White's MXT, Garrett Freedom 2 C.C., 1st detector was a 1970's Compass, Currently building a PI detector kit.
119
All Types Of Treasure Hunting
My best find isn't even metal??
I found this whole and complete, fossilized, box turtle shell on a metal detecting hunt in an area that was in the process of being developed. I noticed it in an outcropping of limestone boulders piled up in the corner of a field. It was extreamly difficult to dislodge it from the limestone, and ended up using a chisel and mini sledge... I've talked to fossil experts and they all say the same thing..... It's very rare to find a whole turtle shell, unbroken, and fossilized. 98% of the time it's found in bits and pieces. I've only seen a few examples on the internet. Perhaps you remember my frantic postings of this find here in the forum back in 2009.
I still want to have the thing expertly cleaned, and have the rest of the limestone removed... At the time, I knew a fossil guy who said he'd take it with him to the fossil cleaning experts he had used in the past, to have it worked on... But alas... the guy turned out to be all talk and no action, and it never pulled through. Anyway, it's still my current best, and most valuable find. If anyone is interested, I believe there's other pictures around here from my original postings including a photo of how I found it, in the original limestone boulder.
White's MXT, Garrett Freedom 2 C.C., 1st detector was a 1970's Compass, Currently building a PI detector kit.
119
All Types Of Treasure Hunting
Re: My best find isn't even metal??
Yea, I believe it is... Unfortunately until it's properly cleaned and validated by experts I won't know the true value... However I did see one for sale on the net for 2k, I think it was anyway... I saw this back in 09' can't remember for sure, might have been more than that, however it was only the upper, main part of the turtle shell... On the one I found... you can just barely see the bottom part of the shell in one tiny spot... Not sure if the entire bottom of the shell is intact or not, again, I'll never know for certain until the whole thing is cleaned an evaluated.
White's MXT, Garrett Freedom 2 C.C., 1st detector was a 1970's Compass, Currently building a PI detector kit.
119
All Types Of Treasure Hunting
Re: My best find isn't even metal??
Joey Fresh~ Not sure of the exact age... But, here in Florida there are a lot of fossils to be found... However most of them are somewhat later historically... Makes sense to me since the whole state is basically one big sandbar, and wasn't even here all that long ago. Most Florida fossils are from the pleistocene era.... It's about the time when wholly mammoths were around, saber tooth tigers, etc. There were giant sloths around here, and even giant beavers, heh... I've seen fossil remains of them found in the area online and in books. Here's some more information if anyone is interested... http://www.fossil-treasures-of-florida.com/
Not sure how long ago anyone posted on this topic. I think it would be worth more in it's current state than cleaned up, just in my opinion. It'd be a great conversational piece sitting on an end table in the livingroom, or if you have kids, up a little higher like on an entertainment center. I used to collect box turtle shells found while walking the railroad tracks as a kid. They'd somehow get in between the tracks and eventually starve to death. Nature would take it's course and they'd leave behind a nice intact shell. I'd use model paint, and paint them up. Then I would hang them on my wall.
I would definitely have that checked! Millions of years Florida used to be under water and I am finding things like megalodon teeth, fossilized clamshells, things like that. I live in Florida too.
I like it! What a center piece or mantle piece. I like to pick up fossils when hunting arrowheads on the river, never found any near that big, I think my biggest is about 2" across.
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Originally Posted by mainer
