Old Silver In Wood Chips? Highlights Of My 6-Hour Hunt

[Natman]

Hi all,

It was a beautiful day here in Missouri today so I decided to visit a few schools..I had gone to them earlier in the year, but the old saying "no place is ever totally hunted out" was in my head.

The first school gave up mostly quarters and dimes, a broken pair of sunglasses, a couple of keys and the biggest surprise - a $10 bill! Nice start!

The shock of the day had to be at the second school. You know those tubular "domes" at some playgrounds that kids climb on? Some detectorists walk around them, but I strongly urge anyone who can fit inside one to try your luck..I climbed into one of the triangular openings, thinking I'd find a few pieces of change or maybe a pendant or a zipper pull like I always do. After a clad dime and a penny or two, another dime signal revealed a small but shiney round object. Within 2 seconds my train of thought went as follows:

"Oh, a pendant."
"Oh, it's a dime."
"Oh! It's a silver dime!"
"OH! IT'S A MERC !!!"

A 1941 MERC! I was in total shock! How could this be? Show and tell? In some kid's change unnoticed? Either way it made my day!

The last school was the best as far as clad goes, but I also found 3 rings - 2 were kid's rings and one was a gorgeous silver ring showing 2 dolphins. This one and the gold-colored one was found near the tetherball poles.

In 6 hours (8:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.)I ended up with a $10 bill, 4 costume bracelets, a marble, a pair of sunglasses, 3 keys, a live .380 cartridge , a slipper charm, 2 buttons, 3 rings, 2 zipper pulls, 100 Lincoln Memorial cents, 1 1958-D wheatie, 6 nickels, 44 clad dimes, 1 1941-D Merc and 24 quarters for a total of $21.81 (including the $10 bill). My 176-coin total was the most coins I've ever found in one day (I think).

Just one more day to add to your totals (if you're not dealing with the cold, snow and ice!) so good luck and Happy New Year!

Nat

 

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[Colonial KirkPA]

Hmmmm...so, the children of today are carrying wilvers...

BDD...Kirk

 

[cival war hunter 2 !]

That's more than what i find in two years


wvdrummer

 

[PACO]

WHAT LUCK, SILVER AT THE PLAY GROUND...... SOUND LIKE SOME STOLE DADS SILVER COINS FROM THE JAR. SILVER IS ALWAYS A GREAT DAY.....PACO , BDD

 

[bedpanmoneyman]

WTG Natman, your persistence paid off on the Merc...amazing $10 bill (what was your VDI on that? )

 

[Born Free]

You must have been out there from sun up to sun down...that's alot of stuff! Nice variety, too.
Isn't it kind of cold in Missouri these days??

 

[Ray in CA]

That happened to me just about a month ago. I was up in Manteca, Ca visiting some relatives and we took the kids to a new park that had woodchips. I brought my Silver uMax just for fun and found a 1954 Rosie. Couldn't figure out how it got there except for the idea that some kid had it in his pants and lost it while playing. I'm willing to bet this is not all that uncommon.

Ray

 

[Natman]

You must have been out there from sun up to sun down...that's alot of stuff! Nice variety, too.
Isn't it kind of cold in Missouri these days??

I was out for 6 hours today..it was about 32 degrees and cloudy when I started..by quitting time it was about 50 degrees and sunny.

That happened to me just about a month ago. I was up in Manteca, Ca visiting some relatives and we took the kids to a new park that had woodchips. I brought my Silver uMax just for fun and found a 1954 Rosie. Couldn't figure out how it got there except for the idea that some kid had it in his pants and lost it while playing. I'm willing to bet this is not all that uncommon.

I could see how a silver Rosie could be mistaken for a modern dime (those and wheat pennies are commonly found in rolled coinage), but a Winged Liberty Head sticks out like a sore thumb..it's far more uncommon to find an American coin (whose design is obsolete) in a modern woodchip playground.

Nat

 

[Frodov]

A Ten Dollar Bill ?? MAN! I GOTTA KNOW WHAT KIND OF DETECTOR YOU ARE USING TO FIND PAPER MONEY!!! <grin> Good ol' mark one EYEBALLS huh?

Great hunt my friend, Glad you had a good time.



Frodov

 

[silverfreak]

Glad you got 6 hours in Nat. That's a great way to end 07 and bring in 08.

 

[topdog]

That's definitely a nice haul for the day, nice looking Merc. Congrats on finding that ten dollar bill.

 

[Moonshadow]

Okay......I'm officially very jealous!! You have the Midas touch my friend. All that clad, some silver, a beautiful Merc, AND A TEN DOLLAR BILL! Send me a luck penny or something!

I went out in the absolutely miserable weather today (3 inches of rain), got soaked to the bone( that didn't take long!), and hit about six different places and wound up with two toy cars, a small lock and 63 cents in clad. Wasn't even worth pulling out of the drive way, but I had to go!

Congrats on a good day Nat! I love reading your stories and looking at all your finds. Take care and keep up the good work!!

Happy New Year,
Moon

 

[poppa19]

AWESOME DAY, TO BAD THEY CANT ALL BE THAT WAY. GREAT FIND WITH THAT MERC, MORE THAN LIKELY SOME KIDS PARENTS ARE MISSING THAT FROM THERE COLLECTION (LOL)

 

[Iunno]

DayuM! Where do you primarily detect in a school?

 

[dave-enc]

congrats on the merc and a great hunt
hh
dave+bobbie

 

[Giant056]

10 must be your lucky number, 10 dollars and 10 cents(merc)!!!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!

 

[Boobydoo]

Got to love that huh Nat!!
Doesn't happen very often in the chips
but hey, you'll take it!! Congrats on the sweet Merc and ring! WTG!

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[greentreasurefish]

As a newby to the hobby I am gonna have to put you on my list of heros! I was going out for a full day today but it's very cold and we have snow. Good luck and thanks for the post! lee

 

[detectahead]

Nat, great day out buddy! Like the dolphin ring and the merc even more! 10 dollars will pay the gas to the next playground Congrats!

 

[anteater]

Hey Nat, way to go! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am never surprised at anything you find, because you are the most persistent "metal detectoring machine" that I have ever known. With all the clad that you accumulate in a year's time, I am curious as to how you dispose of it. Do you clean it and cash it, or what? No biggie, just askin'.