Finally Some Fall Field Success!

AirmetTango

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The beans and corn has started coming down in my area over the last couple weeks, so naturally I took a few opportunities to hunt some new field permissions....and basically found more pull tabs and beer cans than I’ve come across in most parks! :shock: Across three days of field hunts, my only keepers literally were a brass buckle (admittedly a pretty cool find) and a 1945 Wheatie.

So when fellow forum member Dan B. gave me the heads up that one of my reliable fields had just gotten chisel plowed, I wasn't ashamed to tuck tail and retreat to the safety of a known producer. The very next day, time was short, but I got out there with a solid 30 minutes to hunt. I usually grid the site, but this time I decided to use the “drunken sailor” technique and just wandered around to get a random sample of how many new targets the plow churned up. Well, for 20 minutes I struggled to get any signals that were even remotely repeatable - unusual for this field. Running out of time, I worked my bumble-bee zigzag line back toward the car. I reached the edge of the field near the road - the farmer seemed to plow just a foot or so more than in previous years, so I worked that line back toward the car.

I soon got over a slamming mid-tone, but bouncy. I learned a long time ago in this field...dig it all. So I did - sure enough, can slaw. Within about 10-15 feet of the road now, that was almost inevitable.

I swung for another few feet, and got over another slamming mid-tone. This one solid in all directions like no other signal in the field so far, a 51-53 on the VDI. And shallow...the sound and depth meter both implied this was pretty much on the surface. Could be a nickel, but just as often those numbers end up being a piece of a can or nondescript bit of metal. Reluctant to dug, I just scuffed away the soybean husks and top layer of dirt with my boot. Swung the coil over it again, and wow! Solid 53 in all directions, and blaringly loud...53 is a classic nickel signal on the Max, but still could be slaw. I knelt down, and the pinpointer sounded off right at the surface...I brushed away some more dirt with my hand, and out popped a coin! An 1889 V nickel, and my 3rd V out of this field this year!

I barely turned around, and hit on another solid tone, this one mostly a high-tone, but teetering on the edge of mid-tone. A quick dig revealed a nice green Indian - it’s a little crusty around the date, but best guess is 1898 :grin:

The other keeper for the day was the gilt corset fastener, which amused my wife greatly. Earlier this year I found a heel plate that, among other possibilities, could be associated with a “lady of the night”...my wife refers to it as my “hooker shoe” :laughing: So, with the corset fastener, her reaction was “wow, you’re gradually putting together an impressive metal-detecting girlfriend outfit there”. I guess I better go buy some flowers, eh?? She’s officially jealous of my detector! :lol: Anyways, I manage to find an ad from 1908 showing the exact same fastener (see pics below) :cool:

The next day I hit the field again with more time, and this time invited Dan B. out with his new Nox. We spent a couple hours in the field and I again struggled to get over any reliable signals. I dug a few small brass, lead, and copper doo-dads, but nothing noteable until time was running out again. I had to pick my youngest up from pre-school, and my alarm had already gone off to signal me that it was time to work my way back to the car. Reluctant to leave without a decent find, I worked that same “extra foot” plow line a short distance past my car, and ended up hitting an inconsistent, bouncy signal that stayed mostly in the high-tone range, but dipped into the mid- and even low- tone range. If it were in a yard, I doubt I’d dig it - but today, in this field, it was as good a tone as any. I dug it, and was pleased to see a crusty green penny sized coin pop out. I quit while I was ahead, and promptly wrapped up! :lol: It cleaned up nicely as a worn 1881 Indian :grin:

Dan didn’t have much luck this time, either (although this field previously yielded his oldest coin find to date). Don’t feel too bad for him though...he went to a different field after leaving this one, and pulled up a sweet half dime :yes::

My Nox Found A Half Dime thread
 

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Good hunt and good writeup! Love those fields... And thanks for finding that ad...I found the same clasp last week and couldn't find a match during my googling. I see the "iron cross" is the same as the one I found...and when I told my wife that it was probably a garter clasp, she had about the same reaction....same with my one and only heel plate! gotta love it..
 

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Thanks again AirmetTango for inviting me along for the afternoon hunt. It is good from time to time to have a metal detecting sidekick along to throw out ideas and thoughts and enjoy discussion.

Your property is steeped with lots of local history. Another example of the oil boom in the local area back in the day. When the oil dries up so does the towns leaving behind a trace of History to be found.

There's lots of potential on that site. If one has the patience of a sloth (knowing where he needs to go and taking a slow time to get there) there's much more to be found.

Here is the only cool item which I found that day. I believe it to be a brass door knocker. The R possibly is the initial of the person's name who lived in that house. This is just my guess. Hope you all enjoy the pics.
 

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That Ihp cleaned up very nice from what I had seen when you dug it. And I have yet to find a V nickel.
 
Good hunt and good writeup! Love those fields... And thanks for finding that ad...I found the same clasp last week and couldn't find a match during my googling. I see the "iron cross" is the same as the one I found...and when I told my wife that it was probably a garter clasp, she had about the same reaction....same with my one and only heel plate! gotta love it..

Thanks The End! Glad the ad helped you get a positive ID, also! I was amazed that the ad mimicked mine right down to the patent number shown in the diagram! I wonder if that iron cross is the equivalent of their maker's mark - cool that yours has that prominently etched into it too. And pretty neat that yours is more complete with the upper piece still attached!

That heel plate is fabulous too - awesome combination shot with the corset/garter clasp! Your heel plate is most definitely one that my wife wouldn't approve of..."just follow the hearts to your heart's desire"! :laughing::laughing:
 
Thanks again AirmetTango for inviting me along for the afternoon hunt. It is good from time to time to have a metal detecting sidekick along to throw out ideas and thoughts and enjoy discussion.

Your property is steeped with lots of local history. Another example of the oil boom in the local area back in the day. When the oil dries up so does the towns leaving behind a trace of History to be found.

There's lots of potential on that site. If one has the patience of a sloth (knowing where he needs to go and taking a slow time to get there) there's much more to be found.

Here is the only cool item which I found that day. I believe it to be a brass door knocker. The R possibly is the initial of the person's name who lived in that house. This is just my guess. Hope you all enjoy the pics.

No problem, Dan! I was glad to have you along - and I certainly appreciate the hunts you've invited me on, as well! There definitely is still potential on that field, but you're right - it takes patience. There is an incredible amount of iron out there - big and tiny - along with all the good stuff. Traditional, solid signals are mostly gone now after my hunting last Spring (and maybe because of all the air pockets added by the plowing?). But there's certainly still plenty there!

I had forgotten about that door knocker! It really did clean up nicely - awesome find, and I love the possibility that the "R" is a monogram of a former resident!
 
Great Hunting Boys! I loved the 'Drunken Sailor' and Bumblebee reference! Well, You gonna get out this weekend I assume?

Thanks, Mud! I probably looked the part too - all the uneven clumps from the chisel plow had me staggering around and half falling over throughout the hunt :lol: Amazing no one called the law - "There's an old guy staggering around and wandering aimlessly in the field, and I think he just stuffed an empty beer can into his pants...." :laughing:

Unfortunately, not a lot of hunting on the agenda for me this weekend - my weekends typically aren't my own with kids stuff and other family commitments. My detecting generally gets relegated to during the week when my work schedule is light and the kids are at school/wife is at work ;)
 
Congrats on the nice finds! I hope you find some more out there in those fields. I can't wait to hit some fields soon myself.:)
 
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