It's about the same as duck hunting around here. If you do it, you're breaking the law. Being a history nut, it's definitely something I'd be interested in doing, but it's not worth the hassle around here. There's a pretty good Civil War history locally, but the "experts" in charge would rather see things rust away in the dirt than be excavated and displayed in a museum.
Metal detecting
- Thread starter fast14riot
- Start date
That may be that whole American "We best hide that..." sort of attitude? 
Just kiddin'. I'd say dig anyway, really, who in their right mind would worry about the paper work and hassle of taking down the guy in the woods with a metal detector and a camp spade?
Just kiddin'. I'd say dig anyway, really, who in their right mind would worry about the paper work and hassle of taking down the guy in the woods with a metal detector and a camp spade?
- Thread starter
- #123
That may be that whole American "We best hide that..." sort of attitude?
Just kiddin'. I'd say dig anyway, really, who in their right mind would worry about the paper work and hassle of taking down the guy in the woods with a metal detector and a camp spade?
Umm, you'd be surprised. Those states down there consider the dirt in the ground sacred national artifacts of the civil war! Maybe he could train his dog to dig on command though....
-X
Yeah, there is a LOT of land my way up here that you're lucky if you can even walk on because of 'Indian' rights and 'Sacred' land sort of things. I understand fully, but a frustrating bit none the less.
- Thread starter
- #125
Well my neighbor has rototilled his entire front lawn, think I'm going to make a few passes over it tomorrow before the new sod and sprinklers get installed. My neighborhood is 1920-1927 for my block. Haven't found any silver yet, did find some 1920 and 21 wheat backs and a cuff link from the 20's in my yard though. He did give me the ok, since it's already torn up.
-Xander
-Xander
Sounds like a great opportunity, good luck! Hopefully there will be some silver in your future.
My nephew and I have permission to hunt a nearby school system that dates back to the 40s - I'm guessing we will find mostly trash and clad, but I'm hoping to find silver too. We'll probably try our luck a couple of hours one evening this week.
And I just bought a used Fisher F-70 off ebay.
I love my Eurotek Pro, it is an absolute clad-sucking monster, but I can't help but wonder if I might be missing deep silver. My understanding is the F70, if I can manage to tame it, will reach down deep.- Thread starter
- #127
I know someone who hunted a high school and managed to pull nearly $70.00 in clad in just a little over an hour! They started under the bleachers. I'd love to hunt the local schools, but now they're locked down after hours...
The neighbors yard turned up just 5 pennies, copper and clad. A couple rusty nails as well. I went through it a few months back before it sold and it was pretty barren then. Just not much in that ground. Maybe a detectorist lived there before, lol.
-Xander
The neighbors yard turned up just 5 pennies, copper and clad. A couple rusty nails as well. I went through it a few months back before it sold and it was pretty barren then. Just not much in that ground. Maybe a detectorist lived there before, lol.
-Xander
Been a while since I posted a pic - haven't found much lately, I think I've found all the easy coins out of my yard, and now I'm trying to learn a new machine to boot. I have access to a nearby school system that should turn up some stuff but haven't had the time to go yet.
This afternoon I got out in my yard for a couple of hours, and found a modern dime, a modern pocket knife (my first knife, a little Swiss Army knife), and the plate off of a Western Auto 10 year service plaque (remember when companies actually did things like give out service plaques?). As best I can tell from Google, Western Auto mainly did service plaques in the 60s. I can find no record of the gentleman named on the plaque.
This afternoon I got out in my yard for a couple of hours, and found a modern dime, a modern pocket knife (my first knife, a little Swiss Army knife), and the plate off of a Western Auto 10 year service plaque (remember when companies actually did things like give out service plaques?). As best I can tell from Google, Western Auto mainly did service plaques in the 60s. I can find no record of the gentleman named on the plaque.
Plantar Fasciitis has sidelined me for much of the last few months, but I finally got a chance to hit the nearby school system that I have permission to hunt.
And I finally reached a milestone that I've been chasing all year long: Silver! It ain't much but I'm certainly proud of it. Hopefully the first one was the hardest one. I am definitely gonna hit these old school grounds again.
From left: a very worn 1907 Barber Dime
; a couple of rows of more modern clad Dimes; a couple of rows of modern Quarters and a 1945 wheat penny; three rows of modern zinc and copper pennies; some sort of metallic fob or decoration that is etched with an older version of Mickey Mouse (he has a pointy nose); and a solitary modern nickel.
And I finally reached a milestone that I've been chasing all year long: Silver! It ain't much but I'm certainly proud of it. Hopefully the first one was the hardest one. I am definitely gonna hit these old school grounds again.
From left: a very worn 1907 Barber Dime
; a couple of rows of more modern clad Dimes; a couple of rows of modern Quarters and a 1945 wheat penny; three rows of modern zinc and copper pennies; some sort of metallic fob or decoration that is etched with an older version of Mickey Mouse (he has a pointy nose); and a solitary modern nickel.- Thread starter
- #130
Sweet find! Haven't been out in a while, just been busy. It rained lightly here today, makes the digging easier and also can find things deeper.
Holy Thread Resurrection, Batman!
I was just taking a stroll through this old gem today, and wondered if any of you gents are into metal detecting. I've always though it pretty neat, but have never thought to get a metal detector.
I was just taking a stroll through this old gem today, and wondered if any of you gents are into metal detecting. I've always though it pretty neat, but have never thought to get a metal detector.
I want one. I need to give my dad one, he needs to get out and get some exercise.
I asked for one one year for my birthday. My grandma bought me one from a pawn shop, but it did not work. We returned it and I got a skateboard instead. I've still always wanted to get a metal detector.
I have a Whites Coinmaster GT but haven't had a chance to get out and excavate much yet due to changing weather.
[MENTION=22392]auk1124[/MENTION], are you still #detecting?
A combination of hard times and coin purses. Coin purses were used into the 20th Century. The only 19th Century coin I've found with a metal detector was a dime with a hole bored through the edge and apparently used as jewelry.
Yep, as often as I can. Going to try to go tomorrow as a matter of fact. I'm still focusing on coinshooting. I live in a historically impoverished area and old coins are pretty scarce, but I still enjoy the hunt. I'm currently running a Minelab E-trac, and love it.
You never know. I'm far from any major battlefields, but have turned up rifle balls, Minnie balls, a rifle ball someone had bit down on, and modern pistol bullets. My favorite find was across from the site of a former school. It was a huge, rusted metal box. Inside was a tobacco can, and inside that was a marble. Likely a treasure for some kid.
Even turned up a DE razor once. It wasn't a Gillette; something beginning with S stamped on the bottom. Looked for it some time back but couldn't find it.
Even turned up a DE razor once. It wasn't a Gillette; something beginning with S stamped on the bottom. Looked for it some time back but couldn't find it.
You and I are in the same club then - I found a Superspeed last year. Posted a picture of it on here somewhere. If I remember correctly it was a 50's model.
My favorite non-coin find so far is a piece of .41 Swiss Vetterli rimfire brass. This is such an oddball rifle cartridge (at least in the US) that I had never heard of it. The Vetterli rifle had two firing pins, and sure enough there are two strikes on the casing. It is pretty cool.
That's way cool. I'd heard about the Vetterli, but have never seen one. The brass I've found are from shotgun shells and totally unremarkable.
I used to like to find an old trash pile. These were around old house sites. The metal was the draw, but you could non-metallic items like bottles and jars. Once I found the junk pile of a blacksmith shop, and there were all sorts of little cast-offs. But there I found a rifle flint made out of quartz. Almost tossed it but noticed grooves carved along the bottom and a point where the screw held it in place. It was pretty well worn out, which was why it was in the trash heap.
Something problematic at house sites are old nails. They can help you find the building, but unless they're something like handmade nails, completely unremarkable, and I think could mask other items.
Noticed there's pointer detectors now. Considering the time I've spent sifting through a pile of dirt to find a small item, they look like they'd be worth it.
Similar threads
