Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Metal detecting just off the beach

This time last year I was searching on the bluffs just above Smiths Cove on Oak Island Nova Scotia, and rescued this 1885 Canadian coin 


I like metal detecting just off the beach in remote areas, especially overlooking coves where ships would have anchored years ago. 
The high ground overlooking natural coves or inlets is kind of like the "Towel line" at the beach. 
It is the area people are more likely to sit and lose jewelry or coins for several different reasons, maybe taking in the view of the water, changing clothes, or answering the call of nature.
The majority of my inland coin recoveries on Oak Island, came off the higher slopes opposite coves or bays. 
The majority of my beach found coins from the 1600s & 1700s, came off beaches at those same coves or bays. 
Several areas around the island, always produced coins and musket balls on the rocky beaches and way up on the high ground.
Unfortunately, in Florida we do not have a lot of real high ground opposite Spanish shipwreck beaches. 
If we did, I am pretty sure I would find just as much old coins on the high ground overlooking the shipwreck beaches as I do on the beaches. 
If you are fortunate to have popular beaches with high ground at the back of the beaches, you may be surprised how much jewelry and coins you can recover away from the beach. 
The same applies to popular inland swimming holes at rivers, where do you think people take their clothes or shoes off to go swimming or wading?
The more history connected to the area, the more your chances of recovering older coins or jewelry. At saltwater beaches, anything recovered from the ground away from the beach is usually in much better shape than stuff recovered closer to the water. 
Just because you are a beach or water hunter, does not mean you should ignore the area inland opposite the beach. 
If you have these type of sites overlooking beaches, hit them before other people get the same idea. 

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