7/31/24 Report - Story of a Lima Star Reale. Sheffield Plate Counterfeit Reale. Seine Catches One More Ring.

 

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

Star of Lima Eight-Reale.
From article by Augie Garcia on the Coincommunity web site.

...This coin lets us see the word "LIMA" spelled out, not abbreviated as LM. Star with 8 points above LIMA. Dot between 8 and assayer's initial to the right of the pillars. Assayer V is believed to be Francisco Villegas, not Juan de Villages who struck silver coinage when the mint reopened in 1684. The total of known pieces including all varieties is about 40 coins, only this one has been offered for sale on this variety and quality from the wreck of La Consolacion, the rest are or land finds or mostly from the Jupiter wreck...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

The Star of Lima or "Estrella de Lima" a Numismatic Rarity from Coin Community

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This one is a "Birmingham" forgery - made in England between 1796 and about 1820. It is a Sheffield plate copy of a Mexico City 8R of Charles III with a fake counterstamp of the Bank of England - the portrait is George III. Originals of this coin gave rise to the limerick - "The Bank (of England) in order to make its money pass, stamped the head of a fool on the neck of an ass."

A Sheffield plate is a sandwich of two thin layers of silver over a core of brass or copper. This technique was introduced in Sheffield, England to make inexpensive silver flat ware. It got taken over by counterfeiters shortly thereafter...

Here is the link for more of that article by swamperbob.

8 Reales "Birmingham" Counterfeit from Coin Community

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While sailing down the River Seine July 26 for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, one of the athletes representing Italy lost a prized possession: his wedding ring...

Here is that link.

An Olympian lost his wedding ring in the Seine. His apology note to his wife is the definition of love (msn.com)

Wouldn't you love to drain any river like the Seine.  Imagine what must be down there.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

Just keeping an eye on how the Atlantic basin is shaping up.  It seems there is some disagreement in models, which is to be expected.    Not much has changed since yesterday.

The surf chart shows knee-high through the week at this point.

Good hunting,

Treasuregjuide@comcast.net

7/30/24 Report - Maybe Storms Coming Our Way As Hurricane Season Picks Up. Remembering a Few More Metal Detecting Finds From the Past.

 

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

Source; nhc.noaa.gov.

Looks like something might be coming our way.  It now has a greater chance of becoming a tropical storm in the next forty-eight hours and the cone is a little fatter, but it looks like it, whatever it becomes, could be affecting Florida in a few days.  It is that time of year.  The dust coming off of Africa has been damping things some, but we are just getting into the active part of hurricane season.  It is something to keep an eye on.

Surf Chart For the Fort Pierce Area From Surfguru.com.

As you can see, we are still having a small surf on the Treasure Coast.  And we are still getting those hot south winds.

I've probably been to the beach only a few times this year.  The past few years have been difficult, but I sold mom's house. I'm glad I got that done and hope to get back to more metal detecting in the near future.  I also cleaned out my wife's aunt's house, which happened to be in Butler County Pennsylvania, which you heard so much about lately.  I've had a lot to do but think I'm over the hump and will have some free time again.

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A day or two ago, I showed a spot that I detected back in the day.  Here is another one of those from Google maps.

In a four hour period of metal detecting, I picked up fourteen, or was it fifteen rings, at this eroded beach (shown below), along with a lot of the 35mm WWII shells.

I was saying how some finds and events stick in memory.  That was a big one for me.  I think it was the largest number of rings I ever found in a four-hour period, but there were other finds from that area that I remember.

You'll notice the little bend in the creek where boats often parked.  The bank eroded there and the boats would stir things up and create holes.  That was fun.  I found an unusual nickel plate pen knife there.

Also, in front the building to the north of that, I remember finding an Indian head penny.

I clearly remember one more band from that area because of the circumstances of the find, not because it was anything special. 

I didn't hunt that area a lot, but the little time I spend there was pretty productive, especially that one day.

When I went there, it was never very busy.  I'm sure it is much more busy these days, but I heard they don't allow metal detecting there now.

I could go to many spots like that and recall specific finds and events.  That is one of the neat things about detecting.

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As hurricane season picks up, I'll be watching for storms.  Might as well get prepared.  Maybe we'll have some erosion before long.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/28/24 Report - Artifacts From Shipwreck Found. Remembering Metal Detecting Spots and Finds Via Google Maps.

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

Spikes and Various New Finds Submitted by James M

James M. found these items and thinks he might have found a new shipwreck.  He asked how to clean the items and I gave him instructions on how to start.

Two Views of Unidentified Encrusted Find.

I asked James to send photos of individual spikes etc.  An anchor was found too.

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Metal detecting provides a lot of memories.  If I use use google maps to look up and down the coast at the various beaches, many memories come to mind    Some are of particular finds, others are of spots and others are of events that occurred coincident to metal detecting.  \

When I look at some fo the beaches I've hunted in the past, I can see many changes.  Some hotels or resorts are completely gone for example.  Other places have changed in other ways.

Below is just one of many areas that I metal detected in the past.  It is one of many.  I selected it somewhat randomly.  I haven't been there for probably 25 years, but some of the memories remain.

I often hunted in front of the building you can see right on the beach.  Back then coins and silver jewelry would collect right in front of the building.  There was a little sea wall on the south, which I don't see in the picture above (maybe its buried or gone now).  But in front of the building was a collecting spot for coins and jewelry, including a lot of silver and turquoise.  I marked that area with a blue line in the picture.

Besides the area just in front of the building which I remember as a good spot, I remember a couple specific finds just to the north of the building. I found a very heavy gold bracelet where the little x is.  And back closer to the street where the sand was eroded and where I put the other blue mark, I found the coin shown below.  

It is about silver dollar size.

Mexico Coin Find.

I didn't know what it was.  I hadn't been detecting but a year or two when I found it. I didn't know what it was when I found it.  It turned out to be a 1957 Mexico peso.  At the time, I got excited when I first saw it, and that is probably the reason I remember it.  I think you can see why I got excited and thought it might be something better.  It is silver, so although it is not in good condition it is worth a little.

See Mexico ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS Peso KM 459 Prices & Values | NGC (ngccoin.com)

I could scan north or south between the Hillsboro Inlet and the Florida Keys and remember many many places and finds like that.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

The area that I noticed a day or two ago is developing.  Looks like it could eventually come our way.

The Treasure Coast surf remains small for the time being.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/27/24 Report - Watching the Atlantic. Sedwick Consignment Time. God and Bronze Coin Finds.

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

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

That one is headed in our general direction  Keep an eye on it. It has a ways to go, but if it develops could come our direction.

Of course, it isn't affecting us yet.

Treasure Coast Surf Predictions.
Source: SurfGuru.com.

The Treasure Coast tides are still pretty big.

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From Sedwick:

The consignment deadline for our next floor auction is August 19th. Unlimited cash advances available for qualifying consignments (flexible terms). If you cannot make it to the show or prefer a private meeting, we can travel to you, schedule permitting. Please contact us today by email at office@sedwickcoins.com or by phone/whatsapp at +407.975.3325.

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Archaeologists in Egypt have found the ancient burials of more than 60 people along with bronze coins and gold foil figurines, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced in a statement...

Researchers zeroed in on the 38 bronze coins found within a pottery vessel at the site. The coins date to the Ptolemaic period, a time when the descendants of one of Alexander the Great's generals ruled Egypt...

Here is the link.

Stunning ancient Egyptian artifacts discovered in more than 60 burials, including 'ba-birds' and 'eye of Horus' | Live Science

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Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1. first variable is number of people (NP)

2. second is time or history.  In other words. how long has it been a busy beech.  Sone beaches are popular lately but may or may not have been in past years or decades.

3. third is how much jewelry of interest they wear.

    3a. do they wear a lot.

First, remember that gold jewelry varies widely in quality and value.  Some pieces are worth just a little while other pieces are worth thousands of dollars.  Some beaches will have a lot of gold rings while others may produce fewer, but you must also consider the quality as well as the quantity.  Both quantity and quality must be taken into account.   One valuable ring can be worth more than many lower quality rings.

Of course, the first thing to consider when evaluating a beach for gold jewelry is the number of people that have been thee, not only now, but over a period of history, but some groups will lose more jewelry and some groups will lose more valuable jewelry.

There is a cultural element to consider.  In South Asia and the Middle East, 22k gold jewelry holds particular cultural significance. 22k gold is often seen as the preferred purity level for traditional jewelry and is often used in wedding and other ceremonial jewelry.

In Florida, there are cultural pockets and that is reflected in where you will find more or better gold jewelry.  Hollywood Beach, for example, was once a gathering spot for Canadian snowbirds and local youth.  I don't know if that is true anymore, but back then you would find a lot of gold. The finds would include mostly low karat gold jewelry and some class rings, but not the most extravagant jewelry.  There were other beaches though, where you wouldn't find as much jewelry, but where you would often find more expensive jewelry.

7/26/24 Report - Jewerly and Other Treasures Found. Drought Exposes Ancient Structures. More Signal Detection Theory.

 

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

An ancient Roman burial ground filled with treasure has been discovered in central Italy. Along with nearly 70 skeletons interred in carefully constructed graves, researchers found precious jewelry, leather goods, pottery and coins.

As lead archaeologist Emanuele Gianinnini tells CNN's Silvia Marchetti, his team had a “faint idea” that the site would yield valuables, “but the magnitude of the discovery is unmatched.”

Unearthed during a pre-construction dig for a solar energy plant, the burial ground lies on a 52-acre plot of land north of Rome. It’s not far from the ancient city of Tarquinia, known for Etruscan stone cemeteries dating to the seventh century B.C.E...

Here is that link.

Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Roman Cemetery Full of Jewelry, Coins and Clothing | Smithsonian (smithsonianmag.com)

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Last January, the Spanish autonomous region of Catalunya declared a state of emergency following months of severe drought that pushed authorities to ration water consumption in the area. As reservoirs across the countryside started to dry up, eerie remains of long-lost villages started to emerge.

The most iconic archeological discovery prompted by the drought is probably the 11th-century church of the village of Sant Romà de Sau, which had been completely submerged after the construction of a nearby dam in the 1960s.

Locals living in nearby communities were accustomed to seeing the top of the church emerging from the reservoir surface during dry spells, but had never seen the entire structure out of the water...

Here is the link for more about that.

How climate change is affecting Catholic heritage (aleteia.org)

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Signal detection theory is undoubted used by metal detector engineers but it is also explains detectorist behavior and suggests ways that detectorists can improve their success rate.   Anyone who understands signal detection theory and research will have a better and more complete understanding of metal detecting behavior.  It goes much farther than I have discussed it to this point, and I highly recommend studying it.  I've just touched on the basics in this blog even though I've mentioned it several times.

I found a great chapter on signal detection theory, if you want to look into it.  I'll post a an except to expand on what I said yesterday.  

In Experiment 1, I will give you 1 US Dollar for every time you correctly identify a signal with no penalty for being wrong, and you could earn up to $20 if you get them all. In Experiment 2, I will give you $20 at the start and take away $1 every time you incorrectly identify a signal with no bonus for being right. Far be it from me to assume how you would behave in each of those experiments, but if I had to guess, I would imagine that you might be more likely to identify signals in Experiment 1 than you would be in Experiment 2. It would only be natural to risk being wrong more easily in Experiment 1 and to be more cautious about being wrong in Experiment 2. From a strictly monetary-reward-maximizing perspective, the best strategy would be to say that you are seeing signals all the time in Experiment 1 and to say that you are never seeing signals in Experiment 2. Of course, those are two extreme examples, but we could – and as we’ll explore later in this chapter, do – tweak the schedule of rewards and penalties so that the decisions to make are more difficult.

To translate this to metal detecting, the first experiment would be like you are rewarded for digging every good signals but there is no penalty for digging junk.  Of course, in real life many detectorists regard digging junk as a penalty itself.  There is the time lost, effort, and emotional disappointment.  But if there is reward for correctly identifying good signals but no penalty for being wrong, The best strategy (the one that maximized the gain), the best strategy would be to dig everything.  But, as we know, there is the down side to digging everything.  

As is stated, those two experiments keep it simple to illustrate some of the basic principles. In real life, the rewards are variable in both frequency and value and the reward schedule are more complex and less well defined.  I don't know if I'll ever get into some of the more fascinating but complex aspects.  I've addressed some of it in other ways and other posts without using the academic terminology.

Here is the link for the chapter.

Chapter 8 Signal Detection Theory | Advanced Statistics I & II (bookdown.org)

And here is a previous post on it.

Treasure Beaches Report: Pt. 2. (2020 and Beyond). : 8/8/20 Report - Intro To Signal Detection Theory for Detectorists and Treasure Hunters. One Huge Meg Tooth. (tbr2020.blogspot.com)

For some reason people don't seem to want to get into the psychophysiological aspects of metal detecting, and that is how you can really understand detecting behavior and improve.

For improving performance, it provides some of the best conceptual tools.

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The tides on the Treasure Coast are pretty big these days.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/25/24 Report - Teenage Hiker Finds Ancient Ring. Decision Factors and Strategies and Likely Outcomes.

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

Ancient Ring Showing Goddess Minerva.

A teenager hiking in northern Israel unexpectedly discovered an 1,800-year-old ring adorned with an engraving of a Roman goddess holding a sword and spear.

The ring, which appears to be made of bronze, depicts Minerva, the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena, wearing only a helmet. Minerva, who was popular in the region during the Roman period, was "considered, among other things, as the goddess of war and military strategy, and also as the goddess of wisdom," Nir Distelfeld, inspector at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Theft Prevention Unit, and Eitan Klein, of the IAA's Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, said in a statement.


Yair Whiteson, a 13-year-old, found the ring while hiking with his father in Haifa. The two were walking near an ancient quarry on Mount Carmel when Yair, who likes to collect interesting rocks and fossils, noticed a "small green item" on the ground...

Here is the link for more about that.

1,800-year-old ring depicting Roman goddess discovered by ancient quarry in Israel | Live Science

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You can't cover the entire beach with a metal detector.  Where you put your coil is about the most important thing and will to a large extent determine your success.  

As you might know, the first factor in my formula for metal detecting success is location.  That applies at the macro and just as much at the micro level.  In other words, the beach you select is important but just as important is the part of parts of the selected beach you cover with your coil.  that is where your ability to read the beach comes in.

People who use discrimination often say they do it to save time by not digging a lot of junk.  I understand that. It can be a good strategy, but it seems to me, and this depends to some extent upon the individual, that discrimination may not save as much time as you think.  

I've seen some videos showing people using discrimination in its various forms and counted the amount of time they spend on the process of discriminating. They pass the coil back and forth over the target and watch the numbers trying to get a good reading and make a decision whether to dig or not dig.  They often spend so much time on that process that it would have been quicker to just dig the target and look at it.  I know that not everybody wastes so much time on that, but the process does take some amount of time that negates any time savings.   I'm not saying that you shouldn't do it or that everyone wastes time doing it - just that the way some people do it, it takes time too.  I get impatient watching detectorists try to figure out whether they will or will not dig a target and then take out a pinpointer and probe around with it for a while.  I find myself thinking, just dig it.   

Of course there are different situations and some of them call for discrimination, but for some of the most productive hunting, such as search for gold rings on a beach, for me, that kind of discrimination is a waste of time.  I can't get into all the details now.  

While discrimination is usually justified on the basis of time savings, there is actually more to it than that.  There is also the physical effort and emotional disappointment of ending up with a piece of junk. Many people get frustrated by digging junk. And again, there are times to do it, though I spend many years using only detectors that did not even have discrimination.  I still don't use it except for some occasions such as when I go junking.  

On a beach, especially in the dry sand, it takes almost no time to scoop and sift targets.  Improving target recovery skills is another way to save time.

Now here comes something very important to take into account.  Discrimination is not perfect.   I've shown that a lot of things that can affect a metal detector's signal. Those include the target position, surface area presented to the coil, target depth, target composition as well as other factors.    Even the sweep speed of the coil can affect the reading.

It will depend to some extent upon the detector, type of target and operator, but there is an error factor.  No detector will tell you everything you need to know to pick all the good targets and avoid all the junk. And the error factor is a very important consideration.  You might be pleased to miss some junk, but you never know what you left in the ground.  That is one of the biggest problems with discrimination.  You never know about the fails.  When you dig a target, you know for sure what it was, and you then know how your detector responded to that target in that situation.  That is helpful.  You also then know what was in that area, which in some cases is some of the best information you can gather concerning where to spend your time.  I've written before about the information value of a junk targets.  Junk targets help you track treasure.  They provide part of the information about the area and what is there.

Back to the very important error rate.  If you really want to know what the error rate is for different targets and different situations, you could do some tests.  That is something I'd highly recommend.  How does your detector react to different items, junk and good, including complex targets, ie watches, deep targets, targets laying at odd angles, etc. etc.

Here is a simplified illustration.

We can make it binary to make it simple enough to illustrate.  You interpret either a good signal or junk signal, and the two possible outcomes are good target or junk target. 

Again, this is a simplification, 

You can change your dig/no-dig criteria, requiring more certainty and dig fewer targets

As you change your criteria as shown above. you'll dig fewer junk targets but also fewer good targets.  

The horizontal line can be moved too.  You can raise it to illustrate the presence of fewer good targets relative to junk or lower it to illustrate more good targets relative to junk.

Of course, you could decrease discrimination and dig more junk and get more good targets.  There is an optimal level that could be determined if you knew the actual number of good and junk targets.  You can estimate that.  Your estimation can be improved as you test the area and gather information.

The ratio of good to junk targets is an important factor, but so also is the value of suspected targets.  For example, if you knew there were escudos in an area of high trash (maybe you just saw one dug by another detectorist), you'd probably be more willing to dig more trash and intensify your search for that very desirable target.  You wouldn't want to miss anything. What I'm talking about is doing it strategically.  As you can tell, I believe there is always an error factor, or to put it in other words, an amount of uncertainty, to take into account.  

I could go on with this forever, but probably still not convince everyone, and that is ok.  All I ask is that you consider these possibilities.  I think there is a good chance you will benefit even if you do not accept it all.

I'm never happy with my treatment of such complex topics.  I can't do a complete job on a vast topic like this in a single post.  I'll have to leave it at that.

The illustrations are just conceptual tools to help you visualize the trade-offs.

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No coincidence that the elitists select a new leader at the same time the U.S. flag is taken down and replaced by another.

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Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net.

7/24/24 Report - Ancient Surgical Tools Studied. St. Lucie Inlet Dredging and Queen Conchs. Book on Eight-Escudos.

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

Researchers have unraveled new insights into a collection of "beautiful and functional" ancient tools used by Roman surgeons around 2,000 years ago.

A team...  used state-of-the-art scanning technology to examine the six medical instruments, which include a bronze scalpel handle, two surgical probes, two needles and a spoon. These investigations revealed the intricate design and workmanship of the tools, casting light on how they might have been used by Roman medics in ancient Britain.

The artifacts were initially found around 125 years ago at a site along Walbrook, a subterranean river in London. This river was once above ground and played an essential role in the Roman settlement of Londinium, which eventually evolved into the modern city.

"These [medical] instruments illustrate aspects of Roman medical practice—not just ideas and theories but the kinds of interventions into bodies that occurred in the Roman world," Rebecca Flemming, a professor of ancient Greek scientific and technological thought, who has been studying the tools, told Newsweek....

"The wider application of 3D imaging to the rich collections of ancient Roman (and Greek) surgical instruments held in museums around the world would have substantial benefits in terms of greater appreciation of the design and craftsmanship involved—that these were objects and practices to which much attention was paid in terms of attempting to optimize the tools used," Flemming said...

Here is the link.

Scans Reveal Secrets of Roman Surgeons' 'Beautiful and Functional' Tools - Newsweek

Long after things are found, new ways of understanding and appreciating them appear.  The same kind of thing happens in the life of the detectorist.  An item can sit in a box or on a shelf for a long time before being appreciated after some new study or insight.  You can learn more about your finds as time progresses.

You'll occasionally find items that look very much like that, but they are difficult to identify.  Thin pointed objects are common and used for quite a variety of purposes.  Then when they are corroded, that makes it even more difficult to identify.

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The $9.3 million project, awarded to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, calls for the dredging of St. Lucie Inlet entrance channel and impoundment basin to required depths of 10 to16 feet with an allowable over depth of 2 feet.

The dredging was set to start on July 2; however, the project was temporarily suspended due to environmental conditions/concerns when the Queen Conch, a recently listed threatened species, was discovered within the project area on June 28, prior to the contractor’s arrival on site.

In coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), USACE requested an approval for “Urgent and Compelling Need” to relocate the Queen Conch away from the project area, in order to protect the threatened species...

Here is that link.

St. Lucie Inlet dredging now underway - Dredging Today

I don't know how they gathered and moved the conchs.  

Anyone?

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Sedwick is advertising a new authoritative book on eight-escudos.  

Very pricey at $295, but I can understand why.  

Book publishing is very expensive these days.  It is still handy and nice, in my opinion, to have hard copy books.  

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About 200 arrested in Cannon Rotunda for protesting Gaza war (msn.com)

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The ocean is still calm but today we'll have two pretty high tides.  

No storms forming on the NHC map.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/23/24 Report - Putting Your Coil In the Right Spot. Broken Windmills Endanger Beach Goers. Medieval Papal Palace.

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

Nantucket residents to avoid local beach as ‘hazardous’ debris collection continues.  

Dangerous shards from broken windmills washing up on the beach pose a threat to beach goers and has resulted in beaches being closed in the northeast.

Here is the link for more about that.

Vineyard Wind Crisis: Nantucket residents to avoid local beach as ‘hazardous’ debris collection continues – Hartford Courant

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Many detectorists pay a lot of attention to target IDs and tones as a form of discrimination. I'm not one of those. I teach a different approach.

It doesn't hurt to know your detector, including the tones and target readings, but that is not the most important skill for finding treasure.  Discrimination in its various forms is for missing stuff - not for finding stuff.

While there are situations when discrimination and target ID can be useful, it is often used when it is not helpful.  The most important skill for finding stuff, is putting your coil over good targets.

Target distribution is not random.  The longer the item stays on the beach and the more exposed it is to the forces (for example where the water hits) the more things will be classified or distributed and redistributed according to the laws of physics and nature.  I won't get into all of that again now.

So how do you more frequently put your coil over good targets?  Read the beach and analyze the distribution of objects on the beach.

I've said this before, but junk targets provide important information.  They tell you something about how things are distributed on the beach.  For example, if you are hunting gold rings, they are seldom going to be mixed in with aluminum - especially in high energy zones.  They will occasionally get mixed together in some places, but again, I can't detail all that now.  To improve the probabilities, you want to hit the hot spots where good targets will get dropped.

The basic idea is that there is way too much beach to cover, but there are some smaller areas that will produce more of the good targets.  The key is to not spend much time in the low probability areas and concentrate on the high probability areas.  If you are getting a lot of the wrong kind of items, that is a sign telling you that you are not in the best place.  You don't want to miss those signs.  The junk targets will point you away from areas where your chances are poor and toward better areas.  Read the beach, but also read the distribution of items on the beach.  Don't put on the blind fold of discrimination before you start to get that figured out.

===

Archaeologists have excavated a medieval palace where popes resided prior to the Vatican in Rome becoming the official residence, the Italian Culture Ministry said on Wednesday. This comes ahead of renovations for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, or Jubilee.

Working in the square outside the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in the city center, archaeologists uncovered an architectural palace structure which included walls, thought to have protected the Patriarchio, a staggering basilica brought to life by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, the ministry said in a statement...

Here is the link for more about that.

Papal Palace Unearthed at the Vatican, Rome - GreekReporter.com

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South Florida will get a lot of rain. Here is the link.

Tropical wave to bring heavy downpours and localized flooding across South Florida (msn.com)

 

Nothing much going on with the storm map or the Treasure Coast surf.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/22/24 Report - Tricks of the Old-Timers. You Can't Believe Everything You Hear. Is It Really All Gone?

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

Sterling Silver Swarovski Chrystal Ring
Find by Mark G.

I head from a detectorist who is still looking for his first gold.  He hasn't got it yet, and said he has been blaming hiss metal detector, and has been told by others that there is no gold in that area and it isn't being dropped there anymore.  

When he isn't finding anything, one of the first things a detectorist will likely blame is his metal detector.   The second thing he'll blame, as Mark suggested in his email, is the presence of good targets.  He might conclude there just isn't anything there.

We often hear that all the treasure is gone.  And that is easy enough to accept if you haven't been finding any, but it isn't completely true.  As I always say, there is always some place to hunt and something to find.  Yet you won't find it continually and you might need to make some changes.  

You can't believe everything you hear.  Not all detectorists are interested in encouraging more detectorists to detect hit their beaches. 

I told the story before about how one day I showed up at a beach and met a detectorists who was waiting for his friend to arrive.  We talked for a while, and, out of the blue, he told me he had been finding a lot of coins to the south.  He'd never offered anysuch  advice before, and I immediately suspected that he was trying to send me south for a reason.  So, I immediately went north.  It wasn't long before I turned around and saw him and his friend coming around the bend in my direction.  I wasn't surprised.  They made a bee line to a spot they evidently planned to hunt all along, and it wasn't to the south.

You can't always believe treasure hunters. Some of them will try to throw you off.  I think that was even more true back in the day, but I'm not sure it has changed that much.  There was a time when detectorists went to greater lengths to maintain a level of secrecy.

I once did a post on the tricks of the old timers.   Here is an excerpt from that old post that gives some of the old timer tricks.

They would carry a few pull-tabs or iron nails in a pocket, and when a good target was dug, they would leave a junk item by the hole so that anyone following would think junk is what came out of the hole.

When being observed, after digging a good target, they would make a motion that looks like the target is being tossed while palming the good target, eventually slipping the good target into a pocket unobserved.

After digging a piece of junk, they would stand there a few seconds inspecting the object as if it were the Queen's jewels and ceremoniously clean it off before sticking it in what would appear to be a goody pocket or bag.

They would make a show of digging some nice deep holes as if there were targets where there were no signals at all.

When nobody is observing them at the time, old timers not wanting anyone to know where they had hunted, would often hunt next to the water line or in a few inches of water when the tide is coming in so that any holes or tracks would quicky be covered.

They would sometimes spread junk over good spots to discourage others.

Here are some more.

Some old timers would paint or put duct tape on their metal detector to disguise it and make it look like a piece of junk.  

When asked if they found anything, they would always say nahhhh, and add that they never found anything.  They might add that they didn't think their detector even worked.

It was not uncommon to hunt at night to remain unobserved, and if hunting in the water, using a snorkel to remain low profile.  

There are more but I'll leave it at that for now.  The point is that treasure hunters do not always want to tip off or encourage other treasure hunters so you can't believe all of them all the time.

See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 10/25/13 Report - Treasure Coast Finds and Old Post On Tricks of the Old Timers

Pay ore attention to behavior than words.  Why would they hunt a beach if they believe nothing is there.  Some hobbyist might do that but the sun weathered guys that are out there all the time might know something.

I've told you many times about people telling me there is nothing at a particular area.  How do they know?  Some people really don't know.  Even if they are telling you what they really believe, they still might be wrong.  Use your own observations, tests and reasoning.

Make your own observations.  Look at the people that the beach.  What kind of people are they.  What do they have?  How do they behave.  If they are wearing good things, they will lose good things.  Maybe a lot, or maybe a little.  Some kinds of people will lose more than others.  Young active people will lose more than others.  And if they wear good stuff, they will lose good stuff.

Active people lose more gold rings - or gold chains.  If they are turning cartwheels, frolicking in the water, or playing volleyball, they will lose more than if they are lethargically lounging in a beach chair.  More will be lost in the water and around volleyball courts.  People do occasionally lose things by their beach chair, especially if they take a ring off before going into the water or apply suntan lotion.

Take a look at the ring at the top of this post.  It is a nice find, but it tells you something.  If that ring is typical of what people are wearing at a particular beach, you won't find the highest quality of jewelry there.  

Back in the 1970s through 1990s there was a TV program in which sports superstars from different sports came together and competed in things like weightlifting and swimming.  Some of those years the program was produced at a North Miami beach resort. That is near the ideal.  Wealthy active people gathering for days.  That area produced a lot of quality finds, including championship rings.  It helps to be in touch with local events and beach activities.  That is a type of researh if you are interested in modern finds.

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  No new storms developing and the small surf continues.. 

There will be a decent afternoon low tide.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/21/24 Report - Strategic Metal Detecting for Modern Jewelry. Size Compared to Value and Detector Settings. Code of Conduct.

 

Here is a simplified illustration.  It is not precise at all.  But I'll try to use it.

There is some correlation between size of gold rings and value, but the relationship is far from perfect.

The value of ladies can be affected very much by gemstones.  Rings holding more gem stones also tend to be a be bigger.

The chart above shows smaller ladies ring aren't very valuable, but as the size increases and there are more gem stones the value increases dramatically.   Men's rings, which tend to be larger than ladies' rings, on average along with larger ladies' rings, such as class rings, are not as valuable as engagement rings with good stones.  As men's rings get larger, both in diameter and weight, they tend to increase in value.  Then when you get up to large men's rings such as class rings and sports championship rings, at the higher end of the scale are large and more valuable.

As I recently told, when I began getting rings I thought women lost few rings, but I later discovered that I was finding more men's rings because I was using discrimination and missing a lot of ladies' rings.

The two red lines indicate different levels of discrimination.  The higher level of discrimination would miss a lot of the more valuable ladies' gemstone rings but get the majority of men's rings and some of the larger women's rings, but not the most valuable women's rings.  Dropping the level of discrimination down would get a lot of the more valuable women's rings.

Of course, size isn't the only important factor, but it is an important one.   Below is a quick test I once did.

Top: Small 2.9 gram 14K ring.
Second Row: ,.8 gram 14K charm, and thin 1.5 gram 10K bent ring
Bottom: 6.1 gram 18K ring

I once did some tests with a few gold targets (shown above) using the Equinox 600 metal detector

The first thing I found is that the EQX11 Double-D smart coil that came with the Equinox does indeed have a blunt sensitivity profile as you would expect from a double-d coil.  There appears to be some center effect though.  I

I mainly wanted to test the conductivity numbers for the different test targets to see what I could learn.  I was testing in an environment with a lot of nearby cables and electrical interference and would like to do my tests again in a cleaner environment.

The conductivity number for the first item, the small 14 K ring, was 12.

The conductivity number for the charm 14K charm was 9 - 12.

The conductivity number for the 10 K bent pearl ring was 6 -8.

The conductivity number for the 18K band was 26.

My original observation about men's and women's rings was made way back when I was using a Fisher Aquanaut.  It had a single know to increase or decrease discrimination.  it provided no conductivity numbers.

That one test confirms what I was attempting to show with the chart.   

It is important to know your metal detector and the response that it will give to various types of targets.  You need to know that so you can strategically select your settings.  

Also, the biggest rings are not always the most valuable.  Some great gemstone rings will be fairly small, for example.  The point is to be fairly specific about what you want to find; be informed about how it and other likely targets will sound to your detector, and develop your strategy based upon those kinds of things.

I've mentioned several times the importance of testing your detector with the kinds of targets you will likely encounter.  You can't do too much testing or get to know your metal detector too well.

Like I said, there are other factors to be considered.  For example, the last gold ring I found was a ladies class ring.  It was heavier than a lot of women's rings but didn't give a great response on my metal detector.  It was not laying flat.  It was almost standing up, which, as I've shown before, will often diminish the detector response.  In the past I've shown various tests of how the positioning of the object will affect the metal detector response, including the accuracy of target ID.

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Deut. 22.  1. If you see your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner. 2 If they do not live near you or if you do not know who owns it, take it home with you and keep it until they come looking for it. Then give it back. 3 Do the same if you find their donkey or cloak or anything else they have lost. Do not ignore it.

So that is the Bible version of the detectorist's code of conduct. or about what you would expect it to say, just in other words.

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Surf Chart From Surfguru.com.

Still nothing developing in the tropics.  

The surf is supposed to remain small all week too.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/20/24 Report - Spanish Coins Found by Hiker and Three Possible Conclusions. How Times Have Changed - Or Not.

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

Two old Spanish coins were found in the Glen Canyon Natoial Recreation Area by a hiker who didn't think they were anything special at first.

“The expert ... says that it looks like one coin (called a Maravedis) was minted in Madrid, Spain, probably in 1662 or 1663," the archaeologist said. "The smaller coin of the two, the visitor did some Internet research, and thinks it's probably mid-to-late 13th century. Doing some Internet eyeballing on my own, I kind of agree with that, but neither he nor I are coin experts."

Now here is something interesting int eh story.

The coins came to light ... when a hiker near Halls Crossing in the middle of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area spotted two bits of dingy metal on the ground in an area that was somewhat littered with garbage. The Colorado man, who has asked to remain anonymous, thought the two coins were recent trash. It was only after he got home and took a closer look at them that he realized he might have two pieces of the past, the long ago past.

I wanted to comment on some things in this story.  First, the coins were found with garbage.  Before getting into the main points, why was there trash in a National Recreation Area  Most of the places I've hiked have been pretty clean.  Hikers are generally pretty clean.  At least they were in the past when I was able to et out and do it.  Maybe that has changed in the years since i haven't been able to get out and do any serious hiking.  Some parks in Florida are bad that way, but not usually mountain hiking.  

But I wonder what kind of trash it was.  Was it old stuff that eroded out with the coins?  The hiker who originally mistook the coins for nothing special probably wasn't able to really tell the difference between modern trash an older stuff.  Or, it could have been a mixture of modern trash along with the old stuff.  We'll probably never know.  It probably would take the government a few years to get anybody out there to check for more coins or anything else interesting despite their claims of the coins possible significance and need to be saved for the public.

They speculated that there were three ways the coins could have ended up where they were found.  The first, which they considered the most exciting is that "these coins were actually brought there by some early Spanish settler or explorer. Which would be very exciting, because there’s really no strong evidence of early Spanish in this part of Glen Canyon. We do know that Dominguez and Escalante came through in 1776, trying to find a way from Sante Fe to California, but other than that, there’s just almost no other evidence for that sort of early Spanish presence here.”

You have to notice the spread of four hundred years between the two coins, if the dating is correct.  I don't know how common that would be.  I wish I knew.  

Here is another possibility they considered.  "The second possibility is that these coins were traded by, again, early Spanish settlers or explorers, to some Native American group, or individuals, who then either carried them to this location, or the coins were traded down the line," he said. "And essentially got here through Native American hands...

So, maybe the other trash noticed with the coins were actually native artifacts. Again, we'll probably never know despite their passion to save history for the public.

Items from different time periods can easily get intermixed when things erode out of a hill or, in or case, a sand dune.  

Here is the third possibility they considered.

Because they’re such two different dates, 1600s and probably early 13th century, and because when the visitor found them he described a lot of modern trash and garbage in the area that would be associated with things coming off of houseboats and/or land camping. There is a very real possibility that these things were modern," said Harmon. "That someone’s coin collection was either intentionally or accidentally lost.

That is a possibility that you always have to consider when you find something old.  It could have been dropped at any time.  People lose old things sometimes and it can be different to determine that.

I remember losing things right after finding them.  I told the story of how I dug a nice gold chain while water hunting, stuck it in my shirt pocket and on the way back to the car, the chain managed to snake its way through on small hole in my pocket.  When I got back to the car I discovered that the newly found chain was missing and I noticed the small hole.  I found the chain and lost it shortly after finding it. 

I told the story about how someone had a hole in their goody bag.  They thought they had a great spot that just wouldn't give up.  But coins were falling through the hole in their goody bag.

And then there were Spanish coins that were salvage from a shipwreck only to be lost again when the salvage boat sank.

Old things can be kept a long time before being lost.  The spread between the time an item is crated and used, and the time of the loss can be huge.

A kid can take grandpas coin to school for show and tell and lose it on the way.

Of course, the fear mentioned in the article is that swarms of detectorists would be drawn to the area in search of more coins.  

I only posted a few short excerpts from the article and made a few comments.  Here is the link for the rest of the article.

 Centuries-Old Spanish Coins Found At Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Tell No Tales (nationalparkstraveler.org)

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I read the following article and thought it was so good that everybody should read it.  It is information-dense, so not an easy read, but an excellent commentary on the times.  Every sentence is worth the effort to understand.

This is our concern, that every man be able to increase his wealth so as to supply his daily prodigalities, and so that the powerful may subject the weak for their own purposes. Let the poor court the rich for a living, and that under their protection they may enjoy a sluggish tranquility; and let the rich abuse the poor as their dependents, to minister to their pride. Let the people applaud not those who protect their interests, but those who provide them with pleasure. Let no severe duty be commanded, no impurity forbidden. Let kings estimate their prosperity, not by the righteousness, but by the servility of their subjects. Let the provinces stand loyal to the kings, not as moral guides, but as lords of their possessions and purveyors of their pleasures; not with a hearty reverence, but a crooked and servile fear. Let the laws take cognizance rather of the injury done to another man’s property, than of that done to one’s own person. If a man be a nuisance to his neighbor, or injure his property, family, or person, let him be actionable; but in his own affairs let everyone with impunity do what he will in company with his own family, and with those who willingly join him. Let there be a plentiful supply of public prostitutes for every one who wishes to use them, but specially for those who are too poor to keep one for their private use. Let there be erected houses of the largest and most ornate description: in these let there be provided the most sumptuous banquets, where every one who pleases may, by day or night, play, drink, vomit, dissipate. Let there be everywhere heard the rustling of dancers, the loud, immodest laughter of the theatre; let a succession of the most cruel and the most voluptuous pleasures maintain a perpetual excitement. If such happiness is distasteful to any, let him be branded as a public enemy; and if any attempt to modify or put an end to it let him be silenced, banished, put an end to. Let these be reckoned the true gods, who procure for the people this condition of things, and preserve it when once possessed.

Now here is the surprise.  That text was written in the mid-5th century to describe ancient Rome.  It was written by St. Augustine as part of the book, City of God.   The excerpt appeared in an article puclished in The Lamp (How I Joined the Resistance (thelampmagazine.com).  

Things haven't changed much, except perhaps the human genius reflected in the analysis, which is certainly rare today, though admittedly we are talking about one of the world's great thinkers.

Pondering the above sentences will help anyone better understand the current times.  I found the first two sentences especially enlightening and insightful.  And I often wondered how the most highly paid of society are those in sports and entertainment.

I know it doesn't have to do with beaches, but insight is a kind of treasure, even if it is not the kind we usually talk about.

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Surf Chart From Surfguru.com.

Another week of small surf and there is nothing worth mentioning on the National Hurricane Center map now.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net