6/8/2021 Report - The Scientific Method of Metal Detecting. Sampling. Silver and Gold American Eagles.

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

V75 Marked Silver Eagle.
Source: see link below.

... Finally, in November 2020 two more special issues were released – Proof Silver and Gold Eagles with a “V75” privy mark to honor the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Each has a limited mintage – 75,000 for the silver, and just 1,945 for the gold, which is the lowest mintage level ever set for a modern U.S. coin and the lowest mintage of any eagle ever struck...

Here is a link that will take you to a great beginner's guide to American Silver and Gold Eagle coins.

American Silver and Gold Eagles - A Beginner's Guide (coinweek.com)

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Excavator Safely Sitting On Beach.

One of the main things I've tried to do with this blog is provide a more complete and accurate understanding of the principles that will help you be more successful as a detectorist or treasure hunter.  some of that is done by increasing understanding of what is really going on and correcting some of the common and popular myths.  At the most general level this involves bringing a more scientific attitude and analytical mind set to the hobby.

One of the myths that has been repeated about as long as the hobby of metal detecting has existed is that heavy things sink in sand.  I've attempted to correct that myth in the past, but I'll use it as an easy and important illustration.

You've seen something like an excavator weighing tens of thousands of pounds left on a beach overnight and were not surprised to see it the next morning or next week no deeper in the sand than it was before.  That is a very heavy object that did not sink in the sand.

Try this experiment.  Take a clear drinking glass, fill it with sand, place a coin and a gold ring on the sand in the glass, leave it overnight or many nights, and observe how much it sinks.   Unlike a putting objects like that in a glass of water, the objects just sit there on the sand rather than sinking.  The same thing happens if you put the objects on a glass filled with sand and water.

Gold Ring and Clad Coin
In Cup Filled With Sand and Water.

I suggested that experiment and talked about that myth before.  It is one of many common myths, but perhaps one of the most common. 

So why didn't the type of heavy objects that detectorists talk about all the time not sink in the sand?

Before I go any farther, I will admit that, like many myths, this myth might actually have some value.  It might help keep the cave man's kids away from the top of the volcano if they believe dragon lives there.  Myths, like superstitions, can have some value even if they are not accurate.  Nonetheless, a more complete or accurate understanding will be helpful.

As I've said before, it would be more accurate to talk about an objects density rather than its weight, but that isn't all there is to it either.  I've explained this before, so I won't go through the entire explanation again.  

Here is a link to that type of discussion.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 9/2/20 Report - How Objects Sink in Beach Sand, Density of Common Metals. Movement of Sand. Tropical Storm Dolly

As I explained before, not only is it a matter of the objects density, it also has to do with the objects shape and how moving water acts upon the sand and other objects.  There must be an outside force, such as that provided by moving water.  Wind and sources of vibration that can result in liquefaction can also have an effect on how objects become stratified on a beach.  It is a matter of the relative movement of the sand as it relates to the object.  

I've explained that in the past too.  See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 6/28/15 Report - Trigger Points, Drop Points, Water Velocity and How Things Move And Get Sorted On A Beach., for example.

That gives you a much better explanation of how more dense objects, pending other factors, tend to end up deeper in the sand that less dense objects.

My purpose here is not to debunk the long-held and often repeated myth (I've done that before), my intent is to explain what I try to do with this blog and my approach to the hobby.  I bring a scientific attitude, perspective and approach to the hobby.  I might describe my approach as empirical and analytical.   It is based largely upon systematic observation and experiment.  Sampling is a very important part of conducting science and it can be very helpful with metal detecting.

I can't believe how often people invest tons of time and money without doing effective sampling.  I was relieved when Parker FINALLY got Tony to drill a test grid.  Why not collect some data instead of making decisions blindly or intuitively.  Yes, intuition can be right, but it can also be wrong,  Data can help you determine if you are on track or not without spending tons of time before finding out.

Here is what Isaac Newton said.

It isn't easy to be objective.  Being objective means being open to correction when the evidence suggests it is needed.

Science requires a lot that might not feel natural.  There is a tendency to want to hold to certain beliefs for a variety of reasons.  People have big investments in some beliefs.  You can see the lack of objectivity all over the place today.

Samples must be representative.  That means that samples must fairly represent the whole.  A sample shouldn't be biased.  You should be able to generalize from the sample to the whole.  You want a sample that is large enough and also representative. 

If you take your sample from one corner of a detecting site, for example, that corner of the site might be where there was a lot of activity, no activity, or only certain types of activity.  That means that you will not be able to draw good conclusions from the limited sample, which very well might be biased.  That part of the site might be very different from the rest of the site.  Sample size can be important.  Effective sampling requires some caution and perhaps some skill.

If you are someone that simply wants to go out and swing a detector and hope to come upon something good, that is fine, but if you want to maximize results, a more scientific approach will be a big help.

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No big changes in beach conditions.  I'm sure that someday before long we'll be seeing some tropical activity.

Happy hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net