happen to see something that might be significant when you are at the beach.  There have been several occasions over the years when I've been approached by people who found something, didn't know exactly what it was, and approached me thinking I could tell them.  Years ago, for example, I was on Wabasso beach, and a tourist lady staying at the Disney Resort had found a fossil and stone point near the resort after some erosion.   She wondered what the items were.  I don't know why people think I look like I would know about those things.  I always have to contact some of my online friends to get detailed information.  I guess I look like I should know about such things even though I don't.   I could only tell the lady that she had a mammal fossil bone and arrowhead.  Actually, it could have been some other kind of point. Anyhow, at that time I told her to contact the McClarty Museum as a starting place since it was close and I figured they would be able to tell her what she should do.  The Isolated Finds Policy was still in place at that time.


One recent find on the Treasure Coast is said to be about 3000 years old.


Recently I've posted how the British deal with detectorists who find artifacts.  Their system seems to me to very good in many respects.  I wish we had something similar so artifacts would be better reported and protected.  We're losing a lot of artifacts and information.   The public often finds things and they usually don't know what they are, and they generally don't have any idea about the relevant laws.


 Here is what the Florida Dept of Historical Resources says about metal detecting and artifacts found in rivers.

Q: Is metal detecting prohibited on state property?
A: Metal detecting on State land is generally prohibited with few exceptions. Many public beaches allow metal detecting between the high tide line and the toe of the dune. Beaches that are part of State and Federal Parks, Preserves, Sanctuaries, and military installations will have specific rules governing metal detecting; always consult with the park or property manager.

Q: I'm a diver who is interested in collecting artifacts from the rivers; is this legal?
A: State public lands include the submerged river bottom. The removal of artifacts from State lands is prohibited by Chapter 267.13 punishable with fines and either a first degree misdemeanor or third degree felony, depending on the circumstances. If you have discovered a site while diving in Florida’s rivers, contact our office and we can provide you with information regarding the site or, with your help, record a new site.

Here is the link for the Florida Dept. of Historical Resources FAQ.  

http://www.flheritage.com/archaeology/underwater/faq.cfm#27

I think I discussed the high tide line the other day.  It is actually the average high tide line, not the mark of the most recent high tide.


Michael E. sent me this link to a listing in Craigslist.  Someone stole a Minelab Excalibur with custom ear phones and a stainless steel scoop from the 21st St. parking area in Miami.   I don't know how or why someone would leave equipment like that sitting around unattended in that area.  Anyhow, he is hoping to get the equipment back and says it is his only source of income.  Be aware in case you see it.

Here is the link.
  
http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/laf/3845114990.html


The surf was only 1 - 2 feet on the Treasure Coast again today.  The wind is mostly from the south.  

The low tides have still been nice and low lately.  Also, you can expect an occasional rain shower.

As I said, there are quite a variety of types of things to be found on the beaches these days.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/1/13 Report - Bronze Spike Find & Much More

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

Bronze Spike in Wood
Find and photo by John B.

To the right is a bronze spike embedded in wood that was found by John B. just a couple of days ago.  Nice find.  It shows that shipwreck items are being found, although conditions for finding shipwreck treasure coins remains poor.
Despite the poor conditions for finding treasure coins on the Treasure Coast beaches right now, there are a lot of interesting things being found, ranging from modern jewelry, to metal artifacts, to sea glass, some fossils, and other artifacts.  I mentioned a couple of artifacts that were recently found a day or two ago.  I expect to post a photo of a very old Treasure Coast artifact soon.  The google software doesn't seem to want to post it today.

I've been running into people that have found things on the beach and have been lucky to have my good camera along at the time.  There are certainly more finds that I haven't seen or heard about.


I ran across a web site that shows where the remains of an old shipwreck lies immediately south of the Hillsboro Inlet.  I'll have to get that diagram for you sometime.

Treasure coins have been found on the rocks near the light on the north side of the inlet as well as all the way down the beach to the Pompano pier.  Stay off of the property and rocks around the light though.  People have been arrested in the past for getting on the property around the light.  You can detect the beach on the south side of the inlet though.


You might remember that a few days ago I mentioned how many people, especially seniors are keeping cash and valuables at home rather than in the bank.  As a result one reader sent a link that you'll find interesting.  It tells of the tons of dented metal safes that were washed out of homes and businesses by the tsunami and were washed back up on the tsunami-battered coast.   Some of these the safes held family life savings and were sitting in stacks at police offices.

The article said that they estimate that $350 billion of yen does not circulate in Japan, because people, many people in Japan stach their cash at home.  The Japanese word for the stash is "tansu yokin" trasnlated as "wardrobe savings."

Here is the link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/10/japan-lost-money-safes-cash_n_847243.html


What did you all think of the Florida Public Archaeology Network statement about the laws relating to metal detecting in Florida?   And the British system?   You definitely should be aware of the Florida Public Archaeology Network statement.  While their interpretation might be questionable in some respects, it will nonetheless influence some in government as well as the public.


Here is what the Department of Environmental Protection said on the following on the Florida Coast Access web site.

Prior to 1821, Indian River County was part of the Spanish Colony of East Florida. During this time, Spanish ships carrying massive quantities of gold and silver passed by this area every summer. In 1715, a storm sank the seven Spanish vessels off the coast of present-day Indian River County. Many artifacts including silver and gold were salvaged in the early 1920s. Today, treasure enthusiasts can be found along the beaches of Indian River County searching for buried treasure and casing the shoreline with metal detectors. The McLarty Treasure Museum in northern Indian River County has exhibits and movies detailing the history of the county along with many of the artifacts excavated from the 1715 shipwreck.

That is a different tone than the statement by FPAN.  This seems to recognize the importance of our treasure beaches and the positive aspect of treasure hunting and metal detecting on Florida.  It is an important activity for locals and an big tourist draw.

Here is the link where you can read about more of our Florida beaches.

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/cmp/beachaccess/atlantic/indianriver.htm



Here is an article in a law journal concerning access to Florida beaches that you might find interesting if you are into the legal stuff.  It is out-dated but presents a number of relevant legal principles, such as that of customary useage.

http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/landuse/Vol151/spain1.htm

There are times when a misinformed or over zealous security guard might try to run you off a beach you have every right to be on.  While I advise cooperating, it is also good to know the real situation.


We still have a 1 - 2 foot surf, but to me the most important thing right now is the nice low tides.  The wind is from the southeast today and the beaches are filling a little though.  The surf will be a little higher tomorrow, but no significant change in conditions is expected.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/30/13 - Low Tide Scattered Shells and Things & Florida Archaeology Network Concerning Laws on Metal Detecting

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

Stretch of Beach Shown Yesterday Morning. 

This beach doesn't look much good for metal detecting, and it wasn't much good.  There isn't any erosion and there weren't any good metal targets to detect.  There were a few old pieces of iron, copper, titanium and the ever present aluminum.  It was more of an eye-balling beach.

You can see at the bottom right corner a little line showing where a thin top layer of sand was being removed, exposing a fresh layer.

The shell piles were not big,  Shells were scattered as you see in the photo.  Sea glass and pieces of fossils were seen in between.

One lady hunting shells (you can barely see her up ahead as a dot in the photo) actually found a couple of very old shell artifacts.  She was just collecting shells and things she thought looked interesting for crafts.   She didn't know what they were.  Fortunately  I had my camera and took a picture of them and asked some people that know a lot about artifacts.  They said they were indeed artifacts.   

I'm in the process of trying to find who in the state I should contact about artifact finds these days.  Regarding fossils, Richard Hulbert at the Florida Museum of Natural History has always been helpful, and it is much appreciated.  He has helped people who send him photos to identify fossils.    Back a few years ago when they had the Vero Man conference in Vero, people brought in boxes of fossils and he identified them.

By the way, fossils are different from artifacts.  Artifacts are human formed.

You do need a permit to collect fossils on state lands or in state waterways.

If you do hunt fossils much, you can't help but come across artifacts from time to time.

Of the hundreds of fossils he identified that day, there was only one that he was interested in having for the museum.   That is what you would expect.  By definition, most things are common.  Few are rare.

Yesterday I was reminded of the time quite a few years ago when I was at Wabasso Beach after some erosion.  A tourist staying at the Disney resort came up to me and showed me a fossilized mammal bone and an arrowhead she found on the beach there after some erosion.  She said I looked like I might know what they were.   I don't have the slightest idea why she picked me out other than maybe it looked like I had spent a lot of time on the beach.  Anyhow, I knew what those ones were in the most general sense, and gave her the name of the local museum to contact if she wanted to find out more about them.

I am in the process of trying to get a good contact telephone number and email address to use when you want to report an artifact that has been found on the beach.  I've contacted people at the Florida Museum of Natural History about artifacts in the past.  It usually took a while to get the right person to talk to, but you can get someone.  When I get good contact information, I'll post it for you all.


FPAN, the Florida Public Archaeology Network,  has the purpose of public outreach.  They have regional offices.

Here is the link for their FAQs.

http://www.flpublicarchaeology.org/faq.php

I get a lot of questions about the laws concerning metal detecting in Florida.

Here is their FAQ on Florida metal detecting laws.

Can I metal detect in Florida? Laws regarding metal detecting in Florida are rather confusing —we always encourage anyone interested in metal detecting to always get the permission of the land owner or manager before detecting - that will prevent misunderstandings about what is permitted, trespassing, etc. Most cities and counties have their own ordinances regarding metal detecting - the City Manager, County Commission, or the Parks/Recreation Department can probably tell you. Most coastal cities and counties in Florida do allow metal detecting on their beaches, although some, like St. Johns County, have ordinances that prohibit the removal of historical objects from county lands. They’re all a little different, so that’s why we suggest contacting them directly. Detecting on state lands is different and the removal of historical objects from state lands is prohibited. Some coastal state parks do not allow metal detecting at all, some will allow it between the shoreward toe of the dunes and the mean high water line, but only for modern objects. Some state parks will only allow detecting for personal items that are specified as lost in a particular area. If counties or cities lease coastal lands from the state, they are required to abide by state laws. Every state park will have an entry station with a ranger on duty, so always ask first.  As for metal detecting in the water, all lands that are below the mean high water line are considered state sovereignty submerged lands and, while it is not against the law to possess a metal detector in the water, it IS against the law to disturb the bottom sediments. So, if something is detected, it would be illegal to dig for it.

They are certainly right about it being confusing.

If you wade out into the water, are you disturbing the bottom?   I know, that is a crazy question.  

That reminds me of those little fish that you can see when you wade when the visibility is very good that will follow you around and eat little things that you stir up when you walk in the sand.

Photo Showing Low Rocks at Low Tide Yesterday.

One thing I like about the British system that I talked about yesterday is that it seems it is easy to contact someone to report finds and what the public is to do is well publicized.  At least it is explained well on the internet.  Maybe in practice if you are actually trying to work with the system, it might not be so easy.

Neives Site and Salvage Vessel at Work Yesterday Morning.

I didn't have the right camera for this yesterday morning.  You can barely see the boat on what looks like the horizon near the center of the photo.

Actually the boat was only about 200 yards out.  Looks much farther in this photo.

On the Treasure Coast conditions are about the same today as yesterday.  Very little surf.  Nice low tide.  Some shelling to be found, with other items in between.

As I said, I'll be trying to get a good number or email address for you to report artifacts that are seen on the beach.

I'm going to continue taking a camera so I take photograph artifacts that I see on the beach.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/27/13 Report - Alternative Treasure Hunting Strategies, Gold and Silver Prices Drop Like a Rock & Hidden Caches

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


Most people do the same types of things.  They do what they see other people do.  There are , however, some very creative, intelligent and effective metal detecting and treasure hunting techniques that are little known and little used.  I'm toying with the idea of revealing some of those. 

If you saw the monster scoop that I posted yesterday, you might have wondered what use it could possibly have.  Certainly you are not going to carry something like that around on the beach unless you are Paul Bunyon.

That scoop might have given you an idea to an alternate approach.  Where would that scoop be used?  That type of scoop is used in high density target areas, such as around docks, and most often where there is also a high density of trash on muddy or gravel bottoms.  Often the high density of trash makes detecting nearly impossible.  That is no problem since it is easy to separate the trash from good targets visibly once they've been scooped up.

That is just one approach that is a little different from what is more commonly done.  There are other and more extreme alternate approaches..  Some of those approaches involve some pretty sophisticated equipment.  Others do not employ unusual equipment, just different strategies or techniques.



People have intentionally buried valuables as long as there have been valuables to bury.  They were hidden during both war and peace. 

People still hide things today, especially the elderly. A surprising number of the elderly do not have a safe, do not totally trust banks, and do not get hardly any interest on their hard earned nest eggs.  Some don't think safes are necessary, and others don't feel they can afford them.  Some don't want to pay for a safe deposit box and find having to go to a bank difficult or inconvenient.   And although it is still common for people to bury things, many elderly people today keep cash or bullion coins hidden at home.  I know one elderly lady up north who has hidden a large amount of cash at home.  I wouldn't advise anyone to do that.  She also has a good number of gold coins.

While in the past many people buried caches, today just as commonly the elderly hides things in the house, sometimes in places where they are forgotten or left behind and sometimes unknowingly sold hidden in estate sale items.  Many times items are found in the pockets or clothing.  I know too well about cleaning up the estate of a deceased loved one.

Here is a related item from KovelsKomments.com. (4/3/13).

When downsizing or closing an estate, people often give many things to charity. But before you donate, be sure to search every pocket in clothing, inside and under every drawer, behind framed pictures, and inside purses. A Pennsylvania woman found $30,000 in the pockets of clothes that were given away. She said she was brought up in an honest family and she believes in karma--so what you do, good or bad, comes back to you. She returned the money and was given a $1,000 reward.

There are still good people around.

And here is another related story from KovelsKomments.com (6/6/13).

K.A., sent this email: "I worked for an auction house and we were called to the estate of a man with a Coca-Cola memorabilia collection…. It didn't take me long to find he had built a little drawer under a piece of furniture that had a $20 Saint-Gaudens gold coin in it. I recovered 17 of them, an extra $14,000 for the estate." [Augustus Saint-Gaudens designed the U.S. double-eagle gold coin, produced from 1907 to 1933; their current values vary depending on issue year and condition.]

People hide things at the beaches too.  I've found US bills and other valuables hidden in cigarette wrappers.  That is becoming less common since not so many people smoke any more.  And I've also found things that people have buried on the beach probably before they went in swimming.  It appears that they then either forgot them or couldn't find them again.   One was wrapped in a napkin, and a couple of times, a ring was found on a buried key chain with the keys, and one time a gold ring was found in an aluminum soda can.


Both silver and gold prices dropped like a rock yesterday.  Gold was down $50 at one point.  If you have a gold collection or just want to protect the value of the gold that you dug up for the future, it is actually possible to make money off of any decrease in the price of gold.  It was possible in the past, but there are  now newer financial tools that you might want to know about.  For example, there are ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) that increase in value as the price of gold or other metals or commodities decrease.   If you owned shares of what is called an inverse ETF in gold yesterday, it increased in value and you could have made money as the price of gold dropped.  

I want to make this clear.  I am not recommending that you buy an inverse ETF  in gold or any other type of ETF.  You can lose money very quickly with ETFs and you need to know what you are doing.   I just thought you might want to look into it if you are an informed investor and want to protect the value or any gold or other metals or commoditities that you might have.  Some detectorists sell their gold finds right away, but others keep their finds to enjoy and wear, other put them away hoping for long term price appreciation.   (As I've said before, don't keep valuables at home.  I highly recommend a bank safe deposit box.)

You might think about your finds and consider how they might fit into a long term plan.  Maybe consult a financial advisor.  I am definitely not one of those.  One of this blog's readers does a blog on financial matters.  Here it is.   http://mypersonalinsuranceadvisor.blogspot.com/2013/01/for-most-people-with-newyear-comes.html   (This is not an advertisement of any type.  I just know John from his emails to me about metal detecting.  He didn't ask me to do this.  His blog will give you some good things to consider.)


On the Treasure Coast today there isn't much change.  Still hot.  1 - 2 foot surf today. 

The tides have moderated some, and the low tide will not be as low as it has been in recent days.

The wind is from the south.  The swell is from the east.

No significant storms out there yet.

I had some photos for today but my wife is using the camera and SD card, so I'll just save them for another day.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net