3/13/26 Report - Rougher Surf Today. Beach Renourishment. You Otter Try This. Animal Spirits. Kennedy Halves.

 Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Fort Pierce Beach Photo Published in TCPalm.

Ahhhh...  Sweet!   

The beauty of Fort Pierce Beach during the peak of tourist season.  Nothing beats the roar of bulldozers and the smell the burnt diesel fuel on an idyllic day at the beach.  You can find the same thing at other Treasure Coast beaches this time of year - just in time for the start of sea turtle nesting season.

At least it keeps the flow of tax dollars going.

Elsewhere around the Treasure Coast...

I woke up to what I call a beachy day.  You know; grey, cloudy, windy, maybe even some rain - the things that keep most beach goers off the beach, but the kind of day I usually like to metal detect.

Wabasso Friday Morning.
Indian River County FL.

  

Looks like the water on the beach is running north to south this morning.

I've been asked a couple times why the beach cam view from the camera at the entrance to Turtle Trail isn't public.

 

Sebastian Beach Cam Friday Morning.
Sebastian Inlet Surf Report and Sebastian Inlet Surf Cam - Florida Surf Cams

The surf is definitely rougher this morning.  If I was closer, I'd definitely check out that area near where they've been moving sand lately.

So we're having some rougher surf today, but I'm looking out to next Thursday.  That looks hopeful at this point, but the predictions might hold.

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

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Here is something a little more light-hearted for when you are done watching the latest episode of Hudson and Rex...

This Otter "is the latest addition to the team at Peace River K9 Search nd Rescue. They’ve traditionally used dogs to track the scent of missing people, but when investigations spill underwater, a canine’s capabilities are limited." 

 K9 Search and Rescue dogs stop at the water's edge.  Splash, the otter, is an Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus). 

Here is the link for the entire article.

Meet Splash: This Asian Small-Clawed Otter Is The World’s First Search-And-Rescue Otter, Hunting For Missing People In Florida | IFLScience

I doubt that you'll recall, but at least two or three times in the past I've mentioned my thoughts on training an otter or seal for treasure diving.  I think the otter would love to find and bring in small, and especially shiny, objects that might be exposed.

During World War II B. F. Skinner (you might remember the name if you ever had psychology 101) trained pigeons to guide devices such as missiles.  See B.F. Skinner's Nose Cone of a Pigeon-Guided Missile | National Museum of American History

Other animals have been employed as well, such as dolphins to detect mines and seals to retrieve other objects from the sea floor.

Here is a table summarizing some of the senses used by animals that could be put to use.

Just a little thinking outside the human skull today.

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I recently talked about the elusive but yet evidently common U.S. $2 dollar bills.  Their is a coin that similarly common and yet seldom encountered in circulation.  I'm talking about the Kennedy half-dollar coins.  

There is only one place where I get these.  They give them in change every time the change comes to fifty cents or more.  I don't know why that one place always gives Kennedy halves for change.  I've suspected that the owner or somebody is into search boxes or rolls of the coin for silver of other high value coins, but I don't know if that is the reason or if they just find them handy.  I don't get them anywhere else.  In fact when spending the same coins, I've encountered young cashiers who didn't know what they were and one cashier at a Winn-Dixie that refused to accept them.  I think he could find a slot in his register to put them.  I don't know what the deal was there.

Anyhow, trillions of Kennedy halves have been minted for circulation.  Hundreds of millions were produced some years in the 1960s when they were had silver content.  Here is a table showing production in more recent years.

That seems like a lot of coins for something you almost never encounter in circulation. Where do they all go.  I guess a lot of them get put away like the $2 bills.

There are some that are more valuable.  Of course, you should watch for the early ones with silver content.  Here is a link to an article giving some of the most valuable ones.

Top 11 Most Valuable Half Dollar Coins in Circulation (With Pictures) - CoinValueChecker.com

Of course, there are the ones containing silver, which carry a little premium, but there are also some error coins to look for.  They can really be worth a lot.

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Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/12/26 Report - New Finds from a Morning Bottle Hunt. Two Dollar Bills and What to Look For.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Chas. H. Fletcher CASTORIA Bottle Find.

I caught a decent low tide this morning and decided to go on another bottle hunt.  The last hunt wasn't very productive, but I thought I might find one nice loner if I kept at it long enough.  I did take a while.  I thought about turning back a few times before I finally saw this nice blue Chas. H. Fletcher Castor bottle on the sand.  It was pretty much exposed.  It is a nice bottle, but nothing really great.  The cork is still inside.

I found both Dr. Pitcher's and Chas. Fletcher castoria bottles before, so it wasn't anything new to me.  I posted those bottles in TGBottleBarn.blogspot.com.

This product started as Dr. S. Pitcher’s Castoria , the formula being patented on May 18, 1868.  Several years later the rights to that product and recipe was sold to Charles H. Fletcher, and marketed through the J. B. Rose Company and later the Centaur Company.

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I also found a nice old aqua A. B. G. M beer bottle.   A. B. G. M. CO. isembossed on the bottom and stands for the Adolphus Busch Glass Manufacturing Co.

Adolphus Busch Glass Manufacturing Beer Bottle.

I also found a COCOA Coca Cola bottle.  It isn't in good condition and is a "patent registered" bottle rather than one of the more valuable ones.

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My wife's recently deceased aunt left three $2.00 bills.  I found a few when my dad passed away too.  

I never see the otherwise.  To me it seems they are as rare as hen's teeth, but everything says they are not rare.

Here is what I found.

$2 bills are not rare; there are over 1.4 billion in circulation in the United States, making them relatively common. While many people believe they are rare, they continue to be printed, and certain bills can be valuable to collectors. The $2 bill is considered uncommon but not rare, and it has a bit of a negative reputation due to superstitions. Overall, while they are less frequently seen in everyday transactions, they 

are still widely available.

Here are production numbers from the Bereau of Engraving and Printing (www.bep.gov)

So, in both 2022 and 2023 over 100 million were made.  Still, I don't think I've ever received one in circulation.

There are reportedly valuable bills, but it looks like the same kinds of factors are important for $2 bills as other denominations.

Here is what to look for.

Key Factors That Make $2 Bills Valuable

1. Age and Series

• 19th-century bills: Large-size $2 bills from 1862, 1869, and 1890 are highly collectible, often fetching $500 to over $20,000 depending on condition and rarity. 

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• 1928–1953 series: Red seal notes, particularly the 1928-B Woods-Mills star note, are extremely rare and valuable. 

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• 1976 and later: Most modern $2 bills are worth face value, but special features can increase value significantly. 

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  2. Seal Color
• Red seal notes are generally more valuable than green seal notes due to lower print runs and collector demand. 

  2

  
  3. Serial Numbers
• Star notes: Replacement bills marked with a star at the end of the serial number are collectible.
• Low serial numbers: Bills starting with multiple zeros or unique patterns (solid, ladder, radar) can command high prices, sometimes reaching five figures for elite patterns. 

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  4. Condition and Grading
• Uncirculated bills in pristine condition are worth more than circulated ones. Professional grading (PMG or PCGS) can significantly increase value. 

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  5. Printing Errors
• Bills with misprints, inverted overprints, or ink smears are rare and can be highly sought after by collectors. 

Here is a link to follow up on that.  $2 Bill Value Chart 2025 - Is Your Two Dollar Bill Worth Thousands?

They sell a bunch of them on eBay - of course for a premium.  Many of those are uncirculated in series bills.

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Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

The most interesting thing in that chart is the up to seven foot shown in the future. However, I'm not expecting it to turn out that big. It could be though.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/11/26 Report - Mystery Find. Treasure Coast Emerald Finds and Tips for ID.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Three Views of Small Mystery Find Beside Toothpick for Comparison.
Photos by Austin Y.

I received the following email along with the above photos from Austin Y.

I got a metal detector and did research on the shipwrecks down in Melbourne area since I was there for the week and happened to see what emeralds look like from the wreck. I was walking the beach and happened to see something green in a shell pile and thought it looked similar. The wooden thing is a tooth pick by it. I'm not trying to sell it or whatever, I just wanted to know if it is a emerald or just some other trash or sea glass. 

I contacted Spanish Maine in st Augustine bc I have bought from there and talked to the guy a bunch but he said there's people buying real emeralds and taking them to the beach to fake finding a shipwreck one. So he basically told me don't bring it in my shop. I'm not trying to sell or make money on it I just want to confirm it's an emerald. 

I told Austin by email.  I'd like to see what you think.  

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I've done some posts on emeralds found on the Treasure Coast in the past.

Below is a picture of a 68 karat emerald found by a lady at Golden Sands Beach.

Treasure Coast Found Emerald
Photo submitted by Darrell S.

Here is the link to that post.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 8/19/16 Report - 68 Karat Treasure Coast Emerald Find. More On The Recent 1809 8-Escudo. Tropical Storms.

Emeralds vary immensely.  Good gem quality specimens are more transparent, while others are opaque and don't look nearly as good.

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Below are some tips for testing emeralds as provided by Copilot.

Testing for Emerald

To test for the authenticity of an emerald, consider the following methods:

• Observe the Color: Genuine emeralds exhibit a deep, slightly bluish-green tone. If the color appears too vivid or uniform, it might be an imitation. 
• Use a Loupe: Magnifying the stone with a jeweler’s loupe can help detect authentic features. Real emeralds commonly have visible internal inclusions known as ‘jardin.’ 
• Test Transparency and Clarity: Genuine emeralds typically have some cloudiness or inclusions that affect their clarity. An emerald that looks overly clear might not be the real deal. 
• Inspect the Cut and Shape: The cutting style provides another clue. Emeralds are often fashioned into the classic ’emerald cut’—a rectangular or square shape with truncated corners. 

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Below is the MOHS scale for hardness. 

I've done posts on the MOHS scale and scratch test before.

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There are some nice gem testing pens that will identify diamonds and other gemstones.  I might demonstrate one of those for you in the future.

You can also find a gemologist or good jeweler that has the equipment that can test it for you.

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You can see the excavator at work at Sebastian.

Sebastian Web Cam This Afternoon. - South Beach View.

I guess an insignificant front will be coming through around Thursday and we're supposed to get some rain, but nothing exciting.

Surf Chart for the Fort Pierce Inlet Area from Surfguru.com.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/10/26 Report - Heavily Encrusted Sword Found by Swimmer. Dicey Bottle Hunt. Importance of Story.

 Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Yoav Bornstein/University of HaifaThe sword was designed to be held with one hand, despite being made of iron and measuring more than three feet long.

Shlomi Katzin found this three-foot blade in the seabed just offshore at Israel's Dor Beach — not far from where he'd found another Crusader's sword in 2021.

... archaeology student Shlomi Katzin was not looking to make any discoveries when he went to Dor Beach, and instead sought only to swim. However, he had indeed found a Crusader's sword while scuba diving not far away in 2021. But while Katzin was swimming, he noticed scuba divers with metal detectors, who he suspected were antiquities thieves.

While chasing the thieves away, Katzin happened to notice the hilt of an historic sword peeking out of the seabed. He immediately notified university officials, who alerted the Israel Antiquities Authority, which quickly approved the sword’s removal from the sea.

The sword, just over three feet long and estimated to be from the 12th century, was safely recovered and brought to the University of Haifa for further study. Researchers examined it with a CT scan, which helped them to determine that the sword was meant to be held in one hand, that it was forged in Europe, and that only a small sliver of its original iron had survived.

Here is the link for the entire story.

12th-Century Crusader's Sword Discovered By Swimmer In Israel

So he returned to a place where he had made a remarkable discovery with nothing on his mind than a leisurely swim when he discovered detectorists who suspected were thieves whose presence make him a hero and justifies the swift removal of the sword!??!  Good thing he is either a mind reader or at least suspicious of unknown folks!  

How many times have I said where you find one thing, the probability of finding another similar item dramatically increases?

Just yesterday I took a little walk hoping to find some old bottles or something.  I caught the tide low, which I hadn't done for a while, and the water was clear - both good things. 

I saw more glass than I had for quite a while, which got my hopes up even though most of it was broken like these few fragments of older glass.





The one piece is part of an embossed McCormick and Co. bottle.  The other two are just nice necks.  The one at the top is older, making me wish I found the entire bottle.  But the oddest thing was a green die I found. Then about a hundred yards, or maybe a bit less, but a good distance, I found another.  On the first, I saw the four, which I noted for some reason, and then on the next green die, I saw the five.  Pretty soon I turned around and went back and in between found nine more.  

Here they are.





I've found several die before.  In fact. I remember a day or two ago noticing one or two of them in my junk.  Sometimes it seems like there is something between past events that you'd take to be random and future finds.  I sometimes think of it as a kind of "seeding" like they used to talk about with dowsing for gold, even though I always took those metal gold dowsers to be nonsense.  There is a very useful tendency of the working mind to put things together, but sometimes the connections are coincidental.  Coincidental connections can become superstition. 

I wonder why someone had so many die and why they were lost discarded.

The best bottle I found on the hunt wasn't anything great - just a tiny graduated pharmacy bottle.  Here it is.





I haven't done well with the bottle hunting over the past year. 

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The story of an item can add to the economic value of the item.  A documented shipwreck provenance will do it, for example.  So will a connection to a famous collector.  Compare a cob coin with a documented connection to a famous shipwreck to your common beach found cob.  A documented story can add a lot.

Even for an anonymous beach found cob, the story still adds to the find even if not in an economic way.  Maybe the find can be connected to a time period or a nearby shipwreck or some other event.  We all wonder how items ended up where they were found and say, "If only it could talk."  Of course, in some ways it does. We may understand a little of what it is saying, but there is also the remaining mystery that also excites the imagination.

There is the story of the hunt and making find and perhaps some other events or observations. The story points in many directions and asks us to wonder, imagine, test and prove.  

The best finds make us want to tell the story. We refine, solidify, and complete the story as we recall and tell it.  Others are drawn into the story and make their own connections.

What makes people different?  Isn't it their stories?  Our accumulated stories shape the world we live in and how we look at ourselves and the world around us.

Families have stories.  They have stories about ancestors, times and events that shaped and reflect the identity of the family and individuals.

People seem very eager to give away their story-making these days - and in doing so, their authentic identities.  

It has become too easy.  They adopt "their" story from other sources, such as fact checkers, the media or automated language systems.  Lacking authenticity and experiential rootedness, their processed, manufactured, easy, quick-serve stories have only a fragile connection to their experience and, as a result, is fragile and seems under constant attack and therefore must be strenuously defended, even to the point of violence in order to avoid being exposed and falling apart.

Authentic stories that connect to the deepest levels, on the other hand, lead to connection, centeredness, peace and joy.  You don't see enough of that anymore.  

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Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.




Nothing very exciting there.

Anybody know what they are doing with the beach south of the Sebastian inlet?

Good hunting,

Treausreguide@comcast.net




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