2/3/20 Report - Researching Long Term Coastal Erosion Trends and Various Related Thoughts.

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

Scientia potentia est. 

Have you ever tried to stuff a bobcat into a soup can?  Me either, but that is how I feel when I try to create posts on some of my favorite topics.  They just won't fit.

When I don't do a post, it usually isn't because I can't think of anything I want to say.  It is usually because I can't bring it to a conclusion.  I can't get it boiled down to something that I am happy with.

There are topics that would easily make a book, but they won't fit in a post.  I've been trying to stuff one of those bobcats into a can for a couple days now.  Today I'll say just a few words on the topic and have to live with the fact that I left most of the good stuff out.

Knowledge is power.  Information is never isolated or useless.  You just have to discover the connections and applications.

Anymore it seems to me that treasure hunting is more about the information than objects.  Objects  aren't worth anything unless we know something about them.  Adding additional information, what we sometimes call provenance, adds to the value.

We always start with some level of information, even if it is very limited.  If we have any interest in the object at all, we ask more questions and seek answers.  For some the question is simple - what's it worth.  If we don't know much of anything about an object, we discard it and go onto something else - something that seems more intriguing or promising at the time.

I spend a lot of time in this blog keeping you informed about beach conditions.  One way I do that is by posting beach photos.  You know what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words.  Well a picture is worth a lot more if you know how to use it.  I could have said something similar about knowledge.  Knowledge is power, IF you know how to use it.

Instead of stuffed bobcat soup, today I'm just going to give you a little bit of goulash.  It all applies.

I found an article entitled, Air Photo Survey of Coastal Erosion. The author is Donald Stafford of Clemson University.  The article is published on the asprs.org web site. (ASPRS is the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).)  

Here an excerpt to get you started.

The unique characteristics of aerial photographs enable them to serve as an ideal means of collecting coastal erosion data and provide the aerial photographic approach with several advantages over other possible methods. Most importantly, aerial photographs permanently record the location of the beach at the time the aerial photographs were taken. Therefore, where the existing aerial photographic coverage extends over a sufficiently long period of time, studies of long-term coastal erosion trends can be undertaken by comparing the historical records of beach location contained in the aerial photographs. The photographic record is better than a map or chart because the photograph captures an almost infinite amount of ground detail in contrast with maps or charts which graphs to study coastal erosion is that the coastal areas of the United States have been photographed more frequently in the past 30 years than maps or charts have been compiled. The fact that the only field work required in making aerial photographs for pictorial purposes is the photographic mission has permitted frequent photographing of coastal areas without excessive cost. The fact that coastal areas have been photographed by different federal and state governmental agencies for several different purposes insures that aerial photographic coverages exist at frequent intervals. For example, the majority of the North Carolina coast has been photographed at intervals of about five years since 1949 and one 10-year interval between 1938 and 1949 exists for most of the coast. These multiple coverages allow at least four increments of change to be measured over the past 30 years. This is much better than can be accomplished by comparing maps and charts. The four increments of change measured over a period of 30 years cover a sufficiently long time span that long-term erosional trends can be determined and also insure that shorter term trends are likely to be discovered...

I've often wished that I would have periodically taken beach photos of specific spots from the same angle and viewpoint over the past thirty or so years.  If I had, I would be able to compare more precisely how the beaches have changed.  It turns out that there are sources that provide aerial photographs of most beaches over nearly the past hundred years.  That is detailed in the Stafford article.  Furthermore, the Stafford article discusses methods for identifying long term trends.

Here is another excerpt from the same article.

Regarding the data obtained along the North Carolina coast, it was found that considerable variability existed in the rates of change that have been experienced by different sections of coast and also during different time periods within a particular section of coast. The predominant process is erosion although accretion has occurred along some limited sections of the coast. The data also indicate that major storms play an important role in determining the rates of change in beach location.

Here is the link.

http://www.asprs.org/wp-content/uploads/pers/1971journal/jun/1971_jun_565-575.pdf

Those are just a few of the relevant points you can find in the article.  I don't have the space to explore or elaborate on many others.

I've written about long term and short term beach trends in this blog but have never put it altogether in a single place.  And the photos I post are not aerial photographs, but still they document to some extent the beach as it appears at different times.

If you look at one of the charts presented in the article, you'll notice that the long term trend shows a lot of erosion in one area and less erosion or even accretion to both sides of the eroding area.   In this blog I've previously discussed a lot that relates to that, but it would be too much to elaborate on now.

Perhaps most importantly the article lists sources of coastal aerial photographs that that cover extended periods of time.

The article is not recent so I suspect that even more useful aerial photography is now available.  Of course you still have to know how to interpret any changes you are seeing and how those changes relate to what you are looking for.

If you are one guy and metal detecting is just a part time hobby, I can understand why you haven't extensively employed this type of information, but if you are running a serious operation and making big investments, how in the world could you fail to thoroughly and systematically apply this type of information.

1. Just got the tip of the tail in the can, but I'll put a lid on it now, even though there is much left to discuss. 

---

If you ignore the slashes, yesterday's date was not only Super Bowl day, it was also a palindrome (reads the same backward and forward).

02/02/020

---

Wouldn't it be better if our heroes were maybe scientists, engineers, or saints or people that do good things, rather than athletes and entertainers?  Its a crazy world.

---

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/7/19 Report - History and Photographs. Help Us Help You: Check-List. Few Finds. Surf Increase.

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

Circa 1915 Photograph.

The photo above is from about 1915.  The woman with the hat and white feather is Ma Barker.  Just kidding.  Actually the little girl is my grandmother, and the other two women are her mother and aunt.

So what does that have to do with metal detecting.  Well, for one thing, it was my grandmother that got a metal detector and took me metal detecting for the first time.  I don't remember exactly when that was but it must have more than fifty years ago.  That is one thing.

The metal detector, I think, was maybe a Radio Shack.  It would pick up big iron things, like horse shoes, but I don't think it would detect a coin, as I recall.  We went out to a home where she once lived as a child.  It was mostly gone, but the chimney remained.

It didn't catch on with me at the time, probably because of the inability to detect coins.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have had a great time with it even if I could only find iron, and I probably would have gotten a better metal detector before long.

It seems my grandmother's family had a lot of photos taken back then when it was a much bigger deal.  And she kept the photos, as did my mother, so I have a lot of photos, with a some going back to my great great grandparents.  I think it was my grandmother that put names on the back, so I know who most of them are, but the internet and genealogical research has filled in some gaps.

Here is something that was unexpected.

Back of the Same Photo.

Besides the names that are printed on the back of the photo, there is also the name and address of the photo studio, which in this case, was in a casino.  Even though I have a lot of historic information on the city, I had never heard of a casino being in that city.  That was new information for me.

My main point is that you can get good clues from photos.  Sometimes from the front, and even sometimes from the back.

I feel very lucky that my grandmother labeled so many old photos and kept the photos and other old things, and my mother kept them too.

You might consider making prints of some of the photos on your digital devices and safely store them for future generations.  Don't forget to label them.

---

I took a little walk last night to do a little eye-balling.  I found more than expected.  I didn't have time to inspect them last night but gave them a quick rinse this morning.

Four New Bottle Finds.

Included are a Mr. Pibb bottle.  See http://www.pibbthug.com/history/.  I think it will look good when I get the moss and barnacles off.

An embossed Dr. Pepper bottle.  Mr. Pibb was created by Coca Cola to compete with Dr. Pepper.

A Titusville Coca Cola bottle.  A few cracks.

And a unidentified blown bottle with bubbles in the glass.  The only reason I picked it up was because of the bubbles in the glass.  There are no other markings on it.

I found more than expected, but nothing as good as I hoped.

---

I and many of the readers of this blog enjoy looking at finds and like to identify finds and determine their age, but sometimes critical information is missing.  Here are some things that can be helpful.

Include measurements.  Sometimes a object for size comparison in the photo will do.  Notice for example, the dime included with the photo of the spoon in yesterday's photo.  Sometimes more than one measurement can be helpful.  Weight can also be telling.

More than one view of the object can also be helpful.  Often there is important identifying information on the back of an object.  That is very true for buttons.  The shank and back marks often tell the story.  You might not think something is important, but some small thing might be exactly what someone else needs to make a positive ID.  More views are better than less.

Consider the lighting.  Before taking the photo, check the angle of the lighting to see it brings out the details.

Tell what the item is made of or looks like it is made of.  You might not know for sure, but give your best guess.  

Where the object was found or what other objects were found with it can help too.  Sometimes you won't want to tell where the object was found, but give what information you can.

Things that might seem obvious to you when you are holding an item in your hand might not be evident at all to someone who is trying to work from a two dimensional photo.

You don't have to do all of these things, but you don't want to leave out some clue that might be exactly what someone else is looking for.

Here is a quick check-list (PMOC).

1. Photo(s).
2. Measurements.
3. Observations of Object.
4. Circumstances of find.

---

I enlarged the photo of the earring-like object bearing trident and water symbols that was shown yesterday.

---

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Looks like we'll get a little bump in the surf around Thursday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/12/18 Report - Storing Coins and Other Finds: A Few Tips. Dinosaur Tracks.

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

Four Walking Ladies

I was looking at some older coins the other day and noticed some things that I wanted to pass along.

Once you have found an item, cleaning is the next step, and then comes storage.  Record keeping is something that should be done at different times and for different reasons.  I keep records of finds that will help me keep track of how I'm doing and what is found at different areas.  But there is another kind of record keeping that you might find helpful.

When you store finds like those shown above, it can be helpful to label them well.  I didn't do enough of that for the coins shown above.  Only one of the four tells where it was found and only one tells when it was found.  I'd recommend putting having that information on your finds.  It is always nice to have good labels to help revive your memory.

Below are a couple silver dimes that were stored in a clear plastic envelope.

Two Proof Silver Dimes.

I think I won these two silver dimes at a metal detecting club meeting.  That isn't clear though, and I'm not perfectly sure.

The plastic container once had a paper label in it that is now falling apart.  You can see that.  The heat and humidity of Florida is not easy on things.

The plastic container was stapled for some reason.  You can see the rust from the staple on the left side.  You would not want a proof coin, or any nice coin, stored touching a staple or any other piece of metal.  Keep nice coins away from other metal objects.

Below is what numismaster says.

Next come the plastic 2x2 coin flips. Make sure that you get rid of the PVC plastic. Mylar flips will replace them, but can damage coins if they are moved in and out frequently, as always, be careful, especially if you are storing valuable gold or silver coins.

Plastic and paper flips should not be used for long term storage of more than six months. Under exceptional conditions they will protect your coins over a longer span, but the big problem is that they are not airtight.

The same is true of the cardboard 2x2 holders. They have a Mylar window so that you can see both sides of the coin. These can be stapled shut, again with the warning not to get the staples or the stapler too close to the coin. To keep the coin safe the 2x2 needs to be stapled on the three open sides. Again the reminder to use your pliers to flatten the staple legs so they don’t damage an adjacent coin. Staples will rust, but there are stainless steel staples on the market.

Next come coin folders and coin boards. These have holes for each date and mint, and in some cases the outstanding minting varieties, such as overdates. These are what you most likely will use to start your collection. Most folders have a paper backing, so you can see only one side of the coin. They expose the visible side to the atmosphere and any pollution, contamination or fingerprints. My recommendation is that you use them for circulated coins that will not show problems. Your uncirculated coins need special protection and proof coins should be left in their packaging. This is especially true for questions on how to store gold coins, if the coin is a proof coin, it should stay in the packaging it came in..

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.numismaster.com/ta/inside_numis.jsp?page=how-to-store-coins

For common inexpensive coin finds I like the Whitman coin folders and plastic prescription bottles with the original labels removed.  The folders are convenient and fun.  You can easily see what is missing from your collection and upgrade the collection as you find better examples.

---

Rare prehistoric dinosaur footprints discovered in the UK have shed new light on the middle Jurassic period, according to a new report.

The study, published in the Scottish Journal of Geology on Monday, was carried out by researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who unearthed 50 new dinosaur footprints left 170 million years ago in the Isle of Skye, northwest of Scotland..

Here's the link for more.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/03/europe/dinosaur-tracks-scotland-intl/index.html

---

The wind picked up yesterday and changed direction.  The surf today is to be bigger.  Some sand should get moved.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/8/14 Report - Gold Grin, Bunch of Great Old Finds & Tip On Returning Finds

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

Finds by Robert H.

Despite the poor conditions, there are things being found.

Here is a jaw dropping find from Robert H.

On the right is a grill.  Probably 14K.

I've found a few sets of false teeth.  One time a young girl asked me to hunt for her retainer.  Unfortunately I didn't find that.

Every detectorists should have a gold grill, don't you think?  If you see a detectorists wearing a gold grill, you can figure it is Robert.  Just kidding, of course.  He said they didn't fit.  Just kidding again.

Anyhow gold grills sell for over $200.  Below is a link if you want to see what you can get in the way of grills.  Some are really glitzy.

http://www.goldteethgrillz.net/


The other day I mentioned that they showed a ring found on the West Coast of Florida on the Kelly and Michael show.  That was a bad move.  That is why I said I wondered how many calls they would get.

I've talked about that in the past.  People will claim items that do not belong to them if you give them the chance.

Bill P., who gave us his coin cleaning instructions way back years ago, and which I still use today, said the following.

I have discovered ... that when attempting to return a jewelry item, I ALWAYS ask the caller to identify any markings or names. NEVER divulge that info at the beginning. You will get so many calls and sob stories, you'll wish you didn't even try to return it. -Bill

Thanks for that good reminder Bill.  

I haven't said much about that lately.  I try to avoid repeating but probably should repeat some things once in a while. 

Never show a found item until after you have a good detailed description.  When possible get the description in as much detail as possible before hunting.  And when an item is found, keep it concealed as much as possible until the owner gives enough to prove that he or she is indeed the owner.  

I've learned that from experience.  People do try to claim things that do not belong to them.  You want the item returned to the real owner, not an imposter.



I can't believe that Tesoro still offers a Lifetime warranty!  I have two detectors that they claim has exceeded their Lifetime warranty.  They no longer have the necessary parts on stock so they won't repair them.  Don't be fooled by the Lifetime warranty offer.  If necessary they'll claim that there is corrosion in the electronics or something in order to say the warranty has been violated, but the fact is that they no longer have the parts.

You'll notice that some detector manufacturers will declare a model obsolete when they no longer can get the parts to repair them.


Here are some pictures of some really nice old finds from GoldNugget.

He found all this in one day - eleven hours of detecting.  That's fantastic.   And a real hot spot.

Congratulations on the finds!


High water exposes war dead that were buried on the Marshall Islands. 

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27742957


On the Treasure Coast don't expect more than about a two foot surf for the coming week.  The tides are getting just a touch bigger.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net