4/25/18 Report - Understanding Factors Involved With How Coins Move in Sand. Archaeological Detecting. Emeralds and Silver Bars.

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

A couple days ago I talked about how coins move on the beach.  Evidently a lot of people were interested in the topic and followed up by visiting previous posts on the subject.  As a result I decided to show something that clearly illustrates some of the main factors involved.  It isn't simple because it depends upon a variety of factors - the force and direction of the water being a couple of the most important.  The complication is that the water force can change from near zero to very high.

First, here is a question for you?  Will a coin always move in the same direction as the current.

Here is an illustration.

The illustration shows a coin lying on a sand slope.  The current is moving towards shore and up over the slope very much like it would with a surge.

What do you think will happen?   It depends upon the how strongly the current is moving, but if the current is very slight it can move sand in and pile it up on the slope and eventually cover the object.
However, if there is enough current, but not too much, the current will move the sand from around the coin, especially the that part of the coin that faces the current.  That would be red area shown in the next illustration.

When a sufficient amount of sand is moved from that area, the coin will slip down the slope a notch and remain there until enough sand is moved for the same thing to happen again.  Of course the current would have to remain about the same and the coin would be in the same orientation on the sandy slope.

I've seen this actually demonstrated in a tank filled with water and sand and a controlled current.  This is a case in which the object moves opposite the direction of the current,  If the current is either too weak or too strong, it won't happen the same way.  If the current is strong enough, it can push the coin along in the same direction as the sand.

The important factors are the characteristics of the objects to be moved, including both the density and shape, as well as the force of the current.

When an object like this coin is on a slope and the supporting sand is removed, gravity moves it down the slope.

One of the important characteristics of a coin is the shape.  Coins tend to lie flat against the surface and present a small and rounded edge towards any modest current.  The current then speeds a little as it is forced around the stationary object.

A variety of things can destroy this entire scenario.  Just think of a wave crashing right on top of the slope and coin.  In that case, sand will be thrown around and the coin moved rather abruptly.

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The Society of American Archaeology web site lists a variety of projects involving detectorists.

Here is the link.

http://www.saa.org/ForthePublic/Resources/MetalDetectingInArchaeology/MetalDetectoristsParticipatinginArchaeologyRe/tabid/1030/Default.aspx

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There are several 1715 Fleet emeralds up for auction in the current Sedwick auction.  They have starting bids of around $100.  I've posted about people who have found emeralds on the Treasure Coast beaches.  Some of those emeralds are not the greatest, but one exceptional one was a 68 karat emerald found by a lady that was collecting shells at Golden Sands beach.  Watch for green in the shell piles.

https://auction.sedwickcoins.com/Crude-natural-emerald-from-the-1715-Fleet-8-5-carats_i29836856

The big silver bars seem to be bringing in really good prices.  I think one is up to about $29,000 already.

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The surf is pretty small now and won't start increasing again until Monday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/7/17 Report - Rosary From Atocha. When Objects Move Against The Current. Erosion This Morning.

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

Atocha Rosary In Sedwick Auction.

There are tons of coins listed in the most recent Sedwick auction.  You can get everything from -escudos to lots of 12 half reales.

There aren't too many shipwreck artifacts in the auction, but this is one of the stars.  It has been shown in museums and magazines.  It is an early Atocha find and has an auction estimate of $25,000 to $50,000.

Here is the link.

http://auction.sedwickcoins.com/Gold-and-red-coral-rosary-from-the-Atocha-1622-ex-Christie-s-1988-ex-Mathewson-1986-ex-Quee_i26973373

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I gave you a little puzzle a few days ago.  I asked if you could imagine when an object might be moved in the opposite direction of the current.  Here is one answer that has been experimentally demonstrated.  I don't know if I can find the video of the demonstration, so I'll just try to illustrate what happened with a simple drawing.

The illustration shows a submerged sand slope (black) with an object (blue) resting on the slope.  The current is coming in and up the slope (orange arrow).  What happened in the demonstration video in which the actual object was part of a plane fuselage is that the current quickly moved sand from around the front of the object.  When a sufficient amount of sand was removed on the lower side of the object, the object slipped down the slope.  The object did not slide down the slope smoothly but but in quick short steps.

Enough sand would be removed so that the object would slip and stop.  Then when enough sand had been moved again the object would slip down again.  This happened repeatedly as the object moved down the slope against the current.

This is a good illustration showing two forces (water and gravity) acting on two objects (sand and the other object).  It illustrates something I talk a lot about - trigger points.  The trigger point for sand was exceeded, but not the object.  The movement of sand resulted in the object moving against the current.

In this example, the force of the water was enough to move the sand, but not the other object.  If the force had been strong enough to move both the sand and the object up the hill, the results would have been very different.  After the sand that was supporting the other object was moved, gravity brought the object down the hill against the current.

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Since the wind changed, there is just a little erosion on a few beaches but nothing very significant.

A Bit of Erosion at John Brooks This Afternoon.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/28/2015 Report - New Photos Of The Amazing Royal Found By Schmitt Family On Treasure Coast Wreck Site. Also Other Coins And Bottom Where Found.

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

Royal Found By Schmitt Family On A Treasure Coast Wreck Site.

Yesterday I posted pictures of the million dollar treasure found by the Schmitt family on one of the Treasure Coast shipwreck sites. Those are pictures that appeared in the mainstream media.  Today I have some other pictures of the amazing Royal and other gold coins that you might not have seen elsewhere.

Here are some good close-ups of the Royal.

The Royal is really unbelievable. It shows an amazing strike and is in almost like new condition despite three hundred years on the bottom of the ocean.  Aside from a little surface silt, it just has a few scratches that I can see.

As you can tell, it is a 1715 OMJ, obviously from the Mexico mint and must have been shipped shortly after it was minted.

This Royal is very much like the 1715 Mexico 8 shown as a type 25 in the book Monedas Espanolas Desde Juana y Carlos A Isabel II 1504 A 1868.


It is often said that Royals were presentation pieces produced for the king.  I've seen that disputed by at least one very authoritative source.

Who cares who they were made for, they are beautiful coins in any case.

All of the news outlets have picked up the story and it is everywhere.

Below is another photo that you might not have seen in the media.  It shows the gold coins found by the Schmitt family, including other 8 escudos and various denominations.

The Royal is clearly the star of the bunch, but there are some other super nice gold cobs there.

Notice that there are some pillars and waves style escudos in that group.

A little of the dark clay or silt is adhering to some of them, but they are in great condition.

Notice the Pillar and Waves on many of those escudos.  Not all Mexico mint there.

Gold Coins Recently Found by the Schmitt Family On A Treasure Coast Shipwreck.

The above photos were sent to me by Captain Jonah Martinez.  Thanks much Jonah!  And congratulations to the Schmitt family.  Unbelievable!

Below is a clip from a video posted on the Orlando Sentinel web site (link below) showing the discovery of the Royal and other escudos.  The arrow points to the position of the Royal.

Clip from the video shown on numerous sites including the Orlandosentinel.com site linked below.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-florida-family-finds-rare-gold-coin-20150727-story.html

I added the arrow to point out the position of the Royal before it was uncovered.  You can see other gold coins laying around there.

It is in a dip between rocks.  Notice the big rock sticking up in the left corner of the video clip.  It is a lot larger than what you can see.

The Royal is in a small depression in what appears to be a clay or similar cohesive silt-like material.  It is standing on end.  Other escudos are laying flat around there.

That hole would have been well protected.  If the cobs were found where I think they were, they were a few hundred yards out from shore where the bottom would seldom be affected by rough water.  The assumption of a relatively undisturbed bottom is supported by the presence of clay-like material.  You might remember that I once showed how the sand changes as you go from the beach and out to deeper water.  That coin would have been safe from most currents, and that certainly looks to be the case.  Very little sign of wear or anything, other than the few scratches.   I would not be surprised if those coins were in virtually the same location since they were lost 300 years ago.

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I'll stop there today.  I was going to post some information relative to what many refer to the "classification" (sifting and sorting) of treasure by the waves and currents.  I'll get back to that some other day.

This would be a good time to mention an excellent web site on Pillar coinage.  In my opinion it is one o of the best, if not the absolute best.

Take a look.

http://www.columnarios.com/pillars/design.html

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We'll have a very smooth surf on the Treasure Coast tomorrow (Wed.).  Some day we'll get some rough surf again, but I don't see anything in the next week or so.

Thanks for your responses to the blog poll.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/15/15 Report - Florida Research Resources. The 1795 Rebellion. Things To Watch For.

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


Old Florida Tourist Brochure

I found a good research resource the other day.  It is the State University of Florida library archives.  They have a lot of old miscellaneous stuff.

One example is this brochure which appears to me to be from the twenties or thirties. 

Below is one page out of the brochure which states, Caches of pirate gold are still found occasionally on Amelia Island, where buccaneers of old careened their ships and held their revels.

This is a tourist thing, yet there is probably some truth in it, and might be worth a little further research.

Here is the link if you want to read the brochure.  It is pdf and takes a little time to load.

http://digitool.fcla.edu/R/KSLA4HA2YKM8VSJKLU12BFQSC8PR811K71KQFLBY9F1MQ92H18-01054?func=search

You can also find other kinds of things in the archives, including detailed academic papers.  One that you might find interesting is a history thesis for the Univeristy of North Florida by Cormac O'Riordan, The 1795 Rebellion in East Florida.

If you go to the archives and search "1795 rebellion" you'll find the thesis. Anyone interested in Florida history will find good information about daily life in Florida during that time period.  There are also some nice detecting leads and a great bibliography at the end for additional reading.

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Reading is one good way to get new detecting leads.  Another is to be alert while driving.  I mentioned a couple of small beaches near a causeway bridge the other day.  I'm told those two beaches are hit regularly by detectorists. 

A couple of things caught my attention as I drove by.  First was two models trying to do handstands at the water's edge while being photographed.  It looked like a professional shoot.

The activity caught my attention because that is the type of behavior that causes a lot of losses.  Some beaches attract older and more sedentary crowds that don't lose a ton of stuff.  Younger and more active crowds tend to lose more.  As a detectorist I am always alert to things like that.

Another thing I noticed right away was the situation of one of the beaches.  There were concrete blocks at the edge of the beach where the beach was steep and eroding.   Sometimes while most of the ocean beaches are not doing much, you can find other spots that are situated differently that are eroding.

Good timing can lead to good finds even when a beach is over-hunted.  If you are at the right place at the right time, it doesn't matter.  If you are there right after something is lost or if you are there right after something washes out of the bank, you have a good shot at it. 

I've seen people lose valuable items.  I've been here when it occurred. I've also seen people on their hands and knees hunting newly lost items.  You can help those people.

One fellow that I knew, would sit where he could see out over a busy beach and watch what type of activities took place at different beach locations.  He would often see someone lose and item and offer to find it for them, but he got a good idea of what type of activities took place at different locations.   When you see it done once (such as the photo shoot), it probably happens at the same location at other times. 

I used to frequently hunt a couple of beaches that you will often see in TV advertisements or other TV programs and movies.

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If you ever wondered why the sand along the Florida East Coast travels south when the Gulf Stream travels north, here it is.  Sorry I lost track of the source after I clipped it. 

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Well I think the mystery item that I've been posted has now been identified with remarkable specificity.   I'd say it is a Khukuri tie pin. 

A Khukuri knife is a curved Nepalese knife.  Here is a link.

http://www.thekhukurihouse.com/catalog/product.php?id=313037fe4d5

Thanks to Ian A. for that link.  Looks like the item might have had a chain and/or a scabbard at one time.

Ian's British coaked sheave is still one of my favorite finds and mystery items.

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Nothing exciting about Treasure Coast beach conditions.  We'll have about a two-foot surf. 

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/10/14 Report - Experiments On The Movement Of Sand And Other Objects On A Beach

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

I'm sure everybody had a great time at the TCAS club hunt this past weekend.

To the left is a picture of the beginning of an experiment.

Three lead sinkers were placed on a sand bar in shallow water where the water would get deeper as the tide came in.

At the time of placement the objects were in very calm water.  What I'm talking about here today happened before the water got rough.

Which object do you think would be the first to disappear from view while the waves were still gentle?

The big heavy one?  The little round one? Or the disc shaped one.

This might or might not be a surprise to you.

It was the disc shaped object that disappeared first.  It disappeared quickly and well before either of the other two.  The heaviest appeared to remain the most visible in those first minutes before the water got rough.

Some sand was removed from around the two egg shaped sinkers making a little depression around them, but the disc shaped one disappeared very quickly.

People often talk of things sinking.  And they talk about heavy objects sinking more.  That isn't always the case.

I should make one clarification here.  When I just said sinking, it was as much a matter of being covered as sinking.  There is a difference.

There is what I'll call a trigger point.  It takes a certain amount of water forced to move different objects.  Sand will be moved before the sinkers.

Very often when people think that things are sinking on a beach, they are actually being covered.

The trigger point is critical.  It is one of the factors that helps to create coin holes and lines.

There is also a trigger point or threshold of force that determines when an item will be dropped or settle out.

Considering the change in waves and changing tides etc. different items will be moved and dropped at different times.

In the first few moments of the experiment above the sand was being moved, not the objects.

When the sand moves objects can sink as they settle down as the sand is removed from under them or when they are pulled down a slope.

 I was flipping through TV channels the other day and happened to hit a program on USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects, or something like that).  They were trying to find a plane that wrecked in the water off of the California coast and couldn't find it where they thought it would be.

In order to try to figure out what happened to it they did a little laboratory experiment.  I don't think it was a great experiment for what they were trying to accomplish but the experiment did reveal one thing.

I tried to find the video clip online but couldn't so I made the following diagram.  If you can find the clip I hope you'll send me a link.

They had a big tank of water and a sloped surface in it covered with sand.  They put what looked like a sinker on the sand.  The sinker was partly in the sand but mostly exposed.

They then toke a hose and made a current aimed at the object and up the slope.

Guess what happened to the object.

The current pushed the sand away from the front and sides of the object as the water rushed around it.  The object then STEPPED down the slope.  I say "stepped" because it moved in small quick steps, pausing in between steps.

The current moved the sand from the front of the object but not the back of the object.  Gravity on the object and also the sand behind the object then moved the object down the slope.

The current trigger or threshold level was sufficient to move the sand in the current up the slope but gravity moved the object down the slope.

That was a good illustration.

If you start putting all of these things together you will understand how gold and cobs and things move on a beach.  It isn't simple though.  There are many factors.


On the Treasure Coast we have beautiful weather again today.  A lot of sand though!

The wind is out of the West and the surf is only around three feet.  It will decrease even more for a couple of days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/27/14 Report - Another Hoard, Factors Affecting Movement of Debris in the Ocean and Big Surf Predicted.

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


Yesterday I mentioned how it seemed that there were a lot of treasure stories in the media lately.  Here is another.

A large hoard of Roman gold and silver jewelry worth around a million euros has been recovered after being found in a forest in Germany.

All of the rare coins, rings and brooches contain gold or silver, and many date back more than 1,200 years.

The article says, Experts say the find could be the largest and most magnificent collection of late antiquity pieces ever found in Germany. It also includes a solid silver bowl set with gold and stones and a set of gold and silver plated statuettes which formed part of a military commander's portable chair.

Here is the link.

http://www.thelocal.de/20140219/german-amateur-treasure-hunter-bags-sensational-roman-hoard

This find was made illegally.  That isn't good but something like the Portable Antiquities Scheme might have prevented the unfortunate way the whole thing went down.

Scientists have been tracking ocean debris caused by the Sept. 2012 tsunami in Japan.  They made improvements to the initial model to take into account the different shapes and buoyancies.  The amount of surface area exposed to the wind and currents causes the objects to drift at different speeds and trajectories.  The model predicted the timing and type of material that would wash up on the shores of Hawaii, which included very buoyant pieces such as oyster buoys, crates, small fishing boats and parts of refrigerators.

You might remember some of my discussions concerning the types of factors that affect how things will move and be distributed on a beach.

For example, a watch might act something little a refrigerator.  A watch can be fairly heavy, butsince it can contain air pockets and provides a lot of surface area relative to their size and weight, it would be moved more by currents and sink less quickly in sand.

If you've been reading this blog over the years, you've heard me discuss factors like these that are usually left out of the equation when people talk about "heavy objects," "density" or even "specific gravity," as if all objects were simple lumps.

Here is the link to the article about tracking the tsunamis debris.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/What_has_happened_to_the_tsunami_debris_from_Japan_999.html

You also have to take the same factors into account when trying to figure out where shipwreck debris will end up.   To some extent, different types of objects will be separated and distributed separately on the bottom of the ocean and along the beach.\


Did you know there are things that it is illegal for Americans to sell?  You probably know some of them but might be surprised by others.  Here they are.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101424448/?__source=xfinity|hero&par=xfinity


While the seas around Florida have been very calm this winter I've talked about the rough seas, flooding and erosion in the North Atlantic on both sides of the pond.  25-foot waves have been pounding the shores of Lake Michigan.

Here is an article about those dangerous conditions.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/02/monster_25-foot_waves_to_churn.html

Thank goodness our beaches aren't frozen.  I remember a few winters ago when it seemed my toes were freezing and had to go back to the car and get footwear.  Usually the water is warmer than the air on cold days, so I would dip my feet in the water for temporary warming.  This time I thought I could take it but didn't realize I was getting too soft and accustomed to Florida weather.

We've had some cool days, but not many cold days.

For the Treasure Coast there is a period of six to nine foot surf prediction about a week from now.  As I've often mentioned, when the surf web site predict a big surf a week or more in advance it usually never happens.  Only time will tell.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/29/13 Report - Water Spout, Sea Weed, Recovering Targets in Strong Currents & Tropical Waves

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

Really Amazing Photo of Water Spout Off of Pepper Park
Photo submitted by Michael E.

That is a great photo Michael.  Thanks for sending it in.

That is one of the things about being out there on the beaches.  You'll see some beautiful and amazing sights.

I wish I had photos of some of the things I remember seeing.


I was using a White's Dual Surf PI this morning.  It is not my primary detector, but I do use it occasionally, depending upon the conditions and what I am trying to do.

I seldom complain about detectors because they all have their weaknesses and strengths, but one thing I really don't like is the very buoyant coil on the PI, which in my opinion is ridiculous.  You'd think it was meant to be a life preserver.

Anyhow, I've mentioned the buoyant coil before.  Some people add a sock full of sand or something to weigh it down.  It is bad enough in calm water, but it was really a nuisance today because I was working in a strong long shore current, and not only did it want to lift, but the current wanted to take it.   That was really a pain when I was focused on digging a target under difficult conditions.

Where I was the current was fast.  When I first got there and took my first look, it looked like the water was high, but it wasn't - the sand was low.  The current had moved a good bit of sand narrowing the beach.  There was a steep drop off (not actually what you would notice as a cut) in the water at the front of the beach.  Good targets were found on the face of the sloping drop off and just below.

I thought I'd mention a few things I do under those conditions when recovering targets.

When you dig into the sand, tilt the front of the scoop up and shake it so that the sand settles down into the bottom of the scoop more.  Otherwise when you lift the scoop up the top layer of sand and possibly the target will be lost, especially when the current is rushing by.

Sometimes you'll want to face the slope or cliff as you dig into it.  Things will tend to stay in the scoop better that way.

When the currents are strong, you might want to face the current so that the current will be pushing into the scoop instead of across the scoop or from behind it.

Place your coil down the slope or down current from where you are digging, so that a target that rolls down the slope or falls off with the current will have a good chance of being heard.

If visibility is good, watch carefully for signs of the target as you dig or lift the scoop.

If you lose a signal as you dig and you think you might have moved the target so it is either deeper in the hole or now on edge, foot fan and then scan the hole again.

Sea Weed in Shallow Water.

I've mentioned before how sea weed accumulating on a beach can be a bad sign.  It can also be a bad sign in shallow water if it is washing in.  On the other hand it can be a good sign.

It can be a good sign in the water if it is live.  Or in the water it can be a good sign if it is being caught in a low dip that had recently been created but hasn't yet filled.  That might happen just after a change in the currents.

Dug Gold Band.

There are now a couple of tropical waves in the Atlantic.  There is some chance they will form.  I'll keep an eye on those.

Low tide was just after 9 AM this morning.

The surf is only 2 or less feet.  It looks like that will not change for a few days.

The low tides have not been real low lately.


I did something other than continue my series on secondary sites again today.  I think I'll probably get back to that topic tomorrow.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net