Research, Nice coin finds. OOPS! Wrong Spot?

mpostma

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Jul 21, 2008
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East Jordan, Michigan
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Ok, so sometimes I guess anyone can fall in crap and come out smelling like a rose?

So, here goes. I heard last fall about an old picnic grove that was the sight of church picnic and revival meetings back at the turn of the last century.
After many unsuccessful attempts to contact the owner and get permission I finally got permission this spring.

Excitedly I raced out to md in the rain and mud at 40 degrees. On the first day I got a dozen coins! The newest was a 1920 wheatie! I had three barber dimes from 1896 to 1908! Indians pennies, more wheaties, and even a couple of Buffs! Since then I have found more wheaties and buffs. Even took our state representative out there to hunt and he got a 1907 Indian.

Well, yesterday I happened to be talking to the old gentleman that gave me the tip in the first place. I told him where I was entering the woods, and where I was hunting. He asked me why I would hunt there, since the grove he told me about was further down the road! It has two houses sitting on it, with a ton of old cars, busses, sheet metal, farm implements and all manner of toys and junk in the yards.

Seems the family had sold part of the grove about 20 years ago, and the old guy hadn't been there in that many years.
Had I known I would probably not have even given a try to my current site.

Sniff Sniff! Hmmm, those are not roses I smell!

Have a great night,
And Good Luck,
Mark
 

Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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Now that's odd: you get permission for a certain site, hunt it un-bothered for multiple times, score some old coins, and no one's bothered. Everyone's happy, no one cares. Then later, you find out you weren't on the *exact* site your permission out-lined you to go on.

Hmmm, I guess this means you should track down the owner of that parcel, and send him all the coins? Go do the right thing! :-*
 

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mpostma

mpostma

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Jul 21, 2008
1,269
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East Jordan, Michigan
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Oh no!
I had permission for the site I was hunting on! It took me months to get permission. The old guy just told me that the woods the "grove" was in used to be much larger. The area where the church picnics and revival meetings were held was nearly 400 yards down the road, with houses sitting on it.

Good Luck,
Mark
 

ivan salis

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ah the equally unfamous --- " lets take a lil walk down this path and be alone" sparking * spot . as folks hurrily did their thing --money jingling out of pockets , and there was something else gettiing lost other than just the money :-X :wink: yep old lovers lane "hidey holes" can be most profietible. :hello2:
 

MD Dog

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Feb 10, 2007
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Yes that would make sense since in those days they still had a sense of modesty and would have traveled a good distance from the rest of the group to make out. I assume you were still on the same property site just not the exactly right location on that property, correct ? :dontknow:

If not, then you could be in trouble if anyone talks about it. Some police have no humor even if it was an accident, you will have stolen private property and Criminally trespassed. ???
 

ivan salis

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seems to me what hes saying is ----that the land he was hunting was still under the same landowners control--- but that the "original" picnic grove" that he thought he was hunting -- was at a spot down about 400 yards down the road --and is wrecked by having houses and lots of metal debris on it and such on it --had he known that the "picnic grove was at the home site" rather than where he "tought" it was -- he most likely would not have hunted this "mistaken" site at all --but now hes glad he goofed -- in my view he most likely found a "out of the way --lovers lane spot"--used by folks who slipped away from the church meetings or picnic area. :icon_thumright:

at times its better to be lucky than good. -- ;D
 

MD Dog

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Feb 10, 2007
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Please don't yell !
ivan salis said:
seems to me what hes saying is ----that the land he was hunting was still under the same landowners control--- but that the "original" picnic grove" that he thought he was hunting -- was at a spot down about 400 yards down the road --and is wrecked by having houses and lots of metal debris on it and such on it --had he known that he most likely would not have hunted this "mistaken" site --but now hes glad he goofed -- in my view he most likely found a "out of the way --lovers lane spot"--used by folks who slipped away from the church meetings or picnic area. :icon_thumright:

See that's exactly what I was saying but you say it so much more clearly Ivan. Lovers lane is probably better than saying make out spot. :tongue3:
 

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mpostma

mpostma

Bronze Member
Jul 21, 2008
1,269
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East Jordan, Michigan
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac & Quattro
Ahh, see Ivan has it exactly!
The only glitch to the "Lover's Lane" theory is the massive number of old nails and iron signals in the area where the coins are.
I was assuming that there had been some picnic tables nailed together there, but am told that no tables were ever in this area.

The area was logged off over the winter, and the tops are covering much of the area yet. Someone is cutting them up for firewood and carting them away.
I am hoping that within a month or so I will be able to work the area more effectively. I will need to dig more of the iron signals now, just to get an idea what was actually there a hundred years ago.

Thanks for the interest.

Mark
 

ivan salis

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what kinda nails ( old hand made "square nails ?"and type of metal items i(farming tools?) if so it might have been a old barn -- which was a great place to slip away at :icon_thumright: not too far from the area but far enough , and hidden from easy "veiw" in the barn -- or it could have been where a past prior home long ago was at that burnt down --leaving a opening in the woods or a "clearing" for folks to "use"
 

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