Most unusual find prospecting

okbasspro

Hero Member
Jan 14, 2012
826
1,358
Chickasha,Oklahoma
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Found a 1890 $20 gold piece and a 5oz Wells Fargo silver bar inside a Prince Albert can while detecting. Also found a old revolver frame from the 1800s
 

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blackchipjim

Full Member
Dec 25, 2016
213
194
ohio
Detector(s) used
bounty hunter time ranger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The only things i have found so far in the Arizona dessert is junk or old odds and end of prior mine operations. I'm still keeping an eye peeled for signs of lost mines and buried treasures in the areas.
 

enamel7

Gold Member
Apr 16, 2005
6,384
2,546
North Carolina
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Gold
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I actually found a fossilized tooth that ended up being from a prehistoric alligator.
 

63bkpkr

Silver Member
Aug 9, 2007
4,069
4,618
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XLT, GMT, 6000D Coinmaster
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Close to being one of my first finds was a V Nickel at the top of Green Valley Trail out of Alta. Of course, that is Nothing compared to a $20.00 Gold Piece. I've found a lobe from a stamp mill about a mile below the stamp mill site. I've found a bunch of turning purple Champagne bottles at an old mining site, the boys must of hit it Big that day! Found a 4" output cast iron nozzle for a Monitor. Found a small buick engine with a three speed tranny on the output shaft with a wooden taper on the output of the tranny used for winching large rope that was attached to big boulders. Then there was a large set of boulder tongs on top of a huge pile of river boulders. Found a Log Cabin Syrup tin in the shape of a log cabin. Found a round bottom bottle near a mound where the miners used to sleep. Found a ~ 4' long pry bar standing vertically in a dirt wall. And last but not least I've found a lot of beautiful places out in the back country!!.............63bkpkr
 

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OreCart

Sr. Member
Jan 23, 2019
473
558
Maine
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Sounds kind of minor to what you guys have found, but being only two weeks into this I found Melanite Jem Stones. They are not worth much, but I thought I might make an engagement ring for my wife with one. She lost her engagement ring awhile back, and we never replaced it.
 

et1955

Hero Member
Jan 10, 2015
913
1,783
Shoreline,wa
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
After the great flood in 1995 I found a homemade prybar made by the old timers, it was stuck in a tree 6 ft above the normal water level, next to that I was rock hounding with a group of friends and below the waterfall was 3 ladies sunbathing in the nude, unfortunately one of them decided to climb up the waterfall and discovered 8 happy guys there.
 

KevinInColorado

Gold Member
Jan 9, 2012
7,037
11,370
Summit County, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Grizzly Goldtrap Explorer & Motherlode, Gold Cube with trommel or Banker on top, Angus Mackirk Expedition, Gold-n-Sand Xtream Hand pump
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
A shark tooth in the Dolores River in SW Colorado, a 190x carnival token in Cherry Creek in Downtown Denver and a hard rock drill steel among riverbank rocks in Clear Creek downstream from Idaho Springs CO. Always fun to be surprised!
 

Bejay

Bronze Member
Mar 10, 2014
1,026
2,530
Central Oregon Coast
Detector(s) used
Whites GMT
Garret fully underwater
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I found an old rusty/crusty horseshoe at the bottom of a hole on upper Antelope Creek Az, I also dredge up a rock that appears to have been an anchor.....it has a hole in it and one can see where the rope or cable wore a slot/spot by the hole (about a 2 inch dia hole). I found an old ax head with worn handle (blacksmith made) dredging on a creek in Oregon. I have found quite a few old sluice box riffle bars as well.


Bejay
 

Laz7777

Sr. Member
Dec 19, 2015
255
494
South Fork Yuba River, Motherlode
Detector(s) used
GoldBug II
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
about 3 ft. down on the banks of my beloved S. Yuba, a copper spoon.
the spoon was smashed flat, but I stil managed to eat some beans with it.
seemed the proper thing to so.

like Ed, I find women who've lost their britches. I'd help them find 'em, but something says they don't want my help.
 

bowwinkles

Bronze Member
Nov 3, 2012
2,078
2,426
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found out that I am probably dumber than the rock I was searching for.:thumb_down:
 

N-Lionberger

Bronze Member
Dec 1, 2013
1,363
1,955
Arcata, California
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1212-x
Fisher Gold Bug 2
Whites 4900/SP3
Dowsing rods
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
few years back at the end of the season I found a native grinding rock with grooves and holes on the side of my dredge hole, I planned on going back in the spring for it but that winter filled in my hole and then some with large rocks so I left it.
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,712
40,789
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
While I don't actually "prospect" in the true sense of the word, I found a small meteorite in the desert by eyeballing it.
 

IMAUDIGGER

Silver Member
Mar 16, 2016
3,400
5,194
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gold.
One time I got out of the truck, climbed up the top of the road cut bank and tried to ground balance the detector. Was on top of a signal so I dig it up. It was a nugget.
 

deserdog

Hero Member
May 17, 2013
508
443
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In Cajon Pass, a heart shaped brass lock from the railroad, and also a very small pick. The pick has the company info on it, only about 6 or 8 inches long. The handle is a piece of doweling , and the head of the pick is held on by a long stove bolt that goes all the way through the length of the handle.

In TN. in the Little Pigeon river, I found a centennial medal commemorating the combine. Also found an old watch fob.
 

Johnnybravo300

Bronze Member
Jan 3, 2016
2,365
2,857
South of Gunnison, Gold Basin
Detector(s) used
F2
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Camping at cache creek once, my buddy looked down on the ground in camp and there was a diamond ring. Found a GoPro with about 45 minutes footage, was taped to a dog, garret carrot, splitting wedges, 16 oz estwing hammer, spare from a trailer, an old cant hook, shovels, random stuff like that and some perfectly useable.
I always kidded that at cache creek we need a crow that can fly around and fetch snuffer bottles so we can just sit at camp and drink beer hehe.
A guy there gave me a huge tub of his concentrates cuz he didnt want to haul anything back to Oklahoma with him and he already got the gold out he said. That evening I tapped about 3 grams out of his cons next to the campfire and easiest gold I ever got right there. My buddy traded the same guy his snub 357 for the dudes camper, panning gear and a bunch of canned food inside.
 

Johnnybravo300

Bronze Member
Jan 3, 2016
2,365
2,857
South of Gunnison, Gold Basin
Detector(s) used
F2
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Worst thing about those damn balloons. You can see them reflecting from a mile away easy. The whole hike over to that mountain your picturing an old Spanish sword gleaming in the sunlight, maybe an old Henry's rifle from a century ago leaning against a tree, possibly a trail marker pointing to a treasure you just happened across at the right time of day, maybe even airplane wreckage that's still out there?
Walk all the way there, nope just a damn balloon again. Gets me every time!
 

arizau

Bronze Member
May 2, 2014
2,485
3,869
AZ
Detector(s) used
Beach High Banker, Sweep Jig, Whippet Dry Washer, Lobo ST, 1/2 width 2 tray Gold Cube, numerous pans, rocker box, and home made fluid bed and stream sluices.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Probably over 20 years ago now, a couple of hikers found an airplane high in the Rincon mountain wilderness area below Rincon Peak just east of Tucson. They had been eyeballing a reflection for a period of time and decided to check it out. As it turns out, it apparently was a drug smugglers plane and it contained two sets of remains and a large sum of cash. I think the plane had never been reported as missing.
 

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Potts

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2010
386
124
U.P. Michigan
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Found a 1890 $20 gold piece and a 5oz Wells Fargo silver bar inside a Prince Albert can while detecting. Also found a old revolver frame from the 1800s
Just remember....without photos it never happen.
 

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