Memorable (Epic) Hunts - POST YOUR'S HERE!!

[Steve in PA]

I keep yearly folders with sub-folders for each outing containing pictures of what I found and where. Helps me document what was found where, and it's fun to go back though them and reminisce. I started doing this in 2005. Wish I had done it in the 1990s because some of my best hunts were in that decade.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite hunts over that time period in chronological order.

10-1-2005 A hunt at a French & Indian War encampment that was later a tavern site. Highlight was a 1697 King William III sixpence.


1-28-2006 A different French and Indian War site that had a later tavern on it. Highlights include two Spanish silvers, 1811 LC, and cool watch winder


7-2-2010 A nice little sitee above a river crossing. Highlight was a 16 star 1797 Draped Bust dime



9-1-2012 a hunt on the fringes of a 1790s - 1820s tavern site. Highlights are 1761 2 Reales and 1803 Draped Bust Dime



9-15-12 Got follow up to the previous hunt. Got right on the tavern site! Highlights 7 coppers, 2 Spanish, diamond shaped piece with the tavern owners initials engraved, silver scabbard tip, etc



4-12-14 Hit the site from the first picture above and the site from the last picture above. Highlights were 1661 hammered silver, cut piece from a 1708 Charles the Pretender pistareen, and a 1778 half real


9-23-17 they did a deep plow at the 1790s - 1820s tavern site and man did it come alive! Highlights were 4 coppers and 2 Spanish silvers


Well that's it for now. Feel free to post your favorite hunts on this thread.

 

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[Plumbata]

Great finds, that 1661 Hungarian denar is an interesting coin to be dug on this continent. They struck that design for about 200 years roughly 1500-1700 which is some pretty impressive stylistic longevity. Love the draped dimes, the heraldic reverse really gets my juices flowing but I'll have to buy an example as I doubt too many got dropped in Wyoming.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Fantastic finds. I wish my ancestors had stayed in PA! The farther west you go the thinner things get. Gary

 

[southerngrwn]

Those are some pretty amazing finds!

 

[Ahab8]

Great thread buddy! You have truly had some epic hunts. It’s amazing how a few killer sites can give you the majority of your great finds. I’m not sure exactly what qualifies as “epic” but these were a few hunts that were special to me. Some just had a couple of killer finds and some were loaded with really good finds. Here’s a few of my best.

May 16, 2014
This was a hunt on an island that I found through a lot of research. First hunt out there and interestingly enough I never found either of the sites I was searching for. Those were found a couple of years later. Luckily I was able to get over a few great finds including my first Spanish silver.... a beautiful 1782-2 Reales with the die break in the 8. I also found my 1st Seated silver coin, an 1877 dime and an 1821 LC. Perhaps the best find was a brass hexagonal pistol barrel. I’ve had a couple of people look st it. Perhaps late 18th century or early 19th century Belgian. This hunt really confirmed that my long hours of research and time with the detector would make me successful at this hobby.




November 9, 2014
Reading a book on the earliest history of Maine and I stumbled upon a description of a very early settlement. I had read about it before but nobody seemed to really know exactly where it was. This book had a description of the land and it reminded me of an area that I had seen on my maps. I eventually convinced myself that this may well be the spot. I finally got myself to this area and was having a terrible morning. I got lost, walked into a cold swamp and eventually fell down a riverbank. I also had no clue exactly where I should’ve searching. Not 5 minutes after scrambling back up the riverbank I was holding a dirty pine tree shilling in my hand. A couple minutes later I also had recovered a 1664 Cob. I’ll never forget that day or that incredible feeling. My best day ever.




January 3, 2015

This was a 12 degree morning in Maine. My wife was telling me I’m an idiot....I said “yeah honey, everybody knows I’m an idiot....but I’m a tough idiot!” I had been looking at this area for months. No recorded history and nothing on my array of early maps but it looked so perfect for early settlement and is a large tract of public use land. We had hardly any snow which is a rarity for January in Maine. I ended up finding a small creek and you could see that a very old crossing had been built. There was also an old looking stone fire pit of some sort. So I detected around this area and pulled what I thought was a silver washed button. I also found a nice conestoga Bell by the creek crossing. I pressed on until I came to the edge of the river. After a short walk I found a beautiful 1802 Real and a complete shoe buckle. After getting home I realized that the button was also a Spanish silver....a 1772 half Real that had been made into a cuff link. One of my favorite relics.






May 22, 2015
After discovering a rare map from the late 1600s I saw a home site and knew it would be an extremely difficult journey across miles of the Atlantic but was determined to get there. It was a very long and scary trip with huge waves and high winds, luckily it got calm and turned out to be a beautiful day. I only had a couple of hours to hunt but eventually located the early homesite. From there I found 2 very early 17th century complete Latten spoons. I also found a gorgeous complete shoe buckle frame on my walk out to the boat. This buckle is perhaps my favorite and I’ve found at least 20 shoe Buckles. These complete Latten spoons are likely far more rare than the pine tree shilling I found. You just never see these complete in the states. I believe they are quite rare overseas as well. I now have 4 complete and all from this site.



March 5, 2016

After a ton of hunts looking for a mill site that one of my ancestors and his business partner owned I finally walked straight into it. They only had a log cabin here with no foundation. There was absolutely no sign of anything ever being there. I dug an early Copper and they just kept on coming. One of the most exciting hunts I’ve ever had. One great keeper after another. I found a total of 10 pre 1750 British coppers including a 1723 Woods Hibernia, a stunning 1749 Real, a complete pewter dog nose rat tail spoon, a complete pewter shoe buckle frame and a lead whizzer. This was an amazing day! The following weekend was incredible as well. The coins just kept coming.









March 12, 2016

Following weekend back at my ancestors mill site. Another 4 British half pennies and an absolutely stunning 1749 farthing. I didn’t realize it for awhile but this farthing is an “Unbarred A” regal error coin. From my research it appears to be quite scarce but not overly valuable which is common for for foreign coins. Collectors in the US will pay a lot more money for scarce or rare American coinage. I also found a beautiful leather adordment piece, complete shoe buckle frame and 2 sets sets of Cufflinks, one set being Tudor rose.









I’ve had a few other memorable hunts but I won’t post anymore. These are the highlights that came to mind.

 

[Steve in PA]

Great finds, that 1661 Hungarian denar is an interesting coin to be dug on this continent. They struck that design for about 200 years roughly 1500-1700 which is some pretty impressive stylistic longevity. Love the draped dimes, the heraldic reverse really gets my juices flowing but I'll have to buy an example as I doubt too many got dropped in Wyoming.

Thanks Plumbata! Yes the Hungarian coin was a real surprise. Here is the other side.

 

[Steve in PA]

Great thread buddy! You have truly had some epic hunts. It’s amazing how a few killer sites can give you the majority of your great finds. I’m not sure exactly what qualifies as “epic” but these were a few hunts that were special to me. Some just had a couple of killer finds and some were loaded with really good finds. Here’s a few of my best.

May 16, 2014
This was a hunt on an island that I found through a lot of research. First hunt out there and interestingly enough I never found either of the sites I was searching for. Those were found a couple of years later. Luckily I was able to get over a few great finds including my first Spanish silver.... a beautiful 1782-2 Reales with the die break in the 8. I also found my 1st Seated silver coin, an 1877 dime and an 1821 LC. Perhaps the best find was a brass hexagonal pistol barrel. I’ve had a couple of people look st it. Perhaps late 18th century or early 19th century Belgian. This hunt really confirmed that my long hours of research and time with the detector would make me successful at this hobby.
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November 9, 2014
Reading a book on the earliest history of Maine and I stumbled upon a description of a very early settlement. I had read about it before but nobody seemed to really know exactly where it was. This book had a description of the land and it reminded me of an area that I had seen on my maps. I eventually convinced myself that this may well be the spot. I finally got myself to this area and was having a terrible morning. I got lost, walked into a cold swamp and eventually fell down a riverbank. I also had no clue exactly where I should’ve searching. Not 5 minutes after scrambling back up the riverbank I was holding a dirty pine tree shilling in my hand. A couple minutes later I also had recovered a 1664 Cob. I’ll never forget that day or that incredible feeling. My best day ever.
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January 3, 2015

This was a 12 degree morning in Maine. My wife was telling me I’m an idiot....I said “yeah honey, everybody knows I’m an idiot....but I’m a tough idiot!” I had been looking at this area for months. No recorded history and nothing on my array of early maps but it looked so perfect for early settlement and is a large tract of public use land. We had hardly any snow which is a rarity for January in Maine. I ended up finding a small creek and you could see that a very old crossing had been built. There was also an old looking stone fire pit of some sort. So I detected around this area and pulled what I thought was a silver washed button. I also found a nice conestoga Bell by the creek crossing. I pressed on until I came to the edge of the river. After a short walk I found a beautiful 1802 Real and a complete shoe buckle. After getting home I realized that the button was also a Spanish silver....a 1772 half Real that had been made into a cuff link. One of my favorite relics.
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May 22, 2015
After discovering a rare map from the late 1600s I saw a home site and knew it would be an extremely difficult journey across miles of the Atlantic but was determined to get there. It was a very long and scary trip with huge waves and high winds, luckily it got calm and turned out to be a beautiful day. I only had a couple of hours to hunt but eventually located the early homesite. From there I found 2 very early 17th century complete Latten spoons. I also found a gorgeous complete shoe buckle frame on my walk out to the boat. This buckle is perhaps my favorite and I’ve found at least 20 shoe Buckles. These complete Latten spoons are likely far more rare than the pine tree shilling I found. You just never see these complete in the states. I believe they are quite rare overseas as well. I now have 4 complete and all from this site.
View attachment 1686534
View attachment 1686535

March 5, 2016

After a ton of hunts looking for a mill site that one of my ancestors and his business partner owned I finally walked straight into it. They only had a log cabin here with no foundation. There was absolutely no sign of anything ever being there. I dug an early Copper and they just kept on coming. One of the most exciting hunts I’ve ever had. One great keeper after another. I found a total of 10 pre 1750 British coppers including a 1723 Woods Hibernia, a stunning 1749 Real, a complete pewter dog nose rat tail spoon, a complete pewter shoe buckle frame and a lead whizzer. This was an amazing day! The following weekend was incredible as well. The coins just kept coming.
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March 12, 2016

Following weekend back at my ancestors mill site. Another 4 British half pennies and an absolutely stunning 1749 farthing. I didn’t realize it for awhile but this farthing is an “Unbarred A” regal error coin. From my research it appears to be quite scarce but not overly valuable which is common for for foreign coins. Collectors in the US will pay a lot more money for scarce or rare American coinage. I also found a beautiful leather adordment piece, complete shoe buckle frame and 2 sets sets of Cufflinks, one set being Tudor rose.
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I’ve had a few other memorable hunts but I won’t post anymore. These are the highlights that came to mind.

Great post Abe. That is exactly what I was hoping to see with this thread. My saliva glands are in high gear
I especially like the Pine Tree Shilling and the cob, the latten spoons, the other Spanish and the coppers, especially the 1749 farthing.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Great finds !

 

[Gare]

GREAT finds Steve Thanks for sharing Maybe we can detect again some time