1/31/21 Report - Beaches Around the Treasure Coast and Some Finds.

 

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

Tracking Station Beach Saturday.
Photo by Scott B.

I had other things to do Saturday so didn't get out to the beach, but Scott B. sent these photos of Tracking Station and Frederick Douglass beaches.

Frederick Douglass Beach Saturday
Photo by Scott B.

Scott said the sand was mushy and no 1715 Fleet finds.

Frederick Douglass Beach Saturday.
Photo by Scott B.

Nick A. made good finds Saturday (below).

Finds by Nick A. Saturday.

He said,  I managed to find 4 wheaties in this, but I also found this ring, I'm not sure what it's made of. It's a large heavy mens ring, looks like it had a stone in the center. There is a gold color to it, but I'm not sure its gold, maybe plated? I'm guessing the earing is plated, the other ring is marked Hong Kong looks like a toe ring, the shell charm is silver. I've heard there are some pawn shops that have testers that tells you the composite, not sure of any on the TC?
Happy hunting!!
Nick

Ring Found by Nick A.

If you have any comments on the ring, let me know.  

Silver Charm Found by Nick A.

Thanks for sharing Nick.

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The wind has changed direction.

We are having some negative low tides, and some decent high tides, but not huge.

Saturday night the surf was supposed to be up around five or sex feet.

Sunday the wind will be more from the south, and then next week we'll be getting another cool front.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/30/21 Report - Beaches Around the Treasure Coast and A Few Friday Finds. Changing Wind Direction.

 

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

Turtle Trail Just North of the First Flagpole Friday Around Noon.

I visited two beaches that I hadn't been to for a long time.  I'm not sure if I was up there this year.

When I arrived there were already a good many detectorists on the beach.  There were some to the north, and a group down south near the second flagpole, which is where the most cuts were.  There was some digging going on there, but I don't know what was found.

Only the tops of bags were showing.  The cuts were higher on the beach than I expected, but near the dunes.

North of the Access At Turtle Trail Around Noon Friday.

In the above picture you can see the tower by the access.  

Turtle Trail Around Noon Friday.

I didn't see hardly any black sand at Turtle Trail.

Here are a couple more photos from Turtle Trail Friday.  These are from DJ. 

Turtle Trail Friday.
Photo by DJ.

Turtle Trail Friday.
Photo by DJ.

I noticed that they were working on the access at Seagrape Trail today, but it was till closed.

I also visited Wabasso.  There were some detectorists there too.

Wabasso Friday Close To 1:00.

Standing at the top of the boardwalk and looking over the beach, one area stood out like it was painted with bright orange neon.   It produced the following finds.

Friday Finds From One Small Area.

With all the tourist action this time of year, you can find some newer items almost anywhere.  Both beaches produced some modern items Friday, but I didn't hit anything shipwreck old.  My wife was along for the ride, and I didn't spend too much time detecting.

That ring must have the smallest center diamond that I've ever seen.

And they used every trick in the book to make it look larger than it is.  The setting around the actual diamond is made to look like part of the diamond.  Below you can see how tiny the diamond is.

I haven't tested what I am calling a diamond yet, but can't imagine any reason why would use such a tiny stone for a fake or anything less valuable.

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It was a nice day to be out even though it was a little brisk.  Very nice, in my opinion.

Tonight we should have some of the higher surf, but it looks like the wind will be more easterly tomorrow.

I'm not expecting much improvement in conditions, in fact it might start reversing soon, but it is still better than it has been for most of January.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

Friday was a fun day for many.  

1/29/21 Report - North Winds and Some Beach Erosion Developing Along the Treasure Coast. Magnetic Coin Experiment: Part II.

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

Wabasso Around 12:30 Thursday.
Submitted by DJ.

I checked out a couple of beaches on South Hutchinson Island Thursday a little after noon.  DJ sent the photo of Wabasso above from about the same time.  You can see some scalloping there.

John Brooks Beach Just After Noon On Thursday.

There was about a one foot new cut running a good distance to the north.

Short Video Clip of 

John Brooks Beach Looking South

Thursday Afternoon.

At Frederick Douglass Beach the cut was closer to two foot.  Here is a little video clip of Frederick Douglass.

Frederick Douglass Beach Thursday Afternoon.

The wind was blowing pretty good from the north when I was there.  As you can see, the beaches were pretty deserted.  Only a few snow bird beach goers, and even they were hiding from the wind.

The cuts were unimpressive.  I did a quick check at John Brooks and Frederick Douglass.  Not much going on.  Just a few modern coins.

About six hours later Al C. sent in these photos of Frederick Douglass.

Frederick Douglass About 6:30 PM.
Photo by Al C.

So it looks like the water has been hitting the cut and making it bigger.

Frederick Douglass About 6:30 PM.
Photo by Al C.

Thanks Al.

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I few days ago I reported on a little experiment I did using Canadian coins.   The coins included two dimes, three pennies, and three one-dollar loons (shown above).   The dates were 1975 and 1976 for the dimes.  The three one cent coins were 1983, 1983 and I couldn't tell the date on the third.  The three loons were 1990, 1989, and 1987.   The dimes and loons were very magnetic and the pennies were not.  I used the Minelab Equinox.  

Here are those coins again.

Canadian Coins Used in Experiment.

In the all-metals mode, the conductance numbers of the dimes came up pretty consistently around -7.  

The pennies consistently came up as 24 or 25. 

In a discrimination mode, the loons were produced very low numbers very much like the dimes except for the 1987, which often came up as a 14.  In the all -metals mode the loons consistently produced a -6.

In my original experiment I found that the 1987 loon seemed to give a conductance numbers than were considerable different from the conductance numbers give by the other two loons.  I went back and tried that again to see what was going on, and this time all three loons produced the same numbers.  So something in the original experiment created a false reading for the 1987 loon.  Maybe there was something else in the ground there.  It was not a difference in the metal content.  I also weighed the loons to see if there was any difference, and there was not.

I got much more consistent readings on the magnetic coins when I was in the all-metals mode.  The discriminate mode gave very inconsistent conductance numbers for the loons.  That is perhaps my most important conclusion from this little experiment.  The low conductance numbers produced by the magnetic coins when using the all-metals mode was expected, but I did not expect the conductance numbers for the large loons to be so inconsistent when using a discimination mode.

---

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Looks like the surf will be 4 - 6 feet Friday, but the wind will be shifting.  The high tides aren't bad, but no huge.

From what I've been seeing, I'd expect a little more erosion, but not a bid improvement in beach conditions.  

I'll try to check it out tomorrow.

I'll post Friday's post early.  I already have it ready, and you might find it useful.

Here goes.

If you haven't seen the Thursday post yet, don't forget to take a look.

Happy hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

1/28/21 Report - Hoard of Silver And Gold Found. A Few Tips. Aztec Eagle Figure Found. North Wind and Increasing Surf.

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

Small Part of Large Discovered Hoard.
Source: See link below.

A large hoard of 6500 coins and was found a few of months ago. The hoard also included the gold rings shown above.

 

... Kędzierski said he wouldn't have found the medieval hoard without the help of a local priest. In November 2020, Kędzierski visited Słuszków to learn more about another medieval treasure — one of the largest coin hoards ever found in Poland, which had been unearthed in 1935. 

The exact location of the 1935 hoard had never been recorded, and Kędzierski hoped to locate and photograph it for an upcoming book. However, during his stay, Kędzierski happened to talk with a priest, Rev. Jan Stachowiak, who shared a little bit of gossip about the possible location of another hoard. 

After using a metal detector to locate the general area where the hoard was buried, Kędzierski and his colleagues dug up a small trench in a cornfield in the village. There, he found a ceramic vessel that held the medieval riches. "The vessel itself, buried only 30 centimeters [nearly 12 inches] under the ground, was completely preserved — only the lid/the upper part was missing," he said...

Here is the link for more about that.

6,500 medieval coins and rare gold rings unearthed in Polish cornfield | Live Science

Thanks to SuperRick for that link.

One hoard led to another.   I call it clumping.  Birds of a feather flock together.  Where there is one coin, there very well might be another.  Where there is one piece of gold, there is a better chance there is another.  Where there is one hoard there is a good chance there  is another.  Everything from atoms, to molecules to planets and universes clump. 

Follow up on rumors.  Talk to people from the area or who might have useful information.

Then metal detect, but also go beyond that if you can.  Blowing, trenching, or sifting can help turn up more than metal detecting.

When I post articles about finds, they will usually provide tips on hunting strategies or techniques.  Those tips might not always be obvious, but they are usually there if you read between the lines.  

Take a look at the rings shown above.  Notice how those old rings are made.

I'll follow up on that in future posts.

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A team of archaeologists from the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH) have announced the discovery of a bas-relief depicting an American golden eagle (aquila chrysaetos canadensis).

For the Mexica, the bird of prey was closely related to war and sacrifice, while being considered a nahual of the sun and, therefore, also of its tutelary god, Huitzilopochtli.

The relief was excavated at the foot of the Templo Mayor (the main temple of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in present-day Mexico City), in the central axis that crosses the ‘chapel’ of Huitzilopochtli and the monumental sculpture of the goddess Coyolxauhqui...

Here is the link for more about that.

Archaeologists Discover Bas-Relief of Golden Eagle at Aztec Templo Mayor - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News

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Who decides where and when, or even if, you'll be allowed to metal detect?  Who decides if the beaches will be renourished?  Who decides who will keep the treasure you find?  Who decides if a historical or archaeological item belongs to the state or federal government or another country?  

All of those questions have to do with politics.  You might not like politics, but it has a huge impact on treasure hunting, metal detecting and your life in general.  Some governments don't allow metal detecting at all, except by archaeologists.  

You must stay informed and involved if you want to preserve your liberties and your hobby.  You will recall at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the beaches were shut down for a while, even though the beach was one of the safest places you could be.  Our esteemed leaders do not always know what they are doing, even when they might think they do.  

I applaud one Democrat that recently spoke out.  Here is what she said.

The mob who stormed the capitol to try to stop Congress from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities were behaving like domestic enemies of our country. But let us be clear, the John Brennan's, Adam Schiffs and the oligarchs in Big Tech who are trying to undermine our constitutionally-protected rights and turn our country into a police state with KGB-style "surveillance" are also domestic enemies—and much more powerful, and therefore dangerous, than the mob which stormed the capitol. 

Thank you Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard).  

Although there are parts of that statement I disagree with to some extent, overall it is a clear-minded strong warning that we all need to hear and consider.

Do you want your government to restrict metal detecting to government professionals like some other countries have already done?  If so, don't bother with politics, and it just might happen.

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

The wind has shifted and is coming from a more northerly direction this morning.

As the surf builds today, the tide will be receding.  That often happens and dampers the effect of the higher surf.

The surf should reach up to four feet today and perhaps 4 - 6 feet tomorrow.

Often the first few hours of the north shift there will be some erosion.  Today, I suspect that will only move sand on the front beach, and there is a lot of sand to be moved.

Happy hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

1/27/21 Report - Six Medieval Coins Leads To Many More. Hidden Maya Sites. 2020 Treasure Coast Find. Bigger Surf.

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

\

Archaeologists from the Zalău County Museum of History and Art have identified a monetary treasure of 36 medieval coins in the village of Sântă Măria, in the northwestern Romania county of Sălaj, after an archeology enthusiast accidentally discovered several coins with a metal detector. 

It was September 2020 when Cristian Marincaș discovered six medieval coins in the Sântă Măria village, with the help of a metal detector. He set the site's coordinates using a GPS and then notified the competent authorities, local Agerpes reported. Two specialists from the Zalău County Museum of History and Art went to the site and identified 30 more coins...

Here is the link for more about that.

Medieval coins discovered in northwestern Romania | Romania Insider (romania-insider.com)

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Walking through this lush, tropical forest, visitors may not realize at first that they are among the monumental remains of a large ancient Maya center...

Thus, most of the monumental features of this ancient city remain ‘hidden’ beneath its tropical forest shroud. But now, teams of researchers, led by Ford, have recently undertaken a new way of “seeing” the ancient settlement and its surrounding context with high-tech eyes, significantly expanding their understanding of the true complexity and size of its otherwise ‘invisible’ human-modified landscape.

“We have integrated LiDAR imagery into settlement surveys for seven years to examine the landscape beyond  “downtown” El Pilar,” writes Ford and her team of researchers about their recent research**. LiDAR is a method for measuring distances in the topography of an area by directing laser light from aerial positions to the surface and then measuring its reflection with a sensor. The differences in laser return times and wavelengths are then applied to mapping technology to create digital 3-D and other images of the landscape, as well as creating new data sets about the landscape..

Here is the link for more about that.

Beyond Monuments: Ancient Maya Landscapes Revealed Through Technology – Popular Archeology (popular-archaeology.com)

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Here is a 2020 Treasure Coast story that I previously reported on, but I don't think I saw this article before.  It is about the coins Captain Jonah found last year.

Buried treasure: 300-year-old silver coins uncovered on Florida beach (abcactionnews.com)

Thanks to Dean R. for that link.

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Thanks to the several people who correctly sent me the identity of the bug I asked about.  It is a Scarlet-Bodied Wasp Moth.

You probably heard this before if you ever took an introductory computer class, but the reason a computer glitch is called a "bug" is dead bug was found to be causing a short circuit on one of the very early computers.  

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Here is the big news for the day - the lastest MagicSeaWeed surf prediction.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Tomorrow we are supposed to have a bigger surf.  Notice the change in wind direction.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/26/21 Report - Cortes' Revenge on Native Populations. Magnetic and Non-Magnetic Coins Conductance Numbers.

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

Source: see link below.

Mexico archaeologists reveal tale of cannibalism and reprisal from conquest.

A convoy of Spaniards and allies was ritually sacrificed in 1520 at Tecoaque – ‘the place where they ate them’ – before Hernán Cortés wreaked revenge...

Residents of Tecoaque, also known as Zultepec, captured a convoy of about 15 male Spaniards, 50 women and 10 children, 45 foot soldiers who included Cubans of African and Indigenous descent, and about 350 allies from Indigenous groups in 1520. All were apparently sacrificed over the space of months.

When he heard about it, the conquistador Hernan Cortes ordered Gonzalo de Sandoval to destroy the town in revenge in early 1521...

Here is the link for more about that.

Mexico archaeologists reveal tale of cannibalism and reprisal from conquest | Mexico | The Guardian

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Canadian Coins Used in Experiment.

I did a little experiment - although it wasn't much of an experiment.  More of an observation.  The coins used included two dimes, three pennies, and three one-dollar loons (shown above).   The dates were 1975 and 1976 for the dimes.  The three one cent coins were 1983, 1983 and I couldn't tell the date on the third.  The three loons were 1990, 1989, and 1987.   The dimes and loons were very magnetic and the pennies were not.  I used the Minelab Equinox.  

The conductance numbers of the dimes came up pretty consistently around -7.  There was a very good chance you could miss or skip them.

The pennies consistently came up as 24 or 25. 

In a discrimination mode, the loons were produced very low numbers very much like the dimes except for the 1987, which often came up as a 14.  In the all -metals mode the loons consistently produced a -6.

You would expect the magnetic coins to produce low numbers, and they did.  If you discriminate iron, there is a very good chance you would miss both the dimes and loons.

It is not surprising that some foreign coins produce signals and conductance numbers very different from U. S. coins, but you might want to be aware of that when hunting.  And if you've found a lot of Canadian pennies but not dimes, now you know one possible reason.

The most surprising observation for me was that the 1987 loon produced conductance numbers that were a lot higher than the other two loons.  Is it possible that the first year of issue coins were made of a different alloy.  A little additional research should answer that question.

The difference was not due to the 87 loonie being positioned differently.  All three were laying flat.

I just read that the composition of the loon was changed once - in 2012, but that doesn't answer my question.    Here is that information.

Something interesting happened to the loonie in 2012. The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) abandoned the nickel composition and went to bronze-plated steel. When they changed the composition, they added a small security symbol above the loon. Now, here's the interesting part. Some old-style loonies were produced in 2012, and they are very difficult to find. According to a CoinQuest visitor, the old-style coins, sometimes called old-metal, without the security symbol, were sold in mint rolls or fell into an undetermined state due to a truck accident. Surrounded by intrigue, old-style 2012 loonies are climbing steadily in value.

There are both U.S and foreign coins that were made of the wrong metal and are valuable rarities, so watch out for coins that are not supposed to be magnetic but are and vice versa. 

Here is a little more information about magnetic and non-magnetic coins.

Coins made of iron or nickel would normally be magnetic. Exceptions are alloys, where the exact composition determines whether the charges of the atoms align (there are magnetic and non-magnetic variants of stainless steel).

During World War II, US pennies were made of zinc-plated steel, and hence were magnetic. US nickels (5 cents) are 75% zinc and 25% nickel, and are not magnetic, and neither are the "clad" copper-sandwich coins or the dollar coins that are made of brass.

Canadian nickels have been made of magnetic alloys several times, most recently 99% nickel from 1954 to 2000, and from coated steel since then.

By the way, another use for a magnet is testing for some of the counterfeit silver and gold coins that are out there now.

[NOTICE:  Subsequent attempts revealed that when the all-metals was used, all three of the loons produced a relatively consistent -6 conductivity number.  The earlier observed difference between the 1987 and other loons could have been some undetermined effect, maybe a difference the ground under the 1987.]

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Do you recognize this bug?  Very bright colors.  I don't know what it is.

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Still looks like we'll get something like a 3 - 5 foot surf near the end of the week.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/25/21 Report - Historical Spanish Paintings For Research. Rose Croix. More on Magnets. Latest Surf.

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

Source: See link below.

Several days ago I was talking about interpreting pictures, I and posted a picture of what I thought at the time was of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.  Laura Strolia was kind enough to correct me.  It was really a picture of Archduke Albert and Clara Eugenia.  

I found a good website that presents a number of great historical Spanish paintings from the 16th and 17th century.  You might find it useful for conducting research.  The painting of Charles V shown above is one of the paintings shown on that site.  It is clear from the painting how Charles wanted to be seen.

Here is the link if you want to see more Spanish portraits from the 16th and 17 centuries.

Spanish Golden Age Art: Portraiture. (spainthenandnow.com)

While looking at the painting of Archduke Albert and Clara Eugenia, I noticed ornamentation that Clara wore on her chest and in her hair.  It looked very much like the Pelican of Piety.   In at least one post I presented the research of Laura Strolia concerning that Pelican of Piety.

My research led me to the following Masonic symbolism of the 18th Degree (shown immediately below).

Source: See link on Rose Croix below.

Here is the link for more information about that.

Rose Croix (christian-restoration.com)

Also notice the dividers.  We've seen some of those found on the Treasure Coast.

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Yesterday I gave you some ways that you might find magnets useful.  JamminJack sent me the following email that included some comments on that topic.

I started using regular maps of Indian River County, and eventually used waterproof maps for boating. I had a sharpy and would record every find. I drew a line to the spot where the items were found and record the date, tide, etc. After while I could not read the map! I went back to keeping record in a log book.

I have always had a magnet in my pouch. Some of my friends would attach one to a shovel. Others would have magnets removed from starters or alternators and tied them to a rope. They would drag the magnet over seaweed. I think they found more lures and weights then detectorists.

I noticed a strong magnet would screw with my metal detectors, so I eventually bought a mechanic's magnet that was telescopic. Was helpful in detecting "fake" reales or iron bits!

Gas going up quickly, and we get the last laugh at a costly mistake by Biden. A local oil tanker friend said gas will be around $3 soon!

Jammin Jack

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When detecting a site where I would use a shovel instead of a scoop, I would often tape the handle of the magnet I showed yesterday to the handle end of a shovel. I could quickly alternate between digging and using the magnet.

Some people put a magnet in their scoop.

Here is a lawn magnet for removing junk for larger areas.  If you detect where there was an old shed and there is a rotting tin roof and other junk, a lawn magnet can help remove a lot of the junk before for metal detecting.

I agree with the price of gas going up.  Maybe to $4.00 or more.  It reminds me of the gas shortages during the Jimmy Carter days when you could only fill up your tank on odd or even numbered days.  One democratic proposal, which I don't think will ever work, is putting a tax on the mileage you drive.  That might affect how far you are willing to drive to metal detect and definitely affect the cost of detecting. 

People are also buying ammunition and guns because of threats to the 2nd amendment.

___

The MagicSeaWeed surf prediction that I found this morning is not as promising as yesterday's, which predicted 6 - 10 feet for next weekend.  I hope it will be larger than predicted now.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Happy hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

1/24/21 Report - Magnets And Their Many Uses for Treasure Hunting. 6 - 10 Foot Surf Predicted.

 

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

Handy Magnet On Long Handle Found Lost Bolt.

Yesterday my wife was using long-handled ratcheting clippers to cut vines and briars in an overgrown area.  She came in and said she lost a bolt out of the clippers.  The ground was covered with several inches of detritus and she could not find the bolt.  So I got out my metal detector, and got a few signals but couldn't see the bolt.  So I got out the magnet I sometimes use when metal detecting junky areas (shown above).

It worked like a charm.  It didn't take long before I heard the bolt click against the magnet.  Task accomplished.  It worked so good, I wanted to remind how useful magnets can be for any detectorist or treasure hunter.

Here is a little video I made to show how the long handled magnet can be used to pick up junk targets.

http://youtu.be/eZ2XQiljBF4

There are times when a magnet will be more useful than a pin-pointer.  It can be very difficult to see a small rusted piece among sticks, leaves and dirt.

There are many other ways magnets can be used. They can be very useful for sorting coins, for example. I wrote about that before.

Using a magnet with your Canadian coins provides a quick way to locate any older silver Canadian coins.  Similarly, if you have a pile of wheaties and want to quickly pick out any steel pennies, a magnet will quickly do that.

Here is a post I once did on sorting coins with a magnet.

See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: Search results for magnet coins

If you have a really good strong magnet, you might want to do some magnet fishing.

See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 7/24/15 Report - Magnet Fishing: A Tool For Detectorists. Beach Sifting Machines. Metals Used In Coins.

Or you can use a lawn magnet to clean up the junk before metal detecting a site.  Lawn magnets are sometimes used by constructioin companies to clean up a work site.  I've talked about that before too, 

You can also use a magnet on mystery finds to narrow down the type of metal.

You should have a good magnet or two among you treasure hunting tools.

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South Carolina Militia Button.
Photo by Kris N.

You might remember this button, which was found by Kris N.  I posted it along with some other finds made by Kris.  

Here it is after some cleaning.

It bears the South Carolina motto Amimis OIpibusque Parati, which translates to "prepared in soul and resources." 

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It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad.  This week was a Comedy of Terrors in Washington, DC.  Schumer from the Senate floor shows his Freudian slip when he blames Trump for inciting an "erection."  Dr. Jill Riding Hood braves the dangerous militarized streets of the U.S. capital to feed the multitudes of National Guards with a basket of cookies (was it six) but no fish. And Joe admits out loud he doesn't know what he is signing, but with one signature kills thousands of jobs, angers Canada, and guts the funding of Native American tribes.  More revealing yet was when he hears in his earpiece "salute the Marines," and in response says out loud, "salute the Marines," while walking right by them.  Political satire was once popular and helpful, but now social media evidently has a greater affinity for child pornography than free speech.  Actually they are doing the right a big favor by making it necessary for the right to have their own media.

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Sand renourishment projects are underway around the Treasure Coast with more to come.  I think this year will see unprecedented numbers of beach renourishment projects.

Submitted by DJ.
Originally From a Terry S. Email.

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Could it really happen?

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Today the surf is up to two or three feet, but that isn't much help.  The real news is the bigger surf predicted for next weekend.  

That could really help us out.  We've had little surf in 2021 so far.  If we actually get 6 to 10 feet, that could be our first good beach dectecting of the year.

Some of the new renourishment sand could be disappearing before it even settles.  Actually, it won't be disappearing, it will be out there in the water.

By the way, lately we've had some very good visibility in the water - especially in the Indian River.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/23/21 Report - Some Treasure Coast Finds. Reflecting On The Beaches Over A Few Decades.

 

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

New Find by Nick A.

Nick A. has been making some finds.  Above is one of his finds.  He says that is the second fake reale he has found.

But he also made some genuine finds, including the nice 1929 wheat penny shown below.  

1929 Wheat Penny Found by Nick A.

He found other wheats as well, and an interesting foreign coin.

Thanks for sharing Nick.  It is always nice to find stuff with some age to it.

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Another Recent Find.

This isn't what it appears from the above photo.  Here is another view of the same item.

Same Ring Shown Above
But Showing Grooves Inside the Ring.

Although it looks something like a finger ring, and even fits nicely, the grooves around the entire inner surface suggest to  me that it probably has some more utilitarian purpose.

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Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, I reflected on treasures I pursued so dearly. 

Sorry for abusing that Poe-etry.

Last night I was thinking about various Treasure Coast beaches and how treasure was or wasn't discovered over a period of three or four decades.  Some beaches produced on a relatively steady basis over that period of time. Some produced rarely, and others very rarely.  Some produced one type of treasure, and others produced other types of treasure. Some produced for a period of time and then quit. Some produced a lower quality of treasure, while others produced better things.   Treasure beaches can be very different.  And timing is critical.

One beach (call it A) would usually produce something sort of interesting even if it wasn't anything great.  That beach produced the greatest variety in types of treasure.  It would give up enough to keep teasing you on, but usually withheld the best it had to offer.  It would provide a few modern finds of unexceptional quality, but also occasionally something older and better to let you know there was something better still hiding there.  It was almost always good for a little something.

Then there was beach B.  It produced nice old finds fairly often for a period of a decade or more and then in recent years quit producing much of anything old.  It was for a while one of the top two most reliable beaches for old shipwreck coins.  Not only did it quit giving up old shipwreck treasure in recent years, but it never produced much in the way of modern finds.

Beach C, in contrast, has been producing old shipwreck coins and artifacts rather steadily over the period of thirty or forty years, only interrupted by periods of greater sand accumulation and renourishment projects.

Beach D was once very cut back and good for an occasional shipwreck find, but also some older modern finds and a little modern gold, but in recent years it has been heavily sanded and not much has been found there.

A beach can be very productive for years or even decades and then shut off for a period of years.  Or a particular beach can be productive for only a very short time.

I was thinking of charting out a selection of beaches for comparison, but that would take a lot of time.

To sum it up, every beach is different.  Humorously, it made me think of juvenile courting.   Some beaches will tease you on.  Some are easier than others.  I better stop with that analogy, but I think you get the point.

One beach I'm thinking of had a lot to offer, but only gave it up very very rarely.  It required a whole lot of perseverance.   It would give you a lot of junk too.   I'm sure many people gave up on that beach, as I was tempted at different times to do.

When deciding where to hunt on any particular day, it is natural to select the places that have been good to you lately, but don't forget about those places that haven't produced for a while - maybe not even a long while.  When the conditions are just right, the door can open,

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Jason T. thanked everyone for the help with his mystery item.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

We are still having west winds, a small surf, and flat tides.  It doesn't look like we'll have any significant changes any time soon.  Maybe at the end of next week.  We'll see how that shapes up.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/22/21 - Report - Hunt for Treasure In Europe? Mystery Item Analyzed and Identified. One Beach Over the Years.

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

Below are a few excerpts from a lengthy article that you might enjoy.   The title of the article is Should You Drop Everything and Hunt for Treasure in Europe?  While I do not think that all the details are completely accurate, it is a pretty good article overall and you might want to read it.

 
Archaeologists excavating on a farm in the village of Újlengyel, in the Pest County of Central Hungary, have unearthed a hoard of roughly 7,000 Roman and medieval coins. The coins, which date from the second century Antonine emperor Lucius Verus to a sequence of 16th-century Hungarian monarchs, include some rare gold coins and a rare Vatican coin issued by Pope Paul II. To those interested in archaeology it feels as if you can’t dig anywhere in Europe without stumbling across a lost trove of treasure...

In her work on this, Kersel has shown how the mistaken assumption that archaeologists themselves are looking for gold affects looting practices in Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. Locals will often approach excavation teams and ask them how much gold they have found. It’s difficult for some people to believe, she explains, that anyone would fly thousands of miles to dig up animal bones and broken pottery...

The seeming over-representation of European finds in the media isn’t just because of the cultural biases that privilege European history and archeology, but also because of the legislation that governs these discoveries. In the U.K., Marín told me, there are laws in place that “incentivize people to tell the authorities” about their finds. The Treasure Act of 1996, for example, makes provisions for the treasure finder or landowner to receive a reward up to the monetary value of the “treasure” they unearth. Legislation like this, which is not uncontroversial, has been a boon for historians of coins of all periods in England. As a result, Marín notes, we should expect finds in the UK and countries like it to be overrepresented in the news.

Here is the link for the rest of the article.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/should-you-drop-everything-and-hunt-for-treasure-in-europe

Thanks to Douglas and SuperRick for the link.

So why are there so many hoards discovered in Europe?  I'd say some of the biggest reasons include the long history, wars, and relatively dense populations.  And it does not hurt that some of the countries have incentives that encourage people to report finds.  On the other hand, some countries do not allow metal detecting other than for archaeological or other officially approved reasons.

Don't fly off someplace and think you will be allowed to metal detect like we can here on the Florida beaches. 

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Here is the word for the day: pareidola.

There seems to be nearly complete consensus on this one.    Michael T., Al C., Douglas, Joseph D., JamminJack, and DJ all demonstrated their analytical skills and concluded the mystery item is a part of a swivel hook like the one sent by Michael T., shown below.  Joe D. said something similar: boat hardware, and Brian M. pocket watch loop.   Several people sent photos of swivel hooks like the one sent by Michael T.  Thanks to all.

Now lets break it down.  Look at the details.  Are there any details that suggest it is not a finger ring?

Here are some things you might have noticed.

First,  finger rings are usually flat on the inside of the shank where it fits against your finger.  I can think of some exceptions, such as small twisted-rope rings, but would be uncommon to see a large shank like that which is not flat on the inside.

Second, the whole for a finger ring is typically round or nearly round all the way around.  Again I can think of a some exceptions, but they are usually round or oval all the way around.

Third, a gem, when there is one, will have something to hold the gem firmly - sometimes prongs or overlapping edges to hold the gem in place.  Some rings might have a cheap stones glued, but that would not be common for a ring having a stone of any value.

So, even if you didn't recognize the identity of the item, there are still some clues that would suggest the item is not a finger ring.

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Here is a cool time-lapse view of Bathtub beach as it came and went over the years.  Really cool.   It was way back in 2016, for example.  

It would have been interested to see how it came and went without the renourishment projects.

Here is the link.

Bathtub Beach Timeline - YouTube

Thanks to Nick for the link.

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By the way, if you aren't happy with the amount of political bias and censorship by Google, Facebook and Twitter, you might want to use Rumble as an alternative to youtube, which belongs to Google.  Disgraceful what they did to Parler.  They just can't stand free speech and discussion.

The big divide these days is really between the Elites and Deplorables - even more than the left and right.   Notice that Antifa is still rioting even after the change of presidents.  Of course now they'll try to keep it quiet or they'll try to tell us that Antifa is really the Extreme Right in disguise.

The new president is in high gear paying back donors.  By shutting down the Keystone Pipeline more oil goes onto Buffet's railroads.  The politically powerful Elites and very wealthy take care of each other.  The Elites are happy and secure when the Deplorables fight among themselves instead of against the Elite.

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We have a west wind again and small surf.  The tides are nearly flat.  The increase in surf coming this weekend is not going to be very significant.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/21/21 Report - Mystery Find. Valuable Gold Coin. Time to Consign. Covid WHO. Bigger Surf This Weekend.

 

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

Time to consign once again.

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Two Views of Mystery Find
Submitted by Jason T.

I received the above photos and following email from Jason T.  

Found this in water while metal detecting. Looks very old with green patina. Hit it with magnet and no reaction. Weights 18 grams. Thick round band once held stone. Any way to date a ring like this? Shipwreck ring? Do you know anyone may know?

Thanks in advance Jason T.

After I asked, Jason added the following.

No evidence of nut, however with magnifier on inside there is where the two sides meet together extra metal. Sorry difficult to describe. Almost like one side was molded then the other,  then attached.

Exercise your analytical skills and help Jason. Let me know what you think.

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Source: CoinWeek.  See link below.

Here is the link if you want to learn more about these very valuable coins.

https://coinweek.com/auctions-news/kunker-to-offer-1757-10-ruble-gold-coin-created-by-jacques-antoine-dassier/

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Shortly after the U.S. election results were certain, the World Health Organization helps the Biden administration by giving new guidance that will quickly reduce the number of Covid "cases."  While the health agencies and media neglected to adequately inform the public, I told you  about the importance of knowing the test reliability, validity and the effect of  false positives. 

The WHO now admits that certain test procedures used by many testing agencies produces false positives and recommends using new testing criteria that will automatically reduce the overall "case numbers."

Here is what they said in a new report.

WHO guidance Diagonostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 states that careful interpretation of weak positive results is needed (1). The cycle threshold (Ct) needed to detect virus is inversely proportional to the patient’s viral load. Where test results do not correspond with the clinical presentation, a new specimen should be taken and retested using the same or different NAT technology.


WHO reminds IVD users that disease prevalence alters the predictive value of test results; as disease prevalence decreases, the risk of false positive increases (2). This means that the probability that a person who has a positive result (SARS-CoV-2 detected) is truly infected with SARS-CoV-2 decreases as prevalence decreases, irrespective of the claimed specificity.


Most PCR assays are indicated as an aid for diagnosis, therefore, health care providers must consider any result in combination with timing of sampling, specimen type, assay specifics, clinical observations, patient history, confirmed status of any contacts, and epidemiological information...

I added the underlining.

Now that Trump is out, expect states and agencies to start opening restaurants and buisinesses.

Have any idea why Trump pulled out of WHO, and Biden quickly jumps back in on his first day in office?    

Decision theory, as I previously explained is a valuable concept for detectorists, but also many other fields of study.

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Thinking back to the high tides and surf we had in October and the resulting finds, I can't help but think again about the importance of putting in good time when conditions are good.  They won't last forever.  In fact thy might not last more than a day.

As they say, "Make hay while the sun shines."   You don't know when it will come out again.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Not looking too promising.

Happy hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net