Ethical Coin Hunting

[MayberryMonte]

I was reading Charles Garrett's latest addition on hunting coins last night and I came to the part where he told of the best places to find coins. Among the places he mentioned was cemeteries. I was little taken back because I thought cemeteries were offlimits or taboo. Does anyone hunt them and if so, has anyone ever said anything about it? What were your results?

 

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[Eu_citzen]

I don't hunt them and thats my way of showing respect to the dead.
Some places like the parking lot out side the church would be ok though.

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

MayberryMonte,
these may give you some idea on how folks feel:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,61363.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,64213.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,71897.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,52824.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,35096.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,52327.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,6911.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,70182.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,89783.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=92594.0;topicseen
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=61363.0;topicseen
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,122835.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,142739.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=142739.msg1026367;topicseen#msg1026367
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=145539.msg1043734;topicseen
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=150564.msg1084239;topicseen#msg1084239
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,153840.msg1109896.html#new
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,156207.0.html

have a good un.........
SHERMANVILLE

 

[MayberryMonte]

I'm new to this but that pretty much answered my question. I guess its just up to the individual.

 

[Old Bookaroo]

MM:

The key to successful coin hunting anywhere - public or private (and cemetaries may be one or the other) is getting proper permission before you hunt and knowing the laws, rules and regulations.

Obviously there can be (for some hunters, as you point out) a world of difference between respectfully searching a ghost town Boot Hill and thinking you're going to go swing your machine at Arlington.

Good luck to all,

~The Old Bookaroo

 

[Lowbatts]

I regularly hunt an old ex-cemetery in town that's a park/school yard now. Have found some good coinage there that dates well the age of the site.
I stay out of active cemeteries, inactive cemeteries, private cemeteries, etc.. Indian burial grounds as well in so much as I'm aware of their presence.

I will hunt around some where older times would have a picnic or gathering nearby after a funeral happened but not in the graveyard itself.

 

[tank014]

This might piss some people off but I have MD in a cemetery. I knew the city I live in was planting trees in the cemetery and dug holes in the ground to plant these trees. I recieved permission through the city parks urban manager (with a note) that said that I would only detect the dirt that was dug up and the dirt in the hole itself. I made sure to tell her that any jewlery found would be put back and that only coins found in these areas would be kept. I felt like that was ethical. Would I do this again. Yes. I feel if the city is digging up dirt in a cemetery to plant trees then the dug dirt is fine.

 

[Lowbatts]

This might piss some people off but I have MD in a cemetery. I knew the city I live in was planting trees in the cemetery and dug holes in the ground to plant these trees. I recieved permission through the city parks urban manager (with a note) that said that I would only detect the dirt that was dug up and the dirt in the hole itself. I made sure to tell her that any jewlery found would be put back and that only coins found in these areas would be kept. I felt like that was ethical. Would I do this again. Yes. I feel if the city is digging up dirt in a cemetery to plant trees then the dug dirt is fine.

Nope, sounds like a well-organized endeavor, permission and all ahead of time.
Get many goodies?

 

[[email protected]]

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Why is it O.K. for Archaeologists to dig up several Indian graves, bring the bodies to labs, study them (like they don't know what a human skeleton looks like) and then what happens to it? stuffed in a box? Put on display? But go anywhere near a "Christian" grave and people flip out. I detect cemeteries and have never disturbed anything, in fact I have located a few lost unmarked plots for the caretakers. There was metal on the headstones that were completely covered by soil and are now exposed for long lost relatives to see. Ruining the image of of metal detecting? That's not what the Pastor thought when he looked at two newly found graves and confirmed with the church records that the family members still belong to the parish!
The only thing that bothers me about cemeteries, is that I might get blamed for all of the headstones that get kicked over regularly by punks that need a good beating!
Dave.

 

[tank014]

This might piss some people off but I have MD in a cemetery. I knew the city I live in was planting trees in the cemetery and dug holes in the ground to plant these trees. I recieved permission through the city parks urban manager (with a note) that said that I would only detect the dirt that was dug up and the dirt in the hole itself. I made sure to tell her that any jewlery found would be put back and that only coins found in these areas would be kept. I felt like that was ethical. Would I do this again. Yes. I feel if the city is digging up dirt in a cemetery to plant trees then the dug dirt is fine.

Nope, sounds like a well-organized endeavor, permission and all ahead of time.

Get many goodies?

Not that time. But I did plant trees in the same cemetery the year before and the first shovel full of dirt I scooped up a coin popped right out. It was a 1916D Buffalo Nickle. A key date I believe. Anyways I hope they plant more this summer. Maybe I'll get lucky.
HH,
Frank