How to pick the right curb strip for old coins

[steveg]

This is a great thread, I am enjoying it. I have hunted curb strips for a number of years in my town; I know the general "demeanor" of the police department in my town, with regards to detecting, and am comfortable doing curb strips in most of the town since I know what I'll be dealing with if/when they are called to come investigate what I'm doing! I have not done curb strips in other towns yet, but since many of the posts here match my experiences in my town, it gives me some confidence to try curb strips in other towns, as long as I know that the city indeed owns the easement.

Interesting reading, and from my perspective, and my experiences, Swing360 is right on the money here. Nice thread!

 

[Swing360]

Congrats steve for being my 100th post you get a silver coin! also being from Bartlesville Oklahoma sending something OK is extra cool. go ahead and PM me your address

 

[steveg]

Congrats steve for being my 100th post you get a silver coin! also being from Bartlesville Oklahoma sending something OK is extra cool. go ahead and PM me your address

What?!

I won a contest that I didn't even know was going on?

What a great way to start the new year -- and I thank you VERY much for the kindness and generosity, Swing! Here's to you pulling another Morgan from one of your curb strips, in 2015!

THANKS!

Steve

 

[Delcojohn]

That is a great topic and also taking pictures of the curbs so people better understand what to look for that is so informative to look for those details on different curbs. You da man Swing! Keep it up.

 

[ScubaDetective]

I hunted curb strips in Utah a lot when I was there. I have a pretty funny story if anyone is interested about the police being called on me. I found a lot of old silver and wheat's on the strips and a beautiful pearl ring with a 11.5mm pearl in it. Anybody in SLC Utah the avenues is where it is at.

I mostly hunted at night to keep gawkers away and less hassles. Unfortunately it is when I was first learning to detect and I tossed out junk that to some wouldn't have been junk. Like a canon friction primer.

I sure wish I had a picture of it but my second best coin I ever found came off those strips. A 1914D penny. I was showing a friend my machine was deeper than his Garrett and told him I had a penny signal. No matter what way he went over it his machine stayed silent. I dug it up and blew us both away. He sold the Garrett and bought a Whites the next week.

I have hunted a few curb strips here in Michigan but frankly, I am scared to. I live about an hour from Detroit and this city is not the same city I grew up in anymore. That's about all I want to say on the subject.

 

[Swing360]

This has been a good read.

Would like to make one small suggestion. I am a retired LEO so I speak with some experience. Most of the time officers are dispatched to the scene. If you are not breaking the law, just co-operate with the officer even if you are legal and wants to see your ID. He probably has to make a report because he was dispatched to the area from a caller. Many times I rode up on a detectorist, got out just to shoot the breeze and see how he was doing. Not once bothered anyone even when I was sent by 911.

Especially in todays climate of inti police. Not saying that they would but they can makes things rough on you as you drive away and then you will produce some ID.

Oh snap! Noone caught my screw up! 2 silver coins are hitting the mail on this one! Hahaha. Not sure how I missed it, but Jon Stewart need to PM me his address for being the real #100!

Haha I love this stuff.

 

[SeabeeRon]

Awesome things to do Swing for fellow members! I for one really appreciate you as a member here! (that whole Seahawk/Niner thing aside!)

How about an update on the Old Golf Course thread!?!

 

[Jon Stewart]

Thanks for the kind offer of the coin.

BUT there goes my, "I never win anything whining", LOL

 

[istandalone]

Great topic. great info. Thanks

 

[TrpnBils]

Google earth is the best tool for curb strip hunting. You don't need overlays once you learn what to look for which makes it quick and easy. All you have to do from there is drive to your location

I've never had any luck at curb strips in old towns except for fresh drops, but now that I have a visual of what to look for in ages of the curb I'm more inclined to try again!

Anyway, my question: How can you use Google Earth to look for curb strips? I'm completely lost on this.... I figure in most town and cities, if there are streets butted up against lawns, there are curb strips. Can you actually look for things indicating age from Google Earth?

 

[gicts]

Thanks for the tip! I did give it a go once this summer, but found that what I think was rebar in the new sidewalk was giving me trouble. Any tips to disc that out?

Thanks!

 

[Swing360]

I've never had any luck at curb strips in old towns except for fresh drops, but now that I have a visual of what to look for in ages of the curb I'm more inclined to try again!

Anyway, my question: How can you use Google Earth to look for curb strips? I'm completely lost on this.... I figure in most town and cities, if there are streets butted up against lawns, there are curb strips. Can you actually look for things indicating age from Google Earth?

I use GE to look for curb strips all the time. Not all streets have sidewalks and easments. Some go from property to road. Some go sidewalk to street with no easement. I can use street view to see the age of the houses once I find the curb strips.

Aside from being able to tell the age or if they have been filled comes from once I see the curb in person. I float alot when I do curbs so it's a good idea to have a few in mind that I want to do instead of wasting gas driving around.

I hope this answers your question

 

[TrpnBils]

Yeah that does make more sense - hadn't thought about street view. I guess I'm lucky in my town....curb strips everywhere!

 

[SueK]

You can sometimes use historic aerial pictures, though, to see if the curb strips were there before, whether the trees planted in them appear to be the same, etc. Just might help.

http://www.historicaerials.com/

 

[OleSarge]

Not sure why I didn't touch on that, but that was a great read. Thanks, I knew nothing about this. I have never seen a WPA tag.

Great thread Swing, and your Morgan, being found in Seattle really knocks the socks off a fellow Washingtonian.
Here's a WPA Brass plaque I found some time ago.

AT Pro/GPP/Fiskars Diggers/BH Outback/CT Hand held

 

[digger1]

Hey swing excellent thread, I hunted a few of those sidewalk strips in your neighborhood last year uptown pt.for about 45 minutes.I found a silver bell, some wheats, old copper lipstick tube & some clad.I spent most of my time down on the beach where I ran into bottle digger russ.I live in lynwood but I will be back.I hit some strips in Everett and got yelled at a few times just moved to the next strip.I try to stay off the well manicured strips less chance of getting attacked by homeowners.

 

[Mike Conowingo]

You can sometimes use historic aerial pictures, though, to see if the curb strips were there before, whether the trees planted in them appear to be the same, etc. Just might help.

http://www.historicaerials.com/

Thanks for posting this was a big help for me.

 

[Swing360]

Hey swing excellent thread, I hunted a few of those sidewalk strips in your neighborhood last year uptown pt.for about 45 minutes.I found a silver bell, some wheats, old copper lipstick tube & some clad.I spent most of my time down on the beach where I ran into bottle digger russ.I live in lynwood but I will be back.I hit some strips in Everett and got yelled at a few times just moved to the next strip.I try to stay off the well manicured strips less chance of getting attacked by homeowners.

Right on! Russ is good people. One of the best bottle diggers I know! Be sure to get a hold of me here I'd you are ever in town again. Always down to curb strip'm

Sarge: was that tag on a curbstrip? That's righteous! I'm adding it to the bucket list

 

[dirt dick]

Sioux city Iowa a water main broke yesterday a friend of mine who is a metal detectorist there, I think I know what he'll be doing this next spring

https://fbcdn-vthumb-a.akamaihd.net..._=1429001497_55396cacf667780906522c392bcb1be1

 

[Swing360]

Mentioned these and other indicators in an article last summer :0 )

http://detecting365.com/indicators-to-look-for-when-detecting-homesteads/

Woah... wasn't sure if I was reading something I wrote, or you

Great website and great bit of knowledge shared! I appreciate the link and hope everyone gets a chance to check out your site.