NoThisIsPatrick
Full Member
- Jan 8, 2015
- 126
- 457
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Equinox 800, Garrett AT Pro
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
I’m only writing this because of the things that have happened since I had the incredible misfortune of stumbling upon this gold ring.
Yesterday, quarantine restrictions were lifted for Keith (uscgdavis), so to celebrate, we went out to some sidewalk strips.
I hit a couple wheats, but Keith was finding A LOT (I’ll let him post it if he hasn’t already). When he was all done with his strip, I asked if I could have a go. I’m not the kind of guy to go for scraps, but considering we have different machines, I was curious if the AT Pro could pick up something that the Nox missed. About halfway down the strip, I got a choppy signal. I was 95% sure it was junk, but considering Keith had found some Indians there, it was worth a shot. Boy was I surprised when this beauty popped out of the hole about 5 inches down.
It’s a gold signet ring, commonly used in older times to sign documents. As you can see, there is a signature of somebody’s initials on the ring.
The inside says HWLD. Keith did some research, and found it’s is the mark of Henry Williamson, Ltd. The company had started in 1865, but went out of business by the 1930s. It looks as though they specialized in silver jewelry, but also worked with gold.
I went crazy hearing that. Not only did I find a gold ring (my first!), but I found a historic gold ring.
Then everything went downhill. I found only 2 wheats after that, which I completely get. Sometimes you go cold. At our last spot though, a woman gave us a hard time about how “disrespectful it was to be digging up someone’s property.” When we informed her that the sidewalk strips were actually public property, she got even more upset and threatened to call the city (a battle which she would have lost). Keith and I didn’t want to stay in this conflict, so we dipped out. Things weren’t going so well at this point. My finds had dried up like the Sahara, and that woman had killed our mood. So we packed up and went home.
Afternoon came and some buddies and I decided to go play some beer die out in public (minus the beer, mind you). We were having a great time until the police showed up and told us either to shut it down or get cited for drinking in public. We were a little puzzled, since we didn’t have any alcoholic beverages on us, but they insisted and the future law student in me had already wasted my breath on the crazy lady from earlier. At this point I was thinking “what the heck is going on?”
But it gets better. We decided to go to my friend’s house to drink. I decided to leave my car at my apartment, so I wouldn’t make any stupid decisions later on. I go to his house for a couple hours then walk home, only to find out my car had been towed. Apparently someone in my complex was watching to make sure people didn’t ever park in his spot (didn’t even know there were reserved spots). Had the privilege of staying up until 2am on the phone with the towing company and well as security for the complex because this guy wanted to ruin someone’s day.
$400 and 4 hours of terrible sleep later, I retrieved my car.
There’s more to tell, but I don’t have all day unfortunately.
On that note, anyone looking to buy a gold ring?
Yesterday, quarantine restrictions were lifted for Keith (uscgdavis), so to celebrate, we went out to some sidewalk strips.
I hit a couple wheats, but Keith was finding A LOT (I’ll let him post it if he hasn’t already). When he was all done with his strip, I asked if I could have a go. I’m not the kind of guy to go for scraps, but considering we have different machines, I was curious if the AT Pro could pick up something that the Nox missed. About halfway down the strip, I got a choppy signal. I was 95% sure it was junk, but considering Keith had found some Indians there, it was worth a shot. Boy was I surprised when this beauty popped out of the hole about 5 inches down.
It’s a gold signet ring, commonly used in older times to sign documents. As you can see, there is a signature of somebody’s initials on the ring.
The inside says HWLD. Keith did some research, and found it’s is the mark of Henry Williamson, Ltd. The company had started in 1865, but went out of business by the 1930s. It looks as though they specialized in silver jewelry, but also worked with gold.
I went crazy hearing that. Not only did I find a gold ring (my first!), but I found a historic gold ring.
Then everything went downhill. I found only 2 wheats after that, which I completely get. Sometimes you go cold. At our last spot though, a woman gave us a hard time about how “disrespectful it was to be digging up someone’s property.” When we informed her that the sidewalk strips were actually public property, she got even more upset and threatened to call the city (a battle which she would have lost). Keith and I didn’t want to stay in this conflict, so we dipped out. Things weren’t going so well at this point. My finds had dried up like the Sahara, and that woman had killed our mood. So we packed up and went home.
Afternoon came and some buddies and I decided to go play some beer die out in public (minus the beer, mind you). We were having a great time until the police showed up and told us either to shut it down or get cited for drinking in public. We were a little puzzled, since we didn’t have any alcoholic beverages on us, but they insisted and the future law student in me had already wasted my breath on the crazy lady from earlier. At this point I was thinking “what the heck is going on?”
But it gets better. We decided to go to my friend’s house to drink. I decided to leave my car at my apartment, so I wouldn’t make any stupid decisions later on. I go to his house for a couple hours then walk home, only to find out my car had been towed. Apparently someone in my complex was watching to make sure people didn’t ever park in his spot (didn’t even know there were reserved spots). Had the privilege of staying up until 2am on the phone with the towing company and well as security for the complex because this guy wanted to ruin someone’s day.
$400 and 4 hours of terrible sleep later, I retrieved my car.
There’s more to tell, but I don’t have all day unfortunately.
On that note, anyone looking to buy a gold ring?
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