It helps if you know how to identify and date old iron artifacts, especially iron nails found at the beach as that information can be useful searching for other materials you hope to recover in the same area.
These hand forged iron ship nails (Spikes) are from an early 1600s Spanish shipwreck in Florida, just a few of the dozens I have recovered at this site.
They were recovered several years ago on a low tide using no metal detector discrimination.
They were recovered several years ago on a low tide using no metal detector discrimination.
It is the kind of area you need to remove as much iron as possible because just a single iron ship spike is capable of masking a good target like a treasure coin.
I actually go out of my way to try detect iron at beaches known for old shipwrecks, find the iron and silver or gold is often not far away.
The morning I recovered the iron ship spikes I found a very old copper ring and a Spanish silver treasure coin.
The following low tide I recovered more iron ship spikes, a buckle and a second silver treasure coin.
Now imagine if I used discrimination or iron mask at this beach, I would have left the iron ship spikes in the sand, along with the other cool finds the iron spikes were helping to mask.
Although I often talk about the advantages of using discrimination at tourist beaches, the opposite is my preferred search method when searching for old coins and artifacts.
I hunt in all metal with an audible threshold and if I hear as much as a crab fart I stop and start digging.
Iron is always a happy sight in my scoop or in the bottom of a dug hole at old sites because it is so much more than a ship spike to me, it is a trail to follow in the sand.
The morning I recovered the iron ship spikes I found a very old copper ring and a Spanish silver treasure coin.
The following low tide I recovered more iron ship spikes, a buckle and a second silver treasure coin.
Now imagine if I used discrimination or iron mask at this beach, I would have left the iron ship spikes in the sand, along with the other cool finds the iron spikes were helping to mask.
Although I often talk about the advantages of using discrimination at tourist beaches, the opposite is my preferred search method when searching for old coins and artifacts.
I hunt in all metal with an audible threshold and if I hear as much as a crab fart I stop and start digging.
Iron is always a happy sight in my scoop or in the bottom of a dug hole at old sites because it is so much more than a ship spike to me, it is a trail to follow in the sand.
The more iron artifacts savvy you become the more you will understand the importance of iron when searching for non ferrous (Iron) artifacts like coins, jewelry and precious gems.
For example a ship wrecked close to shore is often discovered when large iron objects like cannons or anchors are detected by a magnetometer.
Salvage crew search for iron anomalies which in turn lead them to treasures made of precious metals.
A beach hunter can do the same thing on beaches with known shipwrecks offshore, imagine how many iron spikes were in wood washed onto a beach after a ship was torn apart.
An old galleon would have had thousands of iron fasteners holding it together, find the important clues like old iron spikes and potentially clean up treasure hunting.
If you know how to identify and date iron artifacts they become valuable clues to a metal detectorist who understands the way iron can mask what they are searching for.
I use iron infested areas to my advantage knowing other beach hunters are likely going to move on to less chattery areas in search of treasure coins or jewelry.
The old saying still rings true, you have to go thru the trash to find the treasure.
www.garydrayton.com
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