6/7/20 Report - Meaning and Folding of Burial Flags. Being Prepared for Larger and Different Kinds of Finds. Cristobal.

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

Source: http://wvutoday-archive.wvu.edu/resources/1/1251677894.jpg

With the current controversy regarding showing respect for the flag, I thought it would be helpful to actually look at some of the symbolism and significance of burial flags and memorial flags for veterans.

Here is an excerpt from one site.


Here is how to understand the flag that laid upon it and is surrendered to so many widows and widowers: Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

Have you ever noticed that the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day.

To understand what the flag draped coffin really means.

• The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.
• The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life...

Etc.

Here is that link for more.

http://www.lanesboroamericanlegion.org/meaning-of-the-flag-draped-coffin.html

---

A few days ago I started a series of posts on mistakes I've made after finding an object.  The first one that I discussed was having a hole in your pocket or goodie bag resulting in finds being lost before getting them home, and the second mistake that I already discussed was damaging an object during recovery, for example hitting it with your scoop or digger.   I'll discuss the third mistake today, which as to do with bottle finds.

Before starting with that new mistake though, I just remembered another example that fits in with the hole in pocket or bag mistake.  One day there were a lot of fossils on the beach - some of them being large. A few of them were a foot long, and some were heavy.  It was an unusual occasion.  I've only seen so many and such large fossils on the beach that one time in many years.

I wasn't planning on hunting fossils that day and had never found so many.  As a result, I got caught unprepared.  It caught me by surprise and all I had with me to use was some plastic shopping bags. Not only were some of the fossils large, but some were also pointed.

As I gathered fossils like a kid picking up Easter eggs, I stuffed them into my bag, which eventually broke, and some of the fossils came out as I walked far down the beach.  I lost some good fossils before I discovered that one of my bags broke.  I learned from that experience that it is a good idea to have some large and sturdy bag or container with me.  A back pack, big sturdy bucket or something like that can come in very handy.

Think about it.  If you ever come across that treasure chest or cache of silver bar that you always dreamed of finding, how are you going to carry it?   It won't fit in your pocket, and if you plan to come back for it later, you might be disappointed about how that works out.  It isn't like you are out in a remote location where there are no other people or where there are no tides or waves or anything.  The beach is not a good place to leave finds with the hope of retrieving them later.  A big heavy duty bag, bucket or container might save you.

Obviously you can't be prepared for every situation, but you might keep things in your car that might come in handy.   I have a large (about three by four feet) heavy duty bag  that I keep in the trunk of my car.  I've carried some big heavy stuff in that bag, but there are times when even that would not do the job.  You might not always need something like that, but you don't want to lose your best find just because you weren't prepared for something bigger or heavier than you expected to find.

Now I'll get back to the mistake that I planned to discuss today.  It is related - not having some materials for padding or packing fragile items.

One of the great things about treasure hunting, is that you never know what you might find.  The first time I found some good old bottles was after Hurricane Andrew.  That was my first experience collecting old bottles. I was metal detecting, when I noticed some old bottles rolling in the surf.  I took a look at some of them, and they were embossed and appeared to be old.  I didn't know much of anything about old bottles at the time, but decided to collect them.  Of course, that wasn't what I was thinking of doing when I went metal detecting that day, so I was totally unprepared to carry back a lot of old bottles.  I found some old plastic bags laying in the trash along the beach and used those.  They worked on that occasion.  I sold some of those bottles but still have a few of them.

Plastic bags aren't great for carrying old bottles or other breakable items though.  One day when I found some good bottles, I had a couple plastic bags along with me, and filled two or three bags.  I had two bags in one hand.  When I walked the bags would swing, and so eventually the two bags clashed together and my best bottle got broke.

Here is one way to find out which is your best bottle -  it is always the one that breaks.  If two bottles clash together, the best one will break.   That is my experience.  When the two swinging bags came together, the bottom corner of one bottle hit the weakest spot of the best bottle and broke the best bottle.   It was an pre-1900 Busch beer bottle.  I never again found one that old.

Plastic bags are easy to carry in your pocket and can come in handy, but they aren't good for carrying  heavy, sharp, or fragile items.  If you get caught in an unexpected situation and only have some plastic bags for carrying fragile finds, you can do what I learned to do - pad or pack the fragile items with something.  I've found, for example, that seaweed can be used to pad bottles.

---



Cristobal is hitting the north Gulf coast.  According to the NHC...

We'll have a small surf and big tides on the Treasure Coast.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/19/18 Report - More Treasure Displays. Metals That Coins Are Made Of. Bigger Surf Monday.

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

Finds by Sebastian Steve.

Here is what Sebastian Steve had to say about the bottles shown above.

… Nice assortment of bottles post Civil War.

The corked bottle was 1865 champagne that was wedged upside down in the piping on the steam engine of a Great Lakes passenger steamship.  

Amazingly it was very heavy glass and still sealed.  And yes... I did drink it with friends on my birthday.  Was still good...but lacking the normal effervescence of a champagne.  Still had some bubbling however and a pleasant flavor.  

More like a nice plum wine in character.  Almost glad it was not fully up to snuff...as this bottle would have brought a thousand dollars or more with documentation.  (:

Other assorted 1865 beer (brown) and whiskey(amber) and wine (green) bottles.  A  liniment bottle with contents that still feel good on an aching muscle! 

And the blue ink well.  

Thanks Steve.

I like bottles, but they've become a bit of a problem for me.  They take up a lot of room.  I sold some and would like to sell some more when I get around to it.

Bottles and pottery can look nice on a book shelf or mantle.

---

Finds Displayed by Terry T.

Photo by Terry T.

Terry said, The Cobs and escudoes are fake, but the fossils, shells, copper spikes, pottery, and a few other 
items are real... 

Thanks Terry.

You might have noticed that Terry and others used fake coins in their displays. That is not surprising.
Very fine rare and valuable coins in many cases should not be mounted.  It is easy to make a big mistake
by ever so slightly damaging coins.  You have to be careful about that.

I have a few posts planned on coins, including a method for making a nice but inexpensive coin display.

Here is a very informative site about coins and the many metals used to make coins.

http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/pics/metal.html

Make sure to scroll down to the text.

---

I spent part of an evening watching a bold bobcat hunting my yard.  I saw his tracks many times
before, but this is the first time I saw him.  Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any pictures.

There is a big fish kill along parts of the Indian River.  The biggest I've seen in my area.

The Treasure Coast tides are flat and according to MagicSeaWeed the surf will remain small until
Monday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/4/18 Report - Finding Bottles. About Grading Ancient Coins and Cobs. Lead Railroad Seals.

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

A Few Recent Bottle Finds.

None of these bottles are what I would call great finds, but I was pleased to find them.  There are undoubtedly a few better ones out there.  I found these on a couple short walks I took this week.  They were all partly buried in shallow water.

Front-left is a sun-purpled bottle.  I don't find many naturally purpled bottles.

Middle-front is a Mexican Mustang Liniment bottle from Lyon Manufacturing Company, New York.

Mexican Mustang Liniment Bottle

I found a similar Mexican Mustang Liniment bottle years ago, but it was half this size.

Beside the liniment bottle is a Carter's Ink bottle.  It has a big chip to the lip.

Behind them is a tall bottle with barnacles.  It is a new bottle, but I like the proportions and aesthetic of it.  Could be decor for a nautical restaurant.

Behind that are two embossed Diet Pepsi bottles.  Not that old.

Nothing impressive, but I did like finding them and they provide a good hint that there are other old things close by.

---

I received the following email from a detectorist in Ohio who had found a lead FEC seal.  I've talked about and posted a few of those in this blog before.

Hi TreasureGuide -

I'm a relatively new detectorist based in Northwest Ohio, and I ran across your blog while researching one of my recent finds that had me stumped. It seems that we've found the same item, almost a thousand miles (and over 5 years) apart! I've been spending all spring hunting a "ghost" town location in Liberty Township, Wood County, Ohio that is only a farmers field now. The town was originally platted in 1892 along a railway line that no longer exists anymore either...and of course, the town had a rail depot/station among its other buildings. This past Sunday night I found a curious lead object, crenellated all around the edge similar to a bottle cap, and clearly marked "F.E.C." on the front and "182" on the back. I had no idea what it was - I thought maybe some sort of token for a local fraternal organization - and all my research along those lines failed. I posted the find online, and one of my fellow local detectorists soon identified it as a bale or bag seal - something I had never heard of before. Having a better idea of what to call the object helped tremendously! In my previous searches that included FEC, Florida East Coast Railway came up in the results, but I foolishly discounted it as unrelated. Adding "bale seal" to the search brought up an image of your find that matched mine perfectly, and lead to your blog post: 

http://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2012/09/

It's probably almost impossible to definitively date the seal, but of course the railroad's name change to FEC came in late 1895, and the seal's design seems to be consistent with the early 20th century, so the timeframe looks to fit nicely for the ghost town. Pretty neat to start piecing together the history and learn that this little, long gone town was once taking delivery of merchandise from at least as far afield as Florida. I've attached a couple pictures of the seal that I found for you to see.

I was curious to see if you may have run across any more information about the F.E.C. seals in particular? I'm mainly interested in solving the riddle of what the various numbers on the back might mean. I imagine it could be a weight, merchandise type/class, route code - who knows! So far my research has come up empty there. Any new info you might be able to share would be greatly appreciated.

As with many small 19th century towns, the railroad was clearly key to this one's existence - I've dug a couple other interesting railroad pieces during previous hunts at the same site. I've attached a shot that includes a couple of the railroad uniform buttons I've dug at the site.

Thanks in advance for any additional info! And I'm really enjoying your blog - a bonus treasure to find as a result of my research - even though it's focused on Florida and beach hunting, there's a wealth of wonderful information there even for us dirt fisherman up North :)

--

Ben Motisher

Metal Detecting Hobbyist

I sent Ben the following link along with a little other information.  I know that some of you have found similar items and will find this web site interesting as well.  Isn't it interesting to be able to trace transportation routes through metal detector finds, whether the mode of transportation is by water, rail or roadway?

http://www.railroadcollectibles.com/types-of-collectibles/railroad-station-depot-items/lead-sealers/

---

I asked about coin grading agencies yesterday and found a discussion online that talked about the difficulty of grading agencies correctly grading ancient coins and how you can do that.  I think the same discussion is relevant to Spanish cobs.  Here is a part of that discussion.

Well, for me and the type of coins I collect, I find that the dealers "grading" has been fairly accurate. I collect ancients and personally, I can't stand the fact the coin is "slabbed". When it comes to grading it would be difficult to grade most ancients. I mean sure you could grade based on a theoretical "perfect" coin, but determining that would be difficult in itself! Not to mention that these coins are all manually "punched" so your coin could have high relief if being struck from fresh dies and the celator is on his tenth wing of the hammer for the day vs rusting/worn dies and striking at the end of a day!

Sorry, your own experience and trusting your dealer is the best grading system for ancients!

I lost the link to that discussion. If I find it again, I'll post it.

But how would you grade a cob?   I think that is a good question.  I guess most people want a perfect "looking" coin - one that looks like it was made yesterday, even though there was great variety, and some did not look all that good the day they were made.

I guess most people go by the economic value or what other people are willing to pay.

When it comes to bottles, I tend to like those that have been used and show signs of age rather than those that look like they never left the manufacturer.  They look too much like reproductions or something.

---

The surf is three to five feet today and expected to be four to six feet tomorrow.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/12/17 Report - Rough Surf But Little Erosion. South Hutchinson Island and North. Bottle Finds.

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

Rough Surf This Morning.

The surf along the Treasure Coast was supposed to be something like 5 - 8 feet this morning.  I went out to take a look and saw the above around 7:30 AM.  There was a lot of white water.  It looked like there was a lot of sand extending out maybe 75 yards or so.  The waves were hitting the beach straight on.  There was no erosion yet where I was.  Maybe there will be some erosion somewhere along the Treasure Coast, but I didn't see it this morning.  With all the north wind we had the past couple of days, you would hope for something, but when we had the north wind, we didn't have much surf.

John Brooks This Morning Just Before Low Tide.

John Brooks Looking South This Morning.

You can usually find something, even when detecting isn't good, but this morning there weren't many shells and I didn't see any fossils, but I did pick up a few bottles quickly yesterday, so that is something I might do when I get the chance.

Newly Found Bottles.

These bottles aren't worth much, but they tell me that there might be some good ones out there if I look a little more.  I would call them markers or signal finds.  While they aren't worth much, they provide some good information.

The one on the left is a CastorOil bottle and the one in the middle is a pharmacy bottle.

---

Here is what Darrel S. saw a couple days ago more to the north.

In Front of McLarty Museum.
Photo by Darrel S.

Seagrape Trail Beach.
Photo by Darrel S.

Bonsteel Park Beach.
Photo by Darrel S.

We just haven't had very good conditions lately.  Even Irma didn't do a whole lot of us.  There is a lot of sand in the shallow water in front of the treasure beaches of South Hutchinson Island.

Darrel has been hunting a lot recently and has been reporting very few signals.  He is going to try a new coil.  Maybe we'll get a report on that.

---

Thanks to the veterans on this Veterans Day weekend.

It is still rainy in my part of the world.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/25/17 Report - What's It All About? Finds That Take You Back To Another Place and Time. American Carbonator and American Bottler. Subsiding Surf.

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


Sometimes in my dreams, I'm pretty smart.  Last night I dreamed I was in a big room, maybe like an airport terminal, and I saw a couple players from the 1970s Steelers football teams sitting on a long airport terminal-like bench.  They were older in the dream, like they are now in real life.  One I recognized, and the other one had a beard, and, I didn't know who it was for sure, but maybe it was Jack Ham.

Just like in real life, it was fun to see them , and in my dream they said something like, why do people make such a big deal over us. And in more words and detail than I'm giving now, I explained to them that seeing them takes people back to another time and place. Seeing them takes people back to a time when families gathered around the TV after dinner to watch the big game.  The kids were small and sat on the floor.  Dad, who is no longer with us, sat in his easy chair.  We were all together, just like the rest of the local community, watching, cheering and sharing.

We shared it, and that is what made it so special.  We talked about it.  We said things like, "Remember when Lynn Swann made that leaping catch that beat the Cowboys in 1975."  We watched the game, but what was going on was bigger than the game.  It was about a time and place in our lives.

The game was replayed and replayed and talked about and talked about and is still talked about today.  I saw it on TV again just two days ago.  That keeps it fresh.  The memory of the game is refreshed each time I see it or hear about it and it serves as a strong marker in my memory that takes me back to another time and place in my life.

(By the way, I did see Lynn Swann in the Orlando airport one time, which I think is one small thing that contributed to how the dream came together.)

The game and the players were center stage, but the game wasn't the important thing. The game was something I shared with those who were there with me at that time and place in life.

Ok, so what does that have to do with metal detecting?

On 3/22 I did a post on public services provided by detectorists.  I easily and quickly ran through quite a few examples.  They were all from a relatively short time span - maybe thirty years ago.  I don't exactly know the date or even the year, but I remember the events.  Each one involved me and at least one other person.  They weren't family events.  My wife was there for some of them, and I told her about others shortly after they happened, but when I did the post, I shared those events with a few hundred more people.

I don't remember the found object in any detail for even one case.  I don't remember what the keys, eye glasses or even the expensive engagement ring looked like.  I do remember the object and why it was important to somebody.  And I remember the interactions that took place.  I remember when they asked me to look for the object and when I gave it back to them.  And I remember the feeling. I remember what each person did and the emotions when each person got their lost item back and how I felt after that.  I only remember the objects for their function and what they meant to somebody.

We talk about finds.  We marvel over finds.  We think about finds.  But in the end, it isn't all about the objects.  It is about experiences, interactions and feelings.  Long after the objects have tarnished or been sold or put away, the sum total of the experiences will remain in who you are.  And when you take out some old find or just think back about it, you'll be transported back for at least a few seconds to another place and time in your life.

---


In the process of conducting research on the Stuart Bottling Works I located a great resource that you might find interesting, especially if you are interested in old bottles or sodas.  It is a Google Books copy of the American Carbonator and American Bottler.  Here is the title as it appeared in the 1905 publication.

If you browse through that journal you'll find tons of interest.  The ads are great.

Below is one showing a Hutch bottle stopper.

And here are some items used to clean bottles.  Bottles back then were reused.  

If you are old enough, maybe you remember looking for bottles which you could return to the store and receive a couple of pennies. I remember doing that.  

Those bottles had to be cleaned well before being reused.

Click here if you want to browse that journal.


---

The Treasure Coast surf predictions for today are now 4 - 6 feet.  That is a touch smaller than predicted earlier.

Yesterday  the wind shifted once to a more southernly direction, but it didn't last long. Most of the day it was pretty much an east wind.  This morning it is a little more from the south again.

I'm not expecting much at this point, but I'll try to check around a bit later.  I think that there is one or two spots that might open a little.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/25/17 Report - Various Sight Finds. Revolutionary War Buttons. 20 Million in Cash Found.

Photo by Dan B.

Take a look at the above picture.  What do you see?

Dan said, I have walked by this very spot dozens of times. See if you can spot it? Cant wait to hear what else this weather uncovers something. Sure seems like an uncommon wind direction for such strong winds...

You can see the frame of a small wood boat that was recently uncovered.  The mangroves and oysters grew over it.

Very cool!  Thanks Dan.

---

Revolutionary War Buttons Recently Uncovered.
Source: See link below.

Archaeologists nearing the end of a prolonged Gloucester Point dig were rewarded for their doggedness this past week when they unearthed one of the most noteworthy caches of Revolutionary War artifacts to be found in the region in years.

Slowed at first by stubbornly compacted soil — then by a dense layer of unusually large oyster shells — the team excavating the site of a new Virginia Institute of Marine Science building was probing one of the last targets of their 10-month-long excavation when they began uncovering a trail of French infantry buttons and English and Spanish coins...

Here is the link.

http://www.dailypress.com/features/history/dp-nws-gloucester-dig-update-20170120-story.html

---

20 million dollars cash was found hidden in a mattress.  Below is the link for that story.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/01/23/image-20-million-dollars-found-mattress-scheme-westborough/

---

Russ P. wrote.  Here is one thing he said.

Last year was my fourth year detecting and the quality and quantity of my finds increased dramatically for what I seek: old coins.  I don't target anything else.   Experience, observation, innovation, education and research have all played a role, I think.  

I'll post more from Russ in the near future.

---

I took a little walk the other day and didn't find much, but I did find the bottle shown below.  It has barnacles on it.  Dates to about the mid 60s, I'd say.  The paint is pretty good for a bottle that has been in the water for a while.

New Bottle Find.

Here is a picture that shows how things get trapped and exposed.

Couple Half Buried Bottles.

These kinds of places should be checked even when you don't see anything exposed.

---

The surf will remain small for several days.  Don't expect any big changes in beach conditions real soon.

I have a bunch of things to post, but that is it for today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/6/16 Report - A Couple Nice Old Bottle Finds. Jupiter Erosion Gives Up Some Gold.

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

1924 TryMe Soda Bottle Find.

Yesterday I showed some bottles I found Saturday.  Here are a couple of the better ones.

At the top is a TryMe soda bottle.  The patent mark on the bottom is March 24, 1824.  It is also marked "Miami."

This is the one that I saw an example that sold for $25.  There are a lot of soda bottle collectors.

The next example is good too.

Electric Bug Kill Bottle Find.

This one is embossed, "KILL-LOL / ELECTRIC BUG KILLER / OMNIA CHEMICAL CO. NEW YORK U.S.A. ". There is an upside down bug, embossed in a triangle, under "KILL-LOL."

I saw an example of this type of bottle that sold for $75 in 2015.  It was said to be rare.

I don't have an exact date on this one, but did find that the Omnia Chemical Company obtained patents for liquid pesticides in 1905.  I should be able to get a date reange for this bottle, 

---

Joe D. hunted Jupiter the other day.  Here is what he had to report.

Hunted Jupiter today, renurshment sand drops off about a 12 foot cliff and gradually runs off to knee high in each direction several hundred yards. Clad, junk jewelry, fishing tackle, and one gold item. Very little trash, but nothing old yet!

Joe's Gold Find
Photo by Joe D.

Cut At Jupiter
Photo submitted by Joe D.

Thanks for the report and pictures Joe.

---

As I write, there is a front on the way here.  The surf is very small today and will be tomorrow.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/14/16 Report - Shipwreck Graveyard. Where The Boys Were. If You Are An Old Bottle Its Not Always Bad To Look Old. Ace 250 Chinese Knock-Off.

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

One of Many Shipwrecks Found Near Fourni.
Source: See link immediately below.

Arcaheologists found 22 shipwrecks in a 13-day survey and 45 in less than a year around Fourni. They range in age from B. C. to 19th century.

Here is the link.

http://www.livescience.com/55375-45-shipwrecks-greek-island-fourni.html

---

I just noticed Where The Boys Are playing on TV.  I had to stop and take a look.  It was a little nostalgic.

The movie was made in 1960, and I felt like I was watching a piece of metal detecting history, even though they didn't show any detectorists.  I doubt there were many people that had that reaction, but I did.

They showed the beaches absolutely covered with beach blankets and young people. Did I tell you I used to be young?  It was almost a blanket of people. There was hardly enough room enough to sit or stand.  It was all very civil compared to later years. The girls were wearing one-piece swim suits, and the guys were very clean looking.

In the sixties and seventies the Fort Lauderdale beaches were still very crowded during Spring Break, but things got pretty bad and eventually Fort Lauderdale decided to discourage college kids from visiting at spring break,

I think it was in the mid seventies when they had riots and all kinds of problems.  They brought in Billy Graham to try to calm things down. The beaches were still covered with people at Spring Break into the eighties, as I recall.  How things have changed!

---

I just ran across a web site on which the writer was describing how to distress bottles.  They wanted to do crafts with bottles that look old.  What do they say, "The grass is always greener?"  I guess that means the dirt is always dirtier too.

Bottle collectors usually want bottles that look new, and the old bottles I find usually show their age. One thing I like about selling finds is putting them in the hands of the people that appreciate them.  And getting the best price is largely the result of finding the people that most want exactly what you have.

There are bottles that can be sold to bottle collectors, and others you might be able to sell to people that do crafts.

I used to sell some old bottles and probably will again some time in the future..  One of my old Treasure Coast bottles went to Australia.  Another was illustrated in a book on pharmacy bottles.  I like when finds like that are appreciated and used.

---

I know that a lot of people read this blog.  I can tell that from the hit counter and google stats.  What I don't know is how often people actually try the techniques I explain.

If you adopted some technique that I explained or used some piece of information that I provided, I'd very much like to hear about that.

---

There is Chinese company selling a knock-off of the Garrett Ace 250.  They copied the Ace, and their copy looks almost exactly the same.  It does have a different name, but there really isn't much difference.  I'd suggest not buying knock-offs like that.

It is bad enough they steal our industrial secrets and stealth technology, now it is metal detectors.

Even crafters are having trouble with Chinese knock-offs.  They browse sites like Etsy and eBay and then copy items.  They aren't the only ones the stoop to copying though.  Some U. S. sellers on those sites look for things they can copy rather than using their own creativity.

---

Tomorrow look for pictures of new 1715 Fleet finds, including escudos.


There is no tropical weather to watch.  It looks like the surf will pick up next week, but only by about a foot.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/18/15 Report - Surface Hunting Old Bottles To Locate Old Detecting Sites. Accu-Sound Pinpointer.

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

Miscellaneous Bottles Found While Surface Hunting On The Treasure Coast Yesterday.

Besides doing good library research, another way to find good detecting sites is to simply go out and scout around.  One of the first signs of an old site will normally be broken pieces of class or pottery on top of the ground.

A lot of people dig for bottles, but they can also be found on the surface on beaches or along waterways.  I found my first old bottles after Hurricane Andrew when I was hunting silver coins with a detector and noticed old bottles floating in the surf.  I started picking up the bottles, and that was the beginning of my bottle collecting.

Below is the type of area where these bottles were found.  Their were many more modern bottles, broken bottles, pieces of glass and other junk.  The few older bottles were partly buried, except for the small ones.

Areas Where Bottles Were Found.

At this particular location I've found mid-19th century bottles and a surprise horse tooth fossil.

If you find a cluster of old bottles, it might be a good sign of a nearby old detecting site.

None of these bottles are very interesting, and they aren't worth much, but if you are in an area like that something more valuable might also be found.   It is worth looking.  You never know what you might find.

Generally there will be so much junk in an area like this that it won't be worth detecting.  You might however detect the original site that is the source of the bottles.

----
A bottle of wine from a blockade runner that sank in 1864 was opened and drank.   The verdict - yuk!

Here is the link to that video.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/Uncorked-Wine-From-1864-Shipwreck/414769219890/Comcast/Today_in_Video/?cid=hero_sf_TIV

----

An Inexpensive Pin Pointer.

I got this pinpointer free with the purchase of a metal detector.  It is one of the less expensive pinpointers.  It is also not very effective.

I tested it with the four objects shown above and you nearly have to touch the object to get a signal.  It could be of some help I guess.  But if you really want a pinpointer, you probably want something more effective.  I never use a pinpointer myself, and my experience with this one did nothing to convince me that I should.

A pinpointer is not as much help if you beach detect.  You can sift sand fairly quickly.  If you hunt in muddy soil or clay, a pinpointer might be of more use.

I personally pinpoint rather well with my metal detector, being able to determine a lot about the location, size, shape and depth of the object from the detector.  There are also other helpful tricks that you can use instead of a pinpointer.  I've talked about some of those in the past.

Some detectors provide easier pinpointing than others.

I actually made a video showing the use and effectiveness of this particular pinpointer but haven't managed to get it uploaded to the blog yet.

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Sotheby is auctioning a large selection of valuable travel and discovery books including some on the Indians of North America and various voyages and wrecks.  If you are looking for good lead information or just like to read history, this auction will give you a good start.  You don't have to buy the books, but when you see one you like, you can do an internet search for digital books, cheaper replications, or other material you might find by the same author.

Here is a link to the auction lots.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2015/exploration-discovery-library-franklin-brooke-hitching-l15411.html

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There is little hope for improved beach detecting conditions on the Treasure Coast in the near future.  The surf is smooth today.  Tomorrow (Thursday) we're supposed to get something up to about five feet, but the wind will be southerly.  That's too bad.  Maybe we'll get a little stirring.

Happy hunting anyhow,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

 

2/18/15 Report - 2000 Gold Coins Discovered. 3500 Year-Old Bronze Cache Discovered. Few Old Bottles. GPZ 7000 Details.

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



1000-Year-Old Gold Coins On Ocean Floor.
 

A dive club found what at first appeared to be toy coins while on a club dive. 

It turned out to be a priceless trove of 2,000 gold coins used by 10th Century Caliphate which once ruled much of the Middle East is found off the coast of Israel.

• Largest haul ever found off Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
•  
• Divers found coins dating back more than 1,000 years by pure chance.
• Thought they were toy coins before experts confirmed they were gold.
•  
• Work ongoing to trace origins of the treasure uncovered by storm.
•  
• Valuable haul is property of the state with no finder’s fee for divers. 

Below is the link to the article in which the photo was found.

https://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/israel-finds-2000-year-old-gold-coin-booty-used-by-10th-century-fatimid-caliphate-invaders/

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A similar thing happened to a fellow taking a walk when he saw something sticking out of the ground.  It was actually part of 3500 year old cache of bronze items.

Here is the link for that story.

http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/en/news/news,403787,treasure-of-bronze-objects-from-before-35-thousand-years-discovered-in-bieszczady.html



Photo from Science in Poland web site.

And here is a picture of some of those bronze finds.









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Few Old Bottles Eye-balled On The Treasure Coast Yesterday

Yesterday I decided to take a walk to do a little eye-balling.  The results weren't that great, but I did enjoy myself.

Here are some bottles that I eye-balled.  As long as some older things are showing up, you never know when something good might pop up.

In this picture there is a Scott's cod liver oil with lime and soda bottle (upper left), a couple of small pharmacy type bottles, a nice old Pepto Bismol bottle and an ink bottle.  Also there is a miniature painted vase that I didn't get in this picture.

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Pepto Bismol Bottle



Cod Liver Oil Bottle

On the Treasure Coast today there is a West wind and something like a one-foot surf.

Tomorrow the surf will be calm too.

Don't expect any real changes in beach conditions anytime soon.

One thing you can say is the weather isn't bad.  At least you won't sweat to death.






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Yesterday I mentioned the new GPZ 7000 Minelab detector.

I received an email from Minelab this morning with a link to the press release announcing the the new GPZ.  

Here is a link to a site all about the new detector

http://www.minelab.com/__files/f/261752/4907-0796-1%20GPZ%207000%20Brochure%20US%20English%20%28FULL%208P%29%20WEB.pdf

One thing interesting is the charts showing depth comparisons of the new detector with the 5000 and SDC detectors.  Notice how the different detectors compare on small, medium and large nuggets.

While the new detector comes out ahead on all three sizes, the advantage is definitely larger on some sizes and not so much on other sizes.

That is an interesting chart with important implications if you study it.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net