Whats the oldest thing youve ever dug up?

Pmowry

Tenderfoot
Aug 8, 2014
8
16
New Brunswick
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Delta 4000
Bounty Hunter Discovery 1100
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
IMG_4161.JPG IMG_4163.JPG The Oldest I have ever dug up is a 1774 Spanish Colonial Portrait Quarter
 

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tigerbeetle

Full Member
Jan 2, 2009
166
275
Jersey Shore
Detector(s) used
Many -- Fisher, White's, Minelab, Cobra, others
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
[h=2]A find with a fright attached[/h]
After over 40 years of treasure digging, driven by a certainty that a find-of-finds is just another scratch away, I’ve dug with a minor phobia hanging within easy reach of my overactive imagination: What if I were to dig up a human skeleton? Just my luck I might uncover a huge gold ring – with a finger bone still attached.

Truth be told, I kinda realize there isn’t a ghost of chance such a thing will ever befall me. However, I came too close for comfort this past year.

I was digging a newer dump site, fairly deep in some thicker woods. All the site offered of Th’ing interest was a slew of older milk and cream bottles (Millside Dairy, N.J.). I slipped the bottles in my ever-present backpack and was about to leave the site when a final rake-through uncovered what first looked to be one of those brass reed plates from a harmonica. Those reed plates are one of the most common large items found by detectorists.

It wasn’t until I flicked the piece with my rake that the horror set in. The thing still had teeth attached to it. For a dizzying instant, I was frozen in place. It sure seemed my long-lived phobia just came to morbid fruition. In this case, I had seemingly found a mouthorgan with the mouth still in place. Dial 9-11!

Fortunately, I allowed logic to carry the moment.

Using what amounted to a goodly amount of internal fortitude, I further flicked the toothy find and pretty quickly guessed what I had unearthed – and even that didn’t even remotely detract from the weirdness.

Here, check it out and imagine some dirt on it as it jumps into sight -- and tell me you wouldn’t get a few heart pounds.




It’s a shade tester for a dentist. When replacing a person’s tooth, he pulls out one of these color-graded false teeth to hold in place with the patient’s existing teeth to match the color. Again, you see it a bit cleaned up but when I first dug it …

1w1.jpg
 

david680

Bronze Member
Jun 4, 2014
1,565
1,445
Salem, Indiana
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Bandido
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A cut quarter of a Spanish colonial 8 reales, last the digits of the date present, 794. Found in front of the 3rd base dugout on the softball field here in town. About a inch down.
 

collision

Jr. Member
Jul 14, 2014
64
7
Temecula
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was digging yesterday and dug up my dead hamster that i buried abot a year ago. I didn't see it though he was in a margerine tub!
 

Sep 21, 2013
116
89
Excelsior, mn
Detector(s) used
2 fisher 1280x
garrett ace 250
finally bought me a garrett at pro...
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
20140920_234615.jpg 20140920_234626.jpg 20140920_234721.jpg 20140920_234747.jpg ok I will give you 3 items that I have found...#1 bison skull @ 2500 to 3500 years old according to an expert... #2 arrow heads...unknown... #3 1874 mrs. stewarts bluing bottle Faribault, mn.
bison skull is up at the cabin so no pic...I do have pic of a jaw of one...bison skull was found while scuba diving in beaver pond under 2 feet of muck beavers had packed around it...arrowhead was found near 1967 dime under 10 inches of sand...bluing bottle was found scuba diving in lk. Minnetonka...
 

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DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Found a 1794 Large Cent at around 3 inches in a plowed field....but have found arrow heads much older.
 

DigginDownUnder

Full Member
May 20, 2014
217
286
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Gold
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Oldest thing I can put a date on is this 1790's half Penny Token.

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My oldest silver is this 1866 Shilling

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AugustMoose87

Sr. Member
Sep 10, 2014
443
264
Longmont, CO
Detector(s) used
Gold Pan, Sluice, Hand Dredge, X-Terra 30, X-Terra 705, Sand Shark
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found a petrified elk antler in the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Staff at the University of Iowa said it was likely around 10,000 years old.
 

MuckyBottles

Bronze Member
Jun 19, 2013
1,945
1,578
Stony Point, NY
Detector(s) used
Whites coin master gt..ace 250&350
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Four 4lb revolutionary war cannon balls in my parents backyard. .I don't count fossils because they are too easy to find..
 

Steel digger

Newbie
Oct 18, 2014
2
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm not trying to scare anybody, but I've done minor research into the wisconsin laws on metal detecting and maritime laws etc... Anything below water line from what I can gather is off limits period and anything found on land in either a historically known site or dated to be over 100 years old be it coin, arrow head, old piece of junk is considered under federal law to be an "artifact" and illegal to dig and/or possess. Now my question is....

Has anybody ever encountered an ill situation regarding anything of these sorts? I've done my share of digging and have always wondered if this coin will be my night in jail or cost my life savings.


Any opinions, advice or increased/ better understanding of the laws let me know; I'm trying to get a clearer understanding on this to enhance my hunting.
 

MuckyBottles

Bronze Member
Jun 19, 2013
1,945
1,578
Stony Point, NY
Detector(s) used
Whites coin master gt..ace 250&350
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm not trying to scare anybody, but I've done minor research into the wisconsin laws on metal detecting and maritime laws etc... Anything below water line from what I can gather is off limits period and anything found on land in either a historically known site or dated to be over 100 years old be it coin, arrow head, old piece of junk is considered under federal law to be an "artifact" and illegal to dig and/or possess. Now my question is....

Has anybody ever encountered an ill situation regarding anything of these sorts? I've done my share of digging and have always wondered if this coin will be my night in jail or cost my life savings.

Any opinions, advice or increased/ better understanding of the laws let me know; I'm trying to get a clearer understanding on this to enhance my hunting.

Depends on the antiquities law and the body of water you are talking about
 

DFX DAVE in M.D.

Hero Member
Oct 15, 2004
838
353
Upper Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know they have rules here and there in parks saying you can not remove relics, but they have earth day types of clean ups with volunteers that will pick the stuff up anyway and throw it away. We have a few river cleanups around here.
 

Dec 12, 2010
311
147
Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug DP, Fisher F19 LTD, Minelab Safari, Garrett AT Pro, Garrett AT Pro Pointer, Garrett Pro Pointer, Lesche Digger, Lesche Ground Shark Shovel, 9.5x5.5 NEL Sharpshooter Coil (Safari), 9.5x
Dec 12, 2010
311
147
Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug DP, Fisher F19 LTD, Minelab Safari, Garrett AT Pro, Garrett AT Pro Pointer, Garrett Pro Pointer, Lesche Digger, Lesche Ground Shark Shovel, 9.5x5.5 NEL Sharpshooter Coil (Safari), 9.5x
I was digging yesterday and dug up my dead hamster that i buried abot a year ago. I didn't see it though he was in a margerine tub!

Very sad! :sadsmiley: He must have been wearing one of those tiny bells around his neck when you buried him that set off your detector. May he R.I.P
 

Reiska

Full Member
Aug 2, 2014
131
401
Detector(s) used
GM4 Pro
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
A 1000 year old pendant part right under the grass. Both of my medieval coins were less than 3 inches deep as well. Bottle cap 10+ inches. :dontknow:

 

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SADS 669

Bronze Member
Jan 20, 2013
2,454
3,734
Long Island, Bahamas
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Sand Shark....Aqua pulse 1B....Equinox ll
Primary Interest:
Shipwrecks
55 yr old wedding band today first gold! Returned it to my neighbour....

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1shotwade

Full Member
May 29, 2014
189
107
southern Indiana
Detector(s) used
white 4900/d
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My x-wife! I just had to make sure that,,,,,,,Well, you know! Just joking folks! It's been one of those days!

Wade
 

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