Frustrating Hunt Leads to First Barber

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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New Jersey
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NJLARGECENT and I hit upstate NY this weekend, on a property that was part of Founding Father Robert Livingston’s original estate. The home was built in the mid-1800s, so we were excited at the potential finds: colonial coins, flying eagles, Indians, relics, what else?
We hit the front lawn first. Right off the bat I found this little toy gun:

livingston-gun.jpg

Last 3 legible letters are “GER” …. Perhaps it says “RANGER”? Gotta clean it up to find out.

After that I was getting great signals but they kept resulting in rusted pieces of sheet metal. Ug. NJLARGECENT had unearthed a Matchbox car or two, and scrap metal like me. We exhausted the front lawn and then regrouped.

I started to hit a different area of the property and NJ hit the back yard. More junk for me. And what was worse, just 2 inches under the earth was shale, which all day was difficult to chop through. He was pulling out some relics, tools mostly, and more junk. The worst of it was, with one swipe of the detector, I’d her 3-5 tones, all different sounds. Most holes resulted in 3-5 nails, some square, all different sizes. Frustrating. My usual deliberate grid style was out the door and I was simply looking for a less junky area. And the irony… I swiped up and down between what looked like old clothesline posts. Not one single tone!

I ended the day frustrated and dejected, with just these notable finds, one of which is a tbd button. I can’t quite make out the pattern yet. NJ on the other hand got a nice 1859 Indian fatty, the first year they made the Indian cent. Great find and confirmed the period of the property. He also found a large token (thought it was a large cent) but it turned out to be a step 1 AA token. In great shape too. (NJLARGECENT, please post photos!)

livingston-button-bird-tbd.jpg

Day 2 we got up at 6 and hit the old, dilapidated barn area. More junk. Lots of it, and 357 Magnum shells. Grant is getting frustrated! NJ had a modicum of success in the backyard and side of the house, so we went back there. I was cherry picking… only digging isolated tones. By now it was around 10am and I got a good copper signal. I dug and dug and dug and pulled out this one-piece button that’s in fantastic shape. I’m still yet to ID it so perhaps someone here can help. I’m also not a button cleaning expert, so any advice is appreciated.

livingston-eagle-button.jpg livingston-eagle-button-rev.jpg

I was rejuvenated. It made my weekend, and I was in better spirits. Shortly after I dug up these 2 what I thought were buttons, but I’m not entirely sure:

livingston-buttons-tbd.jpg

NJ had wandered back into the front yard while I continued on the side of the house. I got another banging silver signal, and hoped it wasn’t another rusted piece of metal like NJ just dug up. Pinpointing and digging, I pulled out a nail. Sigh. Rescanned, silver tone still there. Another nail. Ug. Rescanned and silver tone was still there. Then? Another nail! “I REFUSE TO LET THIS BE IT!” NJ called, “All OK!?” “Yeah, just determined to find something.” Another scan, silver tone still there and it pinpointed to the right sidewall. So I carefully gouged the side of the plug and popped it out. My Pro Pointer told me that I got it out. I looked at the reverse and say clear type: “United States of America.” Cool! The front-side had caked-on mud, so I gently wiped it off to reveal the tell-tale Barber head.

Yes!!!

“Dude! Come over!” “Whatcha got?” “Barber quarter!!” “No way!”

I was afraid I put the nick in the face, but it had caked on mud all over it so I’m happy to say it wasn’t my fault.

livingston-barber.jpg

So, I confirmed I’m not a patient man, but what I lack in patience I make up for in persistence. What a fun weekend!

Some other finds: NJ's bounty (mine is still in box waiting to be cleaned, whistle, horse leg?, decorative fish?):

livingston-whistle.jpg

livingston-fish.jpg

livingston-horse-leg.jpg

livingston-james-bounty.jpg

And lastly, this very toasted what I hope is a coin. Going to soak in ACV and see what it reveals. Any bets/predictions?

livingston-toasted.jpg
 

Upvote 1

TheElementOfSand

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Jul 19, 2012
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Fort Wayne
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Awesome story. I was glad to see you finally got something nice out of that plot. Its hard to deal with all the trash in some spots, but you gotta dig what you gotta dig. HH
 

ticm

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Sep 5, 2007
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Looks like you dug all the signals. Barbers are a good find any day. Must be some rough soil as that silver looks like its seen better days. By the age of the house and your display of finds, do you think someone cherry picked the yard before you guys got there?
 

fmrUSMC_0844

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Sep 4, 2008
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Good bunch of finds. Its always nice to see a Barber anything come out of the ground. I just got my first one afterr 8 years of hunting. Im going to guess that toasted coin is a steel cent.
 

Grizzly13

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Sep 22, 2012
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You have a couple of nice finds. The toy pistol is called a German Luger. To be honest its in pretty good shape for a toy.
 

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granthansen

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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Awesome story. I was glad to see you finally got something nice out of that plot. Its hard to deal with all the trash in some spots, but you gotta dig what you gotta dig. HH

Yeah, SO MUCH garbage. Trashiest place I've been.
 

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granthansen

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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Looks like you dug all the signals. Barbers are a good find any day. Must be some rough soil as that silver looks like its seen better days. By the age of the house and your display of finds, do you think someone cherry picked the yard before you guys got there?

Actually, I ignored most of the signals. Just dug the solid and deep ones. I knew after a while that anything mid-tone and shallow was either foil or pull-tabs. I know I risked missing some gold, but I would have been digging garbage all day. I don't think someone cherry picked. So many solid high tones that just turned out to be aluminum. Signals I think most people would go after. The soil was a big variety... some parts were mostly shale, others nice and moist dirt, others clay, and the front field had sand under it. I even dug up a beach toy, so who the heck knows!! Former owners of the house were the area's biggest drug dealers, which accounts for the 357 Magnum shells I found :-/
 

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granthansen

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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Good bunch of finds. Its always nice to see a Barber anything come out of the ground. I just got my first one afterr 8 years of hunting. Im going to guess that toasted coin is a steel cent.

Steel cent is a good guess! I'll start the soaking today.
 

CRUSADER

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May 25, 2007
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I found that exact Luger but I had to clean out a red ants nest before I could take it home.:laughing7:
 

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granthansen

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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You have a couple of nice finds. The toy pistol is called a German Luger. To be honest its in pretty good shape for a toy.

Thanks for the awesome ID!!!
 

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granthansen

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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These are some pics of the property. Beautiful area.

livingston-3.jpg

livingston-1.jpg

livingston-2.jpg
 

ticm

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Sep 5, 2007
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granthansen said:
These are some pics of the property. Beautiful area.

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=699192"/>

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=699193"/>

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=699194"/>

There has to be something good hiding.
 

bobcat

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Aug 18, 2012
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Keep at that site and you will find more. good hunting
 

Rick (Nova Scotia)

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WOW you sure dug your share of trash on that hunt. I was on a sililar site today, and my buddy couldn't handle it after only 45 minutes.

At least you got a good coin for your efforts....thanks goodness...you sure deserve it.
 

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granthansen

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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Definitely more targets hiding there, but when you swipe once and get 4 signals, usually all nails or junk, I think you have to prioritize. And I have to be respectful of the property owner's beautiful lawns. Don't want to leave them looking like I just exploded all the mines in the minefield!

Rick, sorry your buddy bailed after 45 minutes. I know how daunting it can be. But like I said, I make up for my lack up patience with persistence!
 

sparky661

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Jun 1, 2012
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Hey your up in my neck of the woods now... Don't take all the good stuff... Lol
 

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granthansen

granthansen

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May 16, 2012
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Hey your up in my neck of the woods now... Don't take all the good stuff... Lol

Ha! From what I could tell there's more land up there than all of us can handle combined! Amazing fields.
 

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