9/18/19 Report - Hurricanes Humberto and Jerry. Erosion in Jupiter Area. Silver Find From Vero Area. And More.

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

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Look at that!  Humberto hasn't completely left yet, and it looks like there will be a Hurricane Jerry headed in this general direction.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

That could send us even more surf.

I haven't been out and around much yet, but hope to get out this afternoon and should be able to give you a beach conditions rating later today.

With Jerry following Humberto, we might get continued higher surf.

Eroded Beach in Jupiter Area

Photo by Jerry P.

Jerry said he used Ventusky.com, which you'll find on my first blog page, to find an area where conditions might be good, and he found this nicely eroded area.\

Thanks for sharing Jerry.  Very good use of Ventusky to find a good detecting site!

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Here is one nice find from the Vero area.

John E. said, I’m stumped on this one.... exact size of a dime , registers a 21 on equinox 800..... found in about 14 in deep wet sand on treasure beach in vero, can anyone identify?

John E

Find and photo by John E.

He said the words above the star are FRIAY LIBER.

Other Side of Same Coin

Photo by John E.

I'm pretty sure it is a centavo from Cuba and can almost make out a date below the star.  I'd also guess it is silver.  Looks like it to me.   A little research should provide the denomination.

Thanks John.  Nice find!

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Here is an interesting email message I received from Southern Digger concerning a link I posted yesterday.


Hello TG 

Been awhile corresponding but still following up. Archeological site locations on Hutchinson Island and elsewhere along the beaches is no big secret. I recall an old beach mound near the now closed Indian River inlet. I believe some of it has since been washed away. Years ago, a friend and I hiked to a hammock Island near Round Island Park, long before this hammock was developed. We used machetes to cut in to the center, finding old metal rods with eyelet ends which appeared to be from old sailing ship mast supports. Why they ended up way back of the beach we never could determine, unless a camp was made thereon by some 1800's shipwreck survivors.  Also, prehistoric evidence was everywhere. Thought it was interesting and a possible site to return to, we never did, that is until major changes took place thereon. Since then, the under-story was cleared and Univ. of Maryland (I believe) did an archeo survey on the hammock. I was invited to return after that, and did so--still seeing prehistoric evidence in abundance scattered everywhere. This was my last visit when construction began thereon for some type of structure. Another archeo site way to the south exists behind the beach at the water plant. I was asked to direct the Archeo. survey via an Env. firm I worked for at the time--but turned it down and recommend someone else because the end of the survey results and how the report should read were told to me before the project even started. In effect, regardless or not if there are burials. the site would be dozed and built upon. I turned it down even though I would be hired to direct the project because, at the time, I was being trusted on several other volunteer archeo. projects to the south which did not involve the Env. firm; and, I did not want a reputation of being a sellout for the $$$$ and destroy possible burials. That is a strict policy I adhere to to this day because I have seen way to much archaeological and historical sites destroyed and developed in which I had no control over or the power to prevent it from occurring. That is the nature of land development and the destruction of Old Florida. 

Thanks Ken.

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I hope to get out this afternoon. I expect to be able to post a beach conditions rating after that - maybe later today.

At this point I am expecting a few reales to be found this week.

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PM Update.

I looked at a few beaches in the Vero/Sebastian area and saw nothing encouraging at all.   I'm expecting fewer finds now than what I just said above.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/2/13 Report - Medallion Find, Gold Find, Making Contacts & Always Learning

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

Golfing Collector's Medallion.
Find and Photo by Michael E.

First, here is the TBR FOD (Find of the Day). It was found by Michael E.

Michael developed a connection with a maintenance man at a park and has been hunting the soccer fields.

It is always good to develop connections like that.  They can turn into real opportunities.

Getting to know the life guards can often be helpful.

Michael said he detected about one and a half of six soccer fields in two days.  Being sore from all the digging he has found 2 broken sterling chains, 1 10K ring, a couple silver rings, three junk rings, this medallion and $25 in clad. Still looking for something old.

I used to know a fellow who would often give silver finds to a life guard at one good swimming beach and in return the life guard would give him good information on what he saw during the day.
Cultivating contacts like that can be very helpful.

A quick look at eBay showed that similar medallions generally have an asking price of around six to eighteen dollars.

I have no rules for my FODs.   They won't necessarily be the most expensive or oldest finds, but usually something a little bit unusual, and they'll often be something that helps provides a good clue or tip.

There are a couple of things that you can take from this find.  For example the value of making contacts, and it is also an example of how to find new ground to detect.

Neat find.  Thanks Michael.


I didn't mention this yesterday but the Florida Museum of Natural History seems to be under the budget and control of the University of Florida.  They also use volunteers.

It is a funny coincidence that I presented the results for the poll about museums on the same day that the national parks and museums shut down.


This has been a unusually slow year for me.  The big problem has been that I had a foot injury that lasted a long time because walking in sand would aggravate it.   That was the first time I had an injury that slowed down my detecting so much.   It would get a little better and then I would go to the beach and reaggravate it.  As a result I finally gave in and cut down my beach time and it finally healed.  I'll be able to get out there a little more now.

You can easily miss a good opportunity if you aren't getting out to the beach often.  When you go often, there will be a lot of days when conditions are not good, but you'll also have a good chance of being there when conditions do improve.

This year with my reduced beach time, I did miss one good period when the beach improved, and  I was late to discover it.  That happens, especially when you aren't out there a lot.

I have learned a few things this year.  One is the value of genealogy research.  You can find a lot of leads by researching your family history or the history of other old families of an area.

I also learned something about how treasure is distributed on a beach after the water has been unusually high and how you can find things on the beach long after that has happened.  Unusually high water does not necessarily result in cuts but can still cause the beach to produce older items.
Those unusually high waters seem to smooth out a beach more than create cuts.

You might remember the post where I showed an old button that was found up on the flat beach along with modern beer caps and new pennies.  I believe that the button was thrown up there months earlier during extremely high water and remained there undetected for a pretty long time.  I also believe that if it was at one of the more regularly hunted areas it would have disappeared much sooner.

I'll adjust my beach detecting conditions ratings to take into account what I've learned about that this year.  It seems there is always a lot to learn.

There is still a lot of beach replenishment sand around the Treasure Coast.  Some of that has ruined hunting on some of the beaches.

I've been seeing a lot of turtle nests that were in replenishment sand being washed out.  Of course the turtles build in that sand not knowing that it will soon be washed away.

Thin Light Broken 10K Ring.

Here is a cheap thin 10K ring beach find.  Notice the break in the band.

It is light but anything gold has some decent value these days even if it is broken.

The price of gold was down again yesterday, but still not bad.


The weather has turned nice.  It is not nearly as hot and humid as it was for a while.

The snow birds will be coming back before long and we'll be leaving summer beach conditions behind, hopefully.

As I've said, this was supposed to be an unusually active storm season, but instead it was unusually calm.

Tropical Storm Jerry and that other disturbance down by the Yucatan are still out there in roughly the same positions.  No immediate threat.

Expect a two to three foot surf today, decreasing down to around one foot in a couple of days.  Also the low tides are still fairly high.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net