4/1/24 Report - Determining What Your Item Is Worth? Appraisals: Some Difficulties And Surprises. Easter Beach Find.

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

Wood and Bolt Found by Bill H. At Pepper Park at Low Tide on Easter Morning.

Bill H. found sent the above find photo and following email.  

Found on the beach at low tide level this morning.  The wood is smooth with no sign of damage or "critter life" attached to it. There is a heavy steel spike through the center of it that is  well into corrosion. It appears to be extremely old. No one in my experience of treasure hunting can identify it or suggest whom to take it to for identification/dating. Can you provide any help, please, as to a guess as to whether it is worth further investigation.  Any help would be appreciated. The item was found near Pepper Park on North Hutchinson.  Picture attached.

 Thanks.

 Bill H.

Any ideas on the object anyone?

I gave Bill my advice on how to proceed.

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I often get asked what is the most valuable thing I ever found.  I find that almost impossible to answer, and for a variety of reasons.  First, I don't have a good idea of the economic value of many finds, and often don't even try to find out.  Secondly, there are some things I like a lot that other people might not like at all and vice versa.  And values of items will change over time.  For example, I mentioned in one post how diamond prices have decreased because of the recent glut of lab created diamonds.  Or at least that is what I was told.

Some people say that an item is only worth what someone will pay you, and that is certainly true, but if you work at it and find the right person or do some good salesmanship, you might get someone to pay more than otherwise.  Likewise, if you damage or poorly represent the item, its value can quickly decrease.  Expect to get a lot more from an interested collector than a pawn shop or someone intending to resale the item.

For me a find might have a value very different from what I can sell it for.  It might just be especially precious to me for some reason.  You might not want to sell it at all - at least not for what any reasonable person would give for it.

One person I know had a ring they thought could be very valuable, and they wanted to find out how valuable it actually was.  They got it appraised.  You might be able learn from their experience.  I did. 

First of all, you need to know that there are different kinds of appraisals, and the terminology isn't always used consistently or precisely.   There are market value appraisals, estate appraisals, and replacement value or insurance appraisals, to name some of the more common ones. 

So first they took the ring to a jewelry store in the Vero area.  The owner, self-described as self-taught, did the appraisal.  He asked what kind of appraisal was desired, which is something that most appraisers will ask.  I don't have the exact conversation.  The owner doesn't recall it all precisely, but the appraiser, said the value he would give them is what he would pay them for the item if they sold it to him.   

After cleaning the ring and inspecting it for a while, the appraiser went on to explain that it was a $20,000 ring, but he'd pay $7500 for it.  He went on to explain what all he'd have to do before he could sell the ring in his store.  He said the large diamond was chipped.   As a result, he explained, he'd have to send it someplace to have it evaluated to determine the best way to have it recut.  Then he'd have to pay to have it recut, which would reduce the total weight of the diamond, which he'd then have to send someplace else to have recertified, or whatever.   And all that would take time and money, so he could only pay $7,500 for the ring. 

Thinking that was a low value for the ring, the owner decided to take the same ring to a well-known pawn and jewelry store in St. Lucie.  The store advertises that they do appraisals and will buy items.  Again the appraiser said he'd give the value he'd pay for the item if he bought it.  I think I've heard before (maybe on Antiques Road Show) that an appraiser is not supposed to offer to buy an item that he appraises.  That could be seen as a conflict of interest.  Maybe that is why the first two appraisers made it clear they were giving the price that they would pay.  But this second appraisal put a value of only $3,400 on the ring.  No mention was made of any chip or anything.  Of course, this appraiser looked at it with a loop, etc., but his offer was less than half the previous appraised value.

Since there was such a big disparity and feeling that the item could be way undervalued by both appraisers, and certainly by the second, he then took the same diamond ring to a store in St. Lucie West which advertised "fine" jewelry.  This jeweler charged $90 for appraisals.  The first two were free.

There was the similar preliminary discussion of what type of appraisal was desired, and the owner of the ring was not sure about the terminology.  As it turns out that was significant.  This appraisal would take a while and the appraiser requested the ring to be left overnight, but the owner didn't want to do that and waited about an hour or so while the appraiser inspected and obtained high quality photos of the ring. The owner could then took the ring but had to come back a day the next day for the completed appraisal.  

When the owner returned the next day he was presented with a very nice, printed appraisal with tons of data on it, including, but not limited to weights and measures, color, cut, quality, etc. along with nice high-resolution photos of the ring.  The report gave the replacement value for the ring. The replacement value was listed as $31,000.  What a difference!  

The owner realized that wasn't what he really wanted and after a little discussion asked if he could get a fair market value appraisal instead.  They agreed to do that free, and the owner was told he would be called when they had that done in a day or two.  When the owner came back the next day, the listed fair market value was listed as just over $12,000.  

This appraiser mentioned a crack at the base of the big diamond and attempted to show it to the owner with a loop, but the owner couldn't see it.  Whether that crack is the same defect that the first appraiser described as a chip is not certain.

The first thing to notice is that the range of values given for the ring was from $3,400 to $31,000.  That is a huge difference.  

There was also a huge difference between the fair market value and the replacement value as determined by the same appraiser.

I've been told that jewelry stores will mark things up three hundred to five hundred percent.  It looks like that is no exaggeration.  Of course, they want to make a profit, but that seems excessive.  Perhaps they already have too much inventory and don't want to take on anymore unless they stand to make a huge profit.  They do have overhead, which is undoubtedly considerable.  But offering as little as $3,400, or even $7,500 for something that has a replacement value of $31,000 seems like a lot.  I'm not sure the second appraiser had the skill to really determine the quality of the item, so some of it could be due to lack of knowledge, and the desire to not make a big mistake, or it could be the desire to take advantage of the situation and score a big hit.

I can understand that there is considerable investment in having a diamond recut and reset and recertified, etc., which could account for some of the difference between the market value for a "chipped" diamond, and the replacement value for a perfect, unchipped certified ring of the same size and quality.

When you are selling to a store or someone who intends to resell your item, you are essentially selling wholesale and they are going to charge retail.  

So what are the lessons?

You get what you pay for - sometimes.  The appraisal that cost $90 seemed much more thorough and professional than the free appraisals.  

Investigate the reputation and qualifications of any appraiser. 

Take the time to learn what kind of appraisal you need and the terminology so you can explain what you want,

Different appraisers will give different values even if you were accurate and specific in your request.  

Furthermore...

If there is such a thing as "a" true value, the owner of this ring still wasn't sure how close he got to it.  It would be interesting to see what would happen if a number of highly qualified professionals did appraisals and how close would they be.  That would be an interesting experiment.

It is no wonder that professional grading is so popular for coins and things.  It helps some.  Having a coin or other item graded and encapsulated adds confidence and increases values.

There might not be any method of obtaining a perfect value for an item, but I hope this post will at least help you be more aware of what you'll encounter and some of the difficulties involved in determining what an item is worth.

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We'll have a good high tide just after midnight Sunday.

The surf next week will be nothing higher than three or four feet.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/31/24 Holy Easter.

 

Holy Easter.

3/30/24 Report - Great Web Site For Dating Nails and Spikes. Two Old Beer Bottles Found on Treasure Coast.

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

Easter Post Card from 1902.

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Brown Embossed Pabst Bottle.

This bottle is embossed as follows.

PABST

B

MILWAUKEE

THIS BOTTLE

NOT TO BE SOLD.

The base of the bottle is embossed WF&S MIL horizontally with no. 7 below.

Here is what SHA.org says about that.

 5. Horizontal on base – WF&S MIL with number (ca. 1913-1921) Our sample contained only a few of these, all with crown finishes – although Mobley claimed that one example had a “molded” crown finish (Figure 13). The older date in our range (ca. 1913-1921) is there solely because of the Mobley example. Because these were otherwise only on machine-made bottles and were so few in number, we would otherwise have selected ca. 1915 (or even later) as a beginning date.  From WilliamFranzen&Son.pdf (sha.org).

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R & CO (Reed and Co.) Aqua Bottle.

Here is another beer bottle that looks very much like the Adophus Busch and American Bottle Company bottles that I showed recently.

Reed and Co. Beer Bottle.

The date given for Reed and Co. is 1887 to 1904.  The plant was known as the Massillon (Ohio) Glass Works.

The marks on the base of a bottle can often narrow down the date range more than the product name since many products have been in use for a century or more.  

For more detail see MassillonGlassWorks.pdf (historicbottles.com)

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People often find a nail or spike and wonder if it is old.  I found a good web site that will help you determine that.

I just added it to my reference list that you'll find on the first page of this blog.

The web tells how to date nails and spikes.  It is probably the most detailed web site that I've seen on the topic.  The site provides many pictures, illustrations, examples and additional references to check.

Here is the link.  

Chronological History of Nails - Antique Wooden, Forged & Cut Nail Age & Use (inspectapedia.com)

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Nothing very special going on with the tides or surf.

Happy Easter.

Treasureguide@comcast.net

3/29/24 Report - Good Friday. Fossils of Extinct Mammals from Treasure Coast Beaches. Metal Detecting in Better Homes and Gardens.

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

Cross Made of Nails Soldered Together.

This cross is composed of five sections, each section made of three nails. Each square nail is seven inches long.

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The title of the article is Dire wolves, camels, and other extinct giant mammals that used to live in North America.  That isn't surprising, but may not be as easy to think of the same mammals being in Florida, yet fossils of mammoths, mastadons, camels, dire wolves and many other long extinct mammals have been found on Treasure Coast beaches in recent years.

Here is one example of a Treasure Coast mammoth tusk which weighs about thirty pounds.

 Fossil Mammoth Tusk Section.

Over the years, I've seen two fossil mammoth tusk sections on the Treasure Coast beaches.  One had a black surface ant the other almost white.

And here is a Dire Wolf tooth, also from a Florida beach.

Dire Wolf Fossil Tooth 

Here is the link to the article on extinct mammals.

 Dire wolves, camels, and other extinct giant mammals that used to live in North America (msn.com)

Remember that fossils of many of the mammals mentioned in the article have been found on Treasure Coast beaches.  They are mostly found after erosion, and will undoubtedly some of the oldest items you will ever find.  Of course, there are others that are no mammalian which can be very old.

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Metal detecting is becoming a very popular hobby all around the world.  Even Better Homes and Gardens Magazine (Au) has an article on metal detecting for gold.

Here is the link.

How To Try Your Luck Gold Prospecting With A Metal Detector | Better Homes and Gardens (bhg.com.au)

===

Surf Chart From SurfGuru.com.

So it looks like we'll be hving around a four or five foot surf with a northwest wind.

The tides won't be very high.

Good Friday,

Teasureguide@comcast.net

3/28/24 Report - Key Finds and Mystery Object. A Few Notes On How You Identify Objects. Perception and Reality.

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

Ornate 1715 Fleet Key Found by Dan B.

A few days ago I posted a mystery object that one reader asked if it could be a gold nugget. Here is the object again.

Mystery Object Found by Nick.

I remarked that that the mystery object looked something like a key to me.  Of course, if it is a key, it would be a very mangled or corroded key, and it is obscured by a heavy black patina.  I'd give that possible identify only a chance of about 1%.  One thing that makes the identity difficult is that we see it only in two dimensions.  You can't tell if the area that might be seen as the key's bow is actually flat or more rounded.

Mark G. wrote and said,  "If it were a key it would probably be more of a charm for a charm bracelet. I found something similar in a parking lot hunt. It was not in the surf so not corroded but lost a lot of the gold gilding."  He showed an example. 

The 1715 Fleet key shown at the top of the page is very ornate and could have had a religious meaning.  Laura Strolia, a top researcher on Spanish Colonial religious artifacts, said it could represent the "key to heaven."  

Keys are used in other symbolic ways, for example, "key to the heart,"  You can find ornate keys sold as charms on the internet.  

Form goes along with function, but form and function are not the same.  A key could be an actual functional key, or it could be religious, decorative or symbolic.  And of course, any resemblance in form could be accidental or coincidental and completely wrong.  My observation of some resemblance is most probably wrong (as I said, perhaps as much as 99%).

I told Nick, who found the mystery object to take it to have the metal tested.  I hope he does that and we hear the results.

---

Identifying objects is often difficult, especially when you only have a two-dimensional photo to go from.  There is so much more information that would be helpful.  People often forget to include some idea of the size of an object.  But besides that, color is often not totally accurate in a photo.  The angle of the photo and lighting can make a big difference.  Being able to move an object around to view it from different angles can be helpful, as can feeling it for weight, hardness and texture.

I'm very much interested in the cognitive/perceptual process of identifying objects.  The process is pretty complex, which is why they don't have computer programs to identify error coins, for example.  They do have facial recognition these days, which, of course, is a relatively recent development.  I don't know how accurate those systems are, but they are certainly complex.  

Determining shape would seem to be simple enough but is a more complex process than you might think.  Below are a few examples.

The first shape (a) would be almost universally identified as a circle but is actually a bunch of unconnected dots.  What makes people say it is a circle rather than a bunch of points?  It involves perceptual processes done in the eye as well as the brain.   

So what determines a circle?   A circle is a round plane figure whose boundary (the circumference) consists of points equidistant from a fixed point (the center).  How do we know that the points are equidistant from the center.  If we consider a third dimension, could it be that some points are actually not in the same plane, ie some are farther from the viewer and some closer even though they appear to be the same size.  Actually, points have no size.  But if we question a lot of our assumptions, we can deconstruct to some extent the processes that we do automatically.  You might say there are a lot of assumptions or organizing processes involved in the most basic levels of perception.  Just using the definition. of circle, we start from a center point, which we don't actually see, and conclude that all the points we do see are equidistant from that center without measuring them.  Actually, the points we do see might not be the points of the figure, but the figure could be the white space, and the dark points holes in the white space or missing parts of the large figure.  That is the figure/ground problem that is done automatically for us by our marvelous, but sometimes deceived, information processing system.

Take the next figure (b).  Is that one a circle.  I bet you'd find a few people that would say yes.  Probably more people would say yes if the figure wasn't so symmetrical, which suggests a purposeful pattern other than a circle.  If the deviations from circularity were more random, I think people would take the randomness as inconsequential and round it out to being circular. So how perfect does it have to be?  When is it close enough? To some extent it would depend upon the context and other factors as well as the person.  Some pay more attention to small differences and some people kind of round things off.  If we were talking about something you dug up and the object was corroded, you might accept a less perfect circle as being circular, and once you determine that it is a coin, your perception would be modified to seeing it as being more circular than it actually is because you would then discount some of the imperfections.  

You perceive raw sensation.  Processing takes place before you realize it.  The brain feeds back to the eye what it thinks it should be seeing, as one example.  Sensation is always organized and interpreted to some extent immediately.  Some of that processing is actually done in the retina and then you have input from the brain feeding back in a continual loop.

Some people see what they hope to see.  Everything is a treasure chest.  Their hopes and fears determine to a large extent their perceptions.  

If you are in a forest at night and are frightened by a bear, after that your senses are heightened and every noise you hear is perceived differently.  The brain adjusts the sensory system.

You can't discuss things with people whose prior conclusions heavily determine what they see and hear.  They have so much investment in a conclusion that they can't see or hear what is actually being said or what is in front of them.  They simply can't be objective.

Some types of meditation attempt to shut down the information processing and very accomplished meditators do a good job of that, but it isn't easy.

Which of the shapes above would you say are the most complex.  By some measures, it would be the circle.  Once you determine that it is a circle, ie. that each point is equidistant from a center point, it takes very little information to predict the location of each point.  Knowing three points tells you exactly where the next should be.  

When eyeballing, there are several things that are important.  Shape is one, but also color and texture.  

When I found my first great white shark tooth, I bent over thinking I saw the bottom corner of a partly buried bottle.  It was an ever so slightly rounded triangle shape, very smooth and dark color.   The three features of shape, color and texture is what caught my eye, but the item was still misidentified until I picked it up and saw the tooth with serrated edges.

Perception is complex, but most of it is done automatically.  I could have gone on about this for pages, but will leave it there.  Like understanding your metal detector, understanding your own information processing and perceptual system can be helpful.

---

Surf Chart From Surfguru.com.

I consider a four-to-six-foot surf to be kind of borderline.  It usually isn't sufficient, but can be - other factors considered.

Notice the wind changes.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

3/27/24 Report - New Treasure Coast Mystery Find. Large Gold Nugget from Faulty Metal Detector. Pilgrim Badge Find.

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

A "pilgrim badge" from the Middle Ages featuring the design of a basilisk — a fearsome mythological creature akin to a dragon — has been discovered in southeast Poland. Such finds are rare and can help archaeologists chart the routes taken by Christian pilgrims hundreds of years ago.

Independent archaeologist Tomasz Murzyński, who's based in the Polish city of Wrocław, told Live Science in an email that a metal detectorist found the badge in January in the village of Wólka Nieliska, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) southeast of Warsaw. The detectorist then gave it to Murzyński...

Here is the link.

Winged 'basilisk' on medieval pilgrim's badge discovered in Poland (msn.com)

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A metal detectorist in England found what might be the biggest gold nugget ever found in the country, worth an estimated £30,000 or around $38,000.

Richard Brock unearthed the gold nugget, which weighs 64.8 grams, in England's Shropshire Hills — despite turning up to the search late and using faulty equipment...

Brock, who had traveled three and a half hours from his home to join the organized expedition last May, resorted to using an older faulty machine after his detecting kit failed to work properly.

However, within minutes of setting up his equipment, he uncovered the large golden nugget, which has been nicknamed "Hiro's Nugget."...

Here is the link for more about that.

Treasure-hunter using a faulty metal detector discovered England's 'largest' gold nugget worth $38,000 (

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Treasure Coast Mystery Find.
Submitted by Nick.

Nick sent in some photos of this mystery object and asked if it might be a gold nugget.  Based upon the patina, I'd say probably not, but I told him to take it to a pawn shop where he could get it tested.

I've seen depletion gilded artifacts get a black patina like that, but never a gold nugget.  I have seen gold alloys, including rings get encrusted, but again, not just like that.

I asked nick to send a picture with an object for size comparison.  Here is a photo with a coin and a couple closeup photos.

Same Object with Coin for Size.

That photo makes it look like it might be a mangled key.  The surface of the object appears to be very irregular though.

Two Closeup Views of Same Mystery Object.

The metal is either soft or has really been through some rough treatment.

What do you think?

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Today we still had a five or six foot surf.  The wind was southeast.  

Tomorrow the surf is expected to be smaller.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

3/25/26 Report - Recent Condition of Four South Hutchinson Island Metal Detecting Beaches. Blown Busch Beer Bottles from Treasure Coast.

 

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

John Brooks Beach Monday Afternoon.

I had an afternoon open and felt like going out to check a few beaches Monday.  Here is what I saw at  a few beaches on North Hutchinson Island.

First off, notice the seaweed on the slope.  That is an indication that the beach accumulated sand after the beach eroded some.  You can still see some cuts.

John Brooks Beach Monday Afternoon.

The water had been over the berm at John Brooks, but not a whole lot.

Frederick Douglass Beach Monday Afternoon.

As usual, Frederick Douglass looked similar to John Brooks, but in this case, a touch better.  I checked Frederick Douglass with a metal detector a little, but not much.  The slope, especially the lower slope was pretty firm, but targets were very scarce.

Frederick Douglass Beach Monday Afternoon.

I saw one other detectorist using a Sovereign.

Blind Creek Monday Afternoon.

There were a lot of sun bathers at Blind Creek.  It is a very busy beach.  

I prefer to go to the beach when there aren't many people, but today there were quite a few there.

Blind Creek Monday Afternoon.

Blind Creek didn't look much good.  In the distance, it looked like there might have been some better spots.

Walton Rocks Monday Afternoon.

None of the other beaches were as busy as Blind Creek.  

There was one detectorist at Walton Rocks, who correctly read the beach and walked directly to the best-looking spot.  

Walton Rocks Beach Monday Afternoon.

So in summary, the beaches I saw on North Hutchinson Island today didn't look very promising Monday afternoon - certainly not good enough for old shipwreck finds.  I did very little detecting.  

The waves were hitting directly onto the beach Monday afternoon even though there had been some wind changes the past day or two.

---tg

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I don't expect anything much different on the beaches tomorrow.  The surf will gradually be decreasing  the next few days.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

3/25/24 Report - Recent Gold and Silver Finds on Great Treasure Coast Hunt. DIY Tip. Higher Surf Today.

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

Finds by Mike T., His Wife and Friend On One Hunt.

.

You might remember when I called attention to the possbility of some good spots after a good blow a few days ago.  Here is what I said in my Friday post. Last night we had a brisk wind again. It was strong enough, that although it was from the south I'd expect some erosion to some front beaches. If you search around enough you can probably find some uncovered targets. Mike T. did just that.  Here is his report of a very good hunt.

Mike T here. Those strong gusty South winds Thursday night really stirred up some good stuff on some Martin County beaches. Not all spots were good, but a few were exceptional!

  A strong South wind with a shore break often stirs up more than a strong Nor’easter and this was the case Thursday night.

  I hunted with my girlfriend who is a beginner and my good friend for 5 hrs straight and we never stopped digging. It was one of those days that you don’t want to end. There were coins on the surface in some areas!

   My girlfriend found her first 2 rings. A silver toe ring and a men’s stainless band.  My buddy found a 14k men’s wedding band and 2 silver rings and I dug a very old silver ring, a stainless men’s band, a 10k class ring and a 14k gold chain mostly from 1 beach!

Rings Found During One Recent Hunt in Martin County
Submitted by Mike T.

  We’ve had similar success on this same beach before with a strong South wind. We’ve been watching this spot for a while waiting for the right conditions to open up a few areas.

    Many of the coins are from late 60’s and 70’s

    As a side note all should keep an eye on the current gold prices as you might have some unused pieces of jewelry that could turn into some solid cash.

    That gold  necklace weighs 13 grams which equals well over $500 in scrap gold value.  Hopefully some others were able to get out Friday and hunt some good spots as well.  Understanding weather patterns is a huge asset when you want to find good targets.  Thanks for the reports!

Happy Hunting

Another Photo of the Gang's Finds.

Congratulations on a great hunt Mike.  And congratulations to your wife on her first ring finds.  Thanks for sharing.

Mike did it right.  He knew a beach that had been producing in recent times,  He also know that the particular beach cut from south winds, and then got out there and spent some good time working it while the conditions were right.  I think yesterday I wrote about taking advantage of windows when they open.

Lately our windows have mostly been quick.  They open and then close again because the wind has been shifting.  There just haven't been windows that sustain for several days.  One day they'll open and then the next day the wind will shift and eroded areas will fill in again.

In the past three years or so it there have been a lot of good finds down in Martin County - more than some other areas that seem to be suffering from recent renourishment projects.

Some beaches are more responsive to south winds than others.  Often it is an area on one side of a bend.  Sometimes it is because of rocks or other obstructions, some possibly in the shallow water.

First and foremost, you have to go out and put in the time.  Knowing where and when helps make your time more efficient.

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Treasure coin jewelry seems to be very popular.  You can see a lot of it in jewelry sores, Sedwick auctions and people wearing them around.  

You don't have to buy them already made though.  If you have a favorite find you want to wear, you can do it yourself.

The easiest way is to purchase the jewelry hardware.  There are very nice lockets you can buy in which you can insert your coins, shark teeth or whatever.  One side screws off to allow you to insert whatever it is you want to display.  Below is an example of one that has glass on two sides for easy viewing.

Locket That Will Display Your Items.

They can be purchased online at sites like that of Rio Grande Albuquerque, for example.

It is inexpensive and easy to use.  There are also pendants made to hold coins of various sizes.

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It looks like the weather got here a little early.  The peak surf will be today at about six or seven feet.  The high tide is this morning.  The wind is blowing pretty good from the north and the swell is northeast.

You might want to go check out some beaches today.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

3/24/24 Report - Local Off-Beach Finds. How Knowing Geology of an Area Can Help Answer Questions.

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

Finds Made by Dan B. on an Off-Beach Site.

Dan B. sent the photo above along with the following email.

Been a while since I have had anything meaningful to share. I have hunted a local property for a few years every time they mowed it well enough and recently they cleared it completely. I spent 3 days in the last week hitting it as they went through the stages of piling trees and debris. I isolated what must have been an old structure in the back center by hearing hundreds of nails.

Everything I dug in this area was older and as my son instructed me repeatedly to "dig everything" I was able to have pretty good luck. Yesterday I did my final search and didn't find much, so I came settled with that fact that there will likely be concrete there in a few days.

I have made the mistake of not taking advantage of these windows in the past and they close quickly and forever.

Unfortunately my best find is a 1937 bomber's pin with Latin phrase at the bottom that translates to death from above...is not in the photo.


I have to assume the other photo is of a matchbook holder. Appears that the matchbook was still in there and reads

"Never stop growing"? I can't read all of the text.

Matchbook Holder Find by Dan B.

Thanks for sharing Dan.

Metal detecting windows can easily be missed or not used to full advantage.  It can be something like expecting it to remain open and being able to come back later only to find the opportunity gone or something as easy as not have a full battery charge on your detector and running out of power in the middle of a great hunt.  

It is especially true for beach hunting, because beach conditions can change quickly.  I've told about some of the times when I failed to take advantage of an opportunity like that and I don't know how many I missed completely by just not being there at the right time.

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On a web site developed by the Mining Association of Nova Scotia that was designed designed to promote the mining industry, there are some fun learning activities for the public.  One of those activities includes some interesting facts about the geology of Oak Island that could explain some of their mysteries.

Here are a few of the facts presented on that web site.

Oak Island is a drumlin - rock, sand, gravel and clay deposited by glaciers as the last ice age ended about 12,000 years ago. Actually, the island is four connected drumlins.

Because Oak Island is drumlins, it may have layers of gravel below sea level which could explain the flood tunnel mystery. Searcher shafts might just be intersecting sea water naturally flowing underground through gravel, which is porous (i.e. water can flow through the spaces between the rocks).

Oak Island's eastern bedrock, where the Money Pit is located, is limestone and gypsum. They are soft rocks that often erode in groundwater, creating natural tunnels and cavities. Some of the underground tunnels and cavities on Oak Island could be naturally-occurring instead of man-made.

For example, in 1878 the Cave-in Pit was discovered on Oak Island when oxen plowing a field fell into a large hole. It might have been a naturally-occurring sinkhole, not one created as part of an elaborate tunnel system, as some believe. Nova Scotia has many sinkholes caused by erosion of soft minerals like gypsum.

I didn't know oxen were used for anything but moving loads of treasure on Oak Island.

Here is the link for more about that.

The Mystery of Oak Island | Not Your Grandfathers Mining Industry, Nova Scotia, Canada

Here is another one from that site.  The theory that a ship could have been floated to the island's triangular swamp and sank there wouldn't have been possible a few hundred years ago because the sea levels were 1.5 metres lower.

And Oak Island was not always an island.  It was a peninsula when the water was lower.

One of the first things I would be interested in is how the size and shape of the island has changed over the years.  Some good old maps could show that.  I suspect that it was once very different.

To me the most impressive thing is the almost complete absence of anything that would actually be defined as treasure in the past several years.

I won't go on but now you might see why many people regard the show as a low-IQ comedy. 

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Surf Chart From Surfguru.com

Looks like a peak surf Tuesday of around six to seven feet.

Blessed Palm Sunday,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

3/23/24 Report - Beach Dynamics and Classification of Coins on the Beach. Mystery Object ID. Bigger Surf Coming.

 

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

Friday Finds by Mark G. 

I received  above photo and the following email from Mark G.  Although he has been metal detecting only about a year, jr makes some very good observations.   Here is the email.

Having learned a lot from the Treasure Beaches Report blog about metal detecting techniques I know the underlying emphasis (It’s in the Title) has always been about the beach itself. I have been metal detecting almost a year now and observing the beaches for almost an entire season. I am now more aware of the shifting sands than ever before. So today, Friday windy and rough, I hit the recent cut at Jensen Beach and a beach to the south of there around low tide, and both beaches produced more dimes than I have ever dug in one day. Most days it’s only pennies, lots of pennies, I’ve seen pennies laying right on top of the sand in the surf some days. And if you want bits of aluminum all you have to do is hunt the dry shell line. Nickles are harder to find I don’t think they fall out of your pockets as easily.

I’m thinking there must be a reason why some beach conditions produce more dimes and other beach conditions produce more pennies. We know from your blog how to read beach conditions that are good for hunting and days that are not. I’m thinking there must be a way to look at a beach and read those conditions by the surf, tides, wind direction and past conditions and know what coins you are likely to find that day.

I know I’ll be honing my beach reading skills so in the future I’ll only go hunting on the days that will produce quarters or Spanish Reales. 

Thank You

Mark G.

Like I said, good observations.  

The shifting sands are key, but other things shift in addition to the sand.  Different items shift at different rates. Sometimes the water force is strong enough to move the sand, and perhaps other things, such as pennies, but other things are not moved as easily or as much.  Then as the water slows, things are dropped or left behind at different places as the water force decreases.   

One factor that determines how objects are moved is the density of the objects, but there are other factors, including things such as the shape of the object and the surface characteristics.  

Items can have the same or very similar densities but move very differently.  You can imagine a coin as opposed to sphere or cube of the same material, for example.  Coins, being thin and having a low profile are not moved as much as other objects that have more surface exposed to the flow.

Here is a link to a post that presents a little experiment I did that shows how four items having the same density, but different shape will move differently.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 3/24/20 Report - More On Beach Dynamics and How Various Objects Move On The Beach. Remembering.

Of course, there are other factors that affect how things get distributed on the beach.  For example, the water velocity constantly changes as it comes in, washes up the beach and then back down.  Furthermore, the incoming water interacts with the outgoing water,

 Here is one of the most helpful illustrations I've ever seen.

You might have to study the illustration, but when you get it, I think you'll find it very helpful.  It summarizes a lot, but not everything.

To the left line shows the lower amount of force at which things drop out of flow.  That is when sedimentation occurs when you are talking about silt, sand or pebbles.  Coins, like pebbles, will drop out at higher velocities, than silt or sand.

You might need to study the illustration a while.

Here is one previous post in which I explained some of it.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 3/24/20 Report - More On Beach Dynamics and How Various Objects Move On The Beach. Remembering.

The subject of nickels is an interesting one.  First, realize that many detectors give a weaker signal to nickels than other coins.   On my Equinox they give a 13 readout.  They are more often missed than most other coins because they give a weaker signal and are often discriminated by some detectorists.  If I see an area where I know there should be a good number of coins, but am finding almost no coins other than nickels, I usually figure that the area has already been detected.  Also some sinkers produce signals very much like nickels.

When things are getting washed up onto the beach, you'll often find quarters low on the beach, then dimes, and then pennies higher up.  Things do often get classified and that is a common pattern when coins are being washed up.   

When coins are getting washed out from the beach, the pattern will often be reversed.  Quarters can be at the top and pennies at the bottom. 

If you have the pattern where quarters are at the top and pennies near the bottom of the slope but the tides are still fairly high, you might only be getting to the top half of the coin line.  

Of course, it can be even more complicated than that due to a variety of factors.  I can't address them all in a single post.

You can get a good idea by reading the beach, but there is a lot to it and there will be some level of uncertainty.  Things will continue to change as the tide comes in and out.  The effects can be cumulative over a multiple tide cycles or days, but a little sampling can help tell you where things stand.  It doesn't take long to do a quick check of an area, and it can be very worthwhile.  

Thanks for your email Mark. 

I've talked about some of this in the past, but it is complicated, and it doesn't hurt to repeat it or tell it in different ways.

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A few days ago I mentioned the silver find made on Oak Island.   Here is a clip of part of it.

I received an email concerning the find from Mark Z. an expert on knives and an author of a book on Bowie knives.  Here is what he said.

Long time reader of the TBR here, and a big fan of your well thought out content and commentary. I publish a monthly print magazine and can’t imagine trying to generate content on a daily basis like you do!

The silver find on the latest Oak Island episode is the “chape” (tip fitting) to a leather scabbard for a sword or dirk knife. I was surprised that they didn’t recognize it right away, but then again I deal with things like this all the time.

Mark Z.

Thanks Mark.

Check out his book and some of the other books on knives.  Here is the link.  Shop – Knife Magazine

And here is a link to the site on knives. Very good resource.

(KNIFE Magazine — http://www.knifemagazine.com)

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Surf Chart From SurfGuru.com.

Last night we had a brisk wind again. It was strong enough, that although it was from the south I'd expect some erosion to some front beaches. If you search around enough you can probably find some uncovered targets.

In a few more days it looks like we should get some higher surf.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net