5/25/20 Report - Coastal Range Monuments and Changing Treasure Coast Beach Profiles. Mystery Find. Snoop Drone.

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

Turtle Trail Coast Line With Survey Monument Markers Identified.

There are range monuments all along our coast.  Maybe you've seen some of them.  They have brass caps with location information on them.  The one at John Brooks beach is just to the right of the walkway near where the walkway opens to the beach.  I think you might be able to see it now.  It has been uncovered for a while but could have been covered again.

The above map shows the location of the range markers along the Turtle Trail area.  The Turtle Trail parking lot is between markers R-51 and R-52.  R-52 is south of the parking lot.

The following shows the beach profile at R-52 on Nov. 1972 (blue) and Sept. 2007 (green).

The waterline in 2007 at the mean high water was about fifteen feet farther out than in 1972, but at mean low water, due to the more gradual slope, the water line was thirty feet or more farther out than the 1972 water line.

Here is a closer view so maybe you can see it a bit better.

Of course the slope of the beach is not as steep as it appears in the illustration.  Each square represents fifty feet.

Notice how the 1972 profile has a steep front slope and drops off quickly in the water.  The 2007 profile, on the other hand has a lot more sand in the shallow water.  Because items in shallow water were covered by less sand in 1972, the likelihood of items being washed up onto the beach would be greater at that time, although they could also get pulled back into the water more quickly due to the steeper slope.

Here is what the beach in front of the R-52 monument looked like last Thursday - gradual slope with only some of the renourishment sand remaining at the dunes.

Just South of Turtle Trail Thursday Near Low Tide.

You can see the face of the dunes and the white renourishment sand from the last renourishment project at the back of the beach.

Here is an illustration showing various beach profiles at R-13 for seven different times between 1999 to 2008.  R-13 is a little less than about halfway between the Ambersands beach access and the McLarty Museum.

Frances and Jeanne hit us in September of 2004.  You'll notice a profile taken in August of 2004 (before those storms) and in October of 2004 (after Frances and Jeanne).

On the beach front it looks like the beach was cut back around ten feet after the storms.  But remember by that time some refilling had already happened.  The biggest difference between the August and October profiles is closer to the dunes.

You will see a bump in the October profile about 40 feet back from the waterline, that would probably where a lot of the sand that washed back in piled up forming a new berm.

In the five to ten foot elevation range, the June 2003 profile shows the beach being higher than it was during both before and after 2004 storm profiles.

The July 1999 profile shows the beach front at that location eroded farther back than at any other time.  I would expect the best metal detecting around July 1999 and January 2003.  The front beaches were eroded back and the shallow water had less sand close in.

There is a lot you can learn from these beach profiles, but it helps to know when the beaches were renourished and when major storms occurred.

I could go on for a long time about this type of data, but I'll leave that to you if you are interested.

You can use this link, which was sent to me by DJ.

https://www.ircgov.com/Departments/Public_Works/Coastal_Engineering_Section/Documents/Sector_3_Environmental_Assessment.pdf

Besides the beach profiles you'll find a lot of other information about the beaches and the renourishment projects.

Thanks DJ.
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Bill M. sent me the following.

On Friday I spent most of the day detecting Amber Sands beach.  Going north about a mile, I got into the area where there are lots of iron flakes.  Going further north, I found the item below.   

Mystery Object

Find and photo by Bill M.

It rang up as metal, is only slightly magnetic, is heavy at 9.3 grams, and has what looks like flakes of metal in it.   I've been detecting for years and never found anything quite like it.

As I was working my way back to the stairs, I noticed a large shadow in front of me.  I thought it was a bird, but it seemed to be following me.  I looked up and there was a large drone hovering about twenty-five feet above my head.  It was much larger than a DJI Phantom and had a glass dome over the camera.

I couldn't see anyone nearby operating it but did notice a salvage boat offshore.  I wonder if they were the ones who launched it.

Two mysteries in one day!

What do you think of Bill's mystery find?   An EO perhaps?

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A person wearing a facemask on a wide open beach might at least be reducing the risk of skin cancer.


If you believe Governor Cuomo, the exaggerated and  inaccurate predictions of the IMHE model and agencies were responsible for a good number of the coronavirus deaths in New York.  He said it was because of the dire predictions of an over-whelmed health care system that he demanded the nursing homes accept infected seniors, and that is precisely where a big percent of the deaths occurred.


Expect a two to four foot surf along the Treasure Coast for the next week or so.



TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/1/20 Report - Acid Cleaning and Electrolysis. Silver Nuggets and Other Small Finds. Mystery Object.

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

Two Eight-Reales RECLEANED by Jammin Jack

Photos by Jammin Jack.

If you are wondering if it is better to use electrolysis or muriatic acid to clean your old silver finds, you might consider what Jammin Jack concluded.

I previously showed some eight-reale coins that Jack cleaned with Muriatic acid.   He then decided to go back and reclean some coins that were previously cleaned by electrolysis.

Here is how he put it.


I recleaned a few coins that I were done with electrolysis process.

I usually do not like cleaning patina, but this group were heavily corroded. The coins came out better and with more visible detail. 

I cannot go back in time, but regret choosing electrolysis over bathing with a diluted muriatic solution. 

Above and below are the tree coins that he recleaned.

Third Coin RECLEANED by Jammin Jack.

Thanks for sharing Jack.
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Bits of Silver Found On A Treasure Coast Beach Last Week.

These bits of silver look like they were melted.  I cleaned them up before having them tested, and they are a high purity of silver.  They were found in a relatively small area of a few yard or two.

I cleaned them using acid, baking soda paste in aluminum foil, and then buffed them.

The small silver pieces were just a few of numerous small objects found in January and February on days when the beach was producing cobs.

Here are some of the other small bits found the same day in February when I found the silver bits.  They include lead, copper, and maybe brass or bronze.

Group of Various Small Metal Pieces Found On A Treasure Coast Beach Last Week.

I previously posted the following similar group of small items found back in January near the same location.

Previously Posted Group of Small Finds From January Hunt.

I found no silver bits on that day in January, other than a four reales and three half reales, but no small melted silver pieces like those shown at the top of the post.

If you read Douglas R. Armstrong's The Winter Beach Salvage Camp, you'll see that lead scrap and copper are perhaps the most commonly found metals from the test pits, but also reported from multiple pits are small pieces of scrap silver.  The small bits and pieces found in the past two months seem to closely mirror the finds from Armstrong's salvage camp explorations.

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John Ellmore found the following item and wondered what it is.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

Mystery Object Found by John E.

Photo by John E.

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The surf is around two feet and the tides are small.

Sourec: MagicSeaWeed.com

It looks like an increase in the surf is expected for next weekend.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/6/20 Report - Beach Conditions Sunday. Mystery Find for ID. Time to Consign.

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

Turtle Trail Sunday Morning,

Photo by Steve M.

Steve M. visited Turtle Trail Sunday morning and sent these photos and the following report.

Beach had some cuts down near the water about 2 foot.   Beach above that was still high.    About a quarter mile south of the walkover, the green bags are still visible for another quarter of a mile along the middle of the beach.   Just junk and one dime.   Several sharks teeth. Surf was 2 to 3 foot.   Very windy.   Glad I did a great modification to my headphones...   

Turtle Trail Sunday Morning.

Photo by Steve M.

Turtle Trail Sunday Morning.

Photo by Steve M.

Turtle Trail Sunday Morning.

Photo by Steve.

Finds by Steve (left) and his wife (right).

Thanks for showing the types of objects that were found Steve. That helps a lot. Steve also had a good tip on a modification that can be made to your earphones. Here is what he said about that.

I bought some headphones from Harbor Freight that have very good springs.   They keep out the wind and underwater they stay on tight.   Good modification to do.

Earphone Modification As Implemented by Steve M.

Thanks for the great photos and report Steve.  Also I think the earphone modifications is great.  I found the submersible Minelab Equinox earphones loose and noisy.  I think this will help.

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Captain Jonah sent me the following.

My daughter and I were doing a little river hunting. Finding some neat broken bottles and glass and she dug this up. Not sure what it is or age but thought maybe you could help her ID it with years of knowledge. Thanks for any help.

Mystery Find for ID

Photo by Captain Jonah.

I haven't done any research yet, but I'm thinking the "MADE IN JAPAN" marking puts it in the 1920s or 1930s. If the normal position is as shown on the left, I'd guess maybe something like a restaurant tooth pick or condiment holder. I'm sure somebody can some up with this. Let me know what it is. --- April 29-30 will be the next Sedwick auction. Time to consign.

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The surf will be decreasing for a few days but increasing again towards the end of the week.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

rare and infrequent events have the largest effect.

8/14/19 Report - Mystery Find and Shipwreck Rigging Artifacts. Thesis on Rigging of La Belle. Discrimination Use.

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

A few days ago I posted this find by Glen S. who wanted to know what it is and wondered if it could be a part of a ship's rigging.  The object is about a foot and a half in length.

Ron J. provided the first response saying that the large concreted object could be a "through-deck ring-bolt" used to run a line through to control any number of things like a cannon, cargo, sails, etc.

DJ said it might be a deadeye strap.  Many of those are found pictured in the reference I'll refer to below.

Joe D. said Glen S's item looks like the attachment part of an anchor, or a rigging attachment?

DJ provided a link to an excellent thesis on artifacts found on LaBelle which sank in the 1860s.

The thesis says, Nearly 160 artifacts associated with La Belle’s rigging were excavated in addition to hundreds of lengths of rope and cable. This amount of surviving rigging places La Belle’s artifacts among the few significant 17th-century rigging assemblages such as Vasa and Kronan. La Belle’s assemblage stands out still more because of its large percentage of iron hull fixtures, with the result that approximately 30% of the blocks and deadeyes in the reconstructed rig are represented by recovered artifacts...

Here is the link to that study with many more examples.

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Corder-MA2007.pdf

I've selected three illustrations from that study to show below.

First is a deadeye strap, then a futtock plate, and then a ringbolt.

Example 1.

Example 2.

Exanple 3.

Taking a look at the photo of the found object, the ring appears to be either articulated or the object bent.  It seems to me that articulated is a good possibility.  Example one and other similar artifacts shown in the thesis are articulated.   The length of the found object is just under one and a half foot.
The ringbolt shown immediately above is 41.5 cm.  That converts to about 1.3 feet - pretty close to the length of the found object.

Ron wondered if the item might be a part of a ship's rigging.  It appears that it could be, but ringbolts and similar objects are also used for applications other than nautical, so we can't say for sure.  Additional nautical finds in the same area might help.

The LaBelle thesis shows a lot of  interesting artifacts and provides a lot of good information on 17th century ship's rigging.  You might want to take a look at that document.

One example in the thesis (fig. 23, if I correctly recall) had a large piece of wood still attached.  Wood being attached means the item could be found a distance from any ballast or other items from the same wreck, if a shipwreck is indeed the source.

Thanks to all those who responded to the request for thoughts and opinions.  Although we cannot say for certain that Glen's find came from a shipwreck, I think we all learned something, and I hope we helped Glen.

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Just a quick note on what I said about the Minelab Equinox metal detector test that I did the other day with the steel pennies.   As I said, in the default field mode, steel pennies produced no auditory signal or conductivity number.  However, what I neglected to say is that the default field mode discriminates out the bottom fifth of the items on the conductivity scale.  That means that iron will be discriminated.  The thing I should have mentioned is that you can easily change the discrimination level so you do get a signal from iron.  I used the field mode but turned the discrimination off this morning and the steel pennies produced a low tone and a -8 on the conductivity scale.

You might remember that I didn't know if the coin I was trying to identify was a corroded steel penny or perhaps a German coin.  After changing the discrimination setting and testing with the steel penny, I threw out a 1980s German coin.  I didn't pay particular attention to which denomination it was, but it was a small one from the 1980s.  The German coin produced a -6 on the conductivity scale.  I never liked those German coins.  They really fall apart.  At least they are a little better than our zinc pennies.

There are a lot of features and adjustments you can make with the Equinox.  I'll probably never use many of them.  Being from the old school, I always wonder why people take so much time checking and double checking readings when you can dig something up in two seconds.  There are people that will argue with me about that, but it is often quicker to simply dig it.  If you have a bad back or just hate digging junk, you might, however, prefer to check, even if it takes you longer before you dig.

There are also those who will say, all I have to do is glance at the conductivity reading and I can skip pennies, pull tabs, or whatever it is.  That's fine, but sometimes good things give a reading that doesn't look much good.  If you skip all of the -8 readings, for example, you'll skip a lot of trash, but you will also skip steel pennies and other things.  Again that is fine, if that is your strategy.  It depends upon the situation and what you want to do.  I would do it too under some circumstances, but you should be aware of the risk and make the decision strategically.

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I'd like to be able to metal detect Little St. James Island.

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Shipwreck in Aegean Sea.

Source: See LiveScience link below.

Divers Find 2,000-Year-Old Shipwreck Graveyard Near Tiny Greek Island

Here is that link.

https://www.livescience.com/ancient-shipwrecks-found-in-aegean.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=organic


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There are no change in Treasure Coast beach conditions, and no signs of storms forming.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/25/19 Report - Mysterfy Find. Another Copper Button. Behavioral Tendencies and Metal Detecting. Site Selection. Increasing Surf.

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

Same Ceramic Find For ID

Ceramic Find for ID

I received the following email from Chief G. along with the above ceramic item.


I’m a retired CMSgt and live on Dover afb in Delaware I recently found this object on a beach where a trading ship went down in the 1700’s I have found broken pipe bowls and other objects over the years but never ran across an item like this it feels like old red brick like material but is shaped like a cork...could it be a stopper for used for mineral water the ship was carrying stuff like that it’s roughly the size of a quarter. Any help would be appreciated...by the way I enjoy your blog it is awesome.
Chief G.

I'd like to hear if anyone else has found a similar item or can ID this one.

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Copper Button Found by Fred B.

Copper Button Found by Fred B.

'
Fred B. found the same type of copper button that I showed a week or two ago.

His is generally more corroded than mine, but his shank is more intact.

Below is the one that I found and posted previously.

Thanks Fred.  He says the shank is copper.  I couldn't see much of the shank on mine and evidently mistook some of the shank for corrosion.

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Human behavior is somewhat predictable.  Some types of behavior have been thoroughly studied and are well understood.  Metal detecting involves some of those behaviors.

It is obvious enough that people tend to do what they are rewarded for.  If they are rewarded for something they tend to continue doing it.  On the other hand, if they never are rewarded for a behavior in one way or another, they generally quit.

None of that is surprising, but you can see it with metal detecting.  It applies in many ways, including site selection.  People tend to visit sites where they've found things and quit visiting sites where never have success.  Again, that isn't at all surprising.  But it can be a problem.

Just because a site did not produce for one period of time, does not mean it never will.  Beaches are very dynamic systems,  That means they change a lot.

A beach can be fairly productive for a day, week, year or more, or it can be unproductive for various lengths of time.  That is why it is important to be able to read a beach, and it is also why it is important to not get stuck in a rut.

Even if you have never had luck at a particular beach, that doesn't mean that won't change at some time.  And just because one beach has become your favorite, does not mean it should always be your favorite.

I've found most cobs at one particular beach.  It is no surprise that I have also detected that beach more than the others.  If you have luck at a particular beach, you will visit it more, and that in itself increases the chances that you will have more success there.

On the other hand if you never had luck at a particular beach, you won't like it as much, and won't check it as much, and as a result, your chances of finding something at that beach are further decreased.  It becomes a bit of what is called a self-fulfilling prophecy.

According to well established behavioral laws, if you have continual luck at a beach over a period of time, if things change and you start to find nothing there, it won't be too long before you give up on it.

If, however, you only have intermittent luck at that beach (find things occasionally), you won't give up on it as quickly if it starts to yield nothing.  That is typically what you have.   Very few of us have been lucky enough to find a beach that produces every time we visit for an extended period of time.  That builds up a level of tolerance for failure that actually will help you not give up on the beach so quickly during unproductive periods.

I've heard of people that had unbelievable luck when they begin detecting, then give up quickly when things aren't great.  If you get used to great finds right away, there is a tendency to quickly get bored with less productive outings.

I could give this explanation in the terms of behavioral psychology, but the laws translate very well to observable metal detecting behavior.

If you are aware of behavioral tendencies, you can monitor your own behavior and react more effectively.

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The wind is up this morning on the Treasure Coast and the surf will be increasing during the day, becoming higher tonight and tomorrow.

I might get a chance to check a beach or two later today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/12/18 Report - Your Ideas on Mystery Find Needed. Displaying Finds. Where I've Found Cobs on Scalloped Beaches.

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

Ring Shaped Find by Alberto S.

This ring found by Alberto is very small and rang up 24.09 on the CTX 3030.  The metal is uncertain at this time.

Two Views of Another Find by Alberto S.

Alberto S. recently found the two above items on the Treasure Coast.  I don't have measurements on the top one, but here are the measurements on the second item.

Length is 3/8 of an inch.  One end is 1/2 inch in diameter. Other end is 7/16 inch diameter.  Weight is 2.8 grams.

Alberto thought it might be pewter.  He said it rang as 10.43 on the CTX 3030.  What do you think it is.

He also dug some other items, including the following.

Pot Shard Found by Alberto S.

If you have any ideas or comments on any of the above items, let me know.

One thing I often recommend is testing any unknown metals.  Precious metals test kits are not expensive.   If you do a lot of detecting you should have a test kit.  Otherwise, take your more interesting finds to a jeweler or pawn shop.  Most pawn shops have good test equipment and will test items for you.  It really helps to know the composition of the item.

Thanks for sharing your finds Alberto.

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If you have a collection or an single artifact that you have nicely displayed, I'd like to post a picture of it.  Maybe you have it mounted, or hung on a wall or in a Riker display case.  Send me a photo so other people can see how artifacts can be displayed.

You can buy nice display cases for almost any type of collectible or you can make your own.  Not too long ago I posted a photo of how one reader displayed his finds on a wall.

Don't forget to properly clean and conserve your finds.

I really enjoy some of inexpensive holders you can get for coins and paper money too.

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Scalloped Beach Showing Drop Points.

Not all scalloped beaches produce cobs, but some do.  There are two areas where I've found the most cobs on scalloped beaches.  The first is up near the top of each scallop.  I tried to indicate that with the blue arced shape.  It is not to the top of the scallop, but near the top where the water slows down and drops small items.   I've found a good number of small half reales in that area.

The second area is the dip below the scallop where the water drains off.  There will be a dip where some items collect. Those items are often larger less mobile items that don't make it up as high, or more mobile items that drain out of the scallop but stop at a low point.  I probably should have drawn that closer to the water.  It all depends upon the shape of the beach and the water flow.

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Don't forget those people in the Panhandle who are struggling to get back to normal.

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2018-10-11-hurricane-michael-damage-florida-georgia-alabama-carolina


TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/9/18 Report- Excitement and Challenge of Identifying Isolated Beach Finds.

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

Mystery Object No More (?)

I've done this blog for a long time now - about ten years daily.  That is a lot of posts.  I know there were metal detecting forums and things before I started my blog, but I don't know of any that involved a single person doing a post on a daily basis for such a long period of time. 

I get emails from a lot of people.  I get questions, information, pictures and comments.  Some are posted and some are not.  All are read.  And I try to respond to most.  

One thing I know is how difficult it can be to identify items dug up on a beach.  That is a real challenge.  Items found on a beach are isolated finds.  By that I mean they are not found in a meaningful context.  That is why archaeologists have no use for them.

Beaches are tumbled.  They are tumbled like coins in a rock tumbler.  The front of the beach is always getting jostled around.  The waves hit and the tides come and go, moving sand and anything else in the area.  The back of the beach only gets jostled once in a while - when the waves and tides are higher than normal.

On submerged shipwreck sites you have some context, although things can get scattered far and wide.  You might have a hull and a ballast pile, and when you find items you might be able to make sense of the relationship between some of those items.  That makes it easier to say that an item probably came from this or that wreck, but there are exceptions.  Things from different wrecks and even different time periods can get mixed togethers.  Still you have a better chance of identifying the source of an item than you do when an item is found by itself on a beach.

Items on a beach can be thousands of years old, centuries old, decades old or dropped just minutes ago, and they get mixed together in the same sandy soup. They get buried, and then the time is right they pop up to play a game of catch-me-if you-can with any sharp eyed beach comber or detectorist.

My point is that any unmarked piece of this or that could have come from nearly anywhere or anytime, which makes it quite difficult to identify.  Archaeologists have made big mistakes.  Even under the best of circumstances and with the best training and tons of experience, it is still difficult.  The best trained and most experienced are at times taken too seriously, even by themselves, and fall into the trap of over confidence.  Being wrong is one thing.  It is natural.  But being totally confident while being wrong is not so easy to overcome.

Having done this blog for around ten years now, I recognize the familiar pattern of excitement and hope that a detectorist has for a new mysterious find.  Sometimes it ends in disappointment.  But through the process, there is likely to be a range of emotions.  There is the fun of the hunt and the excitement of a discovery.  There is research and learning.  And there is the sharing of the experience with other like-minded individuals.

When I started this blog I didn't know I would receive so much email.  I intended to provide what information I could by sharing my own thoughts experiences.  I didn't know that I would receive so much in return.

But what I started to talk about today is how difficult it can be to identify more or less amorphous beach items.  I wanted to remind you that it can take decades to correctly identify an item, and it might never be identified, but keep at it.

I found the 10 gram silver ingot or whatever it is, shown at the top of the post, probably thirty or more years ago. It is marked with a "1" over a faint wreathe.  I first figured it was a silver ingot.  Some people thought it was a button, but there is no evidence that there was ever any type of connector.  I was never able to identify the meaning of the 1 or the wreathe.  After a number of years, I thought, like some others, that it might be a scale weight.  But not too long ago, I read more about the assay process and decided it must be a post-assay sample.  I think that is what it is now.  It took many years to come to that conclusion, and it is possible that I will change my mind again, even though I think I know what it is now.  I still have no idea of why a post assay ingot would be on the beach, but you can find almost anything on a beach.  The point being that it isn't always easy and it can take a long time, which can be frustrating, enlightening and enjoyable.

The lack of context is not the only challenge presented by beach finds.  They are often heavily worn or corroded.  My experience shows that small beach cobs often ave lost a third or more of the original material.  That can erase important marks and make items indistinguishable.

It is also difficult to tell age from the amount of wear.  Here are two half reales.  Which is the oldest?

If you go by the amount of wear, you might say that the top one is the oldest.  Fact is, its the same coin.  One side is dull and worn while the other is crisp and clear.

I found this cob at Jupiter beach a number of years ago.  I'm pretty sure it came from the dunes instead of the ocean.

Here is why one side is so crisp.  The monogram side was covered by a hard crust that actually protected the surface (below).

Monogram Side Before Cleaning.

The monogram side was protected by the crust while the other side got worn down.

I've seen too many exceptions and peculiarities to be highly confident about much of anything.  I don't expect you to accept what I say just because I say it. I hope you will test out for yourself any tips that I present.  I try to explain my reasoning, examples, illustrations and sources as much as I can. I always appreciate alternative explanations and corrections and will gladly change my mind when I think it is warranted by the evidence.  When it comes to the ideas and opinions of others, I present what I have, to the best of my ability, and let you be the judge.  I try to lay it out there as fairly as I can.

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Google Stats tells me that yesterday there were just over 1100 page views. 

I received some good new information for future posts.  I heard of one beach burial that was uncovered, and also about a big collection of holed coins.

The tides are pretty flat now, as are the beach surf predictions for the next week or two.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net