Hey Hivers,
I've written a few posts on metal detecting so this will be an update. This past month has been my best days yet! I'm quite new to the hobby, about 6 months into it, but my new finds keep the inspiration alive.
I have been doing a lot river-shore digging. There must have been more activity on the river back in-the-day. There is still a lot of active fisherman, but that is about it.
I'm finding all of these things with a $200 detector. It doesn't take a big bank account to get your feet wet in this hobby! The skill is more in the historical research and thinking like people did 100-200 years ago.
If you missed my other metal detecting posts, you can check them out below
https://peakd.com/life/@tfeldman/tfeldman-special-enter-my-world-of-metal-detecting
https://peakd.com/hive-148441/@tfeldman/found-my-first-silver-ring-metal-detecting-style
Take a trip through history with me...
1899 Silver Barber Quarter! The first Barber I have found to date. I was so excited. Imagine a world over 120 years ago where a simple quarter was made of silver. It is a beat up one, but it's still a beauty. This is what silver tarnish looks like when exposed to water for over 100 years haha. I imagine this person was not happy to lose this back then...
Same coin as above after applying water and a microfiber towel. This is a beat up coin and not a key date... so I wasn't too worried about taking away a few dollars of some numismatic value. I try not to clean coins at all. If you find an old coin and are not sure of its value, don't try to clean it. You will often significantly reduce the value. The state of this coin before was so tarnished that you could not read a date. I think it is safe to say-- in the state of this coin--no one was going to buy it when it was almost completely black haha. This will be a keeper. My first!
The second sterling silver ring I have found. I would guess this is from the 1930s-1940s from the design/stamp on the inside. The stone is missing...Silver is silver!
I found my first V-nickel (1911) about three weeks ago. This was what 5 cents looked like back at the turn of the 20th Century. This is the one before the Buffalo nickel.
I have found a couple "Good Luck" tokens. This is likely form the 1930s. People in the past, carried "Good Luck" tokens. Companies would advertise by giving out these tokens. There is actually quite a market for these online. This one is cool.
This might be the oldest thing I have found since the Civil War era bullet I found a few months ago. This is a lead dice. Yes, soldiers in the 19th century (mostly during the Civil War era) would melt their musket bullets and make game pieces. Lead dice found in Europe are often ancient, as these date back to ancient Rome. Since I found this in the US, I would guess this was a melted musket bullet. The bullet I would imagine was mid to late 1800s. It was really cool to roll this. Lead is so heavy that when it lands, it just sticks on the number it lands on haha. They must have rolled these high in the air.
I hope you guys enjoyed my finds! My goal is not just to "show off" my finds. I also want to teach Hivers about history and give a glimpse into a past that is often forgotten.
And...I also want to convert people to this awesome hobby!
Stay thirsty for treasure, silver, and the thrill of the find!
Cheers!
*All original content and original photos, no sources needed
Looks like metal detecting is fun and a good way to get some exercise. Can't wait to see your next find. Thanks for showing, tfeldman.
Thanks for stopping by. I'm hoping for more good finds!
Is there a better feeling than finding some silver (hopefully gold next time)? Congratulations on some wonderful digs, hope your luck hold out, and we look forward to you sharing any future silver/gold finds with us all.
Thanks for the formal invite. I'm new to the communities posting but due to the silver finds I put on here. About the gold... I wish! The problem with gold is that it rings up in the same range as aluminum so you have to dig a lot of trash to find it. Hopefully I will get a gold ring or coin one of these days. Thanks for stopping by.
Those are nice finds. It might be interesting just to use a metal detector around our garden. We dig up various old stuff and we know people have lived here for a long time. A friend of a friend finds all sorts with his detector. Even the scrap metal he finds gets collected and he can sell that for some extra money.
Have you seen this British comedy about detectorists?
Metal detecting in Europe must be so much fun. You should get a cheaper detector just to see what you find! To think of all the history there, it must be amazing. In America we go crazy over something 200 years old haha.
That show is funny and pretty accurate. I will have to search for more episodes. I already want to watch more haha.
Thanks for stopping by.
People find stuff from over 1000 years ago sometimes. I guess you have to know your local history to look in the right places.
Yeah research is key. Everyone in Europe should have a metal detector haha. I would be happy for a month if I found an ancient Roman coin haha. If you need any help or advice on some start up equipment let met know. My first post in the above article gives some starter advice. Cheers.
Not sure I have the time for another hobby right now. I'll keep looking out for stuff in my garden. Got a nice little collection.
Nice! You should post some of those finds!
Here are some of them
I voted on a post of yours but I think I forgot to welcome you back. Congrats on graduating residency, that's awesome!
I didn't know about soldiers using their lead to make stuff to pass the time but it makes sense. Thanks for teaching me that
Thanks for the support and welcome back! It feels good to be a full attending now. I still have one more month off. I figured I wouldn't get this time to myself for a long time...so I'm not complaining haha.
About the lead bullets. They made all sorts of stuff with them including chess pieces. I'm not sure if the source is credible, but when I was researching, I cam across a theory of why people find some lead dice. Whether or not the theory is correct, apparently soldiers during the Civil War would intentionally leave the dice on the battle fields. The theory goes that if they died, they did not want the dice and other gaming pieces to be left on their bodies. Maybe they did not want their wives at home thinking they were gambling. Even if it's not true, it makes for a good story haha.
Good finds! Seems like an enjoyable hobby! 😃
Thanks!
Welcome to #silvergoldstackers @tfeldman , I own a Garrett 400i myself when I take my kids to the local old beach when time permits.
Finding mostly loose change so eventually it will pay off the 'Investment' lol.
Keys, gum wrappers, and bits of aluminum foil.
The life guard thanks me for removing the garbage. All in fun.
The Fraser river foreshore is another hot spot for me as there is a 150+ years of human activity
Thanks for checking out my post. I have a Fischer 22. I think they are similar in capabilities. I do a lot of river shores but no big beaches/or oceans where I live. There is some fine sand on some of the shorelines and I never find old stuff there. I usually find older stuff where there are bigger rocks. The big rocks trap the coins closer to the surface. How deep are the clad coins at the beach. I'm just curious how deep even modern coins are moving down in fine sand. Best of luck!!
Nice finds! I'm still hunting for my first "real" old coin find.
Thanks for reading. Luck will come to you one of these days! It took me about 2 months of metal detecting to find an Indian Head. If you are not finding wheat cents in America there is likely not going to be a good find at least coin wise. The area may be old, but there are so many factors. Everyone always says that the place has been detected too much. This may be one of many issues but my gut feeling is often the coin targets are too deep. Lots of fill dirt in areas. If you see old trees with no root coming out (depending on the type of tree) that is often a sign of fill dirt. Best of luck!
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