After Hurricane Ian Daytona Beach 2022

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, a detectorist explores Daytona Beach and discovers notable items, highlighting how storms can reveal hidden treasures.

Calendar Icon November 12, 2023

Hurricane Ian Unearths History on Daytona Beach

After Hurricane Ian, I was able to get on Daytona Beach on Saturday, October 1st. A great many stairwells and beach approaches were destroyed, which left access to the beach limited.

Almost immediately, I began finding US silver coins. The list of finds was incredible:

  • Roosevelt Dimes
  • Mercury Dimes
  • 1 Barber Dime
  • War Nickels
  • Washington Quarters
  • Standing Liberty Quarters
  • Barber Quarters
  • Franklin Half Dollars
  • Walking Liberty Half Dollars

The best find was a stunning 1754 Mexico Pillar 2 Reale.
(Image 1: 1754 Mexico Pillar 2 Reale – DASH URL here)

We also discovered about 6 ship spikes in an area where no ship has been identified. Additionally, we uncovered:

  • Hundreds of bullets and shell casings
  • Lead toys
  • Only one gold ring
  • Almost no jewelry

Total after a year of hunting:

  • Nearly 300 silver coins
  • Well over 100 Wheat Cents

(Image 2: Group of silver coins – DASH URL here)

This machine soaked up the silver and I could not be more pleased. I used the large coil with a sensitivity of 25 to get faint signals. It was a great adventure!