goldpaninut
Senior Member
I got permission to detect at a lodge here in Southern Oregon several days ago, had a great time. I had detected up until about 3 pm and was getting tired & hungry when the owner came out with a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a coke! Revived, I continued detecting until about dark. My last signal of the day was a 27 - 28 signal. Having trouble locating the target I finally saw a dirty dime, and threw it into my pouch for later identification. I found 248 coins that day, $21.16 worth to be exact in only a 200 X 200 foot area. At the end of the day I was beat, having detected 10.5 hours.
The next day I stacked and counted all the coins, and checked each ones date. When I came to the crusty black dime I found last, I couldn't see any detail at all on it. I almost threw it back in with all the clad dimes! Something told me to clean it though, so I soaked it in lemon juice for 15 minutes. After a hard rubbing I saw the unmistakable silhouette of lady mercury! It took 7 more soaking before most the black came off. It turned out to be a 1943-S in great shape when lost! Someone lost it in the 1940s but later a campfire was built right over it and pitted both surfaces pretty bad. I almost lost this one twice! Once digging, and again by almost throwing it in with the other clads!
I also found a 1948-P nickel in great shape, 4 wheat cents 1946-P, 1952-S, 1952-S, & a 1955-D. Then there was the shiny Washington quarter that came up from 5" as shiny as the day it was lost! But its a 1965 and I can't figure out why its not corroded beyond recognition like most other clads! Were a few of the 1965s made of a percentage of silver?
The next day I stacked and counted all the coins, and checked each ones date. When I came to the crusty black dime I found last, I couldn't see any detail at all on it. I almost threw it back in with all the clad dimes! Something told me to clean it though, so I soaked it in lemon juice for 15 minutes. After a hard rubbing I saw the unmistakable silhouette of lady mercury! It took 7 more soaking before most the black came off. It turned out to be a 1943-S in great shape when lost! Someone lost it in the 1940s but later a campfire was built right over it and pitted both surfaces pretty bad. I almost lost this one twice! Once digging, and again by almost throwing it in with the other clads!
I also found a 1948-P nickel in great shape, 4 wheat cents 1946-P, 1952-S, 1952-S, & a 1955-D. Then there was the shiny Washington quarter that came up from 5" as shiny as the day it was lost! But its a 1965 and I can't figure out why its not corroded beyond recognition like most other clads! Were a few of the 1965s made of a percentage of silver?
) then weigh it.
