Ok, so I decided to go on a woods hunt today for something different. It started off super uneventful and after a couple of hours I gave up. I hiked back out to my truck. I drove down the road and decided to stop at a location I had hit a few years ago and found only relics. I decided to give it another go because I hadn't hit the area with the Equinox.
I walked a few hundred yards to the spot and started swinging. I few minutes in I got a 32-34 on the Equinox and it was steady from every angle. I figured it was either an aluminum can or big iron. Boy was I wrong and I'm glad I decided to dig. I cut a wide plug with my predator shovel and flipped it over.
I rescanned with the Equinox. Now I was getting a 32 in the pile of dirt I just removed and a solid 29-30 in the hole. With my pinpointer I located the target in the pile first...and I about crapped my pants. I saw the large eagle on the back and knew I had my first silver half, an 1858 S in beautiful shape. Sat there for a few minutes in absolute awe and then it dawned on me there was another target in the hole. Pinpointed to the side of the bottom of the hole. I dug down another few inches and bam, another half dollar, 1859 S this time. Now I'm shaking uncontrollably and I've got goose bumps.
Rescanned the hole with the equinox and still getting a solid 18. Took another shovelful of dirt out of the bottom and dumped it to the side. Pinpointed the target in the pile and at first I cannot comprehend what I'm looking at...a gold nugget!
I literally sat on the ground staring at both halves and the nugget in my palm wondering how they got there. I realize the halves were either dropped or buried together and part of me wants to believe the nugget was also, and not just a coincidence.
I scanned the hole and pile again and nothing, so I filled it back in. Started slowly gridding the area and 2ft away I got a 29-30 on the Nox. Cut a nice wide plug and flipped it. I immediately saw the quarter in the pile of dirt and checked the date...1856. Now I'm on cloud nine and thinking it can't get any better. A foot away from the quarter, another 29-30 signal. Again, cut a big plug and pinpointed it in the bottom of the hole. Another Seated quarter but I can't see the date because its covered in red clay.
I hit the area from every angle for another hour and nothing. I called it a day and headed home. Ran water over the coins and patted them dry. Turns out the caked up quarter was an 1855. All minted in SF. I still cannot believe what I stumbled across on a complete whim. Goes to show you never know what you will find. Needles to say I will be going back tomorrow and widening my search area.
Somebody pinch me, please...thanks for looking.
IN FIELD UPDATE 10-27-18
Finally got back up to the spot this morning and started swinging. Right up against the base of a pine tree not more than 4 ft from where I pulled the halves, I got a bouncy signal in the 20's. About 6 inches down I pulled out what appears to be a 1 Reale. This is insane. Back to swining and digging...hopefully more to report later.
10-27-18 UPDATE #2
This is crazy. My digging buddy met me at the location with his Whites Classic ID after I pulled the Reale. We got to work and hit this area from every direction and ended up with about 5lbs of nails and other iron bits. Then my buddy pulled an 1859 S Seated quarter from under a root. I helped him pinpoint it as he was having a hard time zeroing in on it. A while later I got crappy signal that was all over the place bouncing from the teens to the thirties. I cut a nice wide and deep plug and after flipping it the signal improved to the mid twenties. Pinointed to the bottom side of the hole and in the loose dirt I pulled a 1858 S Seated quarter! The 1859 S my buddy found is a key date with only 80K minted, and the 1858 S I found is one of only 121k minted.
It gets better. A while later after we got back from lunch we weren't finding much but nails and a few pieces of lead. Then I got a steady 11-12 signal. Just about 4 inches down I got a football shaped blob that I though was another piece of lead. Rubbed in on my pants to reveal that wonderful yellow color we all love so much...another nugget. I don't have a scale but I plan on getting one tomorrow.
I'm still in utter disbelief and my brain keeps trying to rationalize and make sense of all of this. I really want to know the history and set of circumstances surrounding all this.
Whew. Thank you all for looking. Good luck & HH.
UPDATE 11-08-18
Made it back and managed to pull another seated, this time an 1842 dime. It was just a few feet from the others and no idea how I missed it. Rang up in the high teens at first, but it was repeatable. Cut a wide and deep plug and the signal jumped into the twenties. Thanks again for looking & HH.
I walked a few hundred yards to the spot and started swinging. I few minutes in I got a 32-34 on the Equinox and it was steady from every angle. I figured it was either an aluminum can or big iron. Boy was I wrong and I'm glad I decided to dig. I cut a wide plug with my predator shovel and flipped it over.
I rescanned with the Equinox. Now I was getting a 32 in the pile of dirt I just removed and a solid 29-30 in the hole. With my pinpointer I located the target in the pile first...and I about crapped my pants. I saw the large eagle on the back and knew I had my first silver half, an 1858 S in beautiful shape. Sat there for a few minutes in absolute awe and then it dawned on me there was another target in the hole. Pinpointed to the side of the bottom of the hole. I dug down another few inches and bam, another half dollar, 1859 S this time. Now I'm shaking uncontrollably and I've got goose bumps.
Rescanned the hole with the equinox and still getting a solid 18. Took another shovelful of dirt out of the bottom and dumped it to the side. Pinpointed the target in the pile and at first I cannot comprehend what I'm looking at...a gold nugget!
I literally sat on the ground staring at both halves and the nugget in my palm wondering how they got there. I realize the halves were either dropped or buried together and part of me wants to believe the nugget was also, and not just a coincidence.
I scanned the hole and pile again and nothing, so I filled it back in. Started slowly gridding the area and 2ft away I got a 29-30 on the Nox. Cut a nice wide plug and flipped it. I immediately saw the quarter in the pile of dirt and checked the date...1856. Now I'm on cloud nine and thinking it can't get any better. A foot away from the quarter, another 29-30 signal. Again, cut a big plug and pinpointed it in the bottom of the hole. Another Seated quarter but I can't see the date because its covered in red clay.
I hit the area from every angle for another hour and nothing. I called it a day and headed home. Ran water over the coins and patted them dry. Turns out the caked up quarter was an 1855. All minted in SF. I still cannot believe what I stumbled across on a complete whim. Goes to show you never know what you will find. Needles to say I will be going back tomorrow and widening my search area.
Somebody pinch me, please...thanks for looking.
IN FIELD UPDATE 10-27-18
Finally got back up to the spot this morning and started swinging. Right up against the base of a pine tree not more than 4 ft from where I pulled the halves, I got a bouncy signal in the 20's. About 6 inches down I pulled out what appears to be a 1 Reale. This is insane. Back to swining and digging...hopefully more to report later.
10-27-18 UPDATE #2
This is crazy. My digging buddy met me at the location with his Whites Classic ID after I pulled the Reale. We got to work and hit this area from every direction and ended up with about 5lbs of nails and other iron bits. Then my buddy pulled an 1859 S Seated quarter from under a root. I helped him pinpoint it as he was having a hard time zeroing in on it. A while later I got crappy signal that was all over the place bouncing from the teens to the thirties. I cut a nice wide and deep plug and after flipping it the signal improved to the mid twenties. Pinointed to the bottom side of the hole and in the loose dirt I pulled a 1858 S Seated quarter! The 1859 S my buddy found is a key date with only 80K minted, and the 1858 S I found is one of only 121k minted.
It gets better. A while later after we got back from lunch we weren't finding much but nails and a few pieces of lead. Then I got a steady 11-12 signal. Just about 4 inches down I got a football shaped blob that I though was another piece of lead. Rubbed in on my pants to reveal that wonderful yellow color we all love so much...another nugget. I don't have a scale but I plan on getting one tomorrow.
I'm still in utter disbelief and my brain keeps trying to rationalize and make sense of all of this. I really want to know the history and set of circumstances surrounding all this.
Whew. Thank you all for looking. Good luck & HH.
UPDATE 11-08-18
Made it back and managed to pull another seated, this time an 1842 dime. It was just a few feet from the others and no idea how I missed it. Rang up in the high teens at first, but it was repeatable. Cut a wide and deep plug and the signal jumped into the twenties. Thanks again for looking & HH.
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