11/19/19 Report - Two Lost Rings - One Returned. Shipwreck Skeletons Revealed by Coastal Erosion.

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

Lost, Found, and Returned Ring.

Photo from WPTV.com (See link below.)

(WESH/NBC) - A Colorado woman on vacation lost her wedding ring in the sand of Cocoa Beach, Florida, last week and never thought she'd see it again.

But after posting to social media about the problem, she got connected to Dave Mollison on the Ring Finder's website...

But he combed through the sand in a grid pattern for more than four hours and finally found it.,.,

Here is the link for the rest of the story.


https://www.wptv.com/news/state/man-returns-womans-lost-wedding-ring-he-found-on-the-beach


Thanks to Jorge Y. for that link.

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One reader reported a lost ring as follows:  Please remind everyone that I lost an 18k gold man’s size Claddagh ring at Frederic Douglass Beach, either in the south edge of the parking lot or somewhere on the beach south of there. It’s just a little less than 1/8” thick. It’s my wedding band, so if someone finds it, I’d like it back. It is also not cast as well as the one found - it’s made kind of more like ground and etched from sheet and rounded as needed on he edges.

If you found or find this one let me know and I'll give you the contact.

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Beginning Dec. 1st equipment arrive at Jupiter beach for the latest beach renourishment project.

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Skeletal remains of at least six people, thought to be shipwreck victims from hundreds of years ago, have been revealed by coastal erosion...

Here is the link.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-50445855

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The tides are still high but the surf continues to decrease.

Happy Hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/20/18 Report - New Technology to Detect Paper Money. Diamond Ring Find. Engagement Ring Found and Returned. Royal Scotland Dock Yards.

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

New Diamond Ring Find.

That ring is heavier than it looks. 

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I'm always interested in new ideas and different ways of solving problems.  Here is an article about a different approach to finding large amounts of cash.  

Sniffing Out Billions in US Currency Smuggled Across the Border to Mexico

Criminals are smuggling an estimated $30 billion in U.S. currency into Mexico each year from the United States, but help could be on the way for border guards, researchers reported recently. The answer to the problem: a portable device that identifies specific vapors given off by U.S. paper money...

Here is the link for the rest of the article.

http://www.labmanager.com/news/2014/08/sniffing-out-billions-in-us-currency-smuggled-across-the-border-to-mexico#.WwDGmUxFzTg

I guess you could call it a cash sniffing machine.

$30 billion dollars could be used a lot of ways in the federal budget.

It reminds me of the time many years ago when I arrived at a Treasure Coast beach and found huge wrapped bails.  The bails must have been four or five foot cubes.  It was very early in the morning and no one was around.  One bail was down by the water, and one was up behind the dunes.  I wondered if it was cash and took a look.  It was pot, heavily wrapped so it wouldn't be damaged by water.

That is back in the day before cell phones.  I wondered if anyone would be returning for it.

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Here is a great story about an engagement ring that was found and returned by a metal detecting police officer.

May 16 (UPI) -- A Texas woman is praising a police officer who spent hours on a beach to find and return her lost engagement ring...

Jaradi used a metal detector and the pair searched together for hours before giving up for the night.

Haelen said she received a message from Jaradi about 4:30 a.m. saying he had found the ring...

And here is that link.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/05/16/Officer-searches-beach-for-hours-to-find-lost-engagement-ring/9661526490844/

I like to post found and returned stories.  If you have any new ones let me know.

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Archaeologists may have found Scotland's Royal dockyards.

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/environment/airth-archaeological-dig-sheds-more-light-on-royal-dockyards-connection-1-4740727

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After a good soaking is always a good time to check out old hunted inland sites again.

Happy huntng,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/10/16 Report - Mystery Find. Story of Returned Ring. November 11 Educational Talks in Orlando.

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

Mystery Object

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Here is a cool YouTube video showing the finding of a ring then cleaning, researching and eventually the return of the ring.

Here is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir8mpWb0CB8&feature=youtu.be

Thanks to Bernie C. for pointing me to this video.

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I did a little land hunting today.  I don't do that often, but I always like to when I have an interesting place to look.  Not much success, but did find the mystery object shown above.  Maybe someone can tell me what it is.

Obviously I didn't get it cleaned yet.  It looks something like a wrench on one end but is bent up on the other end like it was coat hook or something.

It was found in an area that has been used continuously for hundreds of years.

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Here is the schedule and description of the educational talka that will be held in Orlando before the Sedwick Coins floor auction.

Friday November 11th

Martin Woodward (Isle of Wight, U.K.)
2:00PM "Treasures from the Deep: Significant Shipwreck Finds from the Isle of Wight and U.K."

Martin Woodward has been a professional diver since 1968, and is still actively diving in the UK and other locations worldwide. He was also involved with the RNLI for a total of 38 years, retiring as Coxswain of the Bembridge, Isle of Wight, lifeboat on reaching the age limit. Martin’s diving career includes “deep saturation” diving in the North Sea, oilfields in the Persian Gulf and many other locations worldwide. It has covered all aspects of commercial diving, including multiple shipwreck and salvage projects.
Isaac Rudman (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
3:30PM "La Vida de un Coleccionista Profesional" (in Spanish)

Isaac Rudman, originally from Cuba, splits his time between Santo Domingo and Miami, and made his money importing and manufacturing home appliances. He collects Latin American art, rare coins, and pre-Columbian artifacts, among other things. He has been a collector for over 40 years and has vast experience in collecting from all over the world. From a button to a sculpture or the rarest of Mexican coins--he has seen it all.Paul Karon (Florida, U.S.A.)
4:30PM "Strategies for Purchasing Potosi Cobs"

Paul Karon lived for over 38 years in San Juan, Puerto Rico, before moving to Florida in 1994 with his family. Paul was a very successful commercial printer with 40 years of experience; his massive operation had dozens of presses and he had hundreds of employees. In addition to printing he has been always devoted to collecting cobs, especially from Potosi, forming one of the most important collections ever offered in the 1990s along the lines of the Sellschopp accumulation. Paul became a full-time dealer specializing in cobs and went from being a collector to a curator of some other important collections. Today Paul visits the most important shows around the country and still consults clients and works as a dealer.
Dave Horner (Florida, U.S.A.)
5:45PM "Compilation of Treasure Recovery Stories 1970-1990"

Dave Horner has lived a life of adventure. From his early days in the Navy to a successful business career, he has studied subjects that interest him with a dogged determination. While living in Virginia Beach, Virginia, he founded one of the first professional dive shops in the mid-Atlantic region and pioneered sport diving for treasure through charter trips to sunken ships. He is a member of the Explorers Club and has sailed his custom schooner to interesting islands and reefs around the world. Dave is the author of several books, mostly about sunken ships, including The Treasure Galleons and Shipwreck (about the 1654 Capitana).Friday November 11th Pre-Auction Dinner at 7:30 PM

- Saturday auction starts at 9:00 AM EST *all day.

- Sunday auction starts at 9:00 AM EST morning only.

- Monday Internet Only session, from 1PM (for about 4-5 hours)

Thats all for today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/28/15 Report - One Reason To Research Finds. Returned Ring Makes TV News. Heart-Shaped Cob Bringing Good Price In Sedwick Auction.

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

Finds and Photo by Robert H.

Here are some finds by Robert H.,  who says you should be sure to research your finds.  An item like the silver ring shown here would scrap for a few dollars, but Robert found that the German-made Hermes ring retails for $910. That makes it worth doing the research.

Watch for collector pieces. Silver itemsmade by certain designers can be valuable. 

Vintage costume jewelry can be worth more than you might think too.






A lot of the time, jewelry found on a beach will not be in good condition, and that can dramatically decrease the value.

Silver Hermes Ring Found By Robert.
Photo by Robert H.

Neat Small Watch Found by Robert.
Photo by Robert H.

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I reported on Warren Dennison finding a lost wedding ring and being able to return it to the owner.
That story appeared on WESH TV.

Here is the link to the video.

http://www.wesh.com/news/woman-reunited-with-lost-wedding-ring-in-indialantic-beach/36064196

A new Florida magazine has also inquired about the story.

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The floor bidding will begin on Thursday for the upcoming Sedwick Coin auction.  The auction features a variety of heart-shaped cobs and royals.

One of the hearts with the lowest listed beginning bid already has online bids of over three time the low starting bid.  Here is the item description.

Lima, Peru, cob 2 reales Royal, 1732N, cut into Heart shape, very rare. S-L21; KM-unl. (cf. R32); CT-unl. 5.28 grams. Choice full pillars and cross in true medallic alignment, rather accurately Heart-shaped but cut that way post-minting (note the low weight), with holes at top and bottom of cross, beautifully toned AXF, interesting pedigree to a small collection of (genuine) Hearts sold together in 1985. Pedigreed to the Coin Galleries (Stack's) auction of July 1985 (lot #1123).

]

Sedwick Coins Auction Lot No. 581.
Source of photo: online auction catalog.

Here is the link to that section of the auction, which you can view online.

http://auction.sedwickcoins.com/Treasure-World-Coin-Floor-Auction-18_a25467?m=all&p=1&ps=50&so=1&q=heart

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Wednesday the Treasure Coast will get a south wind and have something like a 2 - 4 foot surf.

Some beaches will probably be filling back in.

Your participation in the poll is appreciated.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/12/15 Report - Lost Ring Found & Returned Months Later. Do Your Good Deed And Let Everyone Know.

Written by the Treasure Guide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Ring Found By Warren D.
Photo by Warren D.

Happy To Have Her Ring Back
Photo by Warren D.

Warren D. sent me an email telling the story of this returned ring.  Here it is.

I was metal detecting the wet sand with a Detector Pro Headhunter pulse detector at Ocean Ave, Melbourne Beach when a woman approached me and asked if I could find a lost ring. She said her family was posing for family pictures by the sand dunes a couple of blocks to the south when the ring was lost by her niece. I got a general description of the area as being where there was a lot of sea grapes as a back drop. I told her my detector was good for the wet sand but I have other detectors that can discriminate in dry sand and avoid a lot of the junk. I asked her when was it lost and she said about 4 months ago. She later told me it was last October, 8 months ago. I made 4 separate trips to detect the area with my pulse detector and a White's MX5 detector and a Minelab Sovereign. Each detector taught me something about the area and when I thought it was fairly clean I went back with my Detector Pro pulse and found it yesterday. It was in a area that I did not cover with my first 3 trips but it was close. On the fourth trip I was confident I knew where the ring "wasn't" if that makes sense.

Way to go Warren!  Good deed accomplished.

That is the kind of thing that doesn't happen if metal detecting is banned.  You lose your engagement ring, Rolex watch or locket with the only picture you have of grandma - too bad.  If detecting is banned we can't find it for you.  It will have to stay in the ground with the millions on millions of pull tabs, beer cans, fishing sinkers, along with knives and other dangerous items.

There are places where detecting is already banned.  They don't seem to care about your lost items.  I'm sure this woman and many more are happy that a detectorist went to the effort and was able to find and return a cherished lost items.  

I bet that if those in control lost something, they'd make an exception and go out with a detector to find it.  That is, if it is something that belongs to them.

I've shown a few returned items in this blog.  I've found and returned a good number myself over the years, and I'm sure that the others that read this blog have too.

 Thankfully metal detecting hasn't been banned everywhere yet.  Yes, there are some places (too many) where it has been banned.  We can theoretically detect in the St. Lucie County Parks, but if the item is covered at all, we can' t get it for you.  They say digging of any type is banned.  It has to stay in the ground no matter what it is.

Warren did several things that I want to point out.  First he looked several times and used different detectors.  He said Each detector taught me something about the area and when I thought it was fairly clean I went back with my Detector Pro pulse and found it yesterday. 

In my 7/22/14 post I described a strategy that I called an intensive step search, which employs various detectors and settings for multiple searches of the same area in order to gain greater understanding while progressively cleaning out an area in steps or stages while you learn more about the site.

Warren also said, It was in a area that I did not cover with my first 3 trips but it was close. On the fourth trip I was confident I knew where the ring "wasn't" if that makes sense.

Very often people will be off when they describe where they lost an item.  That is especially true when the item is lost in the water.  They don't usually understand the currents and tides.  That can throw them way off.  If you ask them what time of day it was that will help you figure out the tides and depth of water.

And it is important to learn where things are not. That is how you will narrow down a search.

For me, it is important to know where the junk is, especially in the wet sand and shallow water.  That is a part of my analysis and helps point me to the better areas.

Thanks much for doing and reporting this good deed Warren!  People need to know how much good we do.  They generally have no idea.  The detecting hobby might depend on it.

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Yesterday the first thing I dug was a pair of reading glasses.  They were found where such things are often found - near the swash.  Watches are often found in that area too.  

A lot of people lose their glasses when they are surprised by a wave.  I've found and returned glasses to tourists that otherwise would have been in trouble without their glasses while far away from home.

Keys are another important item that we often find.  Of course, getting your keys returned can save the day.  I've found keys for both individuals and businesses.  

One time the beach concession guys at the Fountainbleau lost their keys before they got started in the morning.  They were literally out of business until the keys were found.  They offered me fifty dollars to find the keys and gladly paid that when they were found just a few minutes later.

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SW added this clarification on the issue of the Seminoles owning slaves.  ...not all blacks with the Seminoles were their slaves, the runaways from the north that went into Florida were allowed to join them. This was done for protection of both parties. The runaways were protected from recapture and the Indians protected from raids. The Seminoles were very big slave owners, they never tended their own fields. They were actually quite wealthy, They got a lot of money from Jackson at the end of the 1st war and were still getting payments from the initial treaty.

Thanks SW.  I remember reading in one of the digital books that I recently mentioned in the blog that the Seminoles wanted compensation for their slaves, but someone said that they were runaway slaves and therefore not the legal property of the Seminoles so the slaves should be returned to their previous owners.

Just something that caught my attention as I quickly browsed the book.


You can get a lot of interesting history from those old books.


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A group of undocumented immigrants came ashore on South Hutchinson Island this morning.  Some were detained, at least one initially escaped.  Here is the link.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/local-news/st-lucie-county/crime/search-on-for-at-least-15-immigrants-who-came-ashore-on-hutchinson-island-in-st-lucie-early-friday_66586608

One time when this happened in the past, they set up roadblocks on the bridges and checked everyone's trunk before allowing them to pass to the mainland.

Bill M. said, There was helicopters in the air, Coast Guard in the water and officers on land because of this early this morning on the north end of Jensen Beach near nettles island... There was between 12 and 15 people aboard that boat.

No change in beach conditions.  Boy it has been a long time!

Do your good metal detecting deed today and let people know about it.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/20/14 Report - 2000 Year-Old Gold Coin, Price of Silver and Gold, Chosen Ring, Returned Ring, & Beach Video

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

Worn Gold Coin Found Dating To Around AD 64 or 65.
Souce: Link shown here.

In a breakthrough which defied two generations of diggers along Hadrian’s Wall, a volunteer French archaeologist has found the first gold coin at Vindolanda, the Roman site which has been intriguing excavators for almost 50 years.

Described as being “well-worn”, the confirmed aureus bears the image of the Emperor Nero, dating it to around AD 64 or 65. The precious currency was worth half a years’ salary for serving soldiers, but was lost on the northern outpost of the empire following 300 years in circulation...

Here is the link for the rest of the story.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art487168-Archaeologists-hail-magical-moment-miraculous-Roman-gold-coin-find-Vindolanda


As you might have noticed, the price of gold and silver increased around 4 percent each yesterday, as gold shot through the $1300 per ounce mark.  Gold ended at $1313.10 per ounce and silver, at $40.40 per ounce as the dollar fell.

If you are holding gold or silver finds, you might hang on a while if you think those metals will continue to increase.  


Here are a few prices and dates,from www.onlygold.com showing how the price of gold has increased over the years.  

Ending 2012, the price of gold was $1664, 1954, it was 35.25,
1912, it was 20.67,
1867, it was 27.86
and 1808, 19.39.

Here is a link for more on gold prices.

http://www.kitco.com/news/2014-06-19/KitcoNewsMarketNuggets-June-19.html


Yesterday I showed a "Chosen" ring.  Those rings appear to be very popular right now.  

Being such a common ring, Robert H. has also found one.  I'm sure others have as well.

Chosen Ring and Two Silver Rings Found by Robert H.Photo by Robert H.

I still do not know if there is any specific reason that he word "Chosen" appears on the ring.





I also mentioned that there have been a lot of returned rings featured in the media lately.  Robert H. sent a photo of one of those happy moments too.  Thanks Robert!

One Happy Return
Submitted by Robert H.

Below is a quick video of a beach this morning near low tide.

Notice how wide the front beach is and how far out into the water the sand goes.

Also notice the dip behind the walking couple.

The dip is not well enough developed to be worth much, but that is one type of thing you should look for and notice.

I was surprised there wasn't more junk in the wet sand here.  In the first 30 or 40 minutes a ring and two ear rings were found.   I expected more aluminum than was found.

The three pieces of jewelry were found while only one coin was found.

There is enough jewelry on the beaches these days, but if you aren't hunting a rich or glitzy area, the jewelry is likely to be low quality.  That is one thing that happens when the price of gold is high, and of course when you hunt in an area that isn't very wealthy.  If you want to find better stuff, you might have to drive to an area where the density of quality finds will be higher.

Timing is very important these days.  It is especially important when beach detecting conditions are poor.  I should talk more about timing your hunt some time.

As you see from this video, beach detecting conditions are still poor.  Don't expect much to change any time real soon.  You can however find recent drops.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/17/14 Report - Another Type of Detecting Location, Metal Detector Design, Six Fortunes Found and Video of Returned Ring

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

Wide But Thin Gold Ring Detector Find.

Do you remember the TV show Lost?  I never liked it, but my wife did.

Well, I ran across this web site where some people went out and scouted around and found the locations where it was filmed.  They found the specific locations where particular scenes from the TVshow happened.

That reminded me of all the times I've seen film crews and photo shoots on various beaches.  Some of those locations were not at high traffic swimming beaches.  Some were very much out of the way.

Crandon Park on Key Biscayne is one location where there have been a lot of photo shoots and where a lot of TV ads are made.  That has been the case for a lot of years, and I often see ads that are shot there.   There was one location right in front of a sand bar in the middle of the beach where they did a lot of the shoots, but there were times when they'd shoot at locations on the island where you'd never expect it.   One day I saw a photo shoot taking place back in the mucky mangroves where most people never ventured.  Models were running back and forth jumping in the shallow water.  That activity plus the fact that they were changing clothes and working with a bunch of equipment, made that a good site to detect after they left.  Those people had some nice stuff.

You might know where other TV shows have been shot.  Virginia Key, just across Bear Cut (I think that is what it is called), was the site of a long running TV show.  That was before Virginia Key was rehabilitated and it was primarily at a spot away from the swimming beaches and so could be easily overlooked by many detectorists.  Many scenes of Flipper were also filmed very close to there.

The Alexander Hotel on Miami beach was where some of the Miami Vice staff stayed during production.  Most detectorist back in the day hunted south of there at some of the bigger hotels and busier beaches.

Those are just a few that come to mind.  My point is not that you should go to those specific places to detect today, but if you know where filming or photo shoots have been conducted, those spots can be good places to detect - particularly those which are more out of the way and therefore where few others would have detected since.

It can also be a bit of a treasure hunt to just go out and identify the locations where the scenes of movies or TV programs were shot.

Here is one web site that talks about the fun of going out and locating where film scenes were shot.

http://www.govisithawaii.com/2007/07/10/finding-lost-sites-on-oahu/



One thing I want in a detector is compactness.  Even if it isn't the kind of detector I'm looking for, the SDC 2300 folds up nicely.  I like that.  Sometimes you want to take a detector on a plane or pack it a long distance on foot.  And sometimes you might want to ship it.   I'd like a detector that disassembles, folds up, takes little room, doesn't have unnecessary bulk, which also means it does not have unnecessary features.   I can give up a lot of features.  I don't need a lot of bells and whistles.  In fact I'd prefer to not have them.

If you look in your detector, the circuit board takes up very little space.  The knobs and adjustments take up quite a bit.  I can do without most adjustments.  I can't remember the last time I took my primary detector off of the automatic sensitivity setting.  I could easily do without that adjustment, as one example.  I don't need most of the knobs and adjustments.

 A few diode lights could provide all the signal that I need, or maybe better yet, a bud ear piece.   I don't need or want big neon headphones.  (You could wear some controls or battery pack under your hat.)

I once made a pocket inside my hat for things.  An small control box could easily be worn there.

I don't want a bunch of wires.  They aren't necessary any more.  Basically I want an unobtrusive coil and a simple indicator of signal strength.  Make everything else that can be done away with disappear.  Maybe a button to turn it on and one of two small switches or buttons.

The XP Deus is one step in that direction.  They've eliminated some of the wires and use a smart phone as a control box.

I once made my own rod out of a short sections wood that I packed in my carry-on luggage. The standard metal rod wasn't wanted or needed.

There are times when you don't need an entire length of rod, such as when snorkeling, or here is one you might not have thought of, when detecting on a steep hillside.

I can't believe how slowly metal detector technology has changed.  Just the other day I saw a brand new 2014 detector model using the exact same rod assembly the manufacturer was using over twenty years ago.  I know there is no reason to change for the sake of change, but there should be significant advances over that amount of time.

I know, some of you will rave about this or that detector or change or improvement, but I haven't seen anything new that impresses me as being significantly better than what I had 25 years ago.

The detectors I used over twenty years ago are just as good as what I can get today - at least when it comes to my wants and needs.  Those detectors were good basic machines.  They weren't produced by major manufacturers but were put together by individuals and they did the job.  There were things that I would have liked to change about them, for example they were unnecessarily awkward and bulky just like detectors today.



I've mentioned this before, but here is a video about it.  I'm talking about the Tiffany ring lost on Jacksonville Beach, found by a detectorist and returned a year later.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/05/19/dnt-tiffanys-engagement-ring-lost-found-beach.wjxt.html

Did you notice that it was found buried under a fishing sinker?   Always check to make sure there isn't more than one target.



Here is a good article about six people who accidentally found a fortune.  Two of those six stories are about really fascinating metal detector finds.  One was found while a farmer was trying to find his lost hammer.  That resulted in the find of the Hoxne Hoard.   Another is about a lady who detected every Sunday afternoon for seven years before she stumbled on a very important find.

Here is the link.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/22449/get-rich-quick-6-people-who-accidentally-found-fortune



The surf on the Treasure Coast is two or three feet today and for a couple more days, then it will go flat again later in the week.  Nothing that will change beach detecting conditions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/27/14 Report - More On PSL Parks Rules, Action Needed, Emails and More On Returned Ring

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

Crazy Bottle Opener Find.

As you probably know by now, last week one detectorists who had been detecting the Port St. Lucie city parks for quite some time was told that he could no longer detect in one of the parks.  He was told that if he was going to remain in the park he had to put away his detector. 

After some one called to ask about it, the Assistant Director of the Department of Parks referred to two ordinances which did not refer to metal detecting but did address actions such as digging and disturbing the grounds.  

Here are the specific ordinances.

The city ordinances say, (c) No person shall dig or remove any sand, whether submerged or not, or any soil, rock, stones, trees, shrubs, or plants, down timber or other wood or materials, or make any excavation by tool, equipment, blasting, or other means or agency.


Also , No person shall dig in or otherwise disturb grass areas, nor in any way injure or impair the natural beauty or usefulness of any area.

You can find a link to all of the city ordinances if you go back a few posts.

I hope detectorists in the city and around the state are planning to address this issue.   Freedoms are lost a little at a time.  They must be protected.  If no one takes action, Florida will lose a hobby valued by many of its residents.  the Treasure Coast will lose a lot of tourist revenue, and jobs will be lost by those working in the metal detecting and supporting businesses.  The State of Florida has one of the biggest metal retailers in the country, as well as numerous smaller ones, not to mention the treasure salvage business, museums, etc.

I am willing to collect names of those of you who wish to be added to a letter requesting that metal detecting be permitted in the St. Lucie County Parks.

This is not only important to those who live and detect in Port St. Lucie.  Other cities and governmental bodies will do the same thing.  I therefore hope that we get the support and action of detectorists everywhere, as we did when the proposed Florida Statutes were stopped a year or so ago.

If you participate in other detecting forums, let the readers of those forums know that their support and action is also needed.


I received a number of emails concerning the Port St. Lucie Parks decision to stop metal detecting.  Here is a small part of one email from Terry T. that expresses a common sentiment.

Here is what Terry said,

It is a total shame that this country has become what it is because of elected officials. The youth today will never be able to enjoy what the older, and past generation's have enjoyed. Last July 40,000 new law's went into effect. How many new law's will go into effect this year? How many new law's do we need to live under? How many new law's will the next generation have to live under? ...

 Here is a small part of an email from Joe D., who talked to Mr. Keen, Assistant Director of PSL city Parks, after hearing about the detectorist who was told that he could not detect in a PSL city park.

 I remembered a little more of my conversation with Mr. Keen that I didn't have time to write yesterday. While explaining to him how I "dig" targets, I mentioned "probe" or "probing". He said that there was no rule on probing in the ordnance....

 SW wrote the following,

...A little over a year ago I was hunting my small local park, the Park and Rec. guy pulled in, sat and watched me for about 10 min., he left and two minuets later a Sheriff pulled in, parked diagonal across several spots, ran my plates and proceeded to stair at me. It made me quite uncomfortable as I was the only one in the park. When I left he followed me the four blocks to my house, he parked 3 houses down and sat there for well over a half an hour before leaving. I have not been in any park after that. I know for a fact if you get caught in the Savannah's they will confiscate your equipment including your vehicle. I was hunting private property adjacent to the rail road tracks (with permission). A small plane buzzed me, shortly after cops were everywhere. Good thing I had a letter from the owner, and was able to contact the owner by phone. They did not ask me to leave, they told me to leave and never return. There were lots of threats, jail, taken equipment, loss of business license. They said I was in the wrong spot. I know where I was I had maps and GPS. In closing I go nowhere without permission. An old timer that said he has walked and hunted along the tracks, those days are long gone. You will be arrested just walking the tracks. Sorry, just a little angry.

There are horror stories when over zealous officials run amok, but there are also wonderful stories that show how important metal detecting is.

One of many such examples was provided by Warren D. (who goes by ROBOCOP as a tribute to his dad) and who recently searched and found a lost ring for a Chinese exchange student at FIT.

He provided this follow-up to illustrate a couple of points who was to be taken to dinner as a reward for searching for and finding the ring.
...
She told me when she lost the ring her college friends, all foreign exchange students said, Go ask that redneck over there with the metal detector maybe he can find it. I wear a straw cowboy hat on the beach, now I laughed.

I told her I was born in Brooklyn, New York. My dad was a NYC cop in Manhattan. I got my BS from FIT in 1972 and my MS from FIT in 1983 when I worked at the Space Center. I said tell your friends I have more degrees from FIT than they do. We both laughed. I told her about the old saying you can't tell a book by it's cover and it's probably been my motto going thru life. I said tell your friend's that they read me wrong and do they like to play poker?

She is a graduate student in Electrical engineering and she told me her major which I can't recall the exact technical terms but she said it is the technology they put in automobiles that senses nearby cars to have collision avoidance. I said that sounds like metal detecting. More laughs.

She was interested in the differences in my metal detectors. Why one worked better in the water than the other.

I told her about pulse induction versus VLF and multiple frequency and mineralization, etc.

Very pleasant person. A lot of misperceptions in this world. From all sides including me. At least we were able to talk ours away.


This is just one of many examples of rings and other valuables being found by detectorists, who also remove a lot of trash and even dangerous items.

Although people might judge people by appearances, detectorists are fine group of people who do a lot of good deeds but are often misjudged by those who do not participate in the hobby.

We need to educate the public and our elected officials.

Sephan, a detectorist who reads this blog, is an attorney.  He is the one that gave me the link to the city ordinances.  Here is his suggestion.

You might get a group together to do a petition to exclude metal detecting from these two provisions.

I am willing to put together a letter to send to the parks department if there are a good number of readers who will sign on to it.

Some have already called the city to indicate their support for allowing metal detecting in the parks.

If that is something you wish to do, please be organized, prepared and friendly and present your position concisely.  Remember, there are no provisions against metal detecting, even though that seems to be what is being enforced. 

I don't know how many tons of trash I've removed form parks in the past.  Also dangerous items such as knives and brass knuckles. 


On the Treasure Coast beach detecting conditions remain unchanged, but there is no question that gold will be found after the busy holiday weekend.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net