Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Eroded Dunes Showing Various Layers. Photo by Joan T. |
You might remember the song by the Five Man Electrical Band - Signs. Here are a few lines to refresh your memory, if you are old enough.
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?
Everywhere are signs. It doesn't matter whether you are coin shooting or hunting bottles. I'll talk about both.
In my recent bottle hunting, there are some better spots where I have been finding some nice old bottles. You will see some things that will tip you off to those spots that have been producing. Those spots might move a few or many yards north or south on any particular day, depending upon the changing directino of the waves, or they might disappear altogether.
Here are a couple of the more obvious signs. At one location the roots of an Austrailian pine are sicking out. The bottle spot is usually just in front of that.
It isn't always easy to tell how much sand has been moved, but if you have some stationary landmarks, it is easier to judge how much sand has moved.
Another common sign I have been seeing is stairs where the sand has been washed away from the bottom so that the bottom stair is several feet in the air.
When walking along the beach looking for bottles, you might see small pieces of broken glass or other materials that signal that you might be getting close. As teh pieces get larger, you are getting closer to good conditions. You can walk a long distance and see nothing but sand, and then start to see small pieces of glass littering the ground. Whole bottles might not be exposed, but the small glass is a good sign you are getting closer.
The same thing happens on the beach when metal detecting for coins. There will be some signs. Maybe you'll start seeing shells or rocks in some areas.
If you look at the dune face in the photo at the top of this post, you'll see that the dunes are made in layers. During different events different layers were laid down. Some events will create layers of fine sand, and at other times when the water is moving more forcefully, shells, rocks or other things will be dropped in a layer. Small shells will be piled up when there is enough water force, and then maybe larger shells when there is more force.
You'll see the same thing sometimes in the face of the cut. You might see layers of various kinds of sand. Maybe black and layers, layers with shells, and layers with gravel or modern debris such as cans or plastic bags. Those can be significant signs.
When viewing the entire beach panorama, you'll see a rolling landscape with some dips, hills, and maybe some cuts and various assorted surface objects. It is all significant, and by looking at the overall picture, you'll get a good idea of the hot and not so hot spots.
By using your metal detector and digging a broad range of types of objects, your understanding of the classification or stratification of objects will be increased. The metal detector allows you to get a bit of a subsurface view as well as a surface view.
The view extends from the dune face into the water. You can see the sand bars and where the waves are crashing, as well as any dark deeper areas. It all forms a picture of what has been going on, and when you analyze that, you'll be closer to knowing where the coins are likely to be.
There are two stages though. There is analysis: breaking things down into the component parts, and there is the synthesis, putting it altogether in an overall picture.
Over the years I've done many related posts. I'd advise maybe going back to the old Treasure Beaches Report and reading some of the many relevant posts.
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Here is one, just as an example. The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 9/26/11 Report - Analyzing a Beach
I continue to add to my knowledge every time I go out, just as you will.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net