Honey-spot is a term that comes to mind when I think of the 1920-build property I detected last week that yielded 8 silver coins. Thinking that I likely missed a piece or two compelled me to return to the same place to cover some areas in the back yard that I may have hastily gone over last week. I failed to mention that aside from the 8 silvers I detected last week, I also located a silver pendent that had a dolphin in it, which the property owner wanted to keep as it likely belonged to a family member and is something she could possibly trace back to them. When I showed up this afternoon, she didn’t hesitate to let me have another go at the the backyard area. It quickly paid off… focusing on the parts I skimmed over last week, due to lack of time, it didn’t take long to dial up a few more hits…
1948-S Rosie
A few coppers and clad hits followed. The soil was awfully dry and nearly powdery. Mostly wheaties on the copper side, then this…
1926-S Merc
Not much more after that. Before leaving, I decided to run the Nox down the sidewalk along a couple of the houses… lots of clad and memorial copper, but with one bright note which I’ll include in the final tally of silver and wheaties…
1943 Merc…
I wonder if I’ll ever find an old wheatie that doesn’t look like it’s spent several hours spinning around in a microwave oven at max power.
The final tally is in… that 1920 property yielded a total of 10 silvers. Yeah, I have no issues with calling it a “honey-spot”!
True, but the plugs are all intact and when I replace them, I make sure they’re properly aligned and the surface looks seamless. I’ve actually been complimented on my work with them.
Quick hunt out today. Pulled what first appeared to be a clad dime -
until I flipped it over and saw the small areas of silver glint in the rim.
Then I realized it was a Merc!
After bagging it, I swung the Nox back over the hole and it pinged another dime. I sifted the soil in the bottom of the hole and its neighbor popped out.
Upon getting home, before the rinse…
The Mercs and a few wheaties I also found along the way…
Back out for a quick search at Sunday’s hunt location where I found two Mercs. Pulled this little guy from @ 6” down - 1956 Rosie along with five more wheaties along the way.
Another morning session before the heat set in here in the mid-Atlantic region. A 1920 property which turned out to be a bit trashy with a healthy amount of clad, memorial cents, and the occasional wheatie, but a lot of buried metal items and nails… lots of nails. The Nox finally lit up on one spot, giving off a strong, deep dime signal. Upon pulling the plug, the Nox then pinged a high quarter signal. Anticipation started to run high… the pointer indicated the target was under a root in the wall of the hole. While trying to wedge the root out, the target popped out… 1957 Quarter. Unfortunately, I kissed the heck out of it while prying it out from behind the root.
After clearing the quarter, I ran the nox over the hole again, as well as the plug. The plug lit up the typical copper signal, which turned out to be a 1951 wheatie. Likely the result of a small spill, circa late 1950-something. The wheatie lying in there with the quarter explains the lower-level dime signal that initially caught my attention. Full yield is drying after a good bath.
Here’s the quarter along with the 1951 wheatie it likely spent a half of a century hanging out with. I definitely kissed the heck out of it trying to pull it from behind that root, although it has solid AU details and is now bright enough to have RickO give it a thumbs up.
The oldest of the Lincolns that I can make out is 1929.
Here’s a group shot… a good bunch of fried wheaties along with the dimes - 1942, 1944, & 1961-D. The Mercs are surprisingly well preserved and must’ve been dropped soon after their release from the mint. The ‘44 (middle) looks mint state with hairlines from being in the ground 70+ years. What I find interesting is how the soil reacted differently with this group as opposed to the two Mercs I found on the 27th (above). The coloration is quite different between the two pairs (the 27 Aug ‘42 & ‘43 Mercs were together, yesterday’s ‘42 & ‘43 Mercs were about 10-11 feet apart). The locations where the two pairs were located are along the same slope, and about 400-450 yards apart.
@No Headlights said:
Boy, the soil that you are hunting sure fries the Wheaties. Nice silver finds. Congrats.
Thanks No Headlights. Older copper just burns away over the years in the soil here. Wheaties like them are much more the norm vice the exception.
I’m still somewhat taken by the condition of the one Merc. I know it’s a common coin, but it’s by far the best looking Merc I’ve pulled from Mother Earth.
Been a few weeks since I last went out. An early September heavy weight session twerked my right shoulder which made swinging anything with that side painful. Been feeling better lately, so decided to leave work early this afternoon and hit a permission I’d been keeping tabs with today. The property is a 1940 build and yielded a few wheaties (9) and a lot of clad - 12 quarters, 13 dimes and another 21 memorial coppers. The highlights were a silver WWII nickel that rang up like a typical copper cent - I didn’t realize what it was until I wiped enough of the dirt off of it, and not too far from that a strong signal that was screaming quarter…
The nickel -
The silver and wheaties after a rinse n dry session-
A quick run out this morning to revisit the 1940 build I started on Thursday. Not a whole lot of finds, but one notable… 1946 Washington Quarter to go the the 1950 from the last hunt. Found only one other quarter in the remaining section of the property… interesting how the soil and substances applied in yards affect copper & nickel, yet silver usually remains unscathed. There were a few scorched wheaties to add to the tally.
After wiping some of the smudge away…
Final silver and wheaties, with the lone clad quarter recovered in the same general area for comparison.
@CharlotteDude said:
Quick hunt this afternoon… found lots of wheaties and one silver. I thought it was a Rosie at first, until I flipped it over…
The group is currently enjoying a soak.
Nice looking Merc. I commend you for not wiping this in the field. Patience and proper debris removal can really help the value of a coin. Congrats.
Here’s the group after a bath and dry…
Hard to tell, but a few of the really crispy Lincoln’s are a 1909, 1911, and 1926.
The Merc has nice details, but was whacked a long time ago on the rim.
I was finally able to get out to a property I’ve had lined up for over a month. I’ve had to put detecting on hold until this morning after sitting out several weeks with a shoulder issue. A little time and home therapy has helped get things back in order, and man, was I ever ready to get back out.
The property yielded many memorial and wheat cents with a few gems mixed in.
First hit was a Merc…
Then a Rosie…
Then a nice deep, strong signal chirping @ 31-32 on the Nox-8… I had a good feeling before the shovel went in… and just caught a glimpse of the rim within the clump.
And confirmed it when I pulled Georgie out…
Added bonus… this was buried with 5-6 other cents. Due to its “toasted” coloration, I thought it was just another burnt copper in the small handful of Lincolns, until I got it home and gave it a good look (and a quick wipe of the rims and date area)… nice surprise!
Here’s all the old copper and silver after a soak n dry. Total of 28 wheaties, with some only recognizable by minute reverse details. The ‘46 Rosie was found with a small group of copper and stealthily concealed by decades of caked-on, accumulated crude. Luckily, the elements and compounds found in mid-Atlantic coastal plain soil don’t wreak the same kind of havoc on silver that it does on copper… Rosie cleaned up nicely.
November has been a slow month for me, having been out only a few times. This has been mostly due to timing (lack thereof), and partly to continue giving my shoulder a break. I did make it out last week, just before the Veteran’s Day holiday, which the missus and I took advantage of for a road-trip to Nashville. On that quick hunt, I managed to find one silver -
1951 Rosie and a few wheaties… nuthin’ too special:
I didn’t have time for a post-soak group shot due to having to prep the recreational van for the trip, which included a stop/overnight in Roanoke/Salem Va off I-81. Of special note was receiving a 1964-D Rosie in change for a beer purchase at one of the fine local breweries there!
While we were in Nashville, we hit all the honky tonk bars - my first time stopping there. The music scene was amazing to say the least. Many of the bars were 2-3 stories high, and had live bands playing on each floor. There was one place that stood out (to me) and warrants a pic or two here… Rudie’s Bar. It’s on Broadway St, nestled among all the big “Country Star”-owned bars, but looks rather plain-Jane from the street in comparison, until you walk in. The first thing I noticed was the Cadillac hanging on the wall…
If you look closely, you can see the silver dollars inlaid into the upholstery, dashboard, and inner door trimming… what a sight!
And then my attention was drawn to the bar… it’s a long one… well over 100 feet in length, and topped full of Morgan silver dollars… inlaid & what looked to be covered in clear resin, over its entire length!
There were three security guards at the end of the bar, keeping an eye on things. I asked them if the Morgans were real, and they confirmed it, adding that there were over 10,000 of them along the length of that bar!
Now on to today… a quick morning hunt… 1940 build… lots of wheaties and a 1951 Washie. Everything is in the soak. More to follow… news at 11. 😁
Annnnd here are the better finds, along with 3X the number of copper memorial cents, 9 clad dimes, 11 quarters and a 1972 Kennedy HD. Although many of the wheaties are over-cooked, I can make out most of the dates. All legible ones are from the 40’s & 50’s.
Went out to a 1925 permission property this morning before the rain settled in on the mid-Atlantic area. I found quite a few memorial coppers and several wheaties, along with this handsome gentleman that made the ‘800 chirping high and loud…
Still in the plug… just visible by the rim that screams “silver!”.
Almost forgot to share after-the-soak pics from Sunday morning’s hunt. That copper in the top row, far left is indistinguishable, save for the slightest traces of the date and “ONE CENT” on the reverse.
An afternoon VA appointment allowed me a little over an hour to revisit last Sunday’s 1925-build property, giving me the opportunity to scan the back and side yard which I didn’t have time to cover before a cold rain set in. Man, I’m so glad I came back…
After several hits of clad and copper, I came across a strong quarter signal. I dug out the plug, flipped it over, and what happened next involved a number of fist pumps and expletives of joy. I would like to add that no wildlife (or worms) was harmed during the extrication of the item of interest.
I immediately recognised it as a Barber, carefully removing it from its home for the last many decades…
Interestingly, after @ an hour of further searching, I didn’t come across any other silver, only hitting on two wheaties before having to wrap things up and head over to my appointment.
Here’s a couple more shots before the rinse upon returning home.
It’s finds like today that drive me…
Keep up the hunt!
The Barber and a couple wheaties found during yesterday’s quick hunt. I had to drop things pretty quick to head over to an appointment which was conveniently on the way back home. I planned to return to finish covering the property this morning before more rain came in.
I went back @ mid-morning today to finally finish scanning the grounds, and was very happy to find a Merc and a second Barber in two days… along with a couple more obligatory wheaties.
At first I thought this was another copper cent, until I pulled it out of the clod of dirt…. it was very dark at first.
Here are the two together… I can just make out the details of a Barber dime on the left.
Here’s the group after a soak. I found the Barber near the property’s old garden site, and can only imagine all the fertilizers & chemicals applied over the decades, causing corrosion to the point it’s at now… It almost looks environmentally scorched, but then again, it is a Barber, so I’ll take it any day over a Rosie.
Went out yesterday morning to an old ballpark for a few hours yesterday afternoon. Back in the 50’s, it was a popular baseball field, but nowadays it’s occasionally used as a soccer practice field. It’s a place I hunted 2-3 yrs ago, before I began posting here, armed then with my EQ600. At that time I found a pair of Mercs, a silver Rosie and silver Washington quarter, along with multiple wheaties and clad.
Yesterday, I focused on what was the outfield area back in its baseball glory days. I hit a good number of wheaties and clad, breaking a record for dollar coins (3), as well as couple finds of interest.
The first:
The second was a lapel pin that I found among a small group of old trees on a hill overlooking the field. It looks like commercial pilot’s wings with “coin silver” stamped on the back. First time I’ve come across an item like that… it’s still in the soak - pics to follow.
An early afternoon departure from work allowed me to spend a few hours at another old park I’ve had on my radar for a few weeks. The park had a ball field back in its early days, and I was able to scan a decent portion of the area around what was then the home plate/spectator area. I’ll let the pics take it from here…
The final tally… A total of 29 wheaties, along with some type of pin or broach stamped .830 Denmark, along with a Rosie, Merc, a three & six-pence, and for the bonus…, a well-worn SLQ.
The six-pence was a total surprise, not realizing what it was until I started the initial soak & rinse. It originally looked like just another completely toasted Lincoln.
Another brief trip to the old park I hunted on Wednesday. This time, a small section between what was the team bench areas and a line of trees. Along with a lot of clad and memorial copper, I hit a number of wheaties and more silver….
And
Copper n clad are still in the soak. I estimate the number of wheaties at 8-10, and all likely roasted and toasted.
Here are the totals from yesterday, rinsed and dried… turns out there were 13 wheaties, along with a fair amount of clad and memorial copper, plus the silver and some foreign 25 centimes pieces.
The Merc is remarkably well preserved… aside from the hairlines from its contact with the soil, I’d give it CU details.
Slipped out of work a little early this afternoon and headed back to the old park I’d been hunting the last week or so. I only had a couple of hours to squeeze in so I made the best of it by covering a smaller section outside of the where spectator bench areas were located back in the day. Hit a lot of clad, but as I drew closer to an old oak, the 800 lit up… note the center top in the bottom of the plug…
I finished out hitting mostly clad and memorial copper, with a few wheats sprinkled in. After @ 2 hours, I had to pack it in and get home.
Went out of town for the New Year, but left these (29 Dec Merc and wheatie finds) out to dry while away. A bonus surprise was the sterling thimble I also found that day. It initially looked like any usual aluminium thimble, but when I brought it home for a bath, the “sterling” stamp was revealed.
A short, early morning hunt to start the New Year… with the lack of sunlight making it too dark to make out the digs, and given the dark color of the finds. Even the Merc was too dark to make out until I got it home for a soak and dry.
Quick trip out this morning after a few hours to allow things to dry out a bit following a very heavy rain yesterday… found a number of wheaties and clad, and this:
Went back out to the old park this morning before the snow squalls rolled in. It was a chilly 29 degrees, but I bundled up and double-socked it. I’d been out swinging and digging for @ 1 1/2hrs, pulling the standard amount of clad and memorial copper, and then the snow started coming down. I was going to wrap things up and head home, but began pulling a number of wheaties along a strip of trees that would’ve been close to what was the left field line. Hitting wheaties is an indication there’s a good chance (although not always) that silver is close by. It didn’t take long before the Nox was chirping on a deep target at 27-28. I pulled the plug, and this little gem stood out like a sore thumb… or sight for sore eyes… or both.
After a few more swings and a couple more wheaties, I decided to wrap it up and head home.
Comments
That is a great hunt congrats on the Silver
Honey-spot is a term that comes to mind when I think of the 1920-build property I detected last week that yielded 8 silver coins. Thinking that I likely missed a piece or two compelled me to return to the same place to cover some areas in the back yard that I may have hastily gone over last week. I failed to mention that aside from the 8 silvers I detected last week, I also located a silver pendent that had a dolphin in it, which the property owner wanted to keep as it likely belonged to a family member and is something she could possibly trace back to them. When I showed up this afternoon, she didn’t hesitate to let me have another go at the the backyard area. It quickly paid off… focusing on the parts I skimmed over last week, due to lack of time, it didn’t take long to dial up a few more hits…
1948-S Rosie
A few coppers and clad hits followed. The soil was awfully dry and nearly powdery. Mostly wheaties on the copper side, then this…
1926-S Merc
Not much more after that. Before leaving, I decided to run the Nox down the sidewalk along a couple of the houses… lots of clad and memorial copper, but with one bright note which I’ll include in the final tally of silver and wheaties…
1943 Merc…
I wonder if I’ll ever find an old wheatie that doesn’t look like it’s spent several hours spinning around in a microwave oven at max power.
The final tally is in… that 1920 property yielded a total of 10 silvers. Yeah, I have no issues with calling it a “honey-spot”!
1 WLH - 1943
2 Washies - 1936 &1946
1 Barber dime - 1914
4 Mercury dimes - 1926-S, 1937, 1939, & 1942
1 Rosie dime - 1948-S
1 1944 P nickel
I don’t count the 1943 Merc (bonus!) because it wasn’t actually on the property.
Keep up the hunt!
1926-S Merc is a tough coin. Hoping that fills a hole in your detector set of mercs. Congrats
They are some pretty big holes
True, but the plugs are all intact and when I replace them, I make sure they’re properly aligned and the surface looks seamless. I’ve actually been complimented on my work with them.
Quick hunt out today. Pulled what first appeared to be a clad dime -
until I flipped it over and saw the small areas of silver glint in the rim.
Then I realized it was a Merc!
After bagging it, I swung the Nox back over the hole and it pinged another dime. I sifted the soil in the bottom of the hole and its neighbor popped out.
Upon getting home, before the rinse…
The Mercs and a few wheaties I also found along the way…
Keep up the hunt!
Back out for a quick search at Sunday’s hunt location where I found two Mercs. Pulled this little guy from @ 6” down - 1956 Rosie along with five more wheaties along the way.
And after the rinse…
Merc dimes !! Woo hoo someone dropped a dime in that spot two years in a row.
How cool is that 😎
A true "Honeyhole"
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Another morning session before the heat set in here in the mid-Atlantic region. A 1920 property which turned out to be a bit trashy with a healthy amount of clad, memorial cents, and the occasional wheatie, but a lot of buried metal items and nails… lots of nails. The Nox finally lit up on one spot, giving off a strong, deep dime signal. Upon pulling the plug, the Nox then pinged a high quarter signal. Anticipation started to run high… the pointer indicated the target was under a root in the wall of the hole. While trying to wedge the root out, the target popped out… 1957 Quarter. Unfortunately, I kissed the heck out of it while prying it out from behind the root.
After clearing the quarter, I ran the nox over the hole again, as well as the plug. The plug lit up the typical copper signal, which turned out to be a 1951 wheatie. Likely the result of a small spill, circa late 1950-something. The wheatie lying in there with the quarter explains the lower-level dime signal that initially caught my attention. Full yield is drying after a good bath.
Here’s the quarter along with the 1951 wheatie it likely spent a half of a century hanging out with. I definitely kissed the heck out of it trying to pull it from behind that root, although it has solid AU details and is now bright enough to have RickO give it a thumbs up.
The oldest of the Lincolns that I can make out is 1929.
Back out for a few hours of hunting before the rain set in here along the mid-Atlantic coast. Hit a couple of interesting targets, like this…
And then this…
And finally this guy… I thought it was clad at first, until I cleared the dirt from the obverse and gave the reverse a good look.
Haven’t confirmed dates, TBD after they get a good rinse.
Here’s a group shot… a good bunch of fried wheaties along with the dimes - 1942, 1944, & 1961-D. The Mercs are surprisingly well preserved and must’ve been dropped soon after their release from the mint. The ‘44 (middle) looks mint state with hairlines from being in the ground 70+ years. What I find interesting is how the soil reacted differently with this group as opposed to the two Mercs I found on the 27th (above). The coloration is quite different between the two pairs (the 27 Aug ‘42 & ‘43 Mercs were together, yesterday’s ‘42 & ‘43 Mercs were about 10-11 feet apart). The locations where the two pairs were located are along the same slope, and about 400-450 yards apart.
Boy, the soil that you are hunting sure fries the Wheaties. Nice silver finds. Congrats.
Thanks No Headlights. Older copper just burns away over the years in the soil here. Wheaties like them are much more the norm vice the exception.
I’m still somewhat taken by the condition of the one Merc. I know it’s a common coin, but it’s by far the best looking Merc I’ve pulled from Mother Earth.
Nice finds, but it's so empty here without RickO.
Type collector, mainly into Seated. Young Numismatist. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON
Agreed… his words of wisdom and encouragement have been sorely missed.
Been a few weeks since I last went out. An early September heavy weight session twerked my right shoulder which made swinging anything with that side painful. Been feeling better lately, so decided to leave work early this afternoon and hit a permission I’d been keeping tabs with today. The property is a 1940 build and yielded a few wheaties (9) and a lot of clad - 12 quarters, 13 dimes and another 21 memorial coppers. The highlights were a silver WWII nickel that rang up like a typical copper cent - I didn’t realize what it was until I wiped enough of the dirt off of it, and not too far from that a strong signal that was screaming quarter…
The nickel -
The silver and wheaties after a rinse n dry session-
A quick run out this morning to revisit the 1940 build I started on Thursday. Not a whole lot of finds, but one notable… 1946 Washington Quarter to go the the 1950 from the last hunt. Found only one other quarter in the remaining section of the property… interesting how the soil and substances applied in yards affect copper & nickel, yet silver usually remains unscathed. There were a few scorched wheaties to add to the tally.
After wiping some of the smudge away…
Final silver and wheaties, with the lone clad quarter recovered in the same general area for comparison.
Quick hunt this afternoon… found lots of wheaties and one silver. I thought it was a Rosie at first, until I flipped it over…
The group is currently enjoying a soak.
Nice looking Merc. I commend you for not wiping this in the field. Patience and proper debris removal can really help the value of a coin. Congrats.
I gotta say... I love coming back to this thread and reading the updates. Thanks for keeping us all along for the hunt.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
Here’s the group after a bath and dry…
Hard to tell, but a few of the really crispy Lincoln’s are a 1909, 1911, and 1926.
The Merc has nice details, but was whacked a long time ago on the rim.
Keep up the hunt!
I was finally able to get out to a property I’ve had lined up for over a month. I’ve had to put detecting on hold until this morning after sitting out several weeks with a shoulder issue. A little time and home therapy has helped get things back in order, and man, was I ever ready to get back out.
The property yielded many memorial and wheat cents with a few gems mixed in.
First hit was a Merc…
Then a Rosie…
Then a nice deep, strong signal chirping @ 31-32 on the Nox-8… I had a good feeling before the shovel went in… and just caught a glimpse of the rim within the clump.
And confirmed it when I pulled Georgie out…
Added bonus… this was buried with 5-6 other cents. Due to its “toasted” coloration, I thought it was just another burnt copper in the small handful of Lincolns, until I got it home and gave it a good look (and a quick wipe of the rims and date area)… nice surprise!
Everything is in the rinse. More to follow.
Here’s all the old copper and silver after a soak n dry. Total of 28 wheaties, with some only recognizable by minute reverse details. The ‘46 Rosie was found with a small group of copper and stealthily concealed by decades of caked-on, accumulated crude. Luckily, the elements and compounds found in mid-Atlantic coastal plain soil don’t wreak the same kind of havoc on silver that it does on copper… Rosie cleaned up nicely.
November has been a slow month for me, having been out only a few times. This has been mostly due to timing (lack thereof), and partly to continue giving my shoulder a break. I did make it out last week, just before the Veteran’s Day holiday, which the missus and I took advantage of for a road-trip to Nashville. On that quick hunt, I managed to find one silver -
1951 Rosie and a few wheaties… nuthin’ too special:
I didn’t have time for a post-soak group shot due to having to prep the recreational van for the trip, which included a stop/overnight in Roanoke/Salem Va off I-81. Of special note was receiving a 1964-D Rosie in change for a beer purchase at one of the fine local breweries there!
While we were in Nashville, we hit all the honky tonk bars - my first time stopping there. The music scene was amazing to say the least. Many of the bars were 2-3 stories high, and had live bands playing on each floor. There was one place that stood out (to me) and warrants a pic or two here… Rudie’s Bar. It’s on Broadway St, nestled among all the big “Country Star”-owned bars, but looks rather plain-Jane from the street in comparison, until you walk in. The first thing I noticed was the Cadillac hanging on the wall…
If you look closely, you can see the silver dollars inlaid into the upholstery, dashboard, and inner door trimming… what a sight!
And then my attention was drawn to the bar… it’s a long one… well over 100 feet in length, and topped full of Morgan silver dollars… inlaid & what looked to be covered in clear resin, over its entire length!
There were three security guards at the end of the bar, keeping an eye on things. I asked them if the Morgans were real, and they confirmed it, adding that there were over 10,000 of them along the length of that bar!
Now on to today… a quick morning hunt… 1940 build… lots of wheaties and a 1951 Washie. Everything is in the soak. More to follow… news at 11. 😁
Annnnd here are the better finds, along with 3X the number of copper memorial cents, 9 clad dimes, 11 quarters and a 1972 Kennedy HD. Although many of the wheaties are over-cooked, I can make out most of the dates. All legible ones are from the 40’s & 50’s.
Went out to a 1925 permission property this morning before the rain settled in on the mid-Atlantic area. I found quite a few memorial coppers and several wheaties, along with this handsome gentleman that made the ‘800 chirping high and loud…
Still in the plug… just visible by the rim that screams “silver!”.
Reverse & obverse
Upon return just in time before the rain set in…
Everything is in the soak.
Almost forgot to share after-the-soak pics from Sunday morning’s hunt. That copper in the top row, far left is indistinguishable, save for the slightest traces of the date and “ONE CENT” on the reverse.
An afternoon VA appointment allowed me a little over an hour to revisit last Sunday’s 1925-build property, giving me the opportunity to scan the back and side yard which I didn’t have time to cover before a cold rain set in. Man, I’m so glad I came back…
After several hits of clad and copper, I came across a strong quarter signal. I dug out the plug, flipped it over, and what happened next involved a number of fist pumps and expletives of joy. I would like to add that no wildlife (or worms) was harmed during the extrication of the item of interest.
I immediately recognised it as a Barber, carefully removing it from its home for the last many decades…
Interestingly, after @ an hour of further searching, I didn’t come across any other silver, only hitting on two wheaties before having to wrap things up and head over to my appointment.
Here’s a couple more shots before the rinse upon returning home.
It’s finds like today that drive me…
Keep up the hunt!
The Barber and a couple wheaties found during yesterday’s quick hunt. I had to drop things pretty quick to head over to an appointment which was conveniently on the way back home. I planned to return to finish covering the property this morning before more rain came in.
I went back @ mid-morning today to finally finish scanning the grounds, and was very happy to find a Merc and a second Barber in two days… along with a couple more obligatory wheaties.
At first I thought this was another copper cent, until I pulled it out of the clod of dirt…. it was very dark at first.
Here are the two together… I can just make out the details of a Barber dime on the left.
More to follow after the soak.
1916D…..one of the few times you wished it was a dime rather than a quarter.
Here’s the group after a soak. I found the Barber near the property’s old garden site, and can only imagine all the fertilizers & chemicals applied over the decades, causing corrosion to the point it’s at now… It almost looks environmentally scorched, but then again, it is a Barber, so I’ll take it any day over a Rosie.
Went out yesterday morning to an old ballpark for a few hours yesterday afternoon. Back in the 50’s, it was a popular baseball field, but nowadays it’s occasionally used as a soccer practice field. It’s a place I hunted 2-3 yrs ago, before I began posting here, armed then with my EQ600. At that time I found a pair of Mercs, a silver Rosie and silver Washington quarter, along with multiple wheaties and clad.
Yesterday, I focused on what was the outfield area back in its baseball glory days. I hit a good number of wheaties and clad, breaking a record for dollar coins (3), as well as couple finds of interest.
The first:
The second was a lapel pin that I found among a small group of old trees on a hill overlooking the field. It looks like commercial pilot’s wings with “coin silver” stamped on the back. First time I’ve come across an item like that… it’s still in the soak - pics to follow.
After the soak… the wheaties are all in the bottom right corner. Total of 18 as opposed to 12 memorial Lincolns.
I’ve heard of “coined silver”, but not “coin silver”, although it stands to reason it means a purity of 90% silver.
Wings are cool
Agreed… I think the winged lapel pin and the Merc dime make a nice (and fitting) combination also.
An early afternoon departure from work allowed me to spend a few hours at another old park I’ve had on my radar for a few weeks. The park had a ball field back in its early days, and I was able to scan a decent portion of the area around what was then the home plate/spectator area. I’ll let the pics take it from here…
The final tally… A total of 29 wheaties, along with some type of pin or broach stamped .830 Denmark, along with a Rosie, Merc, a three & six-pence, and for the bonus…, a well-worn SLQ.
The six-pence was a total surprise, not realizing what it was until I started the initial soak & rinse. It originally looked like just another completely toasted Lincoln.
Another brief trip to the old park I hunted on Wednesday. This time, a small section between what was the team bench areas and a line of trees. Along with a lot of clad and memorial copper, I hit a number of wheaties and more silver….
And
Copper n clad are still in the soak. I estimate the number of wheaties at 8-10, and all likely roasted and toasted.
Here are the totals from yesterday, rinsed and dried… turns out there were 13 wheaties, along with a fair amount of clad and memorial copper, plus the silver and some foreign 25 centimes pieces.
The Merc is remarkably well preserved… aside from the hairlines from its contact with the soil, I’d give it CU details.
Slipped out of work a little early this afternoon and headed back to the old park I’d been hunting the last week or so. I only had a couple of hours to squeeze in so I made the best of it by covering a smaller section outside of the where spectator bench areas were located back in the day. Hit a lot of clad, but as I drew closer to an old oak, the 800 lit up… note the center top in the bottom of the plug…
I finished out hitting mostly clad and memorial copper, with a few wheats sprinkled in. After @ 2 hours, I had to pack it in and get home.
The small group after the rinse. Even though I was out for a short time, there was quite a bit of clad and memorial copper found.
Plus clad n copper:
23 quarters
14 dimes
22 memorials cents
Back out to take advantage of the nice mid-Atlantic weather for an afternoon hunt today…
It didn’t disappoint.
Went out of town for the New Year, but left these (29 Dec Merc and wheatie finds) out to dry while away. A bonus surprise was the sterling thimble I also found that day. It initially looked like any usual aluminium thimble, but when I brought it home for a bath, the “sterling” stamp was revealed.
A short, early morning hunt to start the New Year… with the lack of sunlight making it too dark to make out the digs, and given the dark color of the finds. Even the Merc was too dark to make out until I got it home for a soak and dry.
Quick trip out this morning after a few hours to allow things to dry out a bit following a very heavy rain yesterday… found a number of wheaties and clad, and this:
Ah… I forgot to post the after-wash finds from the 7th… the silver turned out to be a 1950-D Rosie, along with @ 7-8 wheaties.
Yesterday, I went after work before the storms set in. Managed to hit another 9 wheaties, clad, memorial copper, and this:
The Washie (1958-D) from yesterday , along with the wheaties from the same field.
Went back out to the old park this morning before the snow squalls rolled in. It was a chilly 29 degrees, but I bundled up and double-socked it. I’d been out swinging and digging for @ 1 1/2hrs, pulling the standard amount of clad and memorial copper, and then the snow started coming down. I was going to wrap things up and head home, but began pulling a number of wheaties along a strip of trees that would’ve been close to what was the left field line. Hitting wheaties is an indication there’s a good chance (although not always) that silver is close by. It didn’t take long before the Nox was chirping on a deep target at 27-28. I pulled the plug, and this little gem stood out like a sore thumb… or sight for sore eyes… or both.
After a few more swings and a couple more wheaties, I decided to wrap it up and head home.
The Rosie with its entourage of wheats after a bath.