First Silver - or - I am an IDIOT!

[geomorph]

Hi all. I have been MDing faithfully since Christmas, when I got my new DFX, but the weather has been terrible here in Utah. Subzero temps have everything frozen, but that hasn't stopped me. Today I stopped at a nearby park for a quick try, and immediately started getting clad. I have dug LOADS of clad recently, without even a wheat to show and I think it has affected my patience. The ground was frozen hard and I wasn't being careful enough. I had just found a 2000 quarter at about 1 inch and got another quarter signal at a similar depth. The ground was so hard that I just stabbed in my digging tool. As luck would have it, I nailed this 1902 Barber quarter..... DOH! I couldn't believe it. I was so excited and soooo disappointed at the same time. I guess I learned an important lesson. BE PATIENT! Here are a few pics of three quarters found within a few feet of each other. Who would have thought that a 1902 would be right next to a 2000, and at the same depth. Go figure!
Cheers and Tears,
Tyler

PS - HH

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Unfortunatly, sometimes we have to ruin a few coins.......to make us remember to be more careful. Still a great coin!

Exactly my thoughts...

 

[geomorph]

Here is a closeup that shows the nick better. I told you it was shiny!
Cheers,
Tyler

 

[bryan]

you didnt stab that coin there is no way. that mark is old. take a new quarter and scratch it. gurantee it will look different. so dont down your self. thats a nice coin and im still waiting for my first silver good job

 

[TxTim]

Whoa!
Nice silver!
Cooooool silver!

 

[LJ]

Exciting find Morph....congrats!! I don't know if you nicked it or not...but that is still a great find....I am still waiting on my first also.

 

[Mainedigger]

Geo...nice find!! Congrats on your first silver, I hope it won't be long before you add many more pieces of silver to your finds. Don't get down on yourself for nicking it, sooner or later we all do it, yes it's frustrating, but it happens. Even when you are being super careful you can still nick a coin....metal digger going into the ground digging for something concealed...sooner or later,the odds say you will nick one....

 

[kenb]

Beautiful coin. Dont worry about the damage, "nicks happen"

kenb

 

[Charlene]

The oooppsss gives it character and authenticity

You're a trooper to be out in those temps, spring will soon be here and we can all go back to worrying about the snakes, chiggers, ticks, hornets nests, and skunks.

 

[geomorph]

I can't wait Charlene.... especially for the hornets!
Cheers,
Tyler

 

[99Brown]

Still, a great find!

 

[Charlene]

Just remember the humm may not always be coming from you detector. Yeah its pretty easy to tell when a detectorist runs into bees, it'll be the person stripping clothes, running buck naked backwards STILL clutching a metal detector.

 

[Moonshadow]

WTG Tyler!! I would love to find one.....dinged or not!! Congrats!

HH,
Moon

 

[Snee]

Scratched or not, always a great find!

 

[Ridley]

Ridley

 

[Salvager]

Nick or no nick-thats a nice coin!!!

Have fun,
Salvager

 

[gold fish]

Nice dig, if it was one year earlier you would be justified in slamming your head in a dresser drawer. Still a 1902s is nothin to scoff at.

 

[dugupfinds]

I understand that you guys in US use knifes (Which in the UK would be against the Law) to cut out turfs & cut throw tree roots.

I use a large spade & dig back from where I think the target is & almost never damage anything, specially as some of it is 2000 years old.

Why do you (and this is aimed at most people on this site) not use a spade? Carry the knife if you need to cut the roots.

thanks,

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Still a nice find! I hit two coins last weekend, they were deep, common finds fortunately and a friendly reminder. I also use a small spade/shovel. HH, Mike

 

[geomorph]

I understand that you guys in US use knifes (Which in the UK would be against the Law) to cut out turfs & cut throw tree roots.
Why do you (and this is aim at most people on this site) not use a spade? Carry the knife if you need to cut the roots.

I challenge you to dig with your spade in this frozen tundra! We have had a month of subfreezing temperatures in the area I was digging. In fact, it has been below zero degrees (F) for a couple of weeks. There is no way to push a spade through that surface. It is almost like concrete. Perhaps I should wait for warmer days, but that would mean putting away the DFX for the winter, which I don't want to do.
Cheers,
Tyler

 

[Ridley]

I understand that you guys in US use knifes (Which in the UK would be against the Law) to cut out turfs & cut throw tree roots.

I use a large spade & dig back from where I think the target is & almost never damage anything, specially as some of it is 2000 years old.

Why do you (and this is aim at most people on this site) not use a spade? Carry the knife if you need to cut the roots.

thanks,

I use a 2 1/2 foot stainless steel digger. I sharpen the edges with a sharpening stone. Down here in NC a spade just doesn't cut it. (pardon the pun). Too much hard packed clay.

Most accidents occur when I get tired. Or there's a lot of the same coins in one place.

A really bad habit is "Karate chopping" the plug to divide it. That's almost guaranteed to destroy an old coin.




Ridley