Three Hour Schoolyard Hunt

OWK

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2014
998
1,291
North Central Md
Detector(s) used
Fisher F70, F75
Garrett Pinpointer
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Spent about three hours yesterday in a relatively modern schoolyard trying to tease out the subtleties of my F70. Spent the first couple hours ignoring nickle and pulltab signals. Spent the last hour digging them. Dug a ton of clad in the first couple hours, also a 1838-1840 hard times token from NY which had no earthly business in a modern school grounds (8.5 inches down), and a sterling ring. Also dug two rose head nails at considerable depth. Looked over my old resources, and there shouldn't have been anything on this field but farm crops from 1850 onward. Maybe there was a structure before that.

Dug a ton of pulltabs in the last hour, and a (presumably but not yet tested) broken gold chain which rung up on the high side of the nickle range. Also a base metal high school ring, and a single Jefferson Nickle.

I think I'm really starting to understand the language of this detector.

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Upvote 15

WHADIFIND

Gold Member
Apr 9, 2012
12,061
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That is one of the reasons I still go to "new" school yards. It usually is target rich so I don't get bored. They're varied enough that it helps teach a LOT of aspects about one's detector. Then, there are the surprise finds that pop up from time to time. Let alone battery money. ;)

Looks like time well spent to me.
 

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OWK

OWK

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2014
998
1,291
North Central Md
Detector(s) used
Fisher F70, F75
Garrett Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That is one of the reasons I still go to "new" school yards. It usually is target rich so I don't get bored. They're varied enough that it helps teach a LOT of aspects about one's detector. Then, there are the surprise finds that pop up from time to time. Let alone battery money. ;)

Looks like time well spent to me.

I probably covered maybe 15% of the grounds. Maybe.

There were definitely colonial homes within a stone's throw of this place... but not here.. at least as far as I know.

I guess you never really know.
 

WHADIFIND

Gold Member
Apr 9, 2012
12,061
38,122
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Garrett AT-MAX
Garrett AT-PRO,
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Jack Hammer!
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I probably covered maybe 15% of the grounds. Maybe.

There were definitely colonial homes within a stone's throw of this place... but not here.. at least as far as I know.

I guess you never really know.

That's just it, we don't know. That's why I try to approach every piece of ground with an open mind. What might have been there 2-3-400 years ago?

Also, even though you only covered a small portion. How much do you figure that school has already been hit? And still!!! :)
 

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OWK

OWK

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2014
998
1,291
North Central Md
Detector(s) used
Fisher F70, F75
Garrett Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's just it, we don't know. That's why I try to approach every piece of ground with an open mind. What might have been there 2-3-400 years ago?

Also, even though you only covered a small portion. How much do you figure that school has already been hit? And still!!! :)

Yeah. I often wonder about that. How often places have been hit.

I don't really have a good feel for it, but I guess schools see their share of detecting.
 

Hendo0601

Sr. Member
Jul 30, 2014
257
455
California
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Minelab CTX 3030
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On my hunt yesterday after digging a zillion pulltabs I discriminated out pulltab/nickel signals for a while and didn't dig any...then I decided to turn it back on and not long after I dug a nickel. I think from now on I will just take the chance and dig those signals because my X Ray specs that I ordered don't work worth a damn through soil so I don't know what's down there!
 

46Wheat

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May 23, 2014
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Upstate NY
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Nice digs . Thanks for the pics
 

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OWK

OWK

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2014
998
1,291
North Central Md
Detector(s) used
Fisher F70, F75
Garrett Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
On my hunt yesterday after digging a zillion pulltabs I discriminated out pulltab/nickel signals for a while and didn't dig any...then I decided to turn it back on and not long after I dug a nickel. I think from now on I will just take the chance and dig those signals because my X Ray specs that I ordered don't work worth a damn through soil so I don't know what's down there!

I think that's good policy in general. (Can't help but think that I've passed up a few gold thingamjigs, just learning what I want to dig).
 

BigWaveDave

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Nov 22, 2013
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Equinox 800
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Excellent digs there...I see you in MD, ... next time I'm in Garrett Co, we need to do some door knocking, Cumberland gets me drooling when passing through, as does anything along National Pike
 

WHADIFIND

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Apr 9, 2012
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I think that's good policy in general. (Can't help but think that I've passed up a few gold thingamjigs, just learning what I want to dig).

Kind of funny though, don't you think? We go to all the trouble to buy a detector that can discriminate very well. Just to put it in all metal mode anyway. LOL
 

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OWK

OWK

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2014
998
1,291
North Central Md
Detector(s) used
Fisher F70, F75
Garrett Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Kind of funny though, don't you think? We go to all the trouble to buy a detector that can discriminate very well. Just to put it in all metal mode anyway. LOL

Darned close to it.

(hell.. if all it does it keep the nails at bay, it's worth it) :laughing7:
 

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
2,284
Granite, Maryland
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Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
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That is one of the reasons I still go to "new" school yards. It usually is target rich so I don't get bored. They're varied enough that it helps teach a LOT of aspects about one's detector. Then, there are the surprise finds that pop up from time to time. Let alone battery money. ;)

Looks like time well spent to me.

Yup. I dug up an 1881 IH at a "new" school just a few days ago. The "old" school I've been hunting has yet to produce anything old. Go figure.

You just never know. Long before there were schools in those spots there were also people, homes, etc. Anything can turn up pretty much anywhere.
 

dirtlooter

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Jun 5, 2014
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after finally getting it in my wife's head that to find the gold, we had to dig those pull tabs etc. sooo on the same day, I dug a gold diamond ring and she found a 21 inch 10k man's necklace. yeah it get really old, cleared out over 60 pull rings and tabs in a small section(not counting the other trash) but also am digging the nickles and hopefully my 3rd gold will come soon since I started doing it. even silver is challenging for the cans and such but the gold requires dedication for the most part and I also struggle at it at times. you still had some very good finds and potential gold
 

PullTabPete

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Jun 14, 2012
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Yup. I dug up an 1881 IH at a "new" school just a few days ago. The "old" school I've been hunting has yet to produce anything old. Go figure.

You just never know. Long before there were schools in those spots there were also people, homes, etc. Anything can turn up pretty much anywhere.

Also I have found modern time schools are often built on the same sites of older schools. So the school may date from say the 70's, but they may been a school on that site much earler.

I was surprised earlier this year when I dug a merc out of the wood chips under a swingset. The school is from the 50's and I have found silver there, but the swingset and wood chips are a couple inches deep and obviously newer. You never know.

Pete
 

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
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Granite, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Also I have found modern time schools are often built on the same sites of older schools. So the school may date from say the 70's, but they may been a school on that site much earler.

I was surprised earlier this year when I dug a merc out of the wood chips under a swingset. The school is from the 50's and I have found silver there, but the swingset and wood chips are a couple inches deep and obviously newer. You never know.

Pete

Yeah. I was hunting a pretty old park and the same happened to me. I didn't dig anything old but dug two wheaties from the tot lot; a 42 and 44'. A lady told me the tot lot is about three years old.
Go figure. You truly never know until you dig it up.
 

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Scrappy

Gold Member
Mar 6, 2014
9,204
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17th century
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I seriously need to find some old school yards.

Nice work and great necklace

-Lady Liberty is hot stuff...especially on a coin
 

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