6/28/20 Report - Summer Beach Conditions Continue. A Few Finds Including A Fossil. Atlantic Heating Up.

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

Fishing On A Hazy Treasure Coast Morning.

I went out to see what was going on.  There were a lot of guys fishing at the beach.  I should've checked the river this morning.

The first thing I dug was this lengthy piece of copper shown with a bottle for comparison.

Piece of Dug Copper.

Bottle for comparison.

I eventually got something old - some fossils, including a snake vertebra fossil (below) if I'm correct, and I think I am after checking some books.

Posterior View of Fossil Snake Vertebra on Quarter and Expaned View.

I several fossils, some were just pieces.  The snake vert, a fish vert and a turtle scute were in pretty good condition.

The snake vert was the most interesting of the three to me.  The fish vert was not nearly as complex or complete and turtle scutes are very common.

Here are some other views of the same snake vert.

Two Views of Fossil Snake Vertebra.

It is intricate and still in pretty good shape.

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I received this email from Norbert.

Just as a "for what it's worth" I found a heavy men's bracelet on a golf course where worked. I used to run my detector when I monitored the sprinklers at night for watering the greens. I had my hopes up that it would be a good. The clasp had apparently broken when the guy hit his shot and couldn't find it in the tall rough. Back in the golf shop under the light, it was clearly marked "Italy 14K", but was without question some kind of heavy pot metal with most of the gold flaked off. 

I think people are not as surprised by items that are marked higher than they should be. You can see a motive, so that could be intentional deception, but I guess simple mistakes can happen in both directions.

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There is one system in the Atlantic with a small chance of developing in the next couple of days.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Otherwise nothing much new.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/29/20 Report - A Couple Mystery Finds: One Copper and One Maybe Silver. Also A Newer Find.

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

2-inch Long Pierce of Copper With Rolled Edge.

Find and photo by Bill M.

First, here is an item found just Thursday.  Bill dug this piece of copper Thursday on one of the Treasure Coast wreck beaches.

People often think first of sheathing when they find a piece of copper on a wreck beach, but copper was a common metal used for a variety of things.  For example, copper kettle parts and patches are among the most common artifacts found at 18th century archaeological sites.  Below are just some of the examples from one site described by Timothy McGuire in his book, Recovered Colonial and Revolutionary War Artifacts (Leprechaun Press, 2013).

Copper Pieces From an 18th Century Archaeological Site Identified as Kettle Parts and Patches

Source:  Recovered Colonial and Revolutionary War Artifacts, by Timothy J. McGuire, Leprechaun Books, 2013.

There are more pages of copper pieces described as kettle parts in the same book.

Pots and kettles were patched over and over again until the object was unrepairable, and then the pieces would be repurposed or finally discarded.

The following photo shows the rolled seam on an old copper kettle that I once found.

Seam on Old Copper Kettle.

I'm  thinking that the piece found by Bill M. could be from something like that with the seam torn apart.

Flat thin pieces of metal can often be found near the surface.  Shape is one characteristic that is seldom mentioned when it comes to how things move on a beach.  People tend to think mostly of density.

Here is a web site that discusses how to determine the age of antique copperware.

https://frenchkitchenantiques.com/copper

Look for signs hand-hammering, dovetailing and rivets.

Here is more on rivets.

Rivets

Hand hammered copper rivets

To attach the iron or brass handles to copper vessels rivets were used for making strong joints. Rivets could be made from a variety of materials, but the most common ones are made of copper.

These would be carefully hammered into a round shape to fit the hole. Light hammer marks can often be seen on the surface of the rivet and are a good way of telling modern and antique kitchenware apart.

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I posted the mystery find shown below a day or two after digging it on 1/22 and asked for opinions.

Mystery Find.

There are holes on each end and the ends are flat while the middle bridge is bowed up.  It is shaped very much like a pull handle, but very small.

Among the excellent thoughts, DJ thought it might be a hasp and provided the following photo that shows a hasp, although a more ornate and perhaps larger one.

Hasp Example

Submitted by DJ

That could be it.  Perhaps to a small box or something.  I don't know.

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A couple weeks ago Joe D. was hunting a park and found the 40% silver Kennedy half shown below.

Silver Half

Find and photo by Joe D.

Joe mentioned it was found in a junky area and didn't give a great signal.

Congratulations Joe.

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Joe D. sent this photo of sand be added to the beach just north of the Seagrape Trail stairs.  It looks like the main purpose is to protect the front yards and buildings of the beach-side property owners.

Sand Added To Portect Front Yards of Beach Side Buildings.

Photo by DJ

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With the recent offshore winds and small surf, you might be able to find some nice spots for a little low-tide hunting.  No big surf is expected for a while.

I still have a variety of topics to discuss.  I plan on doing more on beach dynamics.  Several people told me they'd like to see more on that.   Also more miscellaneous recent finds, and other topics.

Enjoy the cool weather,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

https://www.seawear.com/claddagh-story-legend.html

1/19/20 Report - Metal Detected Razor Thin Corroded Coins. Marine Fenders and Floats. Vero/Sebastian Beaches.

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

Dug Copper Coin That Has Been Corroded To A Fraction Of The Original Thickness.

A few days ago I started a series of posts on factors that can make it difficult to tell the age of a dug item from the amount of wear and corrosion.  The first thing I talked about was crusts that form and can protect an object from corrosion, even on a salt water beach.  Today I'll post the second part of the series showing that items can corrode very quickly or slowly, removing surface detail and making it difficult to tell the age.  Below are two examples.  

At the top of this post is shown a copper coin that is almost paper thin.  Originally it would have been as thick as a modern penny.  Can you tell what it is?  Below is front of the same coin.

Same Coin Shown Above.

Top and bottom clipped by photo.

You can still see the profile of Lincoln.  It is a Lincoln penny.  But the back shows that not only is it a Lincoln penny, it is a memorial penny, which tells you it is no older than 1959.  If it is copper, as it appears, and not zinc coated, it would be roughly 38 to 60 years old, despite being much more heavily corroded than many copper coins that are much older.  If I could not make out the Lincoln profile or the Lincoln Memorial on the other side, I would have no idea how old this coin might be.  It is remarkable that with so much of the coin gone, you can still see the shadow of those features.

Here is another one.

Another Very Thin Dug Coin.

This one is a mercury dime in similar heavily corroded condition.  Mercury dimes were made from 1916 - 1945, therefore this coin would be older than the penny shown above even though it is every bit as corroded.

The mercury dime is thinner than the half reales that you will find on the beach.

I have found shipwreck silver on the beach that is this thin, but I don't know if the thin silver was a reale or not.  I suspect not.

Silver dimes seem to corrode differently than reales.  Just an informal observation.  Heavily corroded reales seem to be more flaky or something.   Dimes seem to have a fairly distinct appearance even if they are almost corroded away.

My point today is that it is difficult to judge the age of an item by the amount of wear or corrosion, and that coins and other things will corroded very differently depending upon what they are made of and where thy have been.  Coins can be extremely worn and still be what we might call modern, while very old coins can at times be found in very nice condition.

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Seagrape Trail Saturday 

Photo by DJ

I hadn't seen the beaches in the Vero/Sebastian area lately so I was glad to get these photos from DJ.  There are few cuts to be seen anywhere.

Turtle Trail Saturday 

Photo by DJ

Turtle Trail Saturday 

Photo by DJ

Wabasso Still Closed 

Photo by DJ

I'm expecting Wabasso to open again January 20, or maybe 21.  It looks like the equipment is ready to leave.

Does anyone know where that renourishment sand came from?

Treasure Shores Saturday 

Photo by DJ

\

Ambersands Saturday 

Photo by DJ.

Ambersands lost a lot of renourishment sand so far this year.   It would be nice to see the old sand start to show.

Ambersands Saturday

Photo by DJ

Thanks much DJ.

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I received a couple emails concerning the big back flender or float that I showed yesterday.

Bruce B. said, I saw that fender floating in the surf back on December 27th. I looked up and found Yokahama Fenders that can be even bigger than that one, link attached. It was then a few hundred yards south of the beached sailboat.

Seems like it had only moved about a mile north in three or four weeks.  

Thanks Bruce.

Ron J. said, That big black finder looks to me like the floats that are used for the sand pump pipes and dredging operations as barriers. They would have steel cable attached to each end. I saw that at Sebastian Inlet and in the ICW as part of the marking of the keep out zone. 

My best beach find so far this year was a fishing knife in the soft sand saving someone's feet from a cut and I will use it too!

I think that is probably what it is.  Thanks Ron.

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The surf is down to about three feet today.  It will remain that way for a few days, and then next week might increase again.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/3/20 Report - Tajaderos: Mexico Hoe or Axe Money Cache Returned. New Years Finds. Roman Coin Repro.

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

Source: See MexicoNewsDaily link below.

The United States returned a collection of over 3,500 pre-Hispanic copper coins to Mexican authorities in a ceremony in Miami on Monday.

The coins were used in what are now Michoacán and Guerrero between the years 1200 and 1500, according to Jessica Cascante, spokesperson for the Mexican Consulate in Miami.

A U.S. collector acquired them in Texas at a numismatic fair in the 1960s, she said, but at that time neither Mexico nor the United States was part of a UNESCO convention that guarantees the return of such heritage artifacts to their countries of origin...

Cascante did not divulge the name of the collector who obtained the coins in the 1960s, but said that he did so before it constituted a crime and turned them in voluntarily...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/us-returns-3500-copper-coins/


They call these coins, and they were used like coins, but it seems they evolved from tools that were bartered to being used as coins with a fixed value.  Columbus, on his fourth voyage, encountered native traders carrying a large stack of these, and Cortes described the natives using trajaderos in the 1520s.

One source values the "hoe money" or "axe money" at 8,000 cacao seeds.  Another source describes the four of the tajadero as being worth on reale.  The items are unmarked and seem to vary in weight and size.

The shape varies with the location and what you see at the top of this post looks like it might have been from West Mexico.

Similar tools seemed to evolve in proto-money in different parts of the world including, for example, China.

Here is a good resource for more information about "hoe money."

http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Hoe%20Money%20of%20the%20Americas%20-%20Martin.pdf

I'd be glad to hear of anyone who can point to any examples being found on shipwrecks.

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Ring and Coins Found by Joe D. On New Years Day.

Photo by Joe D.

Here is how Joe described his hunt.

  

I went out this morning (Jan. 1) before sunrise again! I was determined to start the New Year right! Since the inlet beach is now ruined, i went South a little to have a look! First beach was a total bust, and just a few pop tops after an hour and a half, and multiple passes! The pop tops where all in the shell line! I finally gave in and moved to another beach up the road!

      A few swings in i got a little redemption with a small ring, missing the stone! I think it may be pewter; and not silver, due to the way it looked after cleaning! There are no markings, and it hard to say how old! 

      I only found several newer coins, pop tops, and lead fishing lures after that, and it was time to call it quits!    But good enough for the New Year!

Ring Found by Joe D.

It has a heart on each side of the setting, and it looks like the stone was heart-shaped.

Thanks for sharing Joe.

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Susan B. was researching Sharon's Roman looking coin and found the following nice site.

Here is what Susan said.  Reverse:  The coin (if it is real) is from Dacia. (See the word “Dacii” just beneath the line near the bottom.). Although it is somewhat the worse for wear, I found on Google Images a Reverse that is close to Sharon's coin.

Here is the link Susan provided.

 https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=ipad_bm&biw=1112&bih=762&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNRPUzZRD86HoQEtRuuBZbSmSeMPhg%3A1577903026642&sa=1&ei=suMMXt7YJoiUtAbA16vQAw&q=dacian+coins&oq=dacian+co&gs_l=img.1.0.0j0i8i30l2j0i24j0i10i24j0i24.53474.63808..74404...0.0..0.130.993.13j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i8i7i30j0i7i30j0i67.TMK8yAefG90#imgrc=6Z0Ki7q_P3tn0M:

Thanks for the research Susan.   Everybody benefits from the research.

Just a little later I received a the following email from Sharon.

I took my coin to a coin dealer to be checked out. Unfortunately, it’s a fake electroplated Denarius Roman Coin. He said if it was real, it would be worth $50. So I guess I’m back to hunting, but for a gold coin this time.

Thanks for your help.

Sharon

Thanks for letting us know the outcome Sharon.

--- I hope someone can help Iowa Steve with the marks on his ring (See yesterday's post.). Let me know if you can identify the language or anything. The Treasure Coast surf is still small and the tides pretty flat. We will have some higher surf before long though.

Source; MagicSeaWeed.com

Happy hunting, TreasureGuide@comcast.net

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

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

John Brooks Beach Wednesday.

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

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

John Brooks Beach Wednesday.

Frederick Douglass beach had been smoothed out too.

Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday.

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

Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday.

Pelicans Over Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday.

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

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

Fort Pierce South Jetty Wednesday.

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

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

-

Ornamental Glass Heart Jewelry Shown in Deagan's Book,

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

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

Treasure Coast Copper Puffed Heart Beach Find.

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

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

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We are having some high tides and some decent surf.

Here are the surf predictions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net