A Little More Silver, Another Antique Shell Cap and other Stuff......

[Garrett424]

So I went back to my cave today. I talked to one of the oldest people I know beforehand who gave me a bit of history. Apparently, this one room cave used to have three large rooms and someone actually lived there at one time before it caved in. It was an Indian woman who lived alone.

I climbed back up there today with about an hour of daylight left. I dug some trash and then got a nice signal.
To my surprise I dug up my 2nd War Nickel; a 1944. It's extremely dirty, I can't even see the mint mark and I haven't cleaned it yet but hey, it's still 35% silver so I'm happy. It was deep and I was really hoping it was a Buffalo before I wiped it off. I haven't found any of those yet.



I also found another old 12 gauge shell cap; the 2nd one in as many days. This one is marked "REM-UMC Nitro Club". These were only made between 1913 and 1915. I found a 1940 nickel in awful shape as well, along with 4 more 60-70's era pennies and 2 dimes not pictured.

Oh, and there's also some kind of brass valve stem, perhaps to a bike tube or who knows what. There was a bit more random junk and about 8 Zincolns which have already been trashed. I just hate those things. I'd rather dig pull tabs.

The old guy who gave me the history on the cave also happens to live in a late 1700's house that's been remodeled many times. It was flooded out completely in 1972 when tropical storm Agnes hit the area. He gutted the entire house and rebuilt it. It's about 50 yards from where an old train station and post office once stood.

I quietly and patiently listened to his stories and then asked the inevitable question; "Can I PLEASE hunt this place"

He gave me permission to hunt any time I want. I can't wait. It's about 1 mile from home too. I've been driving past that place my entire life and had no idea it was anywhere near that old until just a couple of hours ago.
This turned out to be a pretty good day.

Thanks for looking and HH.

 

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[dirtdigginfool]

Garrett..cool finds..isn't it funny how some of the best sites are right under our noses...ddf

 

[Garrett424]

Garrett..cool finds..isn't it funny how some of the best sites are right under our noses...ddf

Yes it is.
I knew this place was old but not THAT old. I figured it was maybe from the 1920's or so. I guess you can never assume or prejudge anything.

I've also decided to stay away from the schools and parks for a while and try to focus on finding some older spots. So far I can't complain. My cave has turned up a couple of cool finds so far.
We shall see.....

 

[Carolina Tom]

Nice finds my man. Congrats on the silver nickel. The new permission sounds awesome, we should be seeing some killer finds really soon. GL&HH.

 

[Garrett424]

Nice finds my man. Congrats on the silver nickel. The new permission sounds awesome, we should be seeing some killer finds really soon. GL&HH.

I sure hope so.
He said the ground has been turned over many times, filled, graded and whatever. But that can be a very good thing. Unfortunately, the railroad built some kind of shack on the post office site with a fence around it but I can still hunt outside the fence.

The house itself was an old colonial inn with two rooms for travelers and a common dining area. It remained an Inn well into the railroad era. It's along the B&O line which is the oldest in the entire country.
I also want to try and locate the outhouse site. You never know.

The guy is in his 80's and has a treasure trove of information about the area. He's been in the house since 1960; a year before I was even born. He also told me that no one has ever hunted it to his knowledge.


There has to be something to be had with that kind of history. I've had my eye on the place for a while but had no idea what I've been looking at.

 

[I-DIG-IT]

Nice digs.

 

[dirtdigginfool]

Yes it is.
I knew this place was old but not THAT old. I figured it was maybe from the 1920's or so. I guess you can never assume or prejudge anything.

I've also decided to stay away from the schools and parks for a while and try to focus on finding some older spots. So far I can't complain. My cave has turned up a couple of cool finds so far.
We shall see.....

Garrett, my thoughts exactly! I have ran most of the area parks and schools dry, and have pursued some older sites near my house, and lo and behold..an old farmhouse 200 yards away from my house showed up on an 1875 overlay..and I have permission to hunt it! After talking to the owners, who I know..but don't know.. were not sure of the year their place was built, and were genuinely surprised that it was there in 1875. Can't wait!..HH and GB...ddf

 

[Garrett424]

Garrett, my thoughts exactly! I have ran most of the area parks and schools dry, and have pursued some older sites near my house, and lo and behold..an old farmhouse 200 yards away from my house showed up on an 1875 overlay..and I have permission to hunt it! After talking to the owners, who I know..but don't know.. were not sure of the year their place was built, and were genuinely surprised that it was there in 1875. Can't wait!..HH and GB...ddf

That's awesome. Nothing like finding a potentially good hunting spot close by, especially when it comes as a surprise.

I have to go back to the cave after work today because I left my shades there yesterday.
I hope no one finds them before I get there! If someone does, I can't say a word about it given the fact that I've found so many things.

 

[Pointman]

I've been there listening to stories and talking about the weather and then really wanting to hunt the property.

There is a house that I've hunted close to, that has an interior room dating back to the Civil war. Along the road outside the house I even found a .58 caliber. I have visited the property and even had a tour of the house and grounds, but I have never been allowed to hunt the property except along the sidewalk, where I found a Mercury dime, wheat cents and gold ring. I think that I have gotten to know the people enough to ask again, but I am not counting my chickens yet.

 

[Garrett424]

I've been there listening to stories and talking about the weather and then really wanting to hunt the property.

There is a house that I've hunted close to, that has an interior room dating back to the Civil war. Along the road outside the house I even found a .58 caliber. I have visited the property and even had a tour of the house and grounds, but I have never been allowed to hunt the property except along the sidewalk, where I found a Mercury dime, wheat cents and gold ring. I think that I have gotten to know the people enough to ask again, but I am not counting my chickens yet.

If you've already found silver, gold and old coins in one area I can only imagine what else is there just waiting to be found.

Good luck with getting permission to expand your hunting area.

 

[bootybandit]

Nice finds! Sounds like a cool place to hunt.

 

[Pointman]

If you've already found silver, gold and old coins in one area I can only imagine what else is there just waiting to be found.

Good luck with getting permission to expand your hunting area.

Yeah, most places around here just don't have the history like east. Were lucky to find anything turn of the century let alone 1800s, although it gets older closer toward the east, but you have to really have to know someone to get permission at the old estates and plantations. I know an old house that dates back to the 1850s, but the lady will not even let her relatives scratch around in the dirt.