VTColonialDigger
Hero Member
Just got home from the best metal detecting hunt I've ever had.
This morning I had the metal detecting itch, so I decided to go to a house, built in the very early 1800s with my father. It was my father's first time out detecting.
The first find was a modern penny, showing my father what a good tone sounded like on his machine. Then I got suited up, grabbed my ACE 400 and started detecting.
My first target that I dug was a wad of aluminum foil by the front steps. Then I walked a couple of feet and BAM!! I got a really good coin signal. I dug the plug, and just as I popped it up with my shovel, I saw a large copper drop in to the hole. I reached down and pulled it out. I didn't recognize the design at first. Then I sprayed the coin with water and patted it dry with a soft piece of cloth. This is what I saw:
Front
Back
I showed the coin to the owner of the house, and after some research, I found out it was a Fugio Cent, the rarest coin I have ever found metal detecting!!!
After the amazing discovery of the Fugio Cent, things slowed down a bit. The next good targets I dug were these wheat pennies, 1919 and 1945. My father also dug a 1947 wheat cent (not pictured)
Then my father came over and showed me the the things he had found so far. He had found some clad, a wheat cent, a dog license, and some other relics. He was getting ready to go inside and talk to the house owner, when the house owner came around the corner. While they were talking I dug this tombac button and two lead rifle balls (rifle because they are smaller than musket sized):
Button Front
Button Back
Rifle balls. They are pretty old because you can see where they were cut from the mold.
My father and the home owner went inside and I soon dug this very green Indian head cent:
[edit] After some cleaning I found that the date was 1864.
After digging some clad and trash I got another great coin signal. I dug the plug, pulled it back, and put it on the edge of the hole. Then I looked into the hole and saw a large copper poking out of the center of the hole. I pulled it out, sprayed it and patted it with the soft cloth. Here it is:
Front
Back
It is in pretty good shape, although it is going to be very hard to get a date off the coin because it is worn in that spot. This design (newer Matron/coronet head) dates from 1836 to 1839. This coin was the last hole of the day.
Thank you for reading this very long post!
Good luck and Happy hunting!!
VTColonialDigger
This morning I had the metal detecting itch, so I decided to go to a house, built in the very early 1800s with my father. It was my father's first time out detecting.
The first find was a modern penny, showing my father what a good tone sounded like on his machine. Then I got suited up, grabbed my ACE 400 and started detecting.
My first target that I dug was a wad of aluminum foil by the front steps. Then I walked a couple of feet and BAM!! I got a really good coin signal. I dug the plug, and just as I popped it up with my shovel, I saw a large copper drop in to the hole. I reached down and pulled it out. I didn't recognize the design at first. Then I sprayed the coin with water and patted it dry with a soft piece of cloth. This is what I saw:
Front
Back
I showed the coin to the owner of the house, and after some research, I found out it was a Fugio Cent, the rarest coin I have ever found metal detecting!!!
After the amazing discovery of the Fugio Cent, things slowed down a bit. The next good targets I dug were these wheat pennies, 1919 and 1945. My father also dug a 1947 wheat cent (not pictured)
Then my father came over and showed me the the things he had found so far. He had found some clad, a wheat cent, a dog license, and some other relics. He was getting ready to go inside and talk to the house owner, when the house owner came around the corner. While they were talking I dug this tombac button and two lead rifle balls (rifle because they are smaller than musket sized):
Button Front
Button Back
Rifle balls. They are pretty old because you can see where they were cut from the mold.
My father and the home owner went inside and I soon dug this very green Indian head cent:
[edit] After some cleaning I found that the date was 1864.
After digging some clad and trash I got another great coin signal. I dug the plug, pulled it back, and put it on the edge of the hole. Then I looked into the hole and saw a large copper poking out of the center of the hole. I pulled it out, sprayed it and patted it with the soft cloth. Here it is:
Front
Back
It is in pretty good shape, although it is going to be very hard to get a date off the coin because it is worn in that spot. This design (newer Matron/coronet head) dates from 1836 to 1839. This coin was the last hole of the day.
Thank you for reading this very long post!
Good luck and Happy hunting!!
VTColonialDigger
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Last edited:
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Keep searching, there must be plenty of good finds to be discovered & as long as people have been around they lose things.
Sounds like you and your dad had a great hunt at a promising property. Looking forward to what else comes from there.
