11/22/24 Report - Viking Hoards from Isle of Man. Old Inscribed Note Leads to War Story. Moderating Tides.

 

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

More Viking Age silver has been discovered per square kilometer on the Isle of Man than in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

A recent find of Viking-age silver coins on the Isle of Man has been declared to be treasure at an inquest. John Crowe and David O’Hare found the 36 coins in a field using a metal detector from January through April.

The coins date between 1000 and 1065, the majority having been minted during the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-1066). The balance of the find was issued in the names of Aethelred II (978-1016) and Canute (1016-1035). The coins range from 17 to 20.5 millimeters in diameter. Some coins have test cuts, having been checked for quality by merchants. New Hampshire-based Kristin Bornholdt Collins has studied the find..

Six additional major hoards of Viking Age material have been found on the Isle of Man. In 1870, the 10th-century Ballacamaish Hoard, consisting of a silver armlet, two silver neck rings, and a silver finger ring, was found at Andreas, Ballacamaish...

Here is the link for more about that.

Viking Hoards Abound on the Isle of Man - Numismatic News

It took three months for detectorists to unearth a hoard.  Go back, go back and go back.

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Here is a fascinating story. A fellow who likes to collect inscribed currency with historical references. He found this one while perusing eBay.

As he describes...

The note was housed in a PMG Very Fine 25 holder with a notation of “contemporary inscription.” The seller did not attempt to decipher the inscription and did not even mention it in his item description. Nonetheless, he had priced the note as if there was no writing on it. After all these years, I have gotten pretty good at reading all kinds of early cursive/script writing, and this was no exception. What I read was interesting, so I contacted the seller, got a better price, and bought the note...

The red pen inscription reads as follows:

"Rec’d from Mrs. Geo. M. Studebaker May 15-1898 and followed the route of the 157th Ind. U.S.V. and returned to its former owner on Feb. 22, 1899."...

Here is that note.

The author conducted additional research that led to an amazing personal story.

You might want to read the article.

Here is the entire link.

Inscribed Note Leads to Unique Story - Numismatic News

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It is really nice when you make a find and through research discover a very detailed story like the one above.  If you've found and researched coats of arms or other personal identifying marks on artifacts, you get a similar feel.

As I've mentioned before, some schools were no longer teaching cursive and young people were unable to read it.  I personally met a young man that told me he couldn't read cursive.  I've heard, though, that some of those schools are starting to teach it again.

There are several benefits to teaching cursive.  For one thing, as pointed out by this article, it is helpful for conducting historical research.  It also develops fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, and then  there is the aesthetics of cursive and the matter of personal expression and style such as with calligraphy and signatures.

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Source: SurfGuru.com.

We are still having some north winds and a three to four foot surf.  The high tides are becoming a bit more moderate.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

11/21/24 Report - Mystery Object Identified. 700-Year-Old Shipwreck. Neanderthal Fossil Collection(?). North Winds.

 

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

Dillard H. identified the mystery object found by Dan B. and posted in my 11/20 post.

Dillard said it is a guard off a sickle bar mower.  The item shown above is one I found online after reading Dillar's solution.  

Below is the one Dan found.

Mystery Object Found by Dan B.

Thanks to Dillard H. for identifying Dan's mystery item.

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A shipwreck discovered during a search for dumped wartime ammunition in Norway's Lake Mjøsa has been identified as a local "føringsbåt" from up to 700 years ago. But bad weather has prevented researchers from finding out more.

The wreck, which lies at a depth of around 1,300 feet (400 meters), was found in 2022 by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) mapping the lake for Norway's military.

The discovery caught the attention of researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) based in the city of Trondheim. But they were not able to revisit the wreck until last month.

NTNU maritime archaeologist Oyvind Odergard told Live Science that he and his colleagues explored the wreck for about an hour using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV)...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Scientists glean new details of mysterious, centuries-old shipwreck submerged in Norway's largest lake

===

Neanderthals collected fossils too?

A stash of 15 marine fossils has been found in a Neanderthal cave in northern Spain, indicating that the extinct hominids may have developed a passion for accumulating stuff in the same way that modern humans collect baseball cards, stamps, and memorabilia. Reporting the discovery, researchers say they currently have “no valid hypothesis” to explain the hoard of apparently useless objects, but suggest that the eye-catching specimens may have been gathered by Neanderthal children who found them entrancing.

The practice of collecting may seem like a pretty basic behavior, but it is in fact indicative of advanced cognition since it requires items to be imbued with symbolic meaning...

Here is that link.

Neanderthal Children May Have Collected Fossils, Just Like Modern Kids Collect Stickers | IFLScience

Neanderthal Fossil Collection
Source: IFLScience (See link above)

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Ft. Pierce South Inlet 11/21/24
Source: SurfGuru.com

Source: Surfguru.com.

We had a front come though and got a north wind but the surf is not too high.  The high tides are not as high now either.

Good hunting,

TreausureGuide@comcast.net

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11/20/24 Report - Some Recent Finds and a Whatzit. Changing Focus and Benefits of Metal Detecting. Navy's Dancing Mouse Discovered.

 

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

Whatzit
Find by Dan B.

I received these find photos and the following email message from Dan B.  Can you identify the above mystery object?

Amazing how our worlds morph and change in front of our eyes. Pretty cool time to be alive.

Realizing at this point metal detecting's' true value for me is some opportunity to be alone but in when my mind won't wander because I am focused and tuned in. It feels very good. 

Yesterday I didn't plan to go but had a detector and needed to kill some time. I tried some old spots and found that one has opened up for me.  So in very little time found a few fun trinkets and my favorite...a whatzit. 

Iron plow looking part. Very neat.

I have been thinking lately that I need to find some kids and pass on my love for detecting. Too many children especially boys don't have people to encourage and show them the wonders of being in nature. I think they need it more that anyone at this point. Curiosity is a real gift. And children aren't starving for this stuff. If you know anywhere that I could pitch in let me know. 

Two More Finds by Dan B.

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Metal detecting can serve many purposes, and over the years it has changed a lot for me.  My first stage might be called curiosity.  I wanted to see what I could find and kept extensive records or my finds.

After I learned I could regularly find things of value, I was focused on finding gold. I even took a summer off my teaching to see if I could make a living metal detecting.  I learned that I could, but also that I didn't want to.  I preferred to continue detecting as a hobby.

And lately, I feel it is more important to find good homes for finds than continue accumulating.  Eventually they'll all have to go somewhere.

As has been said, you will only be a temporary caretaker for your found objects.  Eventually they will be going to someone else, if they are well taken care of.

Metal detecting provides many benefits.  Dan mentioned some of those.  I've often said that metal detecting is a great way to get young people interested in any of a wide variety of topics, including such things as history, archaeology, metallurgy, electronics, numismatics, probability, and just yesterday I mentioned ergonomics.   Metal detecting can lead you almost anywhere. 

It is definitely a good way to get some exercise and enjoy nature.  

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The wreck of a US warship sunk in a World War II battle dubbed one of the bravest ever stands by a US Navy vessel has been found in the depths of the Pacific, US and Australian officials announced Monday.

Known as the “dancing mouse” due to its slippery movements in that final, fatal fight with the Imperial Japanese Navy, the destroyer USS Edsall went down off the coast of Australia in 1942, under the command of Lt. Joshua Nix.

“Joshua Nix and his crew fought valiantly, evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers before being attacked by 26 carrier dive bombers, taking only one fatal hit,”...

Here is the link for more about that.

Wreck of US Navy’s heroic ‘dancing mouse’ WWII warship found off Australia

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3Source: SurfGuru.com

We are still having some pretty good high tides, but not as big as recently.

As you can see, the surf is only 2 - 3 feet.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/19/24 Report - Deep Sea Recovery of WWII Pilot and Possessions. More On Metal Detector Rod Assemblies. Continuing High Tides.

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

Recovered Ring Belonging To Deceased WWII Pilot.

The remains of 21-year-old WWII aviator was recovered from sunken bomber but that isn't all.

The Friday announcement came a year and a half after the Navy conducted a dramatic, high-tech descent to the Pacific Ocean crash site in a diving bell, recovering human remains, several dog tags and Kelly’s Army Air Forces ring....

Heaven Can Wait was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft gunners off the coast of the Pacific island of New Guinea on March 11, 1944, taking Kelly and 10 others to their deaths. Kelly was 21...

The diving apparatus, somewhat like a space station, included a pressurized habitat, where the divers lived aboard the ship, and a pressurized diving bell, which they used to reach the bottom.

The system allowed them to work in the pressure of deep water for long periods without having to decompress after each dive, the Navy said. They needed to decompress only at the end of the project.

Once on the bottom, the divers exited the diving bell and gathered material from the crash site into big baskets that were hauled up to the ship to be sifted for artifacts...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/remains-of-21-year-old-ww-ii-aviator-recovered-from-sunken-bomber/ar-AA1uekqW?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=743907e8641f42b1abf8fd7887943e6c&ei=16

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Yesterday I talked some about metal detectors and rod assemblies.  The thought that started me on the topic was the evolution of metal detectors. Some things haven't changed much, including especially what many would consider the least important part - the rod assembly.  

Perhaps some detectorists have paid more attention to the rod assembly than I have.  The proper adjustment will help you get a better swing and help your level of comfort and endurance.  That is a topic worth getting into, but I won't today.

The common configuration with the S-shape upper rod that has an armrest could be the best possible configuration, but I don't know about that.  Being someone who believes it is always possible to do things better, I doubt it is the best possible design - at least not in all ways.  Yesterday I talked about using longer and shorter rods for specific situations.

A few metal detectors are very compact when folded up or collapsed for transport.  That is handy, but evidently isn't seen as important enough to become predominant.  Of course, cost and prices is always a factor, but so is the willingness to accept things that are popular and being widely used.  

The one thing I really don't like about most rod assemblies is the little spring clips that are used to adjust the pole length.  I've often replaced them with bolts and nuts - non-metallic in some cases.

Continuing development in electronics such as wireless technologies will eventually change rod designs.  The rod will not need to hold either wires or a control box unless you want some type of visual readout in addition to your audio signals.

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Sara has disappeared, as expected.

The high tides are remaining really high, while the surf is decreasing.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/18/24 Report - Metal Detectors and Rod Assemblies: Some Things You Can Try. High Tides Continue.

 

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

World War I Metal Detector.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_detector

People are often impressed by the rate of technological change and there is reason for that, but when it comes to metal detectors, the basic form has remained mostly unchanged for the last half century or more.

Above is a photo of a World War I metal detector.  The thing you'll probably notice first is the two coils.  That is very much like the two box detectors used for large deeply buried targets.  One example is the Fisher Gemini (shown below).  

Fisher Gemini Two Box Detector.

I still have one of those, and the last time I used it was to find a septic tank.

But when you think of hobbyist metal detectors, you probably think of the most common form with a round coil (actually two coils, both transmit and receive coils in one case) at the end of a rod assembly with forearm cuff at the top, and an attached control box just ahead of the hand grip.  That basic assembly has remained little changed over the last half century.

Sometimes change comes at a snail's pace.  That configuration works and is acceptable to most users.

Before the current rod assembly style, the rod handle either extended from the control box or curved from behind the control box up and over the control box and did not provide forearm support.  You can see that on many vintage Garrett detectors.

Detectorists in general are most concerned with detecting depth and target ID.  I'd say detection depth in general has increased some over the years as has target ID, but not as much as was promised by some of the manufacturers.  I remember adverstisements claiming that a detector would let you see what was in the ground before you dig it.  Some very expensive detectors do provide some decent target images but not having the detail that you might want.  On the hole, while hobbyist detectors do provide some target ID, detectorist always want more and better target ID.

But what I started to talk about today first is the rod assembly, as described above.  The most common configuration allows the detectorist to easily walk around.  Making the proper rod adjustments helps.

There are times when I've used something other than the typical rod configuration.  There have been times when I wanted something else.  

The metal detector shown below does not have a long rod.  You might want a shorter rod when diving, for example.  A very short rod can also be good when metal detecting on a steep hill.  I've talked about that before.  See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 9/22/16 Report - Pigeon Island. How To Metal Detect a Steep Hillside. Spys In The American Revolution.

Handheld Metal Detector.

Here is an illustration showing how the short handle works on a steep hill. 

The short handle configuration is easy to pack too.  There have been times when I don't want to bother with the entire rod assembly when traveling or just want to carry my detector in a back pack.  A short rod besides being easy to pack, makes you detector less conspicuous.  

I once took a Tesoro metal detector without the rod assembly on a trip.  I used only a short piece of wood as the handle.  I drilled the short wood handle so I could attach the coil.  The wood handle was only about a foot long.  I used a belt mount, which I haven't seen anybody use in recent years.  

Back in the day when metal detector control boxes were heavier and the handles not as ergonomic, people would use a belt mount.   I have also seen a few people hang the control box from a strap around their neck.

There are also times when you might want a longer rod.  Below is an example.

 I recently posted an extended handle I used on a recent trip.  That is shown below.

Garrett Ace With Extended Handle.

On a trip up North, I used a piece of wood to lengthen the handle.  The wood extension fit into the top Ace rod.  I found the long rod surprisingly easy to swing and use.  The long handle fit nicely under my arm and made for easy swinging.  It also allowed me to easily reach places that would otherwise be more difficult.

The extension was easy to make from a piece of scrap corner molding I happened to find.  I didn't have to take the entire Ace rod assembly on the plane. That is one advantage - not that it is difficult to take a metal detector on a plane, but I like to travel light.

So what I am saying today is that if you have the coil, control and control box and optionally headphones, you don't have to use the stock rod assembly and there are occasionally benefits from modifying the rod assembly, which is easy to do.

There are situations when you might want to carry your detector in a disassembled state and put it together on site.  

You also might want to be creative with your digging or recovery tools.  I've shown scoops with extra-long handles, for example.  but sometimes you might want to go low profile.  There are times when you might only need a screwdriver or knife as a recovery tool.  That of course depends upon the situation.  If diving, you might only need to do a little hand fanning.  

With the new wireless technologies and phone apps that should allow additional creative solutions.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

I wasn't expecting much out of Sara and it doesn't look like it will do much.  I do expect some cold fronts to come through this month.

Source: Surfguru.com.

 We are still having big high tides, but the surf will be decreasing.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

 

Sparkling Antique Cut Glass: Patterns, Value, & Identification | LoveToKnow

 forea

landmarks

11/16/24 Report - Gold Prices Decline from Recent Highs. Ancient Solomon Pendant Found. More Beach Renourishment Projects.

 

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

Gold Spot Prices For Year.
Source: Gold Price Today | Gold Spot Price Charts | APMEX®

After reaching a high of 2800.80 per oz. this year, gold has finally begun to fall back some but is still at a lofty $2562.00.

According to the US Inflation Calculator site, (Inflation Calculator | Find US Dollar's Value From 1913-2024) it would take about $1.83 to buy in 2024 what you could buy for a dollar in the year 2000.

Today's dollar will purchase only about five percent of what you could purchase with a dollar in 1900, or to put it another way today's dollar is worth about five cents when compared to a dollar in 1900.

As a more concrete example, I remember that a Hersey bar cost me 5 cents back sometime in the 1950s but today would cost closer to $1.50, depending upon where you get it.  That shows an even greater rate of inflation for that particular product.  I don't know how much the size of the bar has changed, but that is something else.   I think it was similar in size.

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An ancient pendant showing Solomon was excavated.

Excavations at the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Eskipazar, Karabük — a settlement from the Late Chalcolithic, Roman, and Early Byzantine periods— have revealed a stunning pendant amulet bearing the image of the Prophet Solomon...

Çelikbaş explained that work on the project continues in the ancient city. Noting that significant finds were found, saying, "One of them was uncovered this week during the excavation of the structure we named ‘SDJ-3.’ We believe it is a significant artifact for Anatolian archaeology since no similar examples have been found in this region before. It is actually an amulet pendant."

Describing the features that make the object important, Çelikbaş said: "The depiction shows the Prophet Solomon on horseback, spearing a demon. Why this depiction? Because the Prophet Solomon is important in all three major religions. He is noted as a ruler in Judaism and the Bible and in Islam, he is recognized not only as a ruler but also as a prophet. Therefore, the depiction of the Prophet Solomon, important in monotheistic religions, on this pendant both surprised us and showed us its importance for Anatolian archaeology."

Çelikbaş noted that the inscription on the pendant reads "Our Lord has overcome evil" and said: "Why was this pendant, this amulet, found here? ...

Here is the link for more about that.

Ancient pendant found at Hadrianopolis

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Here we go again.  More beach renourishment is scheduled for Indian River County.

The next strip of beach receiving a makeover is known as Sector 4, about a 3-mile stretch, from a point a half-mile south of Turtle Trail beach access 2.9 miles south to Mariner Lane...


The Sector 3 renourishment project was completed in April, and Sector 5 work is slated to begin late next year.

Sector 3, about $13 million, is 6.6 miles from Ambersand Beach, while Sector 5 is 3.1 miles from Bay Oak Lane.

Together, the three sectors comprise nearly 60% of county's coastline, according to Coastal Resource Manager Quintin Bergman...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-county/2024/11/15/johns-island-beaches-getting-makeover-from-next-dune-restoration-project/76109213007/

Thanks to DJ for that link.

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Now the weather reports are saying that Sara is going to fizzle out over Central America, which is what I said a few days ago when Accuweather was predicting a big hurricane to hit West Florida.  A couple days ago I saw one bunch of spaghetti models showing Sara coming towards West Florida, but I never really expected that.  It is hard to put a lot of trust in any of the news sources anymore.

For the Treasure Coast, Surfguru is predicting four to six feet for Saturday.  Not bad.  The swells are northeast.   I'd like to see a stronger north wind.  According to them, the winds will be pretty northerly for a short time.

Source: surfguru.com.

The tides remain high.  While I'm not expecting anything near ideal beach conditions, it sure is better than summer.  I find the cooler weather nice for being out, and with the high tides and everything, you can probably find a few better spots to hunt.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net.

11/15/24 Report - He-Who, What, Why. Extracting Silver From Galena(?). Spanish Colonization Details. High Tides.

 

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

He Man Action Figure in Heritage Auction.

This is way off what I planned to talk about today, but I just noticed the incredible price on this He-Man action figure.  It was going for over $3000.00 in a Heritage Auction. 

The reason I noticed it and the reason I'm talking about it, is that I once found one of these on a beach.  That was years ago.  I remember taking it to a comic book store and was offered a few bucks for it.  Of course, the one I found wasn't mint in the package like the one up for auction, but it was still worth a few bucks, and I picked it up while metal detecting one day.  

I always recommend being aware of the many different kinds of things of value that you might see while metal detecting.  I learned about fossils that way. One day I saw something that looked interesting but didn't know much of anything about it.  That was the beginning. 

If you are in doubt, pick up that curious object and do a little research.  If it isn't worth anything and you don't find it interesting at all, just throw it away.  

I didn't know about collectible bottles when I picked up my first old embossed White House vinegar bottle.  That was after hurricane Andrew.  Since then I learned a bit about bottles and really enjoy finding good old examples.

It was ten years ago that I did a post that mentioned finding action figures and hot wheels toys on the beach.  

Here is that link.

Masters of the Universe He-Man 8 Back AFA 85 (Mattel, 1982).... | Lot #88001 | Heritage Auctions

I probably mentioned other toys in other posts, but don't remember for sure.  

After thinking about it, I do remember a Donald Duck and a few others that I sold several years ago.

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A new study provides evidence that the last inhabitants of Christopher Columbus’ first settlement desperately tried to extract silver from lead ore, originally brought from Spain for other uses, just before abandoning the failed mining operation in 1498. It is the first known European extraction of silver in the New World...

“We first thought they mined the galena locally to extract lead for weapons, such as lead shot and musket balls or ship sheathing,” said Deagan, a distinguished research curator at the Florida Museum “But an isotope analysis showed it was actually from Spain. And metallurgical analysis shows they were trying to extract silver...

Here is the link for more about that.

Early Columbus settlement was desperate to find metals – Research News

I don't know about that.  I'm skeptical about that interpretation.  Maybe?

Sorta reminds me of what I said about alchemy not too long ago.

See what you think.

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Here is an excerpt from Spanish Colonization of the New World, an interesting study by Carl Butzer.

Two studies are available to estimate the flow of Spanish immigrants to the New World. A list of 55,000 migrants 1493-1600 has been tabulated by Boyd-Bowman (1976 a), who suspects that this represents only 20% of the real number, because of incomplete lists and many missing years. A different approach was taken by Morner (1976), who used the data of Chaunu a. Chaunu (1955) to calculate the total number of westward voyages from Spain, the tonnage per ship, and the estimated numbers of passengers per ship, to arrive at 162,000 overseas migrants for 1506-1600. Taking into account the ships that did not return to Spain, one must still add their crews to this total, i. e., as many as 81,000 short term sailors who may have remained in the New World (Morner 1976). The estimate of emigrants accordingly lies between 162,000 and 243,000. If we take a median value, and allow for the fact that one out of seven 19th century transatlantic migrants even tually returned to Europe, a net emigration figure of 175,000 can be proposed...

Here is the link for more about that.

Butzer-1991-Spanish-Colonization-of-the-New-World.pdf

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A few days I showed an Accuweather report suggesting that the current system down by the Yucatan would become a cat 3 hurricane and strike the Florida West Coast.  At the time I said I had a hunch it would fizzle.  Below is what the NHC is showing for that now.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

And here is the surf report.

Source: SurfGuru.com.

We are having some real high tides.  The Friday morning high tide is supposed to be nearly four feet.  You don't see that vey often.

The surf remains rough and will become bigger Sunday.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net