First hunt of 09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

time4me

Bronze Member
Aug 30, 2005
1,296
44
Detector(s) used
E-Trac, Explorer II, Excalibur
First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

My son kenny161 and I got out Sunday for about 3 hours - our first hunt of 2009. After about an 90 minutes or so into the hunt, I was getting skunked pretty bad, and Kenny had a few cool finds aready (he'll put up his own post).

I was using the Explorer II with the new 11" Pro coil this time - decided to leave the E-Trac in the car. We headed towards an area that has been fairly productive in the past, and I got a real sweet high tone. I dug out a deep plug, and noticed a silver edge sticking out of the side of my hole...

IMG_9762.jpg


So I shouted over to Kenny to come check it out as I was pretty sure I had a silver coin. I thought it was a quarter, but when I tugged it out of the dirt, I was looking at this beauty...

IMG_9764.jpg


IMG_9763.jpg


WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!! You can probably imagine how happy I was to see this Walking Liberty. What you don't know is that I've only ever found one other in my 30+ years of detecting, and it was when I was a kid detecting with my brother at the local Junior High School. What you also don't know is that I wrote out a list of goals for 2009 on New Year's Eve, and one of my goals for the year was a silver half dollar.

Composing myself as best I could, I took a few steps away from this hole and picked up a somewhat "iffy" high tone. I was in some pretty deep grass, so I kept going back over and over trying to press the coil down as far into the grass as I could to pick up the signal better. Having read enough here about "iffy" signals, it didn't take me long to decide to dig this one. And boy was I glad I did, because once I dug the deep plug out, I saw something stuck to the side of it...

IMG_9767.jpg


So I picked it out of the dirt, and looked at the front of the coin, and here's where my heart stopped...

IMG_9768.jpg


I have never found a 1916 Mercury Head dime before, and I hoped I'd see what I wanted to see on the back. Turning it over and squinting with my bad eyesight, showed me this...

IMG_9769.jpg


A flippin' "S". So I said a word that started with "S", and moved on - oh well, still a sweet OLD coin.

Then not more than ten feet from these two silvers, I got another iffy signal, and dug to see this in the hole...

IMG_9770.jpg


Not as sweet as the first two, but hey... silver is silver!!!

IMG_9771.jpg


So my skunk hunt turned out to be a very happy and memorable hunt for me, and also for Kenny as he found a few keepers himself. Here are the three silvers after very gentle cleaning...

IMG_9796.jpg


IMG_9798.jpg


IMG_9793.jpg


IMG_9795.jpg


IMG_9799.jpg


IMG_9788.jpg


So, a great way to start the 2009 detecting season off, but now I've set the bar pretty high for myself for my next hunt!

Jim
 

Upvote 0

ziphius

Hero Member
Oct 17, 2007
538
7
San Diego
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Minelab E-Trac, Whites Surf PI Dual Field
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Jim,

Beautiful Walker you got there and great narration and photos! Great start to the year. - Jim :thumbsup:
 

creeper71

Silver Member
Dec 5, 2007
2,936
61
South Central PA
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Nice hunt! hope my first 09 hunt is that good, btw your merc has the wrong mint mark on it... let's hope your next 1916 merc has a D on it
 

juju

Bronze Member
Dec 8, 2007
2,015
17
Burien, Wa.
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT ALL PRO, Grey Ghost Headphones, Garrett Pro-Pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
WTG I haven't had a 3 silver day yet in 09. But I'm workin on it. Congrats.
:icon_pirat:
JuJu
 

twistidd

Bronze Member
Nov 11, 2007
1,789
3
Chicago
Detector(s) used
White's Matrix M6 w/ Sun-Ray DX-1, 950 coil and 6x10 DD, Minelab Excalibur II, Garrett Ace 250, Garmin Etrex GPS
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Wow, what beautiful photos you took. I wish more people posted "as found" photos with the dirt like you do. Nice coins, congrats. I am jealous.

Joe
 

S

seger98

Guest
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Holy cow man, what a way to start the year off!
 

tsgman

Bronze Member
Sep 13, 2005
2,139
30
Springfield, Missouri
Detector(s) used
Minelab 705, Fisher Gold Bug, MXT, Etrac, CTX 3030, GPX 5000, Troy Shadow, CZ20, Excal II, Tesoro Stingray, AT Pro.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

That Walking Liberty is sweet! Great coins.
 

DEMERSON

Jr. Member
Dec 17, 2008
86
0
Hemet,ca
Detector(s) used
fisher F2
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

nice finds. that half is sweet.
 

wildrider

Bronze Member
Feb 25, 2007
1,895
8
Kentucky
Detector(s) used
Nautilus DMC IIb/White's 6000 Di Pro
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Not bad stuff for this early in the year.
 

camb1

Bronze Member
Dec 11, 2006
1,592
317
Southern Illinois
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excalibur 1000 & Explorer SE
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

WTG on all that silver coinage. Love that Walker Half. She is a beauty. :thumbsup:
 

EddieR

Hero Member
Mar 1, 2005
914
26
Madisonville, TN
Detector(s) used
Whites XLT, MXT,..Tesoro Vaquero, Silver UMax, Compadre, Tejon,..BH LandRanger..Pioneer 505.. GC1023..Teknetics Delta 4000, Gamma 6000, Eurotek Pro..Fisher F2, F4, F5, F70
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Beautiful silver! Congrats! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 

ringfinder

Silver Member
Nov 9, 2005
2,753
46
Ohio
Detector(s) used
Minelab GPX 5000, X-Terra 70, Garret Infinium, Tesorro Tiger Shark, ACE 250, Nautilus DMC 2B, Fisher 1235
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Great Start to the new year. Wow, you were really close on that 1916 S Mercury dime, if it had only
been a 1916 D. Great saves.

HH,Ringfinder
 

Count Boris

Full Member
Jan 27, 2007
136
12
Utah
Detector(s) used
White's M6,White's Prizm IV,Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Great Start for 2009. I would consider it great whether it was the first, or Last day of year. You guys lucky enough to live where it's warm. Keep the rest of us going till spring.
Boris
 

OP
OP
time4me

time4me

Bronze Member
Aug 30, 2005
1,296
44
Detector(s) used
E-Trac, Explorer II, Excalibur
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

ziphius said:
Jim,

Beautiful Walker you got there and great narration and photos! Great start to the year. - Jim :thumbsup:

Thanks Ziphius - I like giving the narration with photos in a step by step fashion. Fun for you guys, and I get to re-live the experience that way as well!

twistidd said:
Wow, what beautiful photos you took. I wish more people posted "as found" photos with the dirt like you do. Nice coins, congrats. I am jealous.

Joe

Thanks Joe, I try to take my camera along with me on hunts, and it is hard to remember to take it off the belt and shoot a picture when the excitement of seeing the glint of silver in the hole takes over. I'm really glad I had it with me this day, as these coins and the way they presented themselves in the dirt made for some nice photo opportunities.

ringfinder said:
Great Start to the new year. Wow, you were really close on that 1916 S Mercury dime, if it had only
been a 1916 D. Great saves.

HH,Ringfinder

Tell me about it :BangHead: I was so hoping for a "D", and then flipped it over the only "D" I got was the one in "Doh!"

Thanks everyone else for the comments - I am really happy with the condition of the walking liberty half. I didn't even know what the date was until I got home to carefully clean the dirt off of it. I told my son on the drive home that I bet it is a 1941 or a 1943 - they seem to be more common dates that people find. When Kenny said it was a 1928 (his 12 year old eyes are way better than my 42 year old eyes), I was real surprised. I like how the edge is real crisp around the front and back - not much wear to the edge at all.
 

John Deere Digger

Bronze Member
Aug 26, 2007
1,208
5
So Illinois
Detector(s) used
DFX, Prism5, Minelab SE
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Super silver, I just found my first WLH today. hope it doesn't take me that long to find the next. HH
JDD
 

t-bucket

Bronze Member
Oct 7, 2007
1,384
2
Southern Illinois
Detector(s) used
e-track- Explorer SE explorer 2 -
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Congrats on the walker and the 1916 I have dug several and none were a D mint mark,but its get your heart racing !!!! Good luck on your next hunt. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 

mikewaz

Bronze Member
May 9, 2008
1,606
4
Chicago
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1266 X Fisher F75
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Way to start the new year there Jim! :thumbsup:

All of those finds are beauties. And like the Count said, you don't know how lucky you are to be able to do this year round. I'm gonna have to move one of these days.

Keep 'em comin'
Mike
 

P

Pentico

Guest
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

Wow what a great way to start off the new year.
That Walker is beautiful! :thumbsup:
I was doing the happy dance for you man!!!!!!
Congratulations.

DN
 

Ray in CA

Hero Member
Oct 11, 2007
983
16
Quincy, CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari with SEF 8x6; coming soon: FORS Gold+
Re: First hunt of '09 - WooHoo!! - BIG SILVER and a heart stopper

A three silver day is nothing to complain about, especially when a Walker is part of the digs!!! Congrats.

Ray
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top