Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Beautiful Mercury Found by Michael T. |
With the heat, humidity and all the beach renourishment sand that hasn't yet washed away, beach hunting has been slow this summer. As I always say, though, there is always some place to hunt and something to find.
Michael T. from Stuart proved that. Below is his email.
Hi, it’s Mike T. in Stuart. I haven’t got out for much beach hunting this season since they dredged all of our Martin County beaches earlier in the year as well as it has just been a really hot summer.
I’ve been focusing more of my attention on inland sites and historical research.
I often think of that story you shared of the railroad site near your house, where you repeatedly were finding pieces of the past, and that is the kind of stuff that intrigues me.
This hunt was from a park here in Martin County that dates back to the early 1940s. I have hunted this park so many times and I have hunted it with my good friend as well and we have found lots of targets over and over. Many people would say that the spot is hunted out, but I never truly believe that is the case. I have been back many times trying different techniques with different coils in different weather and soil conditions and it always makes a difference and I always find more stuff.
This trip out was on a steamy Saturday afternoon after it had just rained. It was about 92° out. Normally I wouldn’t hunt too long in this kind of heat, but the targets were popping up more than usual in the same spot I had hunted over and over. I was using the Manticore with the M9 coil. It has become my favorite coil for this machine for many reasons. As I went over the same patch of ground that I have hunted at least eight times I decided that this day I would work a very specific small area about 20 ft.² Because this is a park with lots of history, there are lots of old pull tabs and bottle caps. Lots of folks will not hunt these spots because it really takes patience and your ears take a beating but this is the type of hunting I enjoy most. It is truly the needle in the haystack.
The lesson keep learning is that there is always more stuff in the ground and the slower you go, and the more methodically you hunt the more treasure you will find.
I’ve pulled many wheat pennies and old nickels out of this area and a few other silver dimes but this day the ground gave up additional coins including a near mint condition mercury dime. I was sad that my shovel touched it and left a small scuff because it truly was beautiful when it came out of the ground. Maybe the heat and fresh rain helped the signals as well that day, but either way it just reaffirms that there is always more treasure to be found even if a spot has been hunted over and over…. Just try it again!
As a sidenote, I have enjoyed starting a collection of old pull tabs. I have several of the first pull tabs ever made, and this particular site is full of older styles so I’m starting a collection and at some point I will assemble them and send a picture.
Not all junk is junk!
Thanks as always for your continuing support of the hobby and your informative posts. :)
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| Back of 44 Mercury Dime Found by Michael T. |
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| Nice Collection of Finds from Michael T. on a "Worked Out" Area. |
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| Heavily Pitted Penny Found by Michael T. |
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| Pull Tab Collection by Michael T. |
It has been hot this summer. Make sure to stay hydrated if you tough it out.
The past winter's freeze killed some of the undergrowth and allowed good metal detecting in previously overgrown areas. With recent rains that plants are coming back though.
There are a lot of good tips in Michael's email. Don't be afraid to do what Michael did. Go back to the same supposedly worked out or junky areas. Going slow, as Michael explains, will help you pick through the junk.
Junk can protect good targets either by masking or just keeping a lot of detectorists away.
If you develop an interest in junk, as Michael did, that will help you to work those kinds of areas.
A few months ago, I saw a documentary about a fellow in New York City that searched the city streets for what most people would consider common junk and then mounted and displayed it very artistically in frames. He made some nice looking art from what other people were throwing away.
I've been noticing how active the moles have been tunneling around my yard. They really do a lot of digging, which could explain one way that small buried objects get moved in the earth even after they've been buried for a long time.
I've mentioned several times in this blog how I will go back to the same old sites. I've hunted some of the sites many times and still find stuff. I mentioned several possible reasons for that in the past.
The great post by Russ P. about his sifting experiments also showed how much is still in the ground after detectorists have gone over the ground until it was thought to be worked out. See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast. Copyright 2001 - 2026.: 3/26/18 Report - First Investigation Ever To Really Answer Two Big Questions: How Much Is Actually In The Ground As Compared To How Much Will Be Found Using A Metal Detector. If you haven't read that post yet, I consider it a must read.
Sites like Michael's provide a good opportunity to test your skills and try new techniques.
I got a new Manticore in the later part of 2025 and have become a fan.
That dime is really nice. The beautiful condition is interesting, especially as compared to the pitted penny.
The thing you want to see on a Mercury dime is Full Bands. That jumps the value up considerably. Michaels find looks to be in really great condition.
This link shows the values. Check out the prices for a FB (full bands) example.
Great finds Michael. Thanks for sharing.
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Nothing new on the NHC map, but it looks like we could finally get a little more surf in a few days.
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| Fort Pierce Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com. |
Seek and ye shall find.
TreasureGuide@comcast.net