Hello everyone. Took the boat out today to my little hidey hole 'island at low tide' spot near matanzas inlet area and did some detecting. Man I should have brougt my fishing pole but just didn't think about it until I was on the road... Im detecting and hear a THUMP!! I look at the boat wondering wtf was that, and see a stupid red fish ran into the boat. Im sorry but that's pretty funny if you ask me.
anyways...
I found a lump of metal that tested positive for silver, but I have absolutely no clue what it is. It's just a black lump, im cleaning it up now to see if I can see anything on it.
I also found the following buttons. One is a standard 'pinwheel button', and the other I believe is a military button. Looking at some books and websites online I am thinking late 1600's to early 1700's on them.
Below is a pic of the buttons.
All in all, any day on the boat and especially metal detecting is a good day.
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
Con-grads on the finds: it's a very nice area there. I was there last week, pulled out
over 35 Spanish buttons, 2 Buckles. 1 French gold coin. if you go by the ramp area, that's good to!!
you need to go back and work the area, at mean-low there's a deep cut.
Thanks sapper. My detector was acting up a bit on me, but it might have been just me not having it set right, however I do plan on working this area a lot. Have to wait for the tide though, only get about two to three hours at a shot and even then it's kind of soggy walking. Either that or get a detector that works under water so when I am standing knee high i don't have to worry about a big wave killing my box like with my current XLT. Nice and clean though, not a lot of party trash like you find on many other places... probably because it's soggy and underwater at times. I also seen some promising stuff a bit south of matanzas that I might check out in the near future ... might as well, im already down that far and got a boat so will have at it. Heck, maybe we can get together one of these days and work the place... but weather can be a big issue if it's nasty, my lil flats skipper doesn't like 3 to 5 foot swells very much. Where do you live at? If you are up north, I got a little place near kingsley plantation ive been hitting as well... nothing nearly as old as what Ive found in matanzas but have found some civil war stuff.. a breast plate, a few.. (very few) buttons, some bullets and other knick knacks. send me a pm if you want and perhaps we can arrange a weekend outing or something.
Ill have to check the ramp area you mentioned as well but figure that a lot of folks have been there over the time since it is pretty accessable, so it's probably pretty scavenged unlike this place I am currently doing.
Take care
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
Sounds like you have a great spot for the old coins and buttons i have seen buttons like yours before on a ebay store named /colonial antiquites / If you dont have any luck, maybe you can email the owner .Im sure he knows..goodluck and show us the coin clump when you get it clean
relicdude, i don't know if it's a coin clump. it's a clump alright, but i think it's a melted clump, it's heavy as hell, but somehow im feeling it won't be anything recognizeable like a coin... still, silver is silver though.
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
I live in alt.bch. I have hunted in Kingsley too great place! Spanish, french, civil war;
it's great all around area! the best part the area at mantanzas, it's out of the NPS boundary: there's
over 5 shipwrecks in the area, with the 3 French ship down south. the whole area is nuts. I've found coins
dated back to the early 1500's. I even got a Heart reale out of there: what a find, that day was great!!!
the clump, is most likely silver, I have found some to, the Spanish or Pirates melted down :
what the called: Fig-er Gold, or Silver: Spanish hide it from Tax's!!! or, if they where pirates: the figer gold or silver: the crew figer was used , so the crew would get a equal amount share: if you can't tell what it is:
just melt it down, make your owe bars. that's what I did!!
sapper. I don't know if Id want to melt it down, that pretty much wipes out any history in it. It'd probably be worth more to a collector as is than to a recycler when melted down.
Unfortunately I am working this weekend so no boat for me but the overtime is sure nice. weather is kind of nasty anyways. Next weekend Im looking to go back out weather permitting. Lemme know if ya want to meet up and we can plan something... hopefully.
Oh I will be fishing too while swinging the coil, if you do want to meet up, do you have a fishing license, just in case they stop and check.... just curious.
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
Sounds good sapper. Detecting is more fun with a few folks anyways,... at least I think so. To be honest, it's a bit easier to handle the boat with someone else there too, tying off, etc to hand me the rope as I go ashore to anchor.
The boat can handle 5 folks easily, so there's plenty of room for your detector and any other equipment you may need to bring...and if we do go out, plan on spending a bit of time, bring some drinks, and something to eat too. Heck if you want, we can check out some of the areas you are mentioning too...
We'll talk later... if we do go out, decide where all we want to go, etc etc.
Talk to you later.
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
Good talking to you on the phone sapper. The weekend is a go then if the weather permits and I don't end up working. Id recommend some rubber boots, it can get a bit soggy at one place. Ill give you a call friday after work to confirm we are still set to dig and figure out what time we want to actually leave the mainland. Ive been doing some research and I got another place I want to check out, well same as one of them actually but a different part of the island. I think that even though I found some stuff, I missed the main area by a little bit... guess we'll find out soon enough. If you don't have boots, plastic garbage bags tied over your feet / legs works too.
Take care till then.
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
you need to go back in the area, if you can: went out yesterday. found
6 more buttons, one coin. " one reale " having a hard time with posting photo's.
Sapper, I am pretty sure we are talking about the same general area. It's looking like I will NOT have to work this weekend so sat / sun are definately a go. Ill show you my places and you show me yours, although we both know of the one place you are talking about. We can make a full day of it, spend some time in each area and see what we come up with. The one area we both talked about, im thinking towards the other side might find some good stuff too.
Later
aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
Hey fisheye, enjoyed our chat on the phone yesterday although it was short. If you are looking for information, sapper is probably a better source than I am. After talking to him on the phone, and after seeing some of his posts here, it is blatantly obvious that he knows a whole bunch more about matanzas and what's out there than I do. I am fairly new at the matanzas thing, he's been researching for a long LONG time. I get the idea that he's been looking into this stuff for probably 15 years or so versus my 2 or 3. Sapper I am not trying to throw you under the bus, but have seen you offer advice to others and am merely saying you are a much better source of info than I.
Also for the record, don't worry, I know where we are and are not allowed to hunt at, and the person who told me to look in these general areas was very detailed to let me know as well so we are not in any restricted places, state parks, or any areas like that.
Thank you for giving me that individual's name with Lamps. I may talk to him, but given some past 'incidents' I have seen, and heard about, I generally mistrust the archaeologists in that area greatly. Many of them seem to only have their own self interests in mind and view those of us who use metal detectors as somehow beneath them. Then again, St Augustine has it's fair share of the snooty were better than you type as well, it's that whole general area.
Hopefully this weekend turns out good and I'll have some more pictures of stuff to post.
take care
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
I've still been going to Matanzas on and off. I was just out working a sandbar on the river side on the South side of the Inlet a couple weekends ago. I have also spent some substantial time out at Summerland.
Moe (fl) and I were thinking about heading out there this weekend again. I REALLY want to suit up the dive gear, but I don't think my wife can go this weekend, prefer to dive with a partner, even though it will be generally shallow diving. I have the PI Pro, so under water is not an issue. Would scuba help to get to some areas that are deeper?
Jack
Make sure and punish the many for the actions of a few!
Hello Jack. I don't dive, but that wouldn't stop anyone from diving from my boat if they really wanted to. I wont stop them as long as they don't want to try it with the motor running
Scuba or snorkel would always be a good thing pretty much anywhere. One thing you have to remember is that this whole area, probably from fernandina down to daytona and further, much was land at one time in spots. much was under water at one time in spots. Given the history of this one place, im sure there is plenty of stuff under water that I am not able to reach. Then lets not forget storms over the past few hundred years churning stuff all over the place. Im sure there is stuff to be found pretty much anywhere.
some areas are shelly, others are muddy / quick sandy so would have to be careful you don't muck down to your knees. Im going to have to call a pass on this weekend . Even though I am supposed to go out with sapper, whether we are working this weekend or not is still up in the @#$% air. One minute were' off, the next they want volunteers, the next everyone works, the next it's back to were off Hopefully someone coughs and gets their head out of that dark warm spot they are keeping it in and gives us an idea before it's too late to make any real plans. The overtime is nice but I want some time off already ::whine::
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
You are likely pushing your luck as is fellows with the law types, but we have seen in the past that scuba gear indicates the next step of intent. Please be careful out there.
Paddy
Found another button today. cleaning it up will post later. Found a copper coin too, a bit caked on, have to clean it as well. IM thinking it's a merivida of some sorts.
I also found a piece of pottery. It's fairly small, a few inches, hopefully one of you might recognize the pattern and be able to give me some info on it.
Overall great day on the boat, couldn't ask for nicer weather. Hopefully next week is just as good.
Aaron
If god meant for us not to swing a coil; He'd have made our arms shorter!
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i have seen buttons like yours before on a ebay store named /colonial antiquites / If you dont have any luck, maybe you can email the owner .Im sure he knows..goodluck and show us the coin clump when you get it clean 
i hope its what you may have found....
but the overtime is sure nice. weather is kind of nasty anyways. Next weekend Im looking to go back out weather permitting. Lemme know if ya want to meet up and we can plan something... hopefully.
Hopefully someone coughs and gets their head out of that dark warm spot they are keeping it in and gives us an idea before it's too late to make any real plans. The overtime is nice but I want some time off already ::whine::
