Metal Detecting

My question is, 'Does the mud on tidal rivers move around like the sand does on a beach'.
Thinking about it mud is much heavier and just wondered if it moved or stays where it settles. i ask because I'm tempted to detect our local river at low tide tomorrow (River Tamar). I've done it once before and found only modern coins and fishing weights, along with the usual modern trash. Nothing old. Few years ago I used to dig old bottles from the mud on this river and they were like 3-4 foot deep into the mud, so what chance is there of finding anything old detecting.

I have read about some good finds made from tidal rivers on here, but this river has had china clay deposits building up on it for years as well as other mining deposits, totally thick white mud. Seems a daunting thought but would like to give it a try. Or do you think I could be wasting my time.
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Change of plan, have the chance to detect a couple of ploughed fields today so have decided to go there. An ideal opportunity to see what the large 17.5 inch coil can do on my Velox. Only really been out with this larger coil once before proper.
The tides are good for all next week so maybe able to do the river one day during the week.

Mud isn't heavier than sand, it's denser
Mud particles are much, much finer than sand, and basically (it's a bit harder to explain by typing than it is in person) if you imagined a magnified cross section of a load of sand, where the edges touch it leaves a small gap in between each one.
With mud being so much finer, there's alot less space between these 'gaps'. So you can fit more into an inch squared ... Hope that makes sense

So in answer to your question ... Mud actually moves alot easier than sand, and mud tends to 'suspend' in the water if its running, where sand just gets pushed along by longshore drift and sinks again , even in flowing water

Hey Sam, cheers for that .
I actually understood what you said and it answers my question perfectly.... you'll make a fine science teacher.

What a day today eh, all I found was five buttons and what I think is a lead bag seal, never found one like this before, looks like a pair of ear muffs/headphones flattened



i was last one to leave about 4pm, many were gone well before that.

No worries mate, glad I could help


Lol it's always you ain't I was the first one to leave, at about 12:15, just alot going on in my life at the moment and couldn't focus on metal detecting


P.S. Wasn't planning on taking up teaching, pensions ain't that good I hear

I thought you had left quite early, i was asking Dave if he had seen you leave. What ever is on your mind mate hope it sorts its self out soon.
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I have found two hammered coins at the Humber bridge area. but also there is tons of junk!

Nice one Furbar ,
A nice sunny cold day forecast for tomorrow and the tide is perfect, so I will give it a go and see what turns up.

janner53 wrote: what I think is a lead bag seal, never found one like this before, looks like a pair of ear muffs/headphones flattened.

It is two discs and the connecting strip from a four disc cloth seal. Nothing on the other side I suppose?

Many thanks for that I.D. StuE .
I googled 'four disc cloth seal' and up they came similar to mine. Now its out my trash bucket and in my finds bucket now i have an I.D. on it, i thought it looked like some sort of bag seal but have never seen these sort before.
Oh by the way, yes, the other side is blank.

Years ago I did a bit near Brunel's rail bridge where there was a proper little beach area, nothing great but coins and bits back to Victorian. (don't know which side or how to explain it if I did but if memory serves me well there was a terrace of cottages)

If the Tamar is like the Thames there may be times when the mud is stripped, very often Jan/Feb, probably because of the extra water coming down. Also don't discount ares where you seem to be finding only modernish items as sometimes the foreshore can suprise you Also look out for gullies carved in the beach as you can make much earlier finds. I have a few areas on the Thames dismissed by others at the top of the foreshore as being rubbish but when the gullies are cut they produce plenty of small hammies etc. One of my regular spots also has enough hot rocks to sink a battleship but some good finds too. One time when digging a Chas 1 penny I found two identical small gold pins (and I do mean gold) with either rubies or garnets set in them.

There are areas where the soft slimey mud is feet deep and I have a friend who has been fortunate to hit these spots when even this has been stripped - apart from lots of early metalwork he has many complete onions and mallets and at least two belarmines!

Great post Stratman and very encouraging. .
Its good to know that the mud can be stripped off and i will be keeping an eye on it as this area has been used as a crossing for years, even before the bridges were built.
I did venture down there during this week and found three old pennies along with some decimal, and loads of fishing weights.
I took a photo of where i was right between both bridges., just wondered if it stirred some memories in you, the end of the row of terraced houses ends just behind me where i took the photo.

Thanks for the info, I sure will be hitting this spot again during the winter months.



Between the two bridges, Brunel bridge on the left and Tamar bridge on the right, on the Devon side looking over to Cornwall.