3/23/20 - Tokens and Conductivity Numbers. More on Cleaning Coins.

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

Selection of Tokens Used in Experiment.

As I mentioned not too long ago, I took my Equinox detector down to a very trashy spot along the Indian River Lagoon and started picking through the trash.  There is so much trash that it is very difficult to metal detect there at all.  If I was conducting a serious hunt there, I would do some site preparation and remove a lot of the trash, but picking through the trash provided a couple of benefits.  I learned more about the detector and especially the conductivity numbers by going over so many different types of targets and so much trash.

The conductivity numbers aren't of much use when you have a great hot spot -  you just dig every target.  But if you are trying to pick through trash and don't have much time, or you have some type of physical problem or limitation, you might want to do whatever you can to make the best use of your time and energy.  You probably know that I generally recommend digging everything (I won't get into all of that again now), but there can be times when it pays to discriminate.

I know the common conductivity numbers for most common coins as well as silver cobs, so I decided to experiment with a category of targets that are similar to coins, but not exactly the same.  I selected the tokens shown above from a bag of found tokens for the experiment.  The sample included (left to right and top to bottom) the following tokens: Time Out, Cloverleaf, Ice Machine, Say No To Drugs, Chuckie Cheese, Parking, Race O Rama, Cine Mark, Zone, Metro Transit, Garden State Turnpike, and Broad Causeway.

Here are the conductivity numbers I got for the test targets listed in the same order - 26, 22, 22, 22, 24, 24, 22, 23, 22, 21, 14 and 19.  Of course there was some variability.  Not all the numbers were rock solid.  But that is a fairly small range considering the differences in size and metallic composition of the tokens.  The largest token gave the highest number, but it also seemed to be made of a lighter metal.  The smallest token did not give the smallest conductivity number, although it did give the second lowest conductivity number.  Nearly eight percent of the tokens fell within the range of 21 - 24, which is a small range, and all of the tokens resulted in numbers ranging from 14 to 26.

I can think of a larger token that I could have and perhaps should have have tested.  I bet it would have produced a higher number.  Maybe I'll do that.

The range of good targets that you can encounter in the field is huge.  Gold rings can produce anything from single digits to very high numbers.  The gold ring numbers overlap with the numbers produced for coins, silver cobs and tokens.  Overall, I find the conductivity numbers somewhat useful in some situations, but when I want to make sure I don't miss anything that might be good, they are of little use.  If you are searching for a specific item or specific category of items, the conductivity numbers can be helpful.

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I didn't know the silver coin cleaning topic would run on for so long.  I've personally used the procedure described by Bill P. for a long time with excellent results, but there are some little tweaks that people sometimes make.

A Coin Cleaned By The Muriatic Acid

Photo by JamminJack.

JamminJack said electrolysis wasn't working well on the coin shown above, but the Muriatic acid did the job.

Like with electrolysis there are a lot of  little differences in how people use the Muriatic acid .  Containers are one thing that people play with.

JamminJack said The best way I found was getting a wood clothespin and clip on edge of coin. Lay it in container so you can retrieve and stir the coin.

I often use the top of a spray paint container, as shown below.

Top of Spray Paint Can 

For Cleaning Coins With Muriatic Acid.

There are some things I like about using a spray paint can top.  One is the small inner cup.  If you have one or two half reales, just fill the small inner compartment.  You normally don't need any more acid than is necessary to cover the coin - at least to start.  No sense using a lot of it when you don't need it.

The inner cup also allows you to separate items if you are doing more than one.  That can be important if you are not absolutely certain of the metallic composition of one of the items and want to keep it separate.

But the thing I like most is you can lean the coins against the walls so that every surface of the coin is exposed to the acid.   I've just always found that type of container available, disposable and convenient.  I have a pair of needle nose pliers with rubber coated tips that I sometime use to remove the coins, but it is just as easy to pour the acid into another cup, and then rinse the coins before removing them.  The same acid can be poured right back into the cap if you want to continue the acid immersion and don't need to change the acid.

JamminJack said, The best way I found was getting a wood clothespin and clip on edge of coin. Lay it in container so you can retrieve and stir the coin.  

Good idea.

I'll just add one or two more thoughts on this topic today.

Below is a closeup view of an acid-cleaned four-reale.  I just began use of a baking soda paste but hadn't done much of it, maybe rubbing just a very few times before taking the photo.

If you look at the high (shiny) surfaces you can actually see the direction of my last swipe.  It is most clear on the finger just below center pointing right.  The stroke was top to bottom or bottom to top.  You can see the streaks of some of the soda paste that I hadn't wiped off.

Closeup of Surface Of Silver Reale After Acid Cleaning and A Little Rubbing With Baking Soda Paste.

You might think of it as a good thing or a bad thing, depending upon how you want your coin to look, but when you rub the coin with a baking soda paste, the most pressure will obviously be applied to the raised areas.  You might like that because it creates a shinier surface on the high spots and brings out the details more.

One thing I very recently discovered is that by covering the coin in a baking soda paste wrapped in aluminum foil and leaving it overnight (which I did by accident), the brightening was more uniform than when it was rubbed.  I was impressed by how well that worked, but it is up to you if you like that better or not.

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I've been looking for pictures of centuries old screws.  Anyone know where I can find some photos?

Have you noticed that on the Yes To The Dress program that the popular mermaid style dresses often look more like manatee style dresses when they try them on?

It looks like nothing but 2 - 3 foot surf on the Treasure Coast beaches for a few more days.

Be well,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/21/20 Report - A Variety of Treasure Coast Mystery Finds and A Few Other Points.

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

Silver Mystery Find.

This is a small unmarked silver item.  It is too small to be a finger ring.  I don't know what it is.

Same Item On A Dime.

It has no holes or evidence of connectors or anything, and does not look like it is broke or was made to close.

Same Silver Object.

If it was much larger I'd think it was a napkin ring.   What do you think it is?

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I always like to find non-metallic items as well as those found by my detector.  You can often find them when metallic items are scarce.

Here are a few.

Found Points.

These aren't new finds though.  The one at the top is a broken spear point that I found in a shell pile some years ago at Walton Rocks.  It was my first point found on a beach.  I remember that find like it was yesterday even though it was years ago.

Here is a strange item I found yesterday while walking along the waters edge.  I saw it looking back at me through the shallow water.

Teddy Bear Eye?

My best guess is that it is an eye from a teddy bear or something like that.  There are rays evidently painted around what appears to be the iris.   It is flat on the back, but at one time might have had a protrusion that broke off.

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TM sent me closer photos of some of his mystery items.

Mystery Items From TM

What do you think now?  Crystal, glass, or what?

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Bill P. said,

Regarding the foil and baking soda method; try tap water instead of saliva.

I (TG) always used tap water myself.

I recently used a baking soda paste surrounding the coin and wrapped it in tin foil and let it sit overnight.  That worked really well.

I regard the baking soda paste as more of a toner than cleaner. 

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Regarding my comments yesterday relative to the Coronavirus and flu, DJ pointed out that the Coronavirus is different than the Swine flu and Spanish flu in that it is more contagious.

He also provided the following great link on the effectiveness of social distancing during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic.

https://qz.com/1816060/a-chart-of-the-1918-spanish-flu-shows-why-social-distancing-works/

Good link.  You'll enjoy the history.

Thanks DJ.

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I always say that no two things are exactly alike, otherwise they wouldn't be two things.

Often it is a matter of determining which differences or similarities are important in a particular situation or for a particular purpose.

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The surf is still running around two to three feet, and will get smaller as the week progresses.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

2/7/20 Report - Cleaning Coins: Method for Cleaning Silver Cobs and Method for Cleaning Clad Coins.

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

Typical Treasure Coast Beach Morning of 2/7

I took a look at the beach this morning and was not surprised at all.  The front beach has been building during the last few days.  The middle and back beaches have not been touched lately.

Typical Treasure Coast Beach Morning of 2/7. 

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Alberto S. provided the tested the following method for cleaning clad coins and provided the instructions.

Rock Tumbler Used For Cleaning Clad Coins.

Photo by Alberto s.

I received a gift from my wife this past Christmas, a rock tumbler from Harbor Freight, I believe is the one you mentioned in previous posts. I finally decided to give a try using a recipe from a you tube video on the subject of cleaning clad found at the beach. 

Coins Tumbled For Two Hours.

Photo by Alberto S.

The recipe calls for a 2 hour pre-wash with water and regular fish tank gravel and then a 2 hour wash using table salt, dish washing liquid, vinegar and CLR which is the solution for removing calcium, lime and rust. I tried it on some nickels(one penny in the bunch) and the results were pretty good, see the photo above.

Same Coins After Second Two-Hour Wash.

Photo by Alberto S.

One thing I did  notice on another batch of nickels that if once removed from the tumbler after the second wash and the coins are not washed with fresh water soon after and removed from the gravel to dry they will develop some stains, which I think might be from the CLR solution not sure. Anyway, thank you for the tip about the tumbler, works really good.

Hope you  are having a great day.

Alberto S. 

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Below is a method Bill P. describes for cleaning silver cobs.  I've also used it with good results.

Bill's Silver Cob Cleaning Method

Use this method at your own risk. This writer accepts no responsibility for misuse or ignorance or neglect for any person or party and for informational purposes only.

 This process uses diluted Muriatic Acid which is commonly used around swimming pools. It can be purchased pretty much anywhere pool chemicals are sold.

 A few precautions must be addressed first though. Here is a link to Bob Vila's Info on this acid https://www.bobvila.com/articles/muriatic-acid/ .

 As stated in the Bob Vila article, I cannot emphasize enough that water should NEVER be poured into acid to dilute it. The reverse is the only way it should be done...acid into water. This acronym should be in the forefront of your thoughts when using any acid...AAA - Always Add Acid!

 How to neutralize acid; baking soda neutralizes acid very quickly so make sure you have enough on hand.

 Muriatic acid is readily available at most home improvement stores in ½ and 1 gallon sizes. It is typically a 31% strength from the bottle. I generally cut this in half to roughly 15% strength and it seems to work perfectly but you may want to experiment (again, AAA).

 I suggest that you treat one cob at a time. I use a shot glass so not much acid is required. Place the appropriate amount of acid into the shot glass and gently place the cob into the container(no splashing please). Depending on how heavily it's encrusted, it should start fizzing immediately. It may take several treatments to dissolve the encrustation but in my experience once is enough.

 Remove the cob from the solution and if you only have one cob, neutralize the acid in the glass and on the cob at once. The cob will have a dull gray color.

 Next take a small amount of baking soda (not baking powder), place it in the palm of your hand, add a couple drops of water to make a paste. Then gently rub the cob between your fingers until a bright silver sheen is revealed. It's that simple.

 In the case of stubborn encrustation there is another method that works although not as reliable as the acid treatment. However it is much safer because there are no caustic chemicals involved.

 You will need baking soda, aluminum foil and hot tap water. Make a paste with the baking soda and water, fold a small piece of foil in half, fill the folded foil with the paste and sandwich the cob in between. The whole thing may become warm as the aluminum and baking soda react. There also may be some fizzing. Once this is complete, you polish the cob as previously stated.

 It is my belief that using electrolysis can damage a cob. Years ago I watched a video when the early 1715 salvors were attempting to clean clumps of encrusted cobs. They dumped the clumps into a tub and poured muriatic acid over all of it. I never saw the finished product I'm sure it was effective.

You may want to try this first on a common silver coin instead on a cob...for your own peace of mind.

Silver and copper are insoluable in dilute Muriatic acid at room temperature.

Give it a shot!

Bill P. 

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I've used both of the methods described above with good results.  Most recently I cleaned some cobs using acid and baking soda.

I plan to post these instructions for easy access my reference list.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

As you can see, the surf will increase a little this weekend.

The tides are getting higher too.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net