5/22/19 Report - Pirates and Buried Treasure by Jack Beater. Metal Detecting A Frank Hudson Site. Mining Your Time.

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

Buried Treasure Books.

When I was looking for one of the Frank Hudson books for some reason the other day, I found some other "treasure" books that I had forgotten about.  One is by Jack Beater, who lived in the Fort Myers area, and wrote a book entitled Pirates and Buried Treasure, which was published in 1959.

Jack was a veteran of WW I and moved to Florida in 1920.  Stories of pirates and treasure fascinated him, so he started talking to every old timer or anyone who could tell him more about that.  I was given a copy of his book many years ago by someone who knew him.

Pirates and Buried Treasure is an entertaining easy read that also provides good information.  It focuses primarily on the West Coast of Florida and the Keys.  It talks about Gasparilla, Juan Gomez, Captiva, Charles Gibbs, Anne Bonny, Captain Rackam, Henri Caesar, Key Largo, Tarpon Springs, Useppa, Charlotte Harbor, Carla Pelau, and Estero Bay, Fort Myers Beach and others.   Of course, some of those places you can no longer metal detect.

Concerning Hudson's books, Bill P. detected one of the sites mentioned, and found the book to be accurate.

Here is what Bill said.

An old detecting friend and I hunted a location that Hudson mentioned in that book (I believe) on the gulf coast many years ago. He gave many details about this area that were actually fairly accurate. We hunted the area several times over a couple years and turned up some pretty cool items. The area had been hunted by Hudson and there were uncovered holes everywhere. There were a lot of indian artifacts too. Among the items we found were a broken, rusty end of bar shot that was fired from a cannon with the hopes of taking out the rigging of another ship. I found a Spanish, milled half reale that was holed, and dated 1784. That was cool. We also found what we believed to be a human bone...creepy to say the least. The most interesting thing that happened was, in between trips there someone else was apparently hunting there too. We found a freshly dug hole approximately 2 feet deep and in the bottom of the you could see where roots had grown around something square shaped around 2 feet square!. Disappointing for us but still exciting that someone actual found a box of......who knows. The worst part was the little black salt-marsh mosquitoes. Who knows what is still there? Bill 

Thanks Bill.  Fun times.

That reminds me of one time in the eighties, I think it was, I was in Tampa on a business trip and remember a construction project on the beach that unearthed a bunch of gold coins.  I remember taking my Aquanaut in its grey hard case with me on the plane.

If you go through Hudson's books, one thing you'll notice is several buried treasures around every inlet.  There might be an exception, but I don't think so.  It is important to remember that some of the inlets have moved.

If you combine the treasures in the Hudson and Beater books with those reported in various other sources, you'll notice that there are few coastal areas without sunken or buried treasure somewhere nearby.  Just those that I'm familiar with are numerous, extending from Key West all the way up the coast.  

This is the first I really looked at those books for many years.  When I first read them, I saw them very differently.  Each X marked a dream that could happen - if I hit it.

I look at things very differently now.   Now it seems to me more like, treasure is all around, so I don't wonder so much where the treasure is - instead I wonder what treasure is in the area where I stand.

Think of it.  You can start out in a place like Frederick Douglas, walk north to John Brooks, and a little more to the old picked over wreck near the Fort Pierce Jetty, then north to Pepper Park, and then past the Fort Capron payroll area, continue on to the Sandy Point Wreck and Rio Mar, and Turtle Trail, and Seagrape Trail, and Wabasso, Golden Sands and Treasure Shores and Ambersands, etc. etc.  And I am sure there are treasures in between of one kind or another.   There are wrecks along our coast that are less known and less hunted, yet very interesting.  And there are artifacts of various ages on the beach, and fossils and sea glass, not to mention the native American artifacts and the shiny things that are being lost daily.

I can look out my front window and see the spot where I picked up an inscribed Native American pot shard laying on the surface after a storm, and where I go walking to pick up old bottles and other things.   And not far from my back door is an area where workers in the early 20th century drank after work and discarded their bottles.  There is treasure all over the place.  That is how it seems to me now.

My goals changed over the years and decades too.   I've told before about how when I started metal detecting I tried to find as many coins as I could.  After I progressed some, I targeted gold and quit counting the coins.  That wasn't the end of the changes, but I'll skip over the rest.

Not too long ago I used the term alchemy in one of my post titles.  Poorly defined, alchemy attempts to turn base metals in to gold.  For me today it is more about mining or transforming the moment.

Through aging and a variety of other circumstances, I now see time and life as the most precious commodity.  Digging up gold is really nice, but the important thing is extracting the treasure from the moment in which I stand.  That can be done by digging up something good, but it can also be done without digging up anything.  The treasure is not so much in the gold, but what you bring to it.

For example, treasure hunting with the wrong attitude can leave you worse off, whether you find anything or not.  There was a time when I'd go out hunting with a very specific goal, and if I didn't find anything good I'd come back in a very bad mood.  I let it ruin the moment.  Likewise, making a good find can be poorly handled in a variety of ways.  You've probably heard of lotto winners who destroyed themselves and their families.

Life is precious.  Every moment is precious.  You can make of it what you will.

The moment, like gold, is there to be mined.  Mine it.

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Some of the salvage boats have been taking advantage of the small surf, but later today the surf will increase and we will have a couple days of bigger surf.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Make your moments count,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/15/19 Report - WW I Wreck Exposed. Genuine $3 Million Coin. FUN Convention and Counterfeits. Great Research Sites.

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

Remains of WW I Sub Exposed.

Source: See BBC link below.

Shifting sand off Wissant, near Calais, is exposing the remains of the UC-61 which was stranded there in July 1917...

It is now becoming a tourist attraction again, although the local mayor warns it may only be a fleeting visit...

"The wreck is visible briefly every two to three years, depending on the tides and the wind that leads to sand movements, but a good gust of wind and the wreck will disappear again," said Mayor of Wissant Bernard Bracq...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46846988

Thanks to Douglas for that link.

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Here is an excerpt from an article that talks a bit about the recently concluded FUN convention in Orlando, counterfeits and the recent history of numismatics.

Nowadays, the Internet has reorganized how we collect...

I held fake clad quarters in my hand at the FUN show thanks to Beth Deisher and the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force of the Professional Numismatists Guild.

They have the correct electronic signature to fool vending machines.

Most collectors would have no trouble seeing that they are fake.

These coins are not intended to be offered as collectibles.

Collectors might not even look at a clad quarter in their hand if they don’t think the Chinese would bother to fake our circulating coins.

They need to think again. We all do...

Here is that link.

https://www.numismaticnews.net/buzz/fun-gives-great-start-to-2019-coin-business

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… An 1885 Proof Trade Dollar certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) realized an astonishing $3,960,000 at auction, one of the highest prices ever paid for a coin. This coin led a group of NGC-certified rarities that achieved extraordinary results in the Heritage Auctions Platinum Night sale, held January 10, 2019, at the FUN Show in Orlando, Florida...

The price realized by the Eliasberg specimen is the second-highest at auction for an NGC-certified coin, surpassed only by a 1787 Brasher Doubloon. Graded NGC MS 63, that coin was sold by Heritage Auctions for $4,582,500 in January 2014....

And the link.

https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/7099/heritage-fun-realized-january-2019/

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Today I want to bring attention to some of the great reference links in my Treasure Site Reference Link List.  There are some really good links there that I'm sure you will find useful.  I find my self usng to them often.

On top of the list you will find the 18th Century Material Culture Resource Center link.  Great site.
http://materialculture18t.wixsite.com/18thcmcrc

After that you will find a very extensive database of Spanish coinage.  It is one of the most extensive and useful reference sites that I've seen.
http://www.fuenterrebollo.com/faqs-numismatica/menu2.html

Then there is the token database. Again very useful and extensive.
http://tokencatalog.com/

And the Society for Historical Archaeology antique bottle web site.
https://sha.org/bottle/makersmarks.htm

Also the Spanish Colonial Military Artifacts site.
http://www.artifacts.org/default.htm

These and some of the others in the list are some of the best artifact reference sites.   Take a look.  They are there on the first page of my blog for your easy access.

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We really haven't had much good beach hunting weather this Fall or Winter yet.  There have been a lot of fronts come through, but only lasting one day or so, and producing not much more than one foot cuts.

We are going to have some higher surf for a couple of days, but only three to five feet.

Here are the MagicSeaWeed surf predictions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/11/19 Report - A Few Important Facts About Metal Detecting For Profit. WW II Sunken Plane Graveyard.

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

Sunken WW II Planes.
Source: LifeDaily.com (See link below) 

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Observers sometimes assume that metal detecting is all about making money, but for most of us there are other reasons we metal detect.  We enjoy the activity, the exercise, the challenge and the history we encounter, but if you want your metal detecting to be profitable, there are some things you need to know.

When I talk about profitable metal detecting, I am talking about motivation and math.  I am excluding all motives and benefits other than the profit motives.  My criteria will then be purely mathematical.  It takes a degree of focus and a level of commitment that turns metal detecting into a job or business.  You might not want to do that, but you will still benefit from the discussion even if I only provide a few of the important but under- appreciated facts.

Here they are.

A.  If you want to maximize profit, the cost side of the equation is just as important as the finds.  Expenses must be paid for by finds.  Travel expenses, such as gas, parking, admission fees, etc. must be taken into account.  So must the cost of equipment and other costs.

B.  The most expensive metal detector is not always the best and must pay for itself.  The cost of such things as batteries and maintenance must also be factored in.

C.  If the profit motive is primary, you will have to give up some of the other pleasures, such as only detecting in pleasant weather or on nice beaches.  You'll have to push yourself to do things that are not easy or fun.  In fact, your most profitable detecting might put you in difficult situations and push you to work harder than you would like.  There was a time, and I've said this before, that my motto was, "If you don't want to do it, do it."  By that I meant working some of the most difficult beaches and conditions.  I wasn't talking about ethics.

D.  A location might produce a lot of low value targets and another location might produce just a few  targets, but of a much higher average value.  Of course the ideal location produces a lot of high value targets.  You will not know exactly what you will find, but over time you can get a good estimate of the likely number of targets and their average value at different locations.  Over time you will base your estimates on your past experiences at each location but will also factor in other reasonable expectations.

E.  So which would you choose, a location that produces a lot of small value targets or a location that produces few targets, but targets of a higher average value?  It all comes down to the math. You should do some calculations.  Take the average expected target value and multiply times the expected number of targets and chart it out.

If you detect a the same location a few times, you will have good data to form your expectations.   Your expectations will become more precise as you gain experience at a location and analyze the data you have accumulated.  Don't forget - the highest value finds will be rare but will dramatically affect your results.  I won't do the math or graph that out now.

F.  Here is an important one.  If you are concerned with profit, you must do a good job of converting finds into cash.  The sales side is just as important as making finds.  You can make a find worth $1,000 but end up selling it for much less.   If you are good at marketing and sales, you can easily double your profit that way.  You must recognize the value of different types of finds and sell them well.

Common mistakes include selling good jewelry to a pawn shop or for scrap or not recognizing the value of antiques or collectibles such as coins.  Learning the value of various types of finds and how to sell them well is an important skill if you want to maximize profit.  It is not just about finds.

If you stink at marketing or don't want to do it, you might have to just accept that fact, but then you'll have to find more to make the same profit.

Most people do not detect primarily for the profit.  That is fine, but you should be clear about your motivations and the trade-offs.  You will not maximize profits unless you go all out to do so.  There are many good reasons for not doing that, but it helps to be clear about your motives and what you want to accomplish rather than having mixed feelings and ending up being frustrated.

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For all of you good looking bachelors of the Treasure Coast, it looks like MacKenzie Bezos, worth a few billion dollars, is going to be available.

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A few years back, Brandi was scuba diving about five miles offshore of the island of Roi-Namur in the Marshall Islands, when she discovered something incredible lying beneath the waves. Something that had been lying in wait for over 70 years…

The ocean floor was festooned with rusted, broken airplanes. It was a veritable “Airplane Graveyard.” But where did they all come from? Had the planes been shot down during World War 2? Were they the remains of a once-mighty fleet, rendered into scrap after a brutal sea battle? The answer to those questions was as surprising as the discovery itself…

Here is the link for the lengthy article.

http://www.lifedaily.com/story/diver-uncovers-70-year-old-underwater-secret-in-the-pacific/

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The surf will reach three to five feet later today and be smaller this weekend.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/2/2011 Report - Sunken Car Treasure & More

First Treasure Coast Sun Rise of 2011.

Hard to believe that 2010 is over. Time flies.

The weather is really nice and there were a lot of hunters out this morning. The cuts that were fresh a few days ago have gone stale and have been hunted. I'm sure there are some cuts that haven't even been worked yet - the ones that are a t distance from beach accesses or not in the popular hunting areas, but will now be a little harder to find fresh holes.

It is good to know where the cuts are even if they aren't producing. If the wind and waves are right, they could easily be replenished. Of course, if the wind and waves are wrong, those old cuts can easily disappear altogether.

I took the photo of this cut yesterday. It looked pretty much the same this morning, but the front is mushy and I don't think it will produce much. Again, you have to watch these old cuts for possibe improvement.


First Cut I Hunted in 2011.

I think I showed the same cut on New Year's Eve. Anyhow, it didn't improve any since I was last there. You can see some seaweed here, which tells you that most recently sand had been accumulating rather than eroding here. Even though it was cut about three feet deep and ran for hundreds of yards, there were very few signals here. I suppose that is in part due to the fact that the eroded sand was recently accumulated sand.

Cuts that are far back towards the back of the beach are generally better than those towards the front of the beach, and those that are down close to the water level, better than those up above a slope.


We often talk about sunken treasure ships, but here is a story about a sunken car that turned out to be quite a treasure. It was broght up from 160 feet deep in a lake and was sold for over $300,000.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6981551.ece


First Artifact I Found With Metal Detector in 2011.

I think it is probably a heavy-duty chisel.


Forecast and Conditions.

The wind is continuing out of the south. The seas will be calm for the next few days. It looks like beach conditions will continue to deteriorate. I'll probably be dropping my beach conditions rating back to a 1 very soon.

You'll have to hunt hard to find any good spot on the beach. I hope I'm wrong. It looked like 2011 was going to get off to a better start.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@oomcast.net

11/1/10 Report - More Sand & Gold Bird From 1715 Fleet Video

Shipwreck Beach South of Fort Pierce This Morning.

The St. Lucie County beaches didn't look very good this morning as you can see from the photo. A lot of sand accumulated on the front beach, which was at some spots very mushy.

I did see one beach that had a very small cut and had a hard packed front, but the sand was still piled pretty high and there weren't many targets.

The water got up to the base of the larger cut that occurred some time ago and the more recent cut was washed over.

If you haven't seen it, here is the ABC coverage of the Fort Pierce gold bird (Pelican in Her Piety) find from the Nieves site.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/sunken-ship-yields-gold-treasure-in-florida-11996287

It doesn't look exactly like a pelican but if you look at the stylized images that follow you can see that many bear a striking resemblance to the found bird.

http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=pelican in her piety&v_t=keyword_rollover

I suspect that besides the missing wing, there are other items that would accompany this artifact that hasn't been found yet.

I've posted a lot about sunken ships, of course, but I just had a new experience. I watched a video taken by divers on a sunken ship that for a while I thought my deceased father served on in WWII. It was a small wood minesweeper that literally went around the world and crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific. Wherever the big ships were headed, the minesweepers had already been.

The ship in the video turned out to not be the one my father served, on but was very similar, yet for those few moments of watching the divers video the ship, I couldn't help but thinking about my father once walking the deck of that sunken ship.

As it turns out, he didn't, but other young men, most of whom are now gone, did. That experience was a very personal and moving experience for me, and it reminded me that all of those sunken ships, no matter how long ago they sailed, were once manned by real people with families and dreams. Maybe we should take a moment to really remember and appreciate that fact when we pick up a coin or an artifact on a beach. Remember that those objects are more than simply lumps of wood, iron, silver or gold.

Here is the link if you want to see the video of that sunken ship.

http://www.pugetsounddivers.com/journal/2010/10/2/wwii-minesweeper-yms-105-gypsy-queen.html

Forecast and Conditions.

As I mentioned above, the beaches that I saw today didn't look very good. I don't know if the beaches up north are any better. I suspect not, but I don't know.

The high tides are still nice and high, and the wind is now out of the northeast.

It looks like seas will run about four feet through the week. That isn't very promising, but next weekend it looks like we might get some action. The surf web sites are predicting 7.5 foot seas on Saturday. If that actually happens it could get good - depending upon other factors, of course.

That's it for now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net