Been too long since a hunt like this - warning lots of pics!

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
So this year has been really bad for me and metal detecting. Every time I planned to hunt, more work came up to get in the way. Most of the hunts I did do were short and didnt produce good finds. Finally, yesterday my work took me to another town and a place I had good great success in the past. This is a place that was pounded hard. We didn't hunt anywhere else until finally stopped producing. I haven't even wanted to try here in over a year because the last hunts were dead. But I was back and willing to try.

My first find, almost immediately was an early wheat cent which gave me hope for more old coins still waiting. A minute later I hit my first silver dime.
dime1.jpg

Just a few swings later I hit a funky signal. The numbers were jumping around but the tone was solid and clear and no hint of iron so I decided to investigate. After all I had already pounded all the solid target in the past, it was time for "iffy" ones. When I dug I found the Washington in the dirt spoil but still has a target in the hole. That turned out to be an 07 V-nickle! I don't know if they were lost together of if it was just coincidence. The V certainly has the look of a long dirt nap.
nickle 2fer.jpg

A few more steps an I hit another solid mid-tone target. After the last target a few seconds ago, I had to dig one too. When I saw this in the dirt pile, my reaction was "that cant be. It's got to be a brass pressure swage fitting. When I picked it up I was shock! I couldn't believe I had just dug a nice chunky gold band! No hint of browning or flaking that plated rings have. I knew immediately it was real gold. It wasn't alone, it had an iron friend all these years.
gold dirt.jpg gold nail.jpg

A few more feet turned up my second silver and first merc for the day. This little beauty was completely vertical in ground.
merc1.jpg


I was really shocked at this first MINUTES of the hunt. I have hunted here dozens of times. I've dug other silvers and wheats RIGHT HERE. I've swung over this spot many many times. How is it that these were all missed? I think some times the moon and stars and detector all align just right!


After that, the finds slowed but didn't end.

merc2.jpg buffy.jpg v nick.jpg merc3.jpg

I stayed until sunset and an incoming storm told I had to head home. I want so bad to be back there hunting right now. Losing a good hunt day because I have to work this Sunday. I will be back though, I will be back ASAP!

So here are the total goodies from a 6 hour hunt. 4 silvers, 2 V-Nicks, 1 Buffy, 2 old age tax tokens (1 and 5 mil), 7 wheats, 1 gold ring, one smashed play ring (possibly tin??), a #6 or #9 die stamp, and a jewelry pin of some type.
hunt total.jpg

Lots of trash today too. Normally the iron doesn't fool me anywhere near this bad, but I wasn't going to change settings when the silver is rolling in! A small handful of clad coins from the hunt too. most were extremely shallow which is why I probably passed them up on previous hunts.
hunt trash.jpg

I'm still scratching my head a bit on the gold ring. There isn't a karat stamp in it. It has what looks like it might be hallmarks but I can't make heads or tails of what they are supposed to be. If they are hallmarks, this would be the oldest gold I've ever dug! The ring has what looks like hand tooled lines on the edges, or maybe thats all that left of original all-over design? :dontknow:
gold top.jpg gold stamp.jpg
 

Upvote 56

against the wind

Gold Member
Jul 27, 2015
24,797
24,977
Port Allegheny, Pennsylvania
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
E-trac, Excalibur, XP Deus, & CTX 3030.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sweet, sweet, sweet!!!
You can give me a POUNDED SITE like that any day!
Congratulations on the Silver and Gold.
 

Mzjavert

Silver Member
Oct 7, 2011
2,780
2,747
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Mark IV
Garrett Ace 350
Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Excuse me while I drool.
 

Stef45

Hero Member
Jan 7, 2016
781
1,228
SC
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
nice hunt! Can you get a closer pic of the hallmark? We should be able to figure it out.
 

OP
OP
Jason in Enid

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sweet, sweet, sweet!!!
You can give me a POUNDED SITE like that any day!
Congratulations on the Silver and Gold.

Thats the crazy thing, we hunted this place until there werent any more diggable signals. Lots and lots of nails and aluminum here but if it was a solid target we dug it. It really does blow my mind that all these came out of there. The only absolute in metal detecting is that no site is every truly hunted out!
 

OP
OP
Jason in Enid

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
nice hunt! Can you get a closer pic of the hallmark? We should be able to figure it out.

I have tried many times. I have spent a long time with eye glued to a loop trying to decipher something. The pic is in focus, thats just what it looks like. Appears to be 3 panels in the stamp but its all just lumps and squiggles in it. You can click on the pic and then blow it up to 100% size to see it better.
 

Tired Rooster

Hero Member
Nov 6, 2011
710
706
Alabama
Detector(s) used
Minelabs and Tesoros
Several of them....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I would be dancing after a hunt like that!! Super hunt you had....so much for completely pounded out.:icon_thumright:
Isn't that weird though that it dried up for you and then BAM......more great finds.
 

Kurios1

Silver Member
Feb 25, 2017
3,766
7,383
FEMA REGION 5 North Central Illinois
Detector(s) used
Nokta Impact Whites DFX 300 & M6 Matrix, Minelab Explorer II (2), Makro Red Racer & Racer 2, Garrett AT Pro.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That was a KILLER hunt mate. Conditions must have been just right along with your settings to get these keepers. Looks like your pounded sight has been resurrected. Good for you!:headbang:
 

Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
18,621
98,022
FL keys
🥇 Banner finds
5
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Mine lab primary fisher secondary
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thats crushing it !! Congrats on a great day !! Nice even gold mixed in.
 

OP
OP
Jason in Enid

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
nice hunt! Can you get a closer pic of the hallmark? We should be able to figure it out.

20171016_100623.jpg

Hey! I figured out how to use the camera on this phone for more than auto! Best pic i can get and clearer than my eye can see!

Sorry, tnet turned the pic sideways. Its horizontal on my phone

Finally did an acid test. Looks like 12 to 14 karat. 10k didnt touch it, 18k wiped it out, and a little bit of streak left from the 14k
20171016_104823.jpg
 

Last edited:

Rubka888

Hero Member
Jun 13, 2013
511
911
🥇 Banner finds
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nice finds for a hunted out field! That ground was very kind to the V Nickels. That ring must be very old. Nice scores!
 

bill_wabo

Bronze Member
Sep 12, 2014
1,055
876
Quebec
Detector(s) used
helmet from pomelo
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Tesoro Mojave,
Garrett Carrott
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Very good hunt, the ring was waiting for you to find. WTG and congrats for this epic hunt!
 

sugarquartz

Full Member
Aug 1, 2017
113
219
Long Island, NY
Detector(s) used
Fisher F 75 LTD SE, Nel tornado coil, Pro Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nice assortment of finds. Cant beat silver and gold in the same trip! Very nice!!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top