2/23/26 Report - Older U.S. Coin Finds. Florida Shipwreck Data. Red Flag Alert. Some Beach Cutting Already Monday.

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

Seated Liberty Dime. Two Liberty Head (or Barber) Nickels.  Barber Quarter.

Obversive of Each Coin Above and Reverse Below.

Above are some of my oldest U. S. silver coin finds. They are all worn from circulation. In some cases, they are worn almost beyond recognition.. The two liberty head nickels show the most design details, while the quarter shows the least. Almost all the details are gone from it. Just enought tomake out that it is a Barber remains.

The only coin that shows all the digits of the date is the second nickel; whish is a 1907. I suspect the others are earlier and mostly 1800s.

U.S. silver coins from the 1800s (and even into the early 1900s) often circulated for much longer periods than most modern coins do today, which helps explain why you can find examples that are heavily worn or almost smooth. You never see later coins worn to that extent.

Silver coins minted in the 19th century—such as Seated Liberty dimes, quarters, half dollars, or Barber series coins (starting in the 1890s), and later Morgan dollars—were made of 90% silver (with 10% copper for durability). Silver is a relatively soft metal, so these coins wore down noticeably from everyday use: friction in pockets, cash registers, bags of change, and constant handling over decades gradually eroded fine details until some became nearly smooth or "slick."

In contrast to today's clad coins (copper-nickel outer layers over a copper core), which are harder and resist wear better, pre-1965 silver coins abraded more quickly. However, many stayed in circulation far longer than the typical modern coin lifespan of 25–30 years.

Historical estimates suggest the average circulation life for U.S. silver coins was around 20–25 years before excessive wear prompted withdrawal and recoinage in many cases, but some individual coins persisted much longer—often 40–60 years or more—especially if they weren't pulled early.

The dime and quarter are the two silver coins in that group of four. The two in the middle are the ones that are in better conditions are the copper-nickel nickels.

It is always nice to find old coins, which are often dated, but even when you can't see the date you can often get a date range from the type of coin.

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Yesterday I posted a link to an extensive analysis of shipwrecks in Florida waters. It is really something you should at least browse.

Here is one of the interesting charts from that study.

That should remind you that not all Florida shipwrecks, even on the Treasure Coast, are Spanish. The above chart shows the Spanish domination during the earlier periods. Then there was a period of English wrecks, and then American. And there are a few others too.

Here is the link to that study once again.

(23) Shipping Losses and the Expansion of Global Capitalism: A Quantitative Analysis of Florida Shipwrecks, 1520-1890

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RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND

Instruction: A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

Description: ...Critically low humidity with gusty winds will produce a High Fire Danger through midnight and again on Monday... * AFFECTED AREA...Okeechobee, Indian River, St Lucie, & Martin counties. * WIND...Northwest winds around 15 mph with gusts 20 to 25 mph on Monday. * HUMIDITY...20 to 30 percent Monday. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

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fort Pierce South Jetty Zoom Beach Cam Vie Monday Morning.

As I predicted yesterday some cutting has occur. You can see it in this morning's beach cam view show above.  These winter season cold fronts are often pretty much the same.  You get a west or northwest wind that eventually shifts to a north to a northeast and then to an east wind.   Unlike some of the better storms in other seasons that move north to south while staying just off-shore.  Of course, the best case is when one of those off-shore storms just sits throws north or northeast winds onto the peninsula for days.  These winter fronts are quick, and any erosion can quickly disappear.    The above photo was taken in the morning before high tide so the cut can continue to develop for a while this morning.

The view was captured just a couple hours after low tide when the wind was northwest and the surf northeast.

If you've ever noticed the waves on the intercoastal are different from the ocean.  The intercoastal waves are more determined by wind direction whereas the surf and wind direction will often be different on the beach.  The wind swells will come in from one direction while the wind blows in another.  One reason the surfing sites are good for beach conditions is that they report on near shore waves and events as opposed to deep water waves.  

For surfing, the wind blowing from the west is good thing because it the wind blowing against the incoming swells causes the waves to form nicely.  You'll often notice a west wind blowing the top off the waves.  I don't know if I got the terminology right, but that is what happens. 

Here is the surf chart.

The surf will be decreasing through the day.

Good metal detecting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

2/22/26 Report - Anti-Erosion Measures Planned. Few Silver Ring Finds. Analytic Study of Florida Shipwrecks. Front Coming.

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

Three Unusual Silver Ring Finds.

Occasionally you find something that seems unique.  I've been going through some old finds lately hoping to get better organized and came across these three silver rings that are distinctive.  Some finds are common and some are more unique.  These are three of my silver finds that I consider unique.

On the left is a claw ring.  I don't know what it is supposed to be but if you were wearing it while in a fight, it would be one vicious weapon.  In would rip someone up better than brass knuckles.  

The middel one is a cat face.  I found it at a Carribean beach.  

And the last is a mermaid with a ree/orange stone as the top of the head.  I think each are unique enough to sell for more than more common rings of silver.  I would think each would appeal to a type of collector.  Some people collect cat items of all types for example,

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The planned groin field shown above would be installed along the beach just south of the Fort Pierce inlet.  I'm skeptical of that plan.  Groins generally don't work well.  Any rigid wall or obstacle shifts the wave energy to other areas.  I'd guess that the field shown above will result in more erosion just  to the south of the groin field.  I've never seen the T shaped groins in use before.  We'll see.

Thanks to DJ for that lead.

Old Style Groins.

You've probably seen some of the old groins, maybe at Miami or the Palm Beaches.  Not only are they ugly, but they don't last forever and I don't think they really work very well, although some of the old ones produced some pretty good metal detecting spots.  The sand shifts from one side to the other depending upon the wind and wave direction.  In fact, some of my best shallow water metal detecting was between old groins.

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Here is a great study of over 1400 shipwrecks dating from 1520 to 1890 and found in Florida waters. The study uses the BAR database and shows the number, type of ship, route and general type of cargo for various time periods.  I consider the study a must-read for anyone interested in Florida shipwrecks.  

Here are a couple sample charts from the study.

One of the many interesting charts I found in the study showed two shipwrecks that were shipping specie to St. Augustine.  That is not the direction of transport we normally think of.

Here is the link for the body of the entire study.

(23) Shipping Losses and the Expansion of Global Capitalism: A Quantitative Analysis of Florida Shipwrecks, 1520-1890

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This morning, the surf is calm.  That will change before long.  A front will be coming through later today.  The wind and surf will increase.

Fort Pierce Beach This Morning from SurfGuru.com.

Sometime between today and tomorrow, I'll bet there will be some cuts develop later today.

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com

Good huning,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

2/20/26 Report - Cannon Unearthed. The Great Kentucky Civil War Gold Coin Hoard. A Penny Worth Inspecting.

 

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

  

The find was made on Friday 13 February during excavation for an attenuation tank..

Early assessments from the Archaeology team suggest the cannon may date from the 17th to 18th century...

Initial observations indicate the cannon had been decommissioned, with the nozzle deliberately capped. Archaeologists believe it was likely repurposed as a mooring post, a common practice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before being pushed into the dock area prior to it being infilled in the 1930s.

Here i the link for more about that.

Historic cannon unearthed during Queen’s Gardens transformation works – Hull CC News

You've probably noticed how many hoards are discovered as the result of either construction projects, garden or farm work.  

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The Great Kentucky Gold Hoard is a hoard of more than 700 gold coins unearthed in an undisclosed part of Kentucky, United States, in the 2020s by a man on his own land. The finder of the hoard has remained anonymous.

There were a total of more than 800 Civil War–era coins, of which over 700 were gold coins.

The coins were found in a cornfield in Kentucky sometime before 2023; the exact location was not revealed. The person who found the hoard requested anonymity and sources say that he is a man. Many of the coins were found in the ground with pieces of a cloth bag and one of the coins was damaged from farm equipment. There were a total of 800 Civil War –era coins in the hoard and 700 of them were gold coins...

based on the dating of the hoard, the cache was buried in advance of Morgan's Raid, a major offensive through Kentucky into the Midwest by Confederate general John Hunt Morgan in June–July 1863...

Here is the link for more about that.

Great Kentucky Hoard - Wikipedia

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How  much is there to know about pennies? Let's narrow it down 1982 pennies.  

What is there to now?   Actually there is quite a lot to know.

1982 cents can have a D, S or no mint mark.  They can be bronze or zinc.  They can be a bronze or zinc.  They can be classified as red, brown, or red-brown.  And there are seven error varieties. And they can be anywhere from good to mint state.  That gives a large number of possible combinations.

Here is a link to a site that tell you all the things to look for and how to identify the different states and varieties.

1982 Cent Value: Mint Varieties, Rarity, And Current Prices - Coins Value

Just yesterday I picked a very nice example that was sitting around and looked at it closely and noticed a long curled 2 at the end of the date.  That is a feature of the "small date" variety.  And that is why I looked at the above linked site.

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Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

Looks like a little bump in the surf is coming Sunday/Monday.  Take a look at the wind and surf shift just before the increase.  We've seen that kind of shift several times lately just before an increased surf.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/19/26 Report - Target Practice. The Necessity and Benefit of Target Practice with Your Metal Detecctor. How and Why. Examples with Watches.

 

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

Target practice with a metal detector is different than target practice with a gun or bow and arrow but just as important.  When you practice with a gun itt is a fairly simple process.  You want to hit a particular point.  With a metal detector you want to detect a target, but it is also possible to determine something about what the target might be.  

I've always recommended practicing a lot with your metal detector.  You can practice with different types of targets and different detector settings and different situations. 

Just a day or two ago I talked about metal detecting watches, which can be some of the most valuable targets you'll ever find.  Identifying watches from detector signals and readouts isn't easy because there are so many variables, but you can still improve your chances of not missing some very good targets if you practice with the type of targets you might want to find.

The problem is, there are different kinds of watches, and they can lay in different positions.  All of that can affect the signals.  There are a variety of types of watches, different sizes, they are made of many parts and different metals, and the bands can be anything from leather to gold.

If you want to find a particular kind of target, whether it is a piece of eight or a watch or diamond ring, you need to have a good idea of the type of signal it will produce.  Ant the best way to do that is by lots of target practice.  

If you want to find a piece of eight, practice with a price of eight.  If you are interested in half reales, one reales, two reales and four reales, practice with all of those.  Learn to recognize the signal and ID reading that your metal detector will produce for each type of target.  In the case reales, there will be a range of conductivity numbers, and some of them will overlap with signals from other things, such as US coins and even some junk items.  You won't want to skip junk targets that produce a similar signal if you want to make sure to not miss the items you are targeting.  A half reale won't stick out like a freight train.  Your detector won't scream out HALF REALE. They can produce signals that are hard to distinguish from other things.  There will be a range of uncertainty, even with the best modern metal detector.  To avoid missing what you most want to find, you must recognize the range of signals that might come from good targets even if they overlap with junk targets.

Getting down to the practice exercise now, first select a practice target that is as close to what you want to find as you can.  Practice with targets that are as similar to what you want to find as possible.  If you want to find a Rolex watch (maybe someone said they lost one) you want to practice with a watch that is as similar to the lost one as you can get.  Sometimes you won't be able to practice with the exact same thing, so select practice targets that are as similar as possible.

Since watches can be very valuable and are very difficult to ID with a metal detector practicing with a variety of watches is a good idea.  I can tell you that watches are often missed by detectorists.  Become familiar with the signals and readouts of a variety of types of watches, especially those most like you want to find.

I've done a few videos on metal detecting watches.  Here are some of those.  Metal Detecting Watches With An Ace 250 in Coin Mode.  and Metal Detecting Watches With An Ace 250 in Coin Mode. and How Metal Detector (Ace 250) Responds To Three Different Watches Laying Flat.

Like coins, watches will produce different kinds of signals depending upon how they are positioned on the ground.

Practice with the practice targets at different distances and in different positions.  Notice what kind of signal they produce - not only one watch in one position, but a variety of watches in different positions.

When you have a particular target in mind, like you would if someone reported a lost watch or ring and you have a similar example, you can really zoom in on the signal and target ID readings.  Imprint the signal and ID reading on  your mind.  Note the possible range of readings. 

Repeatedly practice. You don't just have one practice session with a gun and never practice again.  You want to improve and remain sharp.  

Below is a brief sample of what you might expect from three different watches.  In this case, I used: a dive watch, a cheap Timex and a pocket watch.  They are shown below.

Sweeping over the dive watch (left) first, here is an example of the Manticore ID map.

Notice the tail dipping down and to the left.  There are multiple metals and signal stengths involved with a single watch.

Here is another view of the map obtained with additional sweeping on the same watch.

The tail is more faint here (but you can see it) and farther to the left.  The conductivity number is still very similar.

Switching to a different watch (the Timex with expandable flex band) here is a view of the ID map.

The conductivity number is only 50 on this one.  You can get a big range with different watches.

The band on this one caused the watch to stay on edge and presented less surface to the coil and the numbers were much more variable on different sweeps.

Now the pocket watch.

This one resulted in a lower conductivity number and a slightly oblong shape on the middle line of the map.  This watch has no band and showed a tighter shape on the map.

I could have spent a lot of time each watch.  In a previous post I described the method for obtaining the best reading on the Manticore Id map, but that is beyond the purpose of this post.

My main point is that watches can be valuable finds, but they present a real challenge to target ID systems.  You can, however, good time in target practice can improve your target recognition and performance.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

2/18/26 Report - Popularity of Shipwreck Coins Increasing. New Heritage Auction Coming. Impacts of Going Cashless.

 

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

Today, coins from the Atocha and other shipwrecks can command premium prices from collectors intrigued by the history of these recovered treasures..

But shipwreck coins weren’t always so desirable. In fact, until fairly recently, the opposite was the case, says Heritage Auctions Numismatist Thomas Ribeiro. “Until about a decade ago, a shipwreck coin was a damaged coin,” he says. “No one wanted to collect them because they were considered to be diminished in value just like if they had a hole or a scratch on them. Around 2010, people started to understand their historical importance.”....

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Deep Value

I don't totally agree with that article, but it is an OK read and provides one or two other good links.   One of those links will take you to a link for a new shipwreck and treasure auction by Heritage Auctions

2026 February 23 Spotlight: Shipwreck & Treasure featuring Selections from The Salvager Collection World Coins Showcase Auction #61598

And here is a quick link that will take you to featured losts, such as the one shown at the top of this post.

Heritage Auctions Search

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Not long ago I did a pot about the number of silver rings found on the shipwreck beaches compared to the almost complete lack of silver rings found on the 1715 Fleet wrecks.  There is another big discrepancy to think about.

Many gold coins are found by salvage operators in the ocean and on the shipwreck sites. In contrast, there are very few gold coins found on the beaches although there are many more silver shipwreck coins found on the beaches.  What does disparity say?

It could be nothing more than the large number of silver coins being shipped compared to the number of silver coins.  Without inspecting each manifest, on some wrecks the proportion might be something on the order of 1000 silver to 5 gold.  That might account for the very small number of gold beach coin finds without even considering differences in pre and post wreck distribution processes.

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Here is an excerpt from an article about what happens when we become cashless.

... Most of the vendors there were using Square to process payments. The typical fee is about 3 percent to 4 percent per transaction. That might not sound like much, but that percentage is shaved off every single time money changes hands digitally.

If I hand $20 in cash to the empanada vendor, and he hands that same $20 to the barber who cuts his hair, and the barber gives it to a babysitter, and the babysitter uses it to buy a pizza, that same $20 bill keeps moving through the community at full value. No one skims anything off the top.

But in the digital system, that cut happens again and again, and the effect compounds. At a 3.5 percent fee, after one transaction, that $20 becomes $19.30. After two, $18.62. After three, $17.97. After four, $17.34. After five digital transactions, only about $16.74 remains in circulation. More than $3 of the original $20 has quietly disappeared in just a handful of everyday exchanges. That money didn’t go to the farmer, the barber, the babysitter, or the pizza shop. It left the community entirely...

When everything becomes digital, spending can be tracked, restricted, frozen, or flagged. We may not feel that pressure today when we’re buying coffee and pastries in beautiful spaces, but systems built for convenience can easily become systems of control....

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

When Cash Disappears, So Does Something Else | ZeroHedge

Digital can be turned monitored, controlled, manipulated turned off.

One thing the article doesn't mention is that the fees go to the financial institutions and the consolidation of power at the transnational level. 

I resist using anything but cash as much as I can and have long done so.  I prefer, whenever I can, to pay cash and take the goods.  Done deal - over and out.

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Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

Nothing special here.  I'd guess that most, if not all, the small cuts that existed yesterday have washed out.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/17/26 Report - Detecting A Couple Treasure Coast Beaches Today. Identifying Valuable Watch Finds. Small Cuts Continue on Some Beaches.

 

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

John Brooks Beach Tuesday Late Morning.

I stopped at John Brook this morning.  There were some interrupted cuts.  The biggest cliffs were under two feet.  

The tide was still fairly high.  There were very few targets, but I didn't low on the slope because of the tide.

Walton Rocks Tuesday Around Noon.

I then moved on to Walton Rocks. There were some small cuts and some larger ones that were not new.

Walton Rocks Tuesday.

This small cut ran to the north for a good distance.  

Walton Rocks Tuesday.

The area shown above was scooped out months ago and has never filled back very much.  Old sand is still not far under the newer sand.

Walton Rocks Tuesday.

Above is an older cut and a newer smaller one.

A little in front of that are a few rocks sticking out.  They've been visible for weeks.

My mix of finds today consisted mostly of modern coins - some older and some newer.

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Among some of the more valuable things you'll ever find are better watches.  They are out there and they are frequently passed up by many detectorists because of the complex signals that will seldom be correctly identified, even with the help of a great detector and a great target ID system.  

Many of the watches you'll find are drowned or ruined.  Others will still be good.

If you've been detecting for a good while, there is a possibility that you've found a Rolex or another fine brand.  They don't come often, but they are out there and can be found if you are not discriminating too much.  I've shown a couple Rolex finds in the past.

My first Rolex find was drowned.  

I found a good article that explains how to identify valuable watches.  Below is a little of that.

Key Takeaways: What Defines the Most Valuable Rolex Watches

Factor	Why It Matters for Value
Reference	Certain references (e.g., rare Daytona or sport models) anchor entire collecting categories.
Dial	Original dials, rare configurations, and untouched surfaces can drive dramatic premiums.
Material	Precious metals, gem-set executions, and discontinued materials elevate rarity.
Condition	Originality, unpolished cases, and matching components are critical at the top end.
Provenance	Ownership history, documentation, and notable context can transform a watch’s importance.
Production Rarity	Short production runs, transitional models, and factory anomalies create scarcity.
Market Position	Sport Rolex models with tool-watch heritage dominate collector demand.

Here is the link for more about that.

The Anatomy of the Most Valuable Rolex Watches | Watches | Sotheby’s

Like everything else, there is a knack to finding watches.  Part of it is not passing up complex signals.  One good place to find watches is in the dop in front of swimming beaches when the dip is full of shells.

When I did a lot of water hunting, I found a lot of dive equipment, including dive watches, weights, knives, etc.  Dive watches and knives sell well.

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Surf Chart from SurgGuru.com.

Looks like three to four feet for another day or so.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

2/16/26 Report - Various Beach Beach Cam and Photo Shots. Renourishment Projects and Erosion. Ring Find Storage Boxes.

 

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

Monday Morning Cut South of Fort Pierce.

The cut shown above developed about a day ago.  It looks still pretty fresh today  Doesn't look like it deteriorated much yet.

I've mentioned correleated beaches in recent posts.  One good example is John Brooks and Frederick Douglass.  They often look similar.  Gnerally, when one is cut, so is the other.  

This stretch of beach south of Fort Pierce seems to be correlated to some extent with John Brooks.  That doesn't mean perfect correlation.  There is some variation.

I showed the cut at this stretch yesterday and DJ sent in photos of the beach between there and John Brooks.  It was the area down by the condos.  Those are the next two photos below.

Beach Down by the Condos Between Fort Pierce South Jetty and John Brooks Sunday. Photos by DJ.

As you can see there was a remnant of an older cut there.  It was beat down.  

Checking some of the other beach cams, I didn't see much in the way of new erosion Monday morning.  Most beaches showed no cuts although some places, it is hard to tell what is going on because of ongoing beach projects.

Many beaches show nothing interesting, such as Melbourne Beach shown below.

Melbourne Beach Monday Morning.

Newly dumped sand will cause neighboring areas to erode more quickly because they'll get reflected beach energy.  For example, the new sand at Fort Pierce South Jetty will reflect waves and change the currents to hit the south more, and that is where you see the nice fresh cut shown above.  The new sand will also be eroded more quickly as it sits very exposed to the wave energy.

Sebastian Monday Afternoon South Beach View.

You can still see the excavator working at Sebastian.  

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Some of the Treasure Coast stores are now rounding prices instead of giving pennies in change.  To my surprise, they are not rounding the prices up but rounding down to the nears nickel.

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Instead of putting your metal detecting ring finds in bags or whatever, you can get these boxes fairly inexpensively.

I like the larger ones like the black one shown above, that also has a handle and zipper.  

Both the white and black ones both stack nicely.

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Afternoon, and this Fort Pierce south beach cut is till nice and crisp.  You can see the water being pushed south from the area where there is newly dumped sand.

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

I'd say we'll have some additional nice little cuts this week.  

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net