What was your unplanned bucket list find?

Chroma · Jun 30, 2022

By that, I mean: What was something you never set out to find, but realized was a bucket list find for you after further research?

For me, it was an old railroad lock I found the other day. Railroad items weren't even on my radar until I dug up the lock, which cued some online reading. I think I might be a railroad lock hunter now, and I've added railroad switch key to the bucket list.

markinswpa · Jul 1, 2022

Very cool find, congrats on the lock. Over the years I have been amazed at what I find, things I never knew existed but as far as an unintended bucket lister. and again I never knew of these, would be a carriage tag. I was found this one in 2019 and later that year found one from 1899. HH Mark

Cherry Picker · Jul 1, 2022

1835 capped bust half dime. Maybe not so rare in many states, but in southwest Kansas, the chances of a busted coin are pretty slim. Probably lost by a traveler on the Santa Fe Trail.

LovestheShiny! · Jul 1, 2022

I posted this about 4 years ago when just learning the AT Pro. Came out of a yard ca 1920 in Missoula Montana. Hobo Nickel. Real. I had no idea what this was other than it was the most unusual Buffalo Nickel I'd ever seen.

Silverhorse65 · Jul 1, 2022

This is an easy one for me, and one that I retrieved right at the beginning of the hunting season in early March here in Iowa. Pictured is what I believe to be is a homemade watch or key fob with my wife's great-grandfather's initials. Unfortunately, he died before she was born so she has no memory of him.

It was found in a cornfield in what used to be the front yard of her grandparents farmhouse. The land sold in the late 90's and the house was demolished in the early 2000's. Anything handmade from an ancestor that came out of the ground through MD'ing is about as precious as it gets in my book and a completely unexpected bucket lister.

SmirkAtTheMerc · Jul 1, 2022

LovestheShiny! said:
I posted this about 4 years ago when just learning the AT Pro. Came out of a yard ca 1920 in Missoula Montana. Hobo Nickel. Real. I had no idea what this was other than it was the most unusual Buffalo Nickel I'd ever seen.

That’s cool! :shock:

diggin4clad · Jul 1, 2022

Back in 2013 I found a gold coin which was something I never expected to find.

GKman · Jul 1, 2022

3500 to 5000 years old copper adze

Wasn't expecting to find this copper culture artifact so close to home. The head of archeology for our state museum said it was a very fine example. They are very rare for the Hudson Valley area. In fact. I don't know anyone else that has found one near my area at all.

Iggyks · Jul 1, 2022

One weekend at a former school site I found my first silver coin (Rosie) on a Saturday. Went back Sunday and did some sloppy swinging on my way to where I'd found the dime. Got a good signal and was almost annoyed that I was being delayed getting to my "hotspot." And popped this out. At the time my bucket list was a Buffalo nickel and a Mercury dime, didn't dare hope beyond those.

bluebird66 · Jul 1, 2022

Large cent

Thebigd81 · Jul 1, 2022

Old Copper Culture piece I found while I was trying to find where a colonial tavern was. Never did I think I'd find a piece of OCC in my area of NY

FreeBirdTim · Jul 1, 2022

I had been metal detecting for six months and finding a lot of clad and a few silver coins from the 1900's with my Ace 250. I was doing an old baseball field and dug up a complete colonial shoe buckle. I had no idea what it was, so I just stuffed it in my pocket and kept detecting. Took me awhile to realize what I had found and the rest is history. Since that day, I've spent most of my metal detecting time over the last ten years searching for colonial relics.

MasonDixonMding · Jul 3, 2022

I found this button and thought it was just a fancy button. After cleaning it. I could see the date 1744 after some research I found that this was not a normal button. It was a Reale replica cuff link button. They where worn by the colonists to protest the taxes that Britain had imposed on them.

You never know what you will find!

MTtrashdigger · Jul 4, 2022

I dug my first one in 2019 in an old park that used to be my county's original fairgrounds. I thought it was just another aluminum piece of junk. When I noticed the stamped letters, I did a little googling and discovered it was a unique piece of Americana , I dug another variety last year in the same area of the same old park. Definitely a good sign of historic human "activity".

goldendreams · Jul 4, 2022

Chroma said:
By that, I mean: What was something you never set out to find, but realized was a bucket list find for you after further research?

For me, it was an old railroad lock I found the other day. Railroad items weren't even on my radar until I dug up the lock, which cued some online reading. I think I might be a railroad lock hunter now, and I've added railroad switch key to the bucket list.

View attachment 502157

View attachment 502158

This was NEVER on my bucket list , but I've always wanted to find something personal that I could trace back to a person from many years ago ...
This is a blunt bodkin , it's a tool for dress making/seamstress, for threading ribbon or cord through a hem..
After I dug this silver piece I researched the lady and found where she lived and is buried...which is about 5 miles from my house ..
Never imagined I'd find an item engraved with a name and yr , let alone from 1694..she was 9 years old when this was made for her ...
This beats out all my coin finds IMO...just the fact it was in the ground for probably 300 plus years and being silver

KingTotsalot · Jul 4, 2022

goldendreams said:
This was NEVER on my bucket list , but I've always wanted to find something personal that I could trace back to a person from many years ago ...
This is a blunt bodkin , it's a tool for dress making/seamstress, for threading ribbon or cord through a hem..
After I dug this silver piece I researched the lady and found where she lived and is buried...which is about 5 miles from my house ..
Never imagined I'd find an item engraved with a name and yr , let alone from 1694..she was 9 years old when this was made for her ...
This beats out all my coin finds IMO...just the fact it was in the ground for probably 300 plus years and being silver

goldendreams, That personalized blunt bodkin is imho one of the most fantastic finds from MDing that His Majesty has ever seen! Royal Congrats on finding it and tracing its long history! My Mother was a master seamstress....that is why it is so fantastic to me!

goldendreams · Jul 4, 2022

KingTotsalot said:
goldendreams, That personalized blunt bodkin is imho one of the most fantastic finds from MDing that His Majesty has ever seen! Royal Congrats on finding it and tracing its long history! My Mother was a master seamstress....that is why it is so fantastic to me!

So you knew what a bodkin was? Cuz when i dug it i had no idea what it was and was ID'D after i had posted it ...

KingTotsalot · Jul 4, 2022

goldendreams said:
So you knew what a bodkin was? Cuz when i dug it i had no idea what it was and was ID'D after i had posted it ...

Yes, my Royal Mum had one....not specialized but I remember asking her what it was! LOL

chillforlife · Jul 4, 2022

KingTotsalot said:
goldendreams, That personalized blunt bodkin is imho one of the most fantastic finds from MDing that His Majesty has ever seen!

I've got to agree on this one even though the King talks to himself. That is a very cool find. Lots of great finds here but that is really cool. :cool3:

Chroma · Jul 5, 2022

Some really interesting finds posted so far. Thanks for sharing everyone

What was your unplanned bucket list find?

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