🥇 BANNER Eighteen one troy ounce silver bars recovered underwater. Still doesn't feel real.

RatherBeDigging

Sr. Member
Jun 16, 2020
384
2,102
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Started with a Minelab X-Terra 505 with stock coil or 18.75khz elliptical coil depending upon the site. Upgraded to Equinox 600 with stock coil, xl coil and sinper coil depending on circumstances.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
20210930_132945.jpg 20211002_171358.jpg 20211003_103919.jpg
On the 20th I posted about detecting a waterway with mid 1800s homes along it. Bridge however is later 1800s I believe. It is not part of a state park, national park or protected historicly. It is public. Would describe it as sort of in middle of nowhere. Lots of 1970s clad, fishing lures, weights and bullets in general. On the 20th it was the usual and a wheaty. Then I found a troy ounce bar under water in the rocks of the rapids. I joked in that post about going back for the rest of them. Boy did I not expect there to be any more of them let alone eighteen. I thought the first find was just a fluke.
After the first bar was recovered on my 2nd trip there the area flooded. The water was too high and fast moving to get to. The area I wanted to be in was past well past knees and impossible to even swing the detector back unless you used both hands. Five days later after the water went down ten bars were recovered on one trip this week. Yesterday I went with my detecting friend and we recovered another seven bars. He found three. I found four. One was filed and tested with nitric acid. File spot turns white. I also tested them for paramagnetic behavior which they do exhibit. Also they melt ice pretty fast. My detecting friend and I are completely gobsmacked by this hoard. Unsure yet on purity.

As of this post 18 bars have been recovered. we cannot locate any more in area where 17 of the bars came from. And there are no more in the rapids for now..... at least until it floods again. Were they tossed off the bridge and then slowly burieded and the unburied by the floods? That's seems most likely at this point. After the flood they were only 2 to 3 arrows deep on the equinox. All jumping between 33 to 38 target idea. Very loud signals. They seemed to settle in the lower divits in the rocky bottom often with big iron. Two were stuck together with water. Three were visable by eye site. Two shown in photo with red circle. They all definitely have patina and pits from nocking around in the rocks and gravel for a long time. No markings left that I can tell. My guess is 20th century because they are so uniform and they are pressed bars? Anyone have any idea? My detecting friends mother an ultrasound tech believes she found some writing on one of the three my detecting friend found. Waiting on update and photo. Would be great to date these roughly.
Any updates will follow. Now where are the gold ones? Lol. Group picture only shows the 15 I've recovered myself. Three of the 18 my detecting friend found. He helped me with a bottle site and a park I found my first one reale and first large cent so figured I'd share. We definitely are going back after heavy rain. Really ought to buy waiters because the water is on the colder side and I keep flooding my boots.
 

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RatherBeDigging

RatherBeDigging

Sr. Member
Jun 16, 2020
384
2,102
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Started with a Minelab X-Terra 505 with stock coil or 18.75khz elliptical coil depending upon the site. Upgraded to Equinox 600 with stock coil, xl coil and sinper coil depending on circumstances.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Wow what a find! Congratulations and go back for more!!!
It was completely flooded Sunday so was a no go. Could hear the water raging when I pulled up. Bar zone water would have been at my waist and barely 60 degrees. So when it goes down and I get rid of this dang kidney stone I'll get back there. Still will be chilly but usually it's just below your knees.
 

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RatherBeDigging

RatherBeDigging

Sr. Member
Jun 16, 2020
384
2,102
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Started with a Minelab X-Terra 505 with stock coil or 18.75khz elliptical coil depending upon the site. Upgraded to Equinox 600 with stock coil, xl coil and sinper coil depending on circumstances.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Did you ever find out if they were pure silver and how much there're worth??
Worth about $23 a bar. Test pretty close to 99% silver.
 

mapdowser

Newbie
Jul 3, 2011
2
0
North Carolina
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Congratulations!

Wow!!! That's Stinking Awesome!!! Congrats!!!!

View attachment 1983294 View attachment 1983295 View attachment 1983296
On the 20th I posted about detecting a waterway with mid 1800s homes along it. Bridge however is later 1800s I believe. It is not part of a state park, national park or protected historicly. It is public. Would describe it as sort of in middle of nowhere. Lots of 1970s clad, fishing lures, weights and bullets in general. On the 20th it was the usual and a wheaty. Then I found a troy ounce bar under water in the rocks of the rapids. I joked in that post about going back for the rest of them. Boy did I not expect there to be any more of them let alone eighteen. I thought the first find was just a fluke.
After the first bar was recovered on my 2nd trip there the area flooded. The water was too high and fast moving to get to. The area I wanted to be in was past well past knees and impossible to even swing the detector back unless you used both hands. Five days later after the water went down ten bars were recovered on one trip this week. Yesterday I went with my detecting friend and we recovered another seven bars. He found three. I found four. One was filed and tested with nitric acid. File spot turns white. I also tested them for paramagnetic behavior which they do exhibit. Also they melt ice pretty fast. My detecting friend and I are completely gobsmacked by this hoard. Unsure yet on purity.

As of this post 18 bars have been recovered. we cannot locate any more in area where 17 of the bars came from. And there are no more in the rapids for now..... at least until it floods again. Were they tossed off the bridge and then slowly burieded and the unburied by the floods? That's seems most likely at this point. After the flood they were only 2 to 3 arrows deep on the equinox. All jumping between 33 to 38 target idea. Very loud signals. They seemed to settle in the lower divits in the rocky bottom often with big iron. Two were stuck together with water. Three were visable by eye site. Two shown in photo with red circle. They all definitely have patina and pits from nocking around in the rocks and gravel for a long time. No markings left that I can tell. My guess is 20th century because they are so uniform and they are pressed bars? Anyone have any idea? My detecting friends mother an ultrasound tech believes she found some writing on one of the three my detecting friend found. Waiting on update and photo. Would be great to date these roughly.
Any updates will follow. Now where are the gold ones? Lol. Group picture only shows the 15 I've recovered myself. Three of the 18 my detecting friend found. He helped me with a bottle site and a park I found my first one reale and first large cent so figured I'd share. We definitely are going back after heavy rain. Really ought to buy waiters because the water is on the colder side and I keep flooding my boots.
This is mineralman My specialty is remotely locating gold and silver. Please contact me at [email protected] I will pinpoint the exact location the bars are washing down from for you. Thank you. Robert Thomason cell phone 205-566-9988
 

Gare

Gold Member
Dec 30, 2012
7,363
13,868
Canton Ohio Area
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Presently using Deus 2's & have Minelabs, Nokta's Tesoro's DEus's Have them all . Have WAY to many need to get rid of some
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
View attachment 1983294 View attachment 1983295 View attachment 1983296
On the 20th I posted about detecting a waterway with mid 1800s homes along it. Bridge however is later 1800s I believe. It is not part of a state park, national park or protected historicly. It is public. Would describe it as sort of in middle of nowhere. Lots of 1970s clad, fishing lures, weights and bullets in general. On the 20th it was the usual and a wheaty. Then I found a troy ounce bar under water in the rocks of the rapids. I joked in that post about going back for the rest of them. Boy did I not expect there to be any more of them let alone eighteen. I thought the first find was just a fluke.
After the first bar was recovered on my 2nd trip there the area flooded. The water was too high and fast moving to get to. The area I wanted to be in was past well past knees and impossible to even swing the detector back unless you used both hands. Five days later after the water went down ten bars were recovered on one trip this week. Yesterday I went with my detecting friend and we recovered another seven bars. He found three. I found four. One was filed and tested with nitric acid. File spot turns white. I also tested them for paramagnetic behavior which they do exhibit. Also they melt ice pretty fast. My detecting friend and I are completely gobsmacked by this hoard. Unsure yet on purity.

As of this post 18 bars have been recovered. we cannot locate any more in area where 17 of the bars came from. And there are no more in the rapids for now..... at least until it floods again. Were they tossed off the bridge and then slowly burieded and the unburied by the floods? That's seems most likely at this point. After the flood they were only 2 to 3 arrows deep on the equinox. All jumping between 33 to 38 target idea. Very loud signals. They seemed to settle in the lower divits in the rocky bottom often with big iron. Two were stuck together with water. Three were visable by eye site. Two shown in photo with red circle. They all definitely have patina and pits from nocking around in the rocks and gravel for a long time. No markings left that I can tell. My guess is 20th century because they are so uniform and they are pressed bars? Anyone have any idea? My detecting friends mother an ultrasound tech believes she found some writing on one of the three my detecting friend found. Waiting on update and photo. Would be great to date these roughly.
Any updates will follow. Now where are the gold ones? Lol. Group picture only shows the 15 I've recovered myself. Three of the 18 my detecting friend found. He helped me with a bottle site and a park I found my first one reale and first large cent so figured I'd share. We definitely are going back after heavy rain. Really ought to buy waiters because the water is on the colder side and I keep flooding my boots.
Totally Amazing FINDS !!! Congratulations.
There are many reasons the bars could be there.Some of the reasons could lead to you loosing them. Example They could have been stolen and someone realized they could do nothing with them and stay out of trouble so they dumkpe4d them in the river.(This would be my Main thought) What area of the world are you in ?
 

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RatherBeDigging

RatherBeDigging

Sr. Member
Jun 16, 2020
384
2,102
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Started with a Minelab X-Terra 505 with stock coil or 18.75khz elliptical coil depending upon the site. Upgraded to Equinox 600 with stock coil, xl coil and sinper coil depending on circumstances.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Totally Amazing FINDS !!! Congratulations.
There are many reasons the bars could be there.Some of the reasons could lead to you loosing them. Example They could have been stolen and someone realized they could do nothing with them and stay out of trouble so they dumkpe4d them in the river.(This would be my Main thought) What area of the world are you in ?
I actually haven't been back here in 6 months. Water got too cold to have your arms in it. It was cold in late September when I found these. Not much direct sun on the spot. Supposed to be in mid to high 60s to mid 70s end of this coming week for several days. So I'm going back finally. At this point there's not much identifying marks left on them. Stolen and tossed as you say seems most logical. That was a minty 1916 merc and a Sterling silver ring amongst them too. It's on a slope with rocks graduating in size under water so it acts as a sloose box like in gold prospecting and traps items. They don't make it past the biggest rocks at the bottom. It's hard to stand here and I always flood my boots and end up rather wet. Only other old stuff in this body of water has been a few wheat cents, 2 piece button with design in rough shape and an older belt buckle. I'm on east coast USA 🇺🇸
 

Gare

Gold Member
Dec 30, 2012
7,363
13,868
Canton Ohio Area
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Presently using Deus 2's & have Minelabs, Nokta's Tesoro's DEus's Have them all . Have WAY to many need to get rid of some
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I actually haven't been back here in 6 months. Water got too cold to have your arms in it. It was cold in late September when I found these. Not much direct sun on the spot. Supposed to be in mid to high 60s to mid 70s end of this coming week for several days. So I'm going back finally. At this point there's not much identifying marks left on them. Stolen and tossed as you say seems most logical. That was a minty 1916 merc and a Sterling silver ring amongst them too. It's on a slope with rocks graduating in size under water so it acts as a sloose box like in gold prospecting and traps items. They don't make it past the biggest rocks at the bottom. It's hard to stand here and I always flood my boots and end up rather wet. Only other old stuff in this body of water has been a few wheat cents, 2 piece button with design in rough shape and an older belt buckle. I'm on east coast USA 🇺🇸
I had a friend that bought some scrap metal down in Va some place he could not remember. One pice of scrap copper plate type was wrapped around a piece of leather. When pat unrolled it he discovered it was a soldiers epplet. On the underside was a scribed map into 5 parts. We made a exact drawing of the map. If i can find it I will post a picture of it. It had like 5 treasure spots with all kinds of id markings.
 

EDavis

Jr. Member
Aug 30, 2021
64
220
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
View attachment 1983294 View attachment 1983295 View attachment 1983296
On the 20th I posted about detecting a waterway with mid 1800s homes along it. Bridge however is later 1800s I believe. It is not part of a state park, national park or protected historicly. It is public. Would describe it as sort of in middle of nowhere. Lots of 1970s clad, fishing lures, weights and bullets in general. On the 20th it was the usual and a wheaty. Then I found a troy ounce bar under water in the rocks of the rapids. I joked in that post about going back for the rest of them. Boy did I not expect there to be any more of them let alone eighteen. I thought the first find was just a fluke.
After the first bar was recovered on my 2nd trip there the area flooded. The water was too high and fast moving to get to. The area I wanted to be in was past well past knees and impossible to even swing the detector back unless you used both hands. Five days later after the water went down ten bars were recovered on one trip this week. Yesterday I went with my detecting friend and we recovered another seven bars. He found three. I found four. One was filed and tested with nitric acid. File spot turns white. I also tested them for paramagnetic behavior which they do exhibit. Also they melt ice pretty fast. My detecting friend and I are completely gobsmacked by this hoard. Unsure yet on purity.

As of this post 18 bars have been recovered. we cannot locate any more in area where 17 of the bars came from. And there are no more in the rapids for now..... at least until it floods again. Were they tossed off the bridge and then slowly burieded and the unburied by the floods? That's seems most likely at this point. After the flood they were only 2 to 3 arrows deep on the equinox. All jumping between 33 to 38 target idea. Very loud signals. They seemed to settle in the lower divits in the rocky bottom often with big iron. Two were stuck together with water. Three were visable by eye site. Two shown in photo with red circle. They all definitely have patina and pits from nocking around in the rocks and gravel for a long time. No markings left that I can tell. My guess is 20th century because they are so uniform and they are pressed bars? Anyone have any idea? My detecting friends mother an ultrasound tech believes she found some writing on one of the three my detecting friend found. Waiting on update and photo. Would be great to date these roughly.
Any updates will follow. Now where are the gold ones? Lol. Group picture only shows the 15 I've recovered myself. Three of the 18 my detecting friend found. He helped me with a bottle site and a park I found my first one reale and first large cent so figured I'd share. We definitely are going back after heavy rain. Really ought to buy waiters because the water is on the colder side and I keep flooding my boots.
View attachment 1983294 View attachment 1983295 View attachment 1983296
On the 20th I posted about detecting a waterway with mid 1800s homes along it. Bridge however is later 1800s I believe. It is not part of a state park, national park or protected historicly. It is public. Would describe it as sort of in middle of nowhere. Lots of 1970s clad, fishing lures, weights and bullets in general. On the 20th it was the usual and a wheaty. Then I found a troy ounce bar under water in the rocks of the rapids. I joked in that post about going back for the rest of them. Boy did I not expect there to be any more of them let alone eighteen. I thought the first find was just a fluke.
After the first bar was recovered on my 2nd trip there the area flooded. The water was too high and fast moving to get to. The area I wanted to be in was past well past knees and impossible to even swing the detector back unless you used both hands. Five days later after the water went down ten bars were recovered on one trip this week. Yesterday I went with my detecting friend and we recovered another seven bars. He found three. I found four. One was filed and tested with nitric acid. File spot turns white. I also tested them for paramagnetic behavior which they do exhibit. Also they melt ice pretty fast. My detecting friend and I are completely gobsmacked by this hoard. Unsure yet on purity.

As of this post 18 bars have been recovered. we cannot locate any more in area where 17 of the bars came from. And there are no more in the rapids for now..... at least until it floods again. Were they tossed off the bridge and then slowly burieded and the unburied by the floods? That's seems most likely at this point. After the flood they were only 2 to 3 arrows deep on the equinox. All jumping between 33 to 38 target idea. Very loud signals. They seemed to settle in the lower divits in the rocky bottom often with big iron. Two were stuck together with water. Three were visable by eye site. Two shown in photo with red circle. They all definitely have patina and pits from nocking around in the rocks and gravel for a long time. No markings left that I can tell. My guess is 20th century because they are so uniform and they are pressed bars? Anyone have any idea? My detecting friends mother an ultrasound tech believes she found some writing on one of the three my detecting friend found. Waiting on update and photo. Would be great to date these roughly.
Any updates will follow. Now where are the gold ones? Lol. Group picture only shows the 15 I've recovered myself. Three of the 18 my detecting friend found. He helped me with a bottle site and a park I found my first one reale and first large cent so figured I'd share. We definitely are going back after heavy rain. Really ought to buy waiters because the water is on the colder side and I keep flooding my boots.
I was wondering where I dropped those..🤣😂 Man what a cool find! Congratulations
 

sandsifter

Full Member
Dec 14, 2007
177
41
Rockport Texas
Detector(s) used
SOV GT, EXCAL 1000
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
View attachment 1983294 View attachment 1983295 View attachment 1983296
On the 20th I posted about detecting a waterway with mid 1800s homes along it. Bridge however is later 1800s I believe. It is not part of a state park, national park or protected historicly. It is public. Would describe it as sort of in middle of nowhere. Lots of 1970s clad, fishing lures, weights and bullets in general. On the 20th it was the usual and a wheaty. Then I found a troy ounce bar under water in the rocks of the rapids. I joked in that post about going back for the rest of them. Boy did I not expect there to be any more of them let alone eighteen. I thought the first find was just a fluke.
After the first bar was recovered on my 2nd trip there the area flooded. The water was too high and fast moving to get to. The area I wanted to be in was past well past knees and impossible to even swing the detector back unless you used both hands. Five days later after the water went down ten bars were recovered on one trip this week. Yesterday I went with my detecting friend and we recovered another seven bars. He found three. I found four. One was filed and tested with nitric acid. File spot turns white. I also tested them for paramagnetic behavior which they do exhibit. Also they melt ice pretty fast. My detecting friend and I are completely gobsmacked by this hoard. Unsure yet on purity.

As of this post 18 bars have been recovered. we cannot locate any more in area where 17 of the bars came from. And there are no more in the rapids for now..... at least until it floods again. Were they tossed off the bridge and then slowly burieded and the unburied by the floods? That's seems most likely at this point. After the flood they were only 2 to 3 arrows deep on the equinox. All jumping between 33 to 38 target idea. Very loud signals. They seemed to settle in the lower divits in the rocky bottom often with big iron. Two were stuck together with water. Three were visable by eye site. Two shown in photo with red circle. They all definitely have patina and pits from nocking around in the rocks and gravel for a long time. No markings left that I can tell. My guess is 20th century because they are so uniform and they are pressed bars? Anyone have any idea? My detecting friends mother an ultrasound tech believes she found some writing on one of the three my detecting friend found. Waiting on update and photo. Would be great to date these roughly.
Any updates will follow. Now where are the gold ones? Lol. Group picture only shows the 15 I've recovered myself. Three of the 18 my detecting friend found. He helped me with a bottle site and a park I found my first one reale and first large cent so figured I'd share. We definitely are going back after heavy rain. Really ought to buy waiters because the water is on the colder side and I keep flooding my boots.
thanks for sharing
 

Gare

Gold Member
Dec 30, 2012
7,363
13,868
Canton Ohio Area
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Presently using Deus 2's & have Minelabs, Nokta's Tesoro's DEus's Have them all . Have WAY to many need to get rid of some
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have looked and looked and can not find that map. Maybe some day it will show up . It was very neat
 

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