How to find more Banner finds

[dirtlooter]

Well obliviously I am not the one to be writing this thread having not one single banner find. But it is obvious to me that one has to first swing over the banner find and then dig it up. Now, having said that, it makes me wonder how many banner finds have we swung over and failed to dig them up? How many gold coins or rings etc? It does seem to me that you eastern people have a greater shot at banner finds but anything is possible because people lose everything everywhere as we have found out. Last week, I was pulling into the jewelry shop to pick up the gold ring that my wife had found and I was having resized. On the radio, they were saying how the average person lost 9 things a day, 9 things! Now they didn't say how many were found but we know from our own experiences that enough are never found by us. But on the other hand, some finds may be considered by me to be a banner find while to others it is not. I personally think that the sheer historical significance of something found is awesome enough to me. The cool factor can be very high and is in so many things that we find. The truth is that a lot of us tend to put more emphasis on something that really intrigues us and those things are more bannerish to them. So, the Banner finds are where you find them, period but sometimes we can put the odds more in our favor and some do.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[A2coins]

A silver coin is banner in my book we all want a banner but most of us wont get a banner at least as tnet calls banner alot of the fun is that we might find one a gold ring is banner in my banner book Keep at it

 

[Loco-Digger]

How a find is written up and presented in pics can make or break a banner. Rarity does play a part though.

 

[Oddjob]

I am not big on posting finds; I worked too long for a certain organization that prided it self on open source intelligence. Sorry I am just too greedy and only hunt for profit.

But I really enjoy seeing other peoples finds; my views towards what a banner find is seems to be more laxed than others. Now when I vote banner I often do not even post in the thread I think it is a banner find because to many people I think just want to be part of a vote. I just vote for it and leave it at that.

One thing I hate to see is when someone on here finds something really great and then another user comes on slamming them, their find(s), or worse case attempts to point out illegal action (only seen that once).

Dirt Looter, I enjoy seeing what you and your wife find; mostly because your hunting stories often include the two of you, not just your wife, but your mate and hunting partner. Thats really cool, and when family is involved then that makes half the story to me. I think lots of folks weigh in banner find based on picture alone, but there are many here that hunt with their families that enjoy the story line just enough to push them towards banner voting because you started your hunt with a banner and just ended it with some cool finds on top of it.

Just my thoughts, Happy hunting. Hope that makes sense.

 

[dirtlooter]

I am not big on posting finds; I worked too long for a certain organization that prided it self on open source intelligence. Sorry I am just too greedy and only hunt for profit.

But I really enjoy seeing other peoples finds; my views towards what a banner find is seems to be more laxed than others. Now when I vote banner I often do not even post in the thread I think it is a banner find because to many people I think just want to be part of a vote. I just vote for it and leave it at that.

One thing I hate to see is when someone on here finds something really great and then another user comes on slamming them, their find(s), or worse case attempts to point out illegal action (only seen that once).

Dirt Looter, I enjoy seeing what you and your wife find; mostly because your hunting stories often include the two of you, not just your wife, but your mate and hunting partner. Thats really cool, and when family is involved then that makes half the story to me. I think lots of folks weigh in banner find based on picture alone, but there are many here that hunt with their families that enjoy the story line just enough to push them towards banner voting because you started your hunt with a banner and just ended it with some cool finds on top of it.

Just my thoughts, Happy hunting. Hope that makes sense.

you are very kind with your words and thank you. To me, seeing my wife's eyes light up as she shows me something really good is the most banner ever for me. She has managed several very nice finds, silver coins etc, gold jewelry but the WWII dog tags have been her and mine best finds plus being able to return them to the families has been the ultimate high. Having a mate to do these things together and share the moments with is like the greatest blessing ever. We are very playfully competitive and get just as excited as the other in their finds. I catch her looking at properties as we travel, she is wondering what is hiding in the ground. Jerry

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

#1. Luck, #2. Research, #3. Time

 

[Dave Rishar]

I told myself going in that I'd fund my hobby with jewelry, but I never sold any of it.

My favorite find to date was not ancient and as far as I can tell, is not worth much. It's my favorite because there's next to no information on the internet about it, and because it had no business being where I found it.

 

[UnderMiner]

I think a 'banner find' is just something that has a uniqueness to it. When I found the old 1930's gumball machine buried underground full of silver war nickles, the nickles themselves only had a combined value of around $5 but people still voted the find to the banner for some reason. I think that reason was because the find embodied the quintessential 'buried treasure'. It didn't matter that the coins themselves were relatively worthless, the find represented a real treasure chest that embodied a feeling that all treasure hunters wish to experience one day - and seeing the box opened for the first time in 70 years made people's imaginations come to life. Like finding an old gun or a gold coin from some well established time in history makes people's imaginations flare and allows them to 'connect' to that distant past time, this is what makes a banner find. For example, a gold coin found in a coin star return slot will probably not make it to banner, but a gold coin found under the dirt of a long abandoned gold-mining town in the old west probably will make banner - because the latter makes a connection to a known past event and can even be traced to individual people (who may have census records as living in that town at the same time as the coin), the gold coin in the change return slot at the coin star does not evoke this same kind of feeling of wonder or strong connection to the past. Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[dirtlooter]

There are some things that are super awesome no matter what some may think. Each of us has something that we hope to find someday , something that the odds of finding are slim to none but would be the highlight of our career. However, sometimes we find something that just blows us away that we just dug it up. To me, the blackpowder tester that someone just found was a banner find all day long, super cool and super rare and I would have a heart flutter to have found it.

 

[Gaspipe]

Good thread. I will say the unspeakable; banner finds in some cases are influenced by being in the "right" circle.

 

[coinman123]

If you are doing a persistent job metal detecting at a really good location, then the chances of finding a banner worthy find go up a lot. It is just plain luck many times though. My first banner, my sundial, was found with an entry level metal detecting with wiring problems. I had used that metal detector for the first time in over a year instead of my T2, and it was tough to relearn how to use it. I also thought that the sundial was junk at first, no newer than maybe 80 years old or so, and for decorative purposes. The site was also just a site I had randomly found, I don't remember doing any research beforehand. I went back many times and didn't find anything else good. I don't even remember digging any colonial buttons there (if so, it was less than 5). This find somehow also made the "Best of Treasurenet" section, something I can only imagine happened because of the story attached to the find. If you find something you think might be banner worthy, make sure to write a good story to go with it, it raises your chances of getting banner too. It took nearly 4 years to get another banner find, the button I dug a couple weeks back, and I definitely wasn't expecting that I would ever get another one. This find would never have been found if I didn't spend a bunch of time researching to try and find a good site, in fact, doing the research took much longer than the metal detecting itself. If you want to raise your chances of finding a nice banner worthy find, or more good finds in general, it doesn't hurt to spend an hour or two one night looking at old maps and documents where a good site can be found. Good luck on getting a banner Dirtlooter! I always enjoy reading your posts, and hope to see a find from you on the top soon!

 

[coinman123]

Good thread. I will say the unspeakable; banner finds in some cases are influenced by being in the "right" circle.

I haven't noticed this yet. Some members do seem to have many more banners than others, but this is because they are doing something right with their metal detector, and finding a lot of banner worthy finds. I have seen plenty of banner finds made by members that rarely go on the forum. I haven't noticed anything unfair with the banner system, it seems like the finds that make it there are all very worthy. Some great finds that deserve it sometimes don't make it, but this is normally because they are from new members with under a certain amount of posts, and therefore are not eligible for it (this rule is from the "Banner" sticky thread in Today's Finds).

 

[smokeythecat]

The best items I ever found were done with a $300 machine over 30 years ago. That was way before my time here. Would they be banners? Probably, but that's not the point. Yes, here on the east coast just this week I found another (broken) and a whole 17th century buckle, one unidentified ancient coin, at least ancient for the US, now where did I put it, I think it's just right on my table in front of me. I got another 50 plus small relics from a 17th century site, one modern quarter from an 18th century site, go figure, and little bits and pieces of people's lives, now long gone.

Today, it's a matter of having a site where the people who were there had some material possessions to lose, and having no one there before us. One of our best sites is well known in the history books. Well, it didn't just occupy the one field detectorists have hammered for 40 years now (including me). That's where I found my first cache of colonial coins a long time ago. A couple years ago my digging partner and I started on a neighboring farm. I pointed to this little hilltop and said there should have been a house there. Well, I was right. We got Civil War Eagle I buttons, colonial and early american coppers, buttons, all kinds of stuff. 1/4 mile to the north we found some few bricks about 15" underground. Nearby we found a few dropped large size colonial musket balls, a 1 reale, and a 16th century Spanish Maravedis. Scattered through the field were colonial buttons. 1/4 mile to the east, on the same property we got 2 Spanish Maravedis, one or more Civil War eagle buttons a NJ copper and some great buttons and colonial coppers. No one ever had dug there before as it was not on the map.

Site #2, some 30 miles north across the state line has produced at least TEN civil war buckles and plates, numerous Civil War period silver coins, over 100 minie balls, both Union and Confederate, Union and Confederate buttons and on and on. History tells us Confederate Cavalry camped 1 mile away. No one thought to look at the access roads.

Site #3, some 30 miles southwest of site #2, THREE Confederate buttons, a few coins, flying eagle cents, a trime, along somebody's DRIVEWAY. These days you have to think out of the box.

Now don't get me wrong. I get skunked often.

Right place, right time, turn the machine on and dig it all.

 

[dirtlooter]

yes, it has to be there first before you can find it, what ever it is.

 

[Icewing]

From what I can tell banner votes are based more on others desire to find something rather than it's rarity or value.

For example I found a Saloon Token that turned out to be the first one like it ever discovered and worth more than a gold coin. However since nobody really knew anything about it..... Nothing....

But a key date or gold coin or something that everyone (including myself) wants to find turns up, it's pretty much a guaranteed banner.

And you are right people on the east coast have a FAR better chance of finding awesome stuff simply because that's where the people were.

I am not complaining, that's just how it is.

 

[smokeythecat]

Icewing, I put up a 1774 gold guinea a few years ago and it was responded to well, but no banner, banners are ok, but digging up good stuff is much better.

 

[dirtlooter]

From what I can tell banner votes are based more on others desire to find something rather than it's rarity or value.

For example I found a Saloon Token that turned out to be the first one like it ever discovered and worth more than a gold coin. However since nobody really knew anything about it..... Nothing....

But a key date or gold coin or something that everyone (including myself) wants to find turns up, it's pretty much a guaranteed banner.

And you are right people on the east coast have a FAR better chance of finding awesome stuff simply because that's where the people were.

I am not complaining, that's just how it is.

I forgot about it but I also found a token that was not seen before and was put in a national catalog

 

[dirtlooter]

in the end, to me it is more important what something means to me, irregardless of what others may think. sometimes we can be surprised as to what one person may value more over things that most would have thought was better.

 

[smokeythecat]

Yup, I just like playing in the dirt.

 

[dirtlooter]

the dirt does have it's charm, especially when giving something awesome up