7/8/26 Report - A Failed Spanish New World Colony Marked by Metal Detector Coin Find. Fun Show Tomorrow.

 

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

Sometimes, the finding of a single coin can be of more significance than that of a treasure ship. Such happened with the discovery of an undated real de a ocho of Philip II of Spain that features the Jerusalem cross on the obverse and the monarch’s coat of arms on the reverse.

At the time this article was written, the coin’s mint was identified as from Potosi, and the estimated year issued had not yet been determined. Potosí, the town whose mint struck the recently discovered coin, was at one time the richest city in South America. Between 1573 and 1773, the Potosi mint supported the local silver mines in what is today Bolivia. The minting facility was built on the site of the Casa de Jusicia in 1572...

The coin was recently discovered at an archaeological dig site meant to identify the location of a failed Spanish colonial American colony at what English navigator Thomas Cavendish named Puerto del Hambre or Port Famine. Cavendish made up the name following his rescue of the only survivor of the ill-fated colony in March 1584.

Port Famine goes by the name Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe today. The former settlement is on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan...

Despite Potosí being more than 2,700 miles north of the site at which the coin was found, it makes sense that the coin could have circulated that far away from the place of its origin. The mint at Lima, established in 1568, was closer....

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Around the World: Coin Evidence of Port Famine Location - Numismatic News

In case you can't read it, the text under the illustration reads: "A real de ocho of Phillip II silver cob coin, similar to this example, tells the tale of the ill-fated Port Famine settlement. Image courtesy of the author.

They do that a lot, and I've complained about it before. Many internet articles use images of objects that are not the actual objects talked about in the article.  While some people may not know and may not care, it can be important to others who look for details and are misled by the incorrect details. 

Why isn't the actual coin shown? And when it isn't the actual coin discussed, they should make it clear in what ways it is and isn't accurate to the story.  More knowledgeable people who spot the inaccuracies or inconsistencies may not be able to read the very small and faint text, which in some cases seems intentionally difficult to read.  And this is from a site that I'd expect to care about minute details, but yet they go for an easy attention-grabbing image rather than being totally accurate.

If you go to an article on the same topic in the Smithsonian Magazine, you'll find the picture shown below.   That looks like a different coin.  But is the one actually found at Point \Famine?   It seems to be.

Beside the picture, the Smithsonian Magazine article provides additional information, including the following.

In order to preserve as much of the historical site in Chile as possible, the research team working at Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe relied on noninvasive technology. They used metal detectors and geolocation tools to identify the underground stone where the coin was eventually found, making sure they had as much information as possible before they started digging.

“We detected a strong signal, but we didn’t know what it was until we carried out targeted excavations,” Garrido says, per Heritage Daily.

Here is that link to the Smithsonian article.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-spanish-settlers-died-at-the-port-of-famine-this-newly-discovered-silver-coin-reveals-where-the-doomed-colony-was-founded-400-years-ago-180988519/

There is so much internet content these days that is stolen or copied, but there is also a lot that is produced directly by AI.  I looked at one internet site on metal detecting the other day that looked good.  It was pretty, well organized and basically correct, but I'm pretty sure it was all information picked up by AI from other sites and then nicely produced.  I doubt the "author" knew much of anything, but the site wasn't bad for the average beginner.

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Here is a chance to inspect a lot of treasure coins firsthand.  Of course, you can also buy or sell.  Sedwick and many others will be at the FUN Show in Orlando, beginning tomorrow.

From Sedwick...

Dear Friends and Colleagues, Sedwick & Associates, LLC is pleased to announce that we will be attending the 20th Annual Summer FUN Convention, hosted by Florida United Numismatists, from July 9 to 11, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center, West Building, Hall WC, in Orlando, Florida. We invite you to visit us at Tables #431 and #433. Summer FUN is one of the key numismatic gatherings of the season, bringing together collectors, dealers, researchers, and friends from across the country to buy, sell, appraise, and discuss coins, paper currency, tokens, medals, and related collectibles. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet with our team, review upcoming opportunities, and discuss consignments for our November auction, which is already shaping up to be an outstanding sale. We look forward to seeing many of you in Orlando and to sharing the latest news, highlights, and auction updates from Sedwick & Associates.

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There is a big blast of Saharan dust coming.  Here is a link for more about that.

Massive Saharan dust plume heads toward US as hurricane season heats up

Nothing new with the surf or beach conditions, and no developments on the NHC hurricane map.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/7/26 Report - Good Luck Token and Penny Metall Detector Finds. Wheaties and the Fugio Cent Symbols and Rhymes.

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

A "Lucky" Token Find.

Herer is another token find.  It is an unusual one for me.  It is simply stated with nothing added to take away from the message.  I'd call tt a good luck token.

The numbers seven and eleven have meanings deeper than the fortunate outcome in craps.  Seven is the number of days of creation and represents completion and perfection, while eleven, in numerology is considered the mater number and represents spiritual insight.  But you don't have to know that to see this as a good luck token.

Same Token.

Not surprisingly, it has a hole for suspension.  The hole is now filled with corrosion or dirt, but it is there.

Good luck pieces are not uncommon.  Here is a more graphic one.

"Tails you lose" Side of Another Token.

I've found more than one of these "lady" tokens.  The other side reads, "Heads I win" and shows more than the ladies head on the other side, which I would take to be the obverse.

Of course, coins also are used as good luck pieces.  Of the holed coins I've found and not counting the 18th century reales, most are wheat pennies.  Below are two.

Two Wheat Pennies That Could be Worn as Pendants.

I have a few holed wheat pennies, but I'm not sure I have any holed memorial cents at all.

So why is it that good luck pennies are so often wheat cents?  I can think of a a few reasons wheaties might be the choice.

Wheat has been depicted on coins for centuries and is a common symbol for prosperity, abundance, and agricultural heritage.  It symbolized fertility, survival and economic well be.  But it might be simplier than that. It symbolizes fertility, survival and economic well-being.  

It could be that the idea of a lucky penny is simply not in fashion anymore or that the penny has so little regard that it now makes a poor symbol of good fortune.

But back to the idea of heads and tails, which is so graphically illustrated on the token above.  

I think everybody my age knows the rhyme "Find a penny pick it up and all day long you'll have good luck."  But it gets more specific.  Some traditions see it differently depending upon whether the penny is heads up or tails up.

The belief tht the heads-up side facing heaven collects divine favor and carries good luck, however a penny facing tails up is taken by some as a sign of bad luck and shouldn't be picked up. but others take it farther.  Tails side up indicates the penny is for someone else, so the proper thing is to turn it over and leave it for someone else.  I like that idea.  (See   Unlock Good Fortune: The Complete Guide to the Lucky Penny Lore - WonderLearning.blog)

Coinage has long featured kings or rulers or powerful people or people to be admired, such as on the Lincoln penny.  

The first cent of the colonies is different.  Designed by Benjamin Franklin, on one side it reads "Mind Your Business" and on the other side it reads "We Are One" and shows thirteen interlinked rings.

Fugio Cent.

No king or ruler there, and that says a lot.  The colonies were linked but independent.

Franklin used the coin as a billboard and made a clear statement.

Here is a link for much more about the Fugio Cent.  The Fugio Cent: History, Value, and Franklin's Design

I'll wind this up by saying that I've seen a good number reales with holes from the 1715 Fleet included small denomination coins.  Maybe someday I'll explore that a little more.  Much has been written about the heart cobs, which I wrote about before.  (See for example, Th.e Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 11/9/15 Report - Dug Silver Christ Figure. Sacred Heart Confraternities In Colonial Potosi. 

A Fugio Cent can be very valuable, but there are many forgeries and counterfeits, both modern and other.  You might want to read that interesting article.

Fort Pierce South Beach Tuesay Morning.

Here is a familiar scene.  The crowds are enjoying the millions of dollars of new sand on Fort Pierce South Beach this Tuesday morning.  

The surf remains flat as we get deeper into hurricane season.  The surf chart shows no change coming soon.

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

 There is undoubtedly some firecracker junk still out there to be picked up and hopefully a few nicer finds from the 4th of July crowds.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/5/26 Report - Local Treasure Coast History Revealed by a Metal Detector Find. Early Shipwreck Salvage on the Frontier. Lightning Threat. Nature.

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

McKee Jungle Gardens, Vero Beach Souvenir.

Al C. sent the above photo and following text about this metal detector find.

I was going through some of my dad’s old finds from around here and thought this was pretty cool. I remember going there when I was little...

Al also said that Subterrix will be adding additional beach info by the end of this month.

I recently did posts about some souvenir and token finds. This McKee Jungle Gardens souvenir pin is a very cool find and also a piece of local history.

Thanks for sharing Al.


The garden opened in 1932 as McKee Jungle Gardens and quickly became one of Florida’s top tourist attractions, drawing over 100,000 visitors annually by the 1940s

In 1922 land developers Arthur McKee and Waldo Sexton purchased an 80-acre tropical hammock along the Indian River in Vero Beach with the intention of growing citrus but realized the land’s natural beauty was too special to disturb. They hired landscape architect William Lyman Phillips to design streams, ponds, and trails, and consulted famed plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild to enrich the site with tropical plants from around the world. Its award-winning orchid collection, rare plants like pelican flowers, and native wildlife such as monkeys and an alligator named Ole Mac made it a draw for nature lovers. (Source: Mission and History - Mckee Garden)

The botanical gardens is still there but is now smaller and not what it once was.

There has been a lot of construction and earth moving around there lately.  I wouldn't be surprised if some of it was on the original 80 acres.

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Here is some interesting shipwreck salvage history that I just learned about yesterday.

James B. Eads (born May 23, 1820, Lawrenceburg, Ind., U.S.—died March 8, 1887, Nassau, Bahamas) was an American engineer best known for his triple-arch steel bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Mo. (1874). Another project provided a year-round navigation channel for New Orleans by means of jetties (1879).

James Eads educated himself by reading the library of his first employer, a St. Louis dry-goods merchant. At 18 he became purser on a Mississippi riverboat. Not long after, he began to consider means to recover by salvage the heavy losses from the frequent riverboat disasters. When he was 22, he invented a salvage boat, which he called a submarine; actually, it was a surface vessel from which he could descend in a diving bell he had also designed and walk the river bottom. He recovered lead and iron pigs and other valuable freight; on one occasion he retrieved a cargo that included a large crock of butter in a good state of preservation. So successful was his equipment that in 12 years of operations on the Mississippi and its tributaries he made his fortune.

Retiring from the river to marry and settle down, Eads set himself up briefly as a glass manufacturer, but the promising enterprise, the first glass factory in the West, was ruined by the Mexican War; by 1848 he was back in the salvage business. He built three new submarines, the third of which was capable of pumping out and raising a sunken hull from the bottom. Within a few years he had 10 boats in his fleet.

I'd like to read more about how he designed his diving bell from a beer barrel and his salvage career if I can locate that information.

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With this hot weather, thunderstorms are not uncommon.  Of course, the lightning can be a danger.

A Florida beach lightning strike killed one dead and injured three ahead of this July 4th weekend.

Here is that link.

Florida beach lightning strike leaves one dead, three injured ahead of July 4th weekend

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Did you know that seashells are no only collected by many tourists but can also sometimes be sold for good money?  That is another type of treasure that you can walk by while metal detecting, and I'm not talking just about those old, crystalized fossil shells.

Here are some examples

Top 100 Shell Auction | rare large shells for collectors

Like most types of collectibles, to be worth good money, they should be in good shape, but it doesn't hurt to notice shells you pass by and know something about which might be worth picking up.

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If you are out in nature metal detecting this time of year and know your Florida flora and fauna, you might notice a Monarch butterfly laying eggs on milkweed plants.  Here is what bigger plan is unfolding.

July Is all about Raising the Next Generation.

Right now, female Monarchs are busy laying eggs on milkweed.  Tiny caterpillars are eating around the clock, growing bigger every day, and transforming into butterflies that will continue the cycle. Each generation born in July helps produce the amazing "Super Generation" that will migrate this fall.
Without healthy milkweed and nectar plants available now, there are fewer butterflies ready to make that incredible journey.

The Monarch Butterfly “Super Generation”

The super generation of monarch butterflies is the fourth and final generation of the year, born in late summer (August–September) and responsible for the entire fall migration to Mexico Country Living+1. Unlike the first three generations, which live only 2–6 weeks and focus on breeding and moving north, the super generation lives 6–8 months — up to eight times longer than their parents Country Living+1.

Why They’re Called “Super”

• Longevity: They enter a state of reproductive diapause, delaying mating until spring in Mexico butterfly-lady.com.

• Distance: They must fly up to 3,000 miles from the northern U.S. and southern Canada to the overwintering sites in the Sierra Madre mountains of Michoacán, Mexico Country Living+1.

• Speed: They travel about 50 miles per day, often riding thermal air currents to conserve energy Country Living+1.

How is the information and for this plan of nature preserved and passed from generation to generation, through the various phases from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly to egg, etc.?  You decide.

One day a few years ago when I stopped to detect at John Brooks, the field was covered with hundreds of migrating Monarchs.  That is something I've only seen once.

===

Nothing new with the weather or beach conditions. Nothing new on the National Hurricane Center map either.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/4/26 Report - Happy Independence Day. Zooming in To Zoom Out. Microfossil Context.

 

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

Hard Shell Conglomerate After Some Cleaning.

This is the clump I've been cleaning so I could see what metal object is inside  The metal object hasn't been completely uncovered or identified yet but getting the clump partially cleaned, I looked at the surface a little closer and noticed the small shells, broken shells and other objects that could be thousands of years old.  

Being a detectorist, I've been paying attention to the metal and not so much the clump itself. I was missing the forest for the trees. 

I could see see silica and fossil shell crystals.  That doesn't happen quickly.  But I could also see some black specks that could very well be microfossils.  

Microfossils are simply small fossils - less than 2 mm.  I got into interested in microfossils some years ago and searched for them by dissolving fossil-bearing conglomerates.  The usual procedure used by teh Florida State Museum is to crush that kind of material and then sift it and then inspect the sifted materil microscopically.  I posted some of my suspected microfossils on the fossil forum site for identification and did indeed find some so I learned a little about identifying microfossils.  However, I found process very slow and tedious and didn't keep up with it.

After some cleaning of the clump shown above and noticing that it looked like it was the right kind of material and that there were some promising black specks, I decided to look at the clump closer to see what else it might hold.  

As I scanned the surface of the clump with the microscope, I got the feeling that I was touring the surface of a small planet. It took quite a while to go over the entire surface with high power magnification.  There were new interesting landscapes everywhere. Millimeter by millimeter I scanned the surface trying to cover it all but probably missing some areas.

Here is one interesting overhang I discovered.  

One Small Part of Shell Conglomerate Shown Under High Magnification.

The black spots are likely fossils or pieces of fossils.  Here is what the Florida Museum site says.

Black microfossils in Florida are typically microscopic fossils of foraminifera  —  single-celled marine organisms with calcium carbonate shells — preserved in sedimentary rocks. They are often found in Eocene to Pleistocene carbonate deposits such as the Ocala Limestone, Tamiami Formation, and other shallow-marine limestones (Collections Overview – Invertebrate Paleontology).

Here is another view of the landscape I photographed on the tiny planet.

In this view you can see one likely fossil sitting on the high spot just left and below the center of the photo and the much bigger one just a little above center.

There were many interesting views, and I didn't post pictures of all of them, but I wanted to give you a brief look at what I saw besides the metal object I was focused on before becoming interested in the smaller details of the clump.

If you are interested in learning more about microfossils, here is a good link to get you started.

What Are Microfossils and Why Are They Important?

Here are a a few examples of microfossils from the Florida Museum site.

The world is as big, complex and interesting as your brain can handle or allow.  There is always more - much more - and unfortunately (maybe fortunately) - we are only capable of processing a very very small portion of it all.  Zoom out or zoom in - there is no end.

We seek old item while constantly walking over things that are millions of years old.

They say that to the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail, but it is also true that when a treasure hunter has a metal detector, every treasure is metal.  It doesn't need to be.

Your world is as big and amazing or as small as you let it be.

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Bicentennial Medal.

Somebody (I think maybe grandma) gave me this fifty years ago.  The lasst fifty years flew by.

Happy Independence Day,

TreasureGuide@comcast.ne

Thank God for founding Fathers that thought big.

Happy Independence Day.

 

7/3/26 Report - Looking at Changes in Metal Detecting Over the Years. Florida Shark Attacks. Space Weather. More Flat Surf.

Have you ever wondered about the future of metal detecting?  I've been detecting for a few decades now, but I wouldn't say it has changed a lot since I began.  I'm sure some of you will disagree with that.   It takes a good bit to impress me.

The metal detectors are better today.  And there are more detectorists today than there once was.  A lot of targets have been removed, but here is continual replacement.  Whether there is less or more to find out there today, I can't say, but there have been changes of type.  Some of the accumulated coins of early days have been removed and coins in general are less used today.

I'd say the biggest difference is the vast amount and ease of accessing information today.  There is so much information out there.  In the past, you either had to subscribe to a magazine, buy books or join a club to get a lot of information.  And many of the best detectorists of past decades were very secretive.  You might never see them. And they'd often provide disinformation unless you were an especially trusted friend.

One of the unintended consequences of metal detecting being more public is the increase in laws against it.  There can be benefits to flying under the radar.  

Before you try to project to the future, you might first look at the past and present to identify trends - if there are any.  Eventually I hope to give you some far-out possibilities, as well as some changes that you might more expect.

In a very general sense, I don't think metal detecting has changed a lot over the past forty or fifty years.  Metal detectors have been around quite a while but weren't used much for treasure hunting until mid-20th century, after which they became common.  I bought my first serious detector (a White's) from a Sears catalog.  Of course, many of those metal detector companies, such as Whites and Tesoro are now out of business, while some newer metal detector companies have thrived.

I can't deny the advances in metal detector technology, but the basic form and function of treasure hunting metal detectors hasn't changed much.  We're still walking around swinging a coil on a rod.  The basic scoop has been improved upon, but in my estimation, we're still digging up targets in very much the same way.

For decades I saw metal detector ads saying something like, "See what's in the ground before you dig it."  Maybe it's just me but that kind of language made me think of a detailed enough image to be able to say what the item is.  We now have data to help us decide what is in the ground, but there is still a lot and I do mean a LOT of uncertainty.  It isn't what I think of when I hear about "seeing" something. Maybe I expect way too much, but I thought that was the promise, yet after some decades, the amount of uncertainty about undug objects is still pretty great, and you don't even know how great for the items you don't dig.

Think about way shipwreck salvage is done.  One of the most impactful innovations was the blower, and blowers have been around little changed for decades.  

SCUBA was the BIG innovation early 1940s although it wasn't patented until 1948.  Both SCUBA and metal detector development occurred back during World War II.  Seems like it takes the urgency of a war to inspire innovation on that level.  Maybe you can point to bigger and more impactful innovations, but those stick out to me.

Of course, before that was the diving bell, leading to manned submersibles, both tethered and untethered, followed by remote controlled submersible drones.

The internet had a large impact even for before and after the hunt, as has AI, which has yet to be largely integrated with detector technology.  

It can take a long time for innovations to be refined and widely adopted.  I have textbooks on AI published in the 1970s and 1980s, but it wasn't until much more recently that it became widely used.  The internet has been widely used by detectorists and treasure hunters for decades now, while AI is being adopted and shows much promise for the future.

In future posts, I'll speculate about future changes that I think are real possibilities.

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Lulu Gribbin was 15 when she survived a shark attack off the coast of Florida. She lost her left hand, part of her right leg and almost her life.

What she didn’t know when she entered the water on that day in 2024 was that another woman had been bitten by a shark 90 minutes earlier and just 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) down the beach. Had she known about the earlier attack, there is no way she would have been swimming, she said.

Gribbin’s story has inspired new federal legislation to authorize emergency alerts to mobile phones to warn beachgoers when a shark has bitten someone in the area...

Here is an interesting article even though it isn't directly on metal detecting. I certainly don't agree with all of it, but I think it is worth consideration.

The legislation, which Gribbin advocated for, authorizes the warnings by classifying a shark attack as an event for which an emergency alert can be issued. It is up to states to implement the warnings.

Here is the source link for that story.

Alabama teen's shark attack inspires national alert system | AP News

By the way, Sharknado has been on TV recently.  Amazing what celebrities will do for some cash.

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Here is an interesting article.  I don't agree with a lot of it, but it does bring up issues that should be considered.

Humanity has chosen to become idiots: This Brown professor switched to take-hom Ie exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating

It is worth thinking about certain issues no matter whether you are agree with the expressed opinions or not.

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4TH OF JULY AURORA WATCH: Fireworks won't be the only light show this weekend if space weather forecasters are correct. Auroras could appear, too. CMEs are expected to hit Earth on July 3rd and July 5th, sparking consecutive nights of G2-class (Moderate) geomagnetic storms. There's a chance the storms could escalate to category G3 (Strong). If so, auroras would descend to mid-latitudes in the USA and Europe. CME impact alerts: SMS Text.

GIANT SUNSPOT TOO BIG FOR CAMERAS: Sunspot 4478 is so big, astrophotographer Thierry Legault could fit only half of it in his camera's field of view. Even that much is big enough to swallow Earth (insert for scale):

Here is that link.

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroiHeds

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Can you believe I watched more soccer last week in one hour than I watched the entire rest of my life, and I did it voluntarily!  After the world cup I'll probably never watch an entire match again.

I don't like how they fall on the ground and act like they are dying every time they get bumped or kicked in the shin.  And I didn't thnk grabbing jersey's was such an important part of soccer.  

I find myself rooting for anyone who can score a point. Now I know why a GOOOAAALLL is such a big deal.  Scores are so rare, and I'm a person that loves defense in American football.  

Anyhow, the World Cup has been kind of fun, but the games are only a small part of it.

---

Nothing showing on the NHC Atlantic map.

The upcoming week will have nothing but one foot or less surf along the Treasure Coast.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/1/26 Report - Jupiter Island at Risk of Breaking. Elongated Penny Metal Detector Find and Collecting. Clump in Progress.

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

Jupiter Island.

Coastal erosion and flooding, exacerbated by sea level rise, threatens homes and wildlife on Jupiter Island, one of the most affluent beachfront neighborhoods in the country.

Most of Jupiter Island, south of the St. Lucie Inlet, is considered critically eroded for more than 11 miles, according to an inventory of eroded Florida shorelines by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The erosion is severe enough to potentially "break through Jupiter Island" at a narrow isthmus at Peck Lake outside of town limits, DEP predicted...

Here is the link.

Florida island, home to celebrities, could be 'broken' by erosion - AOL

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Dug Pressed Penny from Frontier Land Machine.

On the end table beside my bed, along with a miscellaneous variety of other small metal detector finds was this tarnished discolored souvenir pressed penny from the Magic Kingdom.  It has been sitting there for a while, but this morning it caught my attention when I realized I knew where it came from.  I've seen the machine that made it.  In fact, the last time I was in the Country Bear Musical Jamboree lobby, I saw some grandparents with their grandchildren getting some made.  But the one above is an older version made a few decades ago before traveling from the Magic Kingdom to one of our beaches before it was lost.  

Pressed pennies are considered to be a type of exonumia.  By one account, the first was made in 1893 at the Chicago's World's Fair.  Reportedly some can bring thousands of dollars.  Even though they make a nice collectible, most aren't worth much more than you'd pay to have them made.  

With pennies disappearing from pocket change, the machines will probably start accepting other coins or make other changes but will undoubtedly survive.

Characteristics of the most valuable.

• Historical significance and rarity
• Condition and preservation quality
• Unique or limited-edition designs
• Provenance from famous locations
• Complete collections or sets

Devaluing factors.

• Common designs from popular tourist locations
• Poor condition or damage
• Modern zinc cents (less desirable than copper)
• Overproduction of certain designs

Here are a couple links for a little more about pressed penny collectibles.

The Hidden Value of Elongated Pennies: Are These Souvenir Coins Worth Collecting? - Home of the Coin Rings made from Silver Proof Coins

Are Elongated Coins Legal To Make? Legal To Spend? | U.S. Coins Guide

If you are really interested in elongated coins, here is the link to The Elongated Collectors News.

The Elongated Collectors

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Shell Conglomerate Containing Unidentified Metal Item.

I'm still working on cleaning this clump to expose the metal.  I soaked it in vinegar for at least twelve hours and made very little additional progress.  That is how micro fossils are sometimes found too.

I searched for microfossils in the past but found it too tedious for my liking.  I do think I might see a small fossil in this clump, but will have to put it under the microscope to get a better look.

This is something I'd use Muriatic acid on now if it had some at home.  As it stands, I might end up just breaking open the clump.  It is very hard.

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I just noted over half a million views on the treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com site last month (June).

Nothing new with the tropical weather or surf predictions.

Looks like more of the same.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/30/26 Report - Doubled Die Error Coin. Strike-Through Errors. Strawberry Moon. Another Killed by Alligator.

 

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

This Peace dollar has a doubled die error.  It isn't common to find silver dollars along the Treasure Coast where it is more likely that you'll find a Spanish reale, but like any other U.S. coins, has its share of price increasing mint errors to seek.  After seeing this one I think I'll have to get my Peace dollars and see if I have any of these 1934 error coins.

The above picture shows where to look to check for the double die error on the 34 Peace dollar.  But double die errors aren't easy to identify.  That is my opinion.  If you look at the coin forums, when people ask if their example is a double die error, most of the time it it not.  Most of the time, what they are seeing is what is called machine doubling.  

A true doubled die error coin is caused by a misalignment in the die-making process (hub doubling), where the die itself is struck twice at slightly different angles or positions. This happens during the hubbing stage, so every coin struck by that die will show the same doubling.

Machine doubling (the thing that causes some coins to look like doule die error coins) is caused by a loose or worn die that “bounces” or shifts slightly during the striking process. This results in a blurred, smudged, or smeared doubling effect, often with less definition than a true doubled die.

Here is a link to a site that will explain more about that and give you examples of both types of coin.

Machine Doubling vs. Double Die Coins: Here's How To Tell The Difference Between Valuable Doubled Dies vs. Machine Doubling Coins Which Are Not So Valuable | U.S. Coins Guide

For more about the Peace dollar doubled die obversed

1934 D Peace Silver Dollar Doubled Die Obverse Coin Value Prices, Photos & Info

I recommend checking your coin finds and pocket change for error coins.  Valuable ones aren't easy to find, but it happens.  There are also many mint errors that are worth a bit of a premium but not a lot.

Here is an example of an error coin that I found.  It is a strike-through error that might be of some interest to a collector but probably not a lot.

Something was on the planchet when the coin was struck, leaving the depression you can see running from bottom left and up the ST in STATES.  I've found a few strike-through errors, which you have to distinguish from post mint damage (damage done to coins after the minting process).

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I'm working on this conglomerate to see what might be inside.  So far, I've not made a lot of progress.

Of course, I'm trying the least destructive methods of cleaning first, but might end up cracking it open.

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A 31-year-old woman was killed by an alligator while swimming in a river in Florida, officials said.

The victim, her boyfriend and her best friend were hiking on Sunday when they stopped to swim in the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County, just north of Orlando, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

They were in about 3 feet of water when an alligator bit the victim on both arms, FWC spokesperson Chad Weber said...

For more about that...

Woman killed by alligator while swimming with boyfriend, best friend

I've run into alligators in the Indian River.  One surprised me pretty good.  All I saw at first was a golden eye sticking out of the muck.   I almost ran into him.

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Known as the Strawberry Moon, the first full Moon of the summer will be the lowest-hanging Moon until 2043, which will also make it appear to be larger than usual.

A phenomenon called the Moon illusion makes the Moon seem bigger when it is close to the horizon due to its relative size compared to objects in the distance like trees and buildings.

June’s Strawberry Moon is always the lowest of the year, though this one comes at the low point of an 18.6-year cycle of extreme rising and setting points...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

The moon is about to do something that it won’t do again until 2043

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The full moons are giving us some nice negative low tides.

Nothing significant on the National Hurricane Center Atlantic map now.

Nothing big with the surf predictions either.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Thos