Old picnic ground produces 3 silvers and a few other oldies…
Riccar
Posts: 789
My wife and I just had another child about 4 weeks ago. I received 2 weeks off for paternity leave, so it was nice to stay around home and help out with the transition into a new routine with the little guy… rough work, less sleep, but fun to see how the family is going to change.
After going back to work, I decided that I’d get out for a lunch hunt and try to find some old coins or jewelry at some old picnic grounds. This old area has extra meaning to me when I hunt it because I would go there as a young boy with my bicycle or even walk there with my Mom. My grandfather passed away before I was born, but my Mother told me he would take her to this same area when she as a little girl, and when I’d go there with her, she would point out the different places they liked to visit. So, whenever I pull some oldies from this area, the items have a little extra value to me due to the sentimental aspect…
Typically this area will only provide a wheatback or two and sometimes I’ll get skunked, but other times it can produce an old silver coin. This hunt seemed like it was going to turn out to be a slightly above average day since I had found a couple wheatbacks plus an old transit token (all found on what appeared to be a forgotten trail), and some sugar tongs (found on a level spot next to the trail).
These sugar tongs probably date from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, but whenever I see these, I can’t help but think of the cartoon where Bugs Bunny meets Pete Puma, offers him some tea, and while holding some sugar tongs, he asks “How many 'lumps' do you want?!!” (Phut/Tim and GoldRush should remember this reference
)
While I’m walking along these old trails, I try to keep my eyes open for areas that look like a spot that would have been good for a place to lay down a blanket and have a picnic. This day was no different. But, I ran out of time, needed to get back to my office, so I started to hot-foot-it towards my car. On my way out, I noticed a flat area that I hadn’t paid attention to before. It wasn’t a large area, maybe only 15 feet by 15 feet. In a hurry, I walked right through the middle of it when I received a scattered signal on my detector. I didn’t think much of the signal, but it had a faint high tone within the mix, so I started kicking the soft soil with my boot. Flicking the dirt to one side, probably digging down about 6 inches, I found that I could hear a signal in the dirt I had just piled up. I kneeled down, waved my probe around the moist dirt, grabbed a hand full of soil, poured half from one hand to the other, and that’s when I saw silver within the dark dirt I had in my hand. I held it up, could only see the “One Dime” and figured I had a Barber dime or a late Seated dime. I didn’t want to wipe it off and risk scratching it, so I placed it in a zip-lock bag that I keep in my pouch.
Still in a hurry, I stood back up, waved the coil over the hole, and there was still a signal. I quickly discovered that I had walked over an old coin spill… The next coins to come out were a mercury dime, buffalo nickel, and two wheatback cents (all from the “teens”, except for the first dime, and I wouldn’t find out what it was until I got home and carefully rinsed it off).
After I realized that this was probably one of my best coin spills of the year, I knew I should “put the hammer down” on this little area and start digging everything. I accepted the fact that I was going to be a few more minutes than I had planned, but this was for a rare occasion. I found a couple clothing related items next to the hole (Scovill snaps made of a high nickel content, and those came out of the ground without any corrosion). I also found part of a lip-stick case, and some old can fragments that were giving awful signals, but when I hit a good spot, I usually start digging out everything. After I figured I had just about cleaned the area of all the easy signals, I swung my coil over a rock that was about 6”x6”x6”… I heard the background threshold disappear, so I kicked the rock away to the side. As I put the coil back down the to the soil that was previously covered by the rock, I could now hear a faint peep of a signal. Dropping down on one knee, I knew this was going to be a deep target so I started to dig down. After getting a few inches down, I stuck my probe into the hole, and that’s when I heard a sharp, clean, high signal. I figured this is going to be a nice coin, if it is a coin. I worked my digger into the soft soil around the area where the signal was coming from, flipped the dirt a bit, and that’s when I saw a good sized silver coin sitting in the bottom of the hole. As I picked it out, I knew it was a silver quarter, and after inspection, I could see part of a Standing Liberty lady. I figured it would be an early SLQ, so I pulled out the zip-lock bag again, but this time I took out a piece of paper, placed the coin in the middle and folded it up. Now, I really needed to get back to my office! I figured I could get back out there another day to make sure I didn’t miss any other coins or items… I did get back out there, and found that I had done a decent job of cleaning the area. I only found one more of the small Scovill snaps and another can fragment.
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to beat this hunt over the next week, so I figure this was a nice way to end my 2007 year of detecting. Hope you enjoy the pictures and my verbal “ride along.”
Here are the pics...
Fresh from the ground:
The coin spill:
Group shot after rinsing and some light cleaning:
The coins:
1917-S, type 2, Standing Liberty Quarter:
Close-up:
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Comments
And good job on the "Little Guy" ;-)
Jerry
HH,Tom
That was a nice write up and I love the coins. Sounds like you had a great lunch break.
Lafayette Grading Set
G Man (from Tucson)
That lunch hunt (2 Fridays ago) was definitely not the "norm"! But, it's a hunt like that one that gives me the motivation to get out. It really was an excellent day... I remember specifically, getting out of my car and thinking "what a beautiful day!" I'd much rather get skunked, but be outside and enjoy creation, than stay in my dark, fluorescent-lit office with my lunch!
<< <i>What is the cleaning process? I also got a MD for Christmas so I hope to go out this weekend and test it out. >>
JD,
The cleaning process for these was merely rinsing under water... I let the SLQ soak for a while and then I let it sit under running water to knock off the dirt. That may not be the best way because I'm sure it somehow leaves small scratches, but I'm not sure of a better way... maybe let it soak longer? But, my process seemed to work ok. The soil at this location is extremely kind to coins (except for Buffalo nickels and I don't know of any site that is kind to those coins).
<< <i>Fantastic finds!..I wish we could find the "S" mint marks here......Excellent! >>
Thanks! (helps to be out in the West... being on the "left" coast is at least good for something
<< <i>Check the date on that buff real close. It would be great if it is a 1918/7 >>
Think that would need to be a "D" mint-mark, correct? (this one is an "S")
But yes, I wouldn't mind finding a coin that would help pay the rent!
Are there any markings on the sugar tongs? Who made them, what their made of, etc? I heard a story from my uncle a couple of days ago about a pair of sugar tongs that he tried to buy at an auction once. (He is in the auction business) He decided that he would go up to about 15 dollars for them and someone else got them at 17.50. The guy who won them at the auction ended up selling them about two days later for over $1200.00. The guy who made them was the reason they went for so much.
Because the guy who bought them knew what he was looking at, he was able to make that huge profit on them.
<< <i>My wife and I just had another child about 4 weeks ago >>
Congratulations!!
<< <i>...could only see the “One Dime” and figured I had a Barber dime or a late Seated dime. I didn’t want to wipe it off and risk scratching it, so I placed it in a zip-lock bag that I keep in my pouch. >>
That takes a lot of discipline!
Great story and finds! Gotta love those types of coin spills!
<< <i>“How many 'lumps' do you want?!!” >>
Oh, you better make it a whole lotta lumps!
Congrats on your latest family addition Rick!
You finds are awesome!
Love the SLQ! Need to find one of those yet.
Take care dude!
I don't see any makers' marks on it... on the end there is a star with a sunburst behind it, but other than that, I don't see any letters or writing. (that would've been interesting if some sugar tongs would've been the most valuable find of the day!)
Thanks Zot, you're back!
BobGreene,
Thanks and yes, I've also found "3 Merry Widows" containers (little round tins) in the same area.
Goldrush, you're back too! (knew you'd remember that Pete Puma reference... "but I don't like tea, it gives me a headache"