Steve in PA
Gold Member
- Jul 5, 2010
- 9,597
- 14,213
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 4
- Detector(s) used
- Fisher F75, XP Deus, Equinox 600, Fisher 1270
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I started hunting a new field this past winter/spring. The finds were scattered, but there was enough to encourage me that I might find a nice piece of early silver in this field. The first two short hunts had yielded 7 buttons and 4 toasted coppers. The only identifiable copper was a Draped Bust large cent. Last week I finally got a text from a member of the family that owns the field saying that the hay had finally been cut. I made plans with my buddy Tom to visit the field on Saturday. Saturday was hot and humid, the bugs were swarming us, the ground was dry and hard as a rock, and the hay stubble was making it difficult to get the coil close to the soil.
After 3.5 hours we had enough and called it a day. I had recovered 5 buttons (one of which I lost), 3 musketballs, and a well worn 1761 Two Reales. The Spanish silver was tarnished pretty dark. Since it was already so worn, I used a little baking soda and water to lightened it up. Tom ended up with a couple buttons, a couple musketballs, and a worn, unidentifiable copper.
Sunday morning, I had about and hour and half to kill. I had planned to hit a lot in town where they had just torn down a house, but the property owner wasn't home. Since we had some heavy thunderstorms Saturday evening, I though maybe the hay field had been softened up some. When I got to the field it was overcast and misting. I grabbed my gear out of my jeep and headed into the field. I walked out to where I wanted to start hunting, turned on my machine, and within a few feet I had a signal that was bouncing around some, but definitely good enough to investigate. I removed some dirt and the signal improved to a constant mid 70s on my F75. At this point I thought it would turn out to be another thin corroded copper. The ground in this section of the field is very rocky, almost like digging in a gravel parking lot. I finally had the target in the dirt pile beside the hole and saw it was a silver coin. I picked it up and took a look. I could see part of the date 180_, and also the bottom of the bust. I knew it wasn't bust profile of a Spanish coin. Now I'm getting excited, but I didn't want to do a field cleaning. I slipped it into a little plastic zip lock bag and put it in my finds container. Before I could fill in the hole, the heavens opened up and I had to high tail it out of the field. That was my hunt - one target, one hole dug, one silver coin in my pouch. I returned to my parents where I was staying over the weekend, and rinsed the dirt of the coin in the kitchen sink. When I saw the the Federal eagle on the back I knew for sure what I had and let out a loud, BOOM BABY!!! When I turned it over and saw the obverse, I started to cry - there was a recent scuff across the face. I thought how could I have hit this coin with my shovel? I thought I had given the target plenty of room as I dug my plug. Then I thought it might be a recent plow strike. This would be at least a $900 coin without this damage. Anyway, it's not perfect but I'm happy as heck to have dug another Draped Bust dime. I dug a 1797 two years ago.
After 3.5 hours we had enough and called it a day. I had recovered 5 buttons (one of which I lost), 3 musketballs, and a well worn 1761 Two Reales. The Spanish silver was tarnished pretty dark. Since it was already so worn, I used a little baking soda and water to lightened it up. Tom ended up with a couple buttons, a couple musketballs, and a worn, unidentifiable copper.
Sunday morning, I had about and hour and half to kill. I had planned to hit a lot in town where they had just torn down a house, but the property owner wasn't home. Since we had some heavy thunderstorms Saturday evening, I though maybe the hay field had been softened up some. When I got to the field it was overcast and misting. I grabbed my gear out of my jeep and headed into the field. I walked out to where I wanted to start hunting, turned on my machine, and within a few feet I had a signal that was bouncing around some, but definitely good enough to investigate. I removed some dirt and the signal improved to a constant mid 70s on my F75. At this point I thought it would turn out to be another thin corroded copper. The ground in this section of the field is very rocky, almost like digging in a gravel parking lot. I finally had the target in the dirt pile beside the hole and saw it was a silver coin. I picked it up and took a look. I could see part of the date 180_, and also the bottom of the bust. I knew it wasn't bust profile of a Spanish coin. Now I'm getting excited, but I didn't want to do a field cleaning. I slipped it into a little plastic zip lock bag and put it in my finds container. Before I could fill in the hole, the heavens opened up and I had to high tail it out of the field. That was my hunt - one target, one hole dug, one silver coin in my pouch. I returned to my parents where I was staying over the weekend, and rinsed the dirt of the coin in the kitchen sink. When I saw the the Federal eagle on the back I knew for sure what I had and let out a loud, BOOM BABY!!! When I turned it over and saw the obverse, I started to cry - there was a recent scuff across the face. I thought how could I have hit this coin with my shovel? I thought I had given the target plenty of room as I dug my plug. Then I thought it might be a recent plow strike. This would be at least a $900 coin without this damage. Anyway, it's not perfect but I'm happy as heck to have dug another Draped Bust dime. I dug a 1797 two years ago.
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Come on, Moderators, Steve deserves this one on top. 
But thats OK, I have received a lot of nice feedback from other T-Net members, and that is all that matters.
This is what it's all about for a lot of us and we do have an advantage with the proximity of the Philly Mint . Big Congrats for a Early US silver .. a damn nice Banner find scratched or not scratched .. 
cause it's a winner 
