Fooleeze
Senior Member
Because man, I felt it today! (Follow along, the pics are kinda in order of the story). And sorry, this got really long-winded.
So the story starts about a week ago. I got permission to go hunt and old 1830s home in my area, the woman who lives there has been there 40 years. She is very knowledgeable about the home, its history, previous owners, etc. When I asked to detect, I said that if there is anything I find that she wants to keep with the house, she has first dibs. I want to build trust and a good relationship with her. She's very nice, and she has access to help get me permissions at other locations around town.
So, I proceed to detect. . . and within the first 30 minutes, I come across a strong high signal, 92-93 on the AT Max (Sounds like large trash). I did the hole about 4 - 5 inches, scan again, now it's reading about 98-99 on the AT Max. (Really sounds like large trash now). Then I look into the hole and what do I see in the bottom? Something giant-coin-shaped? Yup, it's my first silver dollar coin. An 1882 O Morgan Silver Dollar. (See the pics). I was beside myself!
I proceeded to hunt the property. I managed to find a few buttons, a few random brass pieces, one IHP, one Shield Nickel, one V Nickel, and about 7-8 wheaties. It was a great hunt. So at the end I ask her, "Is there anything you want to keep with the house?" She picks a few of the brass items, the V and Shield nickel, one button, and <gasp> the Morgan. I'm heartbroken, but I know she really wants to keep it with the house. So I let her have it.
(And my coping mechanism, I ran home and bought a matching coin on eBay just so I would have one).
Fast forward to today, on my way home from work, I stopped at a farm where I have permission. My buddy and I hunted it two weeks ago, trying to find where any old 1800s home may have been. We found a few traces, but other than two wheat pennies, didn't come up with anything. One of the fields had kinda tall grass/hay in it. Well, about a week later, they came through and cut down the grass/hay. So I wanted to go back and focus on that part of the field a little more.
I go to the area where I suspect the home may have been and start gridding the area. I come across a medium bouncy tone, and pull out an old nickel (heavily corroded, but it's gotta be a V or Shield nickel. I then get another bouncy higher tone. upper 70s to upper 80s. I dig it and I quickly see another green nickel (V or Shield, heavily corroded). Though to myself "that tone was awful high for that. . . re-checked the hole and BAM, 90, right in the middle. Dug down with my hand-digger, and out popped a silver rim. I didn't have water with me, but I was able to gently knock enough dirt off to see it was a Barber Half-Dollar, 1894. (My first silver half-dollar!). This is where the Karma set in. . . I felt like this was Karma's way of thanking me for letting the woman keep the Morgan.
I kept swinging for maybe 20 minutes more. About 8 feet away, I got a heavily corroded large cent (only my 4th large cent), and then I pulled one more heavily corroded old nickel (V or Shield). This was a great 90 minute hunt, and I can't wait to get back, I'm sure there is more there to find.
Lastly, I'm going to start a tracker. There's a strange trend going on with my finds. I've only been doing this for approximately 18 months. I have found plenty of silvers. My first silver was a SLQ. Found several Roosevelt dimes, several mercury dimes, one barber dime, then found another SLQ. I also found a 1902 Canadian Quarter, and 1886 Canadian half-dime. Found my first Barber Quarter a month or so ago. Now I've found a Morgan dollar and a Barber half. What's missing? I've yet to find a silver Washington quarter. Is it weird to have a silver Washington quarter on my bucket list? How do I find some of the unique silvers that I have so far, but not a single Washington quarter. Strange.
Anyways, thanks for reading!
So the story starts about a week ago. I got permission to go hunt and old 1830s home in my area, the woman who lives there has been there 40 years. She is very knowledgeable about the home, its history, previous owners, etc. When I asked to detect, I said that if there is anything I find that she wants to keep with the house, she has first dibs. I want to build trust and a good relationship with her. She's very nice, and she has access to help get me permissions at other locations around town.
So, I proceed to detect. . . and within the first 30 minutes, I come across a strong high signal, 92-93 on the AT Max (Sounds like large trash). I did the hole about 4 - 5 inches, scan again, now it's reading about 98-99 on the AT Max. (Really sounds like large trash now). Then I look into the hole and what do I see in the bottom? Something giant-coin-shaped? Yup, it's my first silver dollar coin. An 1882 O Morgan Silver Dollar. (See the pics). I was beside myself!
I proceeded to hunt the property. I managed to find a few buttons, a few random brass pieces, one IHP, one Shield Nickel, one V Nickel, and about 7-8 wheaties. It was a great hunt. So at the end I ask her, "Is there anything you want to keep with the house?" She picks a few of the brass items, the V and Shield nickel, one button, and <gasp> the Morgan. I'm heartbroken, but I know she really wants to keep it with the house. So I let her have it.
(And my coping mechanism, I ran home and bought a matching coin on eBay just so I would have one).
Fast forward to today, on my way home from work, I stopped at a farm where I have permission. My buddy and I hunted it two weeks ago, trying to find where any old 1800s home may have been. We found a few traces, but other than two wheat pennies, didn't come up with anything. One of the fields had kinda tall grass/hay in it. Well, about a week later, they came through and cut down the grass/hay. So I wanted to go back and focus on that part of the field a little more.
I go to the area where I suspect the home may have been and start gridding the area. I come across a medium bouncy tone, and pull out an old nickel (heavily corroded, but it's gotta be a V or Shield nickel. I then get another bouncy higher tone. upper 70s to upper 80s. I dig it and I quickly see another green nickel (V or Shield, heavily corroded). Though to myself "that tone was awful high for that. . . re-checked the hole and BAM, 90, right in the middle. Dug down with my hand-digger, and out popped a silver rim. I didn't have water with me, but I was able to gently knock enough dirt off to see it was a Barber Half-Dollar, 1894. (My first silver half-dollar!). This is where the Karma set in. . . I felt like this was Karma's way of thanking me for letting the woman keep the Morgan.
I kept swinging for maybe 20 minutes more. About 8 feet away, I got a heavily corroded large cent (only my 4th large cent), and then I pulled one more heavily corroded old nickel (V or Shield). This was a great 90 minute hunt, and I can't wait to get back, I'm sure there is more there to find.
Lastly, I'm going to start a tracker. There's a strange trend going on with my finds. I've only been doing this for approximately 18 months. I have found plenty of silvers. My first silver was a SLQ. Found several Roosevelt dimes, several mercury dimes, one barber dime, then found another SLQ. I also found a 1902 Canadian Quarter, and 1886 Canadian half-dime. Found my first Barber Quarter a month or so ago. Now I've found a Morgan dollar and a Barber half. What's missing? I've yet to find a silver Washington quarter. Is it weird to have a silver Washington quarter on my bucket list? How do I find some of the unique silvers that I have so far, but not a single Washington quarter. Strange.
Anyways, thanks for reading!
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