What lead you to look for treasure?

[birdman]

I was asked the other day how I acquired such a love of history and my answer before I even thought about it was that I grew up on a CW battle field. Really it was the skirmish area where the the Union troops started to attack towards Fort Morgan from the land while the USN attacked from the sea.
I grew up with history all around me and took it for granite as a child. There were old pirate tales -WW2 German Subs sited off the coast and talk of how German scouting parties had been seen on the beach during the war.One first hand account was told to me by my neighbor who was a teenager during the war.
All the tales to make for a grand childhood and instill a love for history. Wish I could go back...
So, how many people developed a love of treasure hunting because of where they grew up?
Maybe it is was reading treasure island or seeing Mel Fisher on Johnny Carson with that giant gold chain around his neck.
So whats your story?

 

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[Frankn]

It was finding that first $5 gold coin when I was about 15. It kind of lodged up there and started the TH process. Frank

The $5 coin is long gone sad to say, but I still have some $20s

 

[dirtscratcher]

My metaldetecting started from losing arrows shooting my bow back in the early 70's. My neighbor saw us searching for arrows under the grass and lent us a detector to find them. Worked so well we went to local range and found enough arrows to last a couple years. And its been down hill from there.

 

[smokeythecat]

My mom belonged to the archaeological society locally. My brother and I went with her quite a few times. I've never really been interested in "treasure" so to speak, but love finding things in the dirt. Only 2 gold pieces over the years and not much silver, but lots of history.

 

[Mackaydon]

Finding arrowheads in a Illinois cornfield and wondering.........

 

[bigscoop]

The adventures and the thrill of the hunt. The moment I popped out of the womb I started hunting for things.....

 

[Frankn]

I usually do the hunting first! LOL Frank

 

[SusanMN]

I grew up on property that was mostly landfill. You only had to dig down a few inches to find all sorts of treasures. Of course us kids were certain we found gold many times, but also pulled out marbles, metal toys and soda bottles we could get a few cents for. I intended to become a archeologist when I grew up settled for being an avid detectorist.

 

[releventchair]

I usually do the hunting first! LOL Frank View attachment 718226

 

[truckinbutch]

The stories I heard of local history as a kid . CW Jones/Imboden Raid was the biggest thing that happened here during the CW . One of their staging areas is just past our property line . Largely unhunted . My MIL lives on a bluff that was a cannon emplacement . Trenches are still visible around the bluff . Another unhunted property .
I was the little kid that sat in the corner and listened when the grownups were talking . And , I remembered what was said when I got older .

 

[Connecticut Sam]

What got me hook into treasure hunting my love for collecting coins and was reading the ads for metal detectors in Coin World magazines, I enjoy searching parks and beaches in and around Stratford, Ct. That was way back in 1964.

 

[Connecticut Sam]

I grew up on property that was mostly landfill. You only had to dig down a few inches to find all sorts of treasures. Of course us kids were certain we found gold many times, but also pulled out marbles, metal toys and soda bottles we could get a few cents for. I intended to become a archeologist when I grew up settled for being an avid detectorist.

Back then and still today, these items are great treasures to young children.

 

[birdman]

My father was told from the locals back in the 50s of how Spanish treasure was found in 1938 in an old grave yard. It was only 1 mile from our home but was so overgrown and swampy I never went in there.
The man who found its grand kids are set up nice because he used the money to buy up a lot of property ,much of it waterfront .

 

[Beans]

Greed. I want to find the hidden treasure that is worth millions of dollars.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Over the past four or so years I have had these reoccurring dreams that has something to do with fog, mist, and aliens. As these dreams have progressed over the years they have become lucid, to the point that when the aliens are boarding there ship and leaving (for the hundredth time) I was able to get a glimpse of the engines which appear to be fueled by liquid gold!!
After they have departed I can see where the thrusters had burned the soil and exposed more gold! Now these dreams are very real, to the point that I finally went and talked the wife into getting me a detector for my birthday.
I know exactly where the alien ship departs on our property and have been searching since September and so far I've found
the remains of a small ghost town! Old barn sites and a saw mill. Now this could be a coincidence but we've got 80 acres with access to about 5000 acres and the odds of my dreams putting me so close has me wandering.
Maybe it was rust I saw though cause I've found ALOT of it and no gold as of yet, but I'm still looking!!!
HH

 

[Bad Wolf]

'Nuff said.

 

[Stormrider51]

One day in the early 1970's I was driving down North Loop Blvd in Austin, TX and noticed a sign on a shop that said "Metal Detectors". I stopped in and visited with the old gentleman who owned the store and he regaled me with tales of finding old coins and jewelry using a metal detector. He had a used Garrett BFO for sale and I took it with me when I left. Later that afternoon I hit a city park and started turning up coins. I also found a fine gold chain necklace with locket. Been hooked ever since.

Storm

 

[LuckyThirteen08]

I used to work for a masonry contractor,laying brick,block,etc.We found about 300 dollars worth of standing liberty silver coins under and old sump pump shed from the early 1900`s, Owner was greedy as expected and kept all but 5 of them,After that experience,Each time i passed an old area or house i always wondered what was hiding around it,Bought my first detector soon after and been at it ever since.Funny thing is...I haven`t found anything with the detector that compares to what we found by eyesight lol,Go Figure,Luck of the draw i guess.

HH John

 

[releventchair]

Tagged along after a couple hunters one long ago day. Maybe same year was shown a museum type display by one of them. Entire 2nd floor of a old building,(guessing much of it made it to museums and other places related to his efforts)Years later heard from other member of that original party of some other finds. Read some of his works and found no reference to anything i thought were best recoveries. So his treasure hunting seemed separate from historical work in the public's eye! (Even i can learn, maybe.)After ghosting on and off till he passed i learned its not so much luck as making your luck. Most them old leads had been worked out,even some competition almost on site on one notable recovery. But some thing is all ways out there some where still waiting. Just need enough to go right after a solid lead pans out.
Got started from some one else's success then is how i fell in.

 

[TerryC]

My first introduction to metal detecting did not really start with detecting. In elementary school, my younger brother was always looking down at the snow, on the school playground. Remember the game where you lined up, holding hands and called someone over from the apposing line to "break" your line? "Red rover, red rover, let Terry come over". Remember? Well, ALOT of cash ended up on the playground, in the snow. My brother was queitly becoming RICH, (in young people terms). I applied that same mindset to the bottom of "sledding hills". And, the rest is history. TTC