Cal_Cobra
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2008
- Messages
- 1,099
- Reaction score
- 1,710
- Golden Thread
- 3
- Location
- Northern California
- 🥇 Banner finds
- 3
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab EQ800 & Makro Multi Kruzer, the rest are collecting dust...
This was a fun trip, not only because I got to hang out with several of my detecting buddies 
o and was able to make some nice finds, but I also touched several of my other hobbies while metal detecting, that rarely happens. So while most people screen/sift at the mining town dumps, some go to the extreme, and metal detect them. With the right tools, lots of patience, and a little luck, you can find just as many goodies as the sifters, and IMHO it's a lot more fun detecting and a lot less dirty then sifting! Heck I'll even share my site with you
DCIM\103MEDIA\DJI_0040.JPG by Calcobra, on Flickr
My first fun find was a toasty Morgan silver dollar!! She had a rough life - well circulated, holed in the center, and left for dead in the Nevada desert for the past 100+ years, but finally brought back to life. She's not pretty, but silver dollars don't get under my loop very often, so I'm thrilled to dig my second ever Morgan dollar . I found this detecting the dump site with my Racer2 using the CORS Shrew coil (aka NEL Snake coil) . Talk about a banging signal - lol Amazingly it still has a readable date, it's an 1890 and It looks like there's an O mint mark on the back. Here she is before cleaning:
Morgan1d by Calcobra, on Flickr
Morgan1e by Calcobra, on Flickr
Here she is after an ezest soak, lemon juice soak, and a baking soda rub, tough coin to clean, but I'm going to leave it as is, she has a story to tell (yes it's the coin on the right, the left one is for comparison):
Morgan1a by Calcobra, on Flickr
Morgan1b by Calcobra, on Flickr
Next up was this fun little find, a sterling silver pin, I'm thinking it's a military award circa WWI era or earlier ? The silver is pretty tarnished, and the pin on the back is missing, but I'll take it!!
I was using the Impact and small coil for this one, man was it in the thick of the junk, more overloads in an hour then most probably get in a year, but this signal sang out from the grave to be rescued. Even in heavy iron, no matter what angle I was swinging from, I was getting a sweet sounding solid low 70's signal, the sound kind of reminded me of a light sabre swoosh every time I swung the coil over it, had a beautiful pure laser sharp sound to it. You know the sound when you get it.
SMPIN1a by Calcobra, on Flickr
SMPIN1b by Calcobra, on Flickr
SMPIN1c by Calcobra, on Flickr
I kept going, and made my first interwoven hobby find, a silver crown cap perfume bottle stopper. While I don't per se collect perfume bottles, I do collect antique blown art glass, and because of that, when I dug this little silver crown cap perfume dauber, I immediately knew what it was! I was a bit taken back considering where I found it, but it's a crown cap dauber to a Loetz Austria blown art glass miniature perfume bottle. These little perfume bottles were only 2" tall, and were retailed at a high end London shop around 1900.
TP2 by Calcobra, on Flickr
Here's an example with a similar top:
Then after a little dry spell (not for lack of trying), the next piece that intersected with a different hobby was dug. I dug a neat little Victorian gold ring in the thick of the junk that locked in at a solid, sweet sounding 29 on the Impact, one of those pure signals begging to be dug!
Video digging the ring: https://youtu.be/tHKCsBlRZm0
The ring has a nice Victorian design. It was missing the stone when I dug it, and examining it under a loupe you can see that one of the prongs broke, likely the culprit of the lost stone. It looked like it had been through a fire when I dug it, which is totally possible given the site:
TDRing1aa by Calcobra, on Flickr
I dipped it in some ezest and it cleaned right up. I used to collect cut gem stones, so I was delighted when I dug it to see that it wasn't bent, broken or otherwise damaged, that will make it easy to restore with a stone from my collection. I showed it to my wife, who immediately tried it on, and darn if she didn't declare that it was a perfect fit!!! I showed her some options for stones:
RingStones by Calcobra, on Flickr
I asked which one she liked the most, and she said "The blue one!". She could've picked a pink sapphire or ruby, but blue topaz it is
On my way home, I detected a long defunct obscure railroad depot that I've detected before a couple of times, including once with a friend and we've never found anything there. There's evidence of sifting there, so I suspect that it was a hot site at one time and someone has methodically strip mined almost every conductor at the site, it's amazing how sanitized it is but the potential for a good find is sure there. I spent a couple of hours hoping that the Racer2 with the Shrew/Snake coil would bring the place back to life, but it only eek'd out two OK finds - one is a decorative do-dad, and the other is a railroad lead seal. It's from the long defunct Tonopah & Goldfield Railroad line. I've found several Tonopah & Goldfield Railroad seals before, but this one has a number that I've never seen. Most of the ones found at the other depot site are the marked with the same #. Last time I'll hunt this site, but I was glad to finally find one railroad related relic at it. Excuse the sideways orientation, it's an iPhone thing
T&G RR = Tonopah & Goldfield Rail Road:
TGRR1a by Calcobra, on Flickr
TGRR1b by Calcobra, on Flickr
Overall a great time was had by all, other peoples finds ranged from coins, marbles, and tokens to a 1909 dog license tag. Here's more pics of my finds:
TP3 by Calcobra, on Flickr
TP1 by Calcobra, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
Cal
o and was able to make some nice finds, but I also touched several of my other hobbies while metal detecting, that rarely happens. So while most people screen/sift at the mining town dumps, some go to the extreme, and metal detect them. With the right tools, lots of patience, and a little luck, you can find just as many goodies as the sifters, and IMHO it's a lot more fun detecting and a lot less dirty then sifting! Heck I'll even share my site with you DCIM\103MEDIA\DJI_0040.JPG by Calcobra, on FlickrMy first fun find was a toasty Morgan silver dollar!! She had a rough life - well circulated, holed in the center, and left for dead in the Nevada desert for the past 100+ years, but finally brought back to life. She's not pretty, but silver dollars don't get under my loop very often, so I'm thrilled to dig my second ever Morgan dollar . I found this detecting the dump site with my Racer2 using the CORS Shrew coil (aka NEL Snake coil) . Talk about a banging signal - lol Amazingly it still has a readable date, it's an 1890 and It looks like there's an O mint mark on the back. Here she is before cleaning:
Morgan1d by Calcobra, on FlickrMorgan1e by Calcobra, on FlickrHere she is after an ezest soak, lemon juice soak, and a baking soda rub, tough coin to clean, but I'm going to leave it as is, she has a story to tell (yes it's the coin on the right, the left one is for comparison):
Morgan1a by Calcobra, on FlickrMorgan1b by Calcobra, on FlickrNext up was this fun little find, a sterling silver pin, I'm thinking it's a military award circa WWI era or earlier ? The silver is pretty tarnished, and the pin on the back is missing, but I'll take it!!
I was using the Impact and small coil for this one, man was it in the thick of the junk, more overloads in an hour then most probably get in a year, but this signal sang out from the grave to be rescued. Even in heavy iron, no matter what angle I was swinging from, I was getting a sweet sounding solid low 70's signal, the sound kind of reminded me of a light sabre swoosh every time I swung the coil over it, had a beautiful pure laser sharp sound to it. You know the sound when you get it.
SMPIN1a by Calcobra, on FlickrSMPIN1b by Calcobra, on FlickrSMPIN1c by Calcobra, on FlickrI kept going, and made my first interwoven hobby find, a silver crown cap perfume bottle stopper. While I don't per se collect perfume bottles, I do collect antique blown art glass, and because of that, when I dug this little silver crown cap perfume dauber, I immediately knew what it was! I was a bit taken back considering where I found it, but it's a crown cap dauber to a Loetz Austria blown art glass miniature perfume bottle. These little perfume bottles were only 2" tall, and were retailed at a high end London shop around 1900.
TP2 by Calcobra, on FlickrHere's an example with a similar top:
Then after a little dry spell (not for lack of trying), the next piece that intersected with a different hobby was dug. I dug a neat little Victorian gold ring in the thick of the junk that locked in at a solid, sweet sounding 29 on the Impact, one of those pure signals begging to be dug!
Video digging the ring: https://youtu.be/tHKCsBlRZm0
The ring has a nice Victorian design. It was missing the stone when I dug it, and examining it under a loupe you can see that one of the prongs broke, likely the culprit of the lost stone. It looked like it had been through a fire when I dug it, which is totally possible given the site:
TDRing1aa by Calcobra, on FlickrI dipped it in some ezest and it cleaned right up. I used to collect cut gem stones, so I was delighted when I dug it to see that it wasn't bent, broken or otherwise damaged, that will make it easy to restore with a stone from my collection. I showed it to my wife, who immediately tried it on, and darn if she didn't declare that it was a perfect fit!!! I showed her some options for stones:
RingStones by Calcobra, on FlickrI asked which one she liked the most, and she said "The blue one!". She could've picked a pink sapphire or ruby, but blue topaz it is
On my way home, I detected a long defunct obscure railroad depot that I've detected before a couple of times, including once with a friend and we've never found anything there. There's evidence of sifting there, so I suspect that it was a hot site at one time and someone has methodically strip mined almost every conductor at the site, it's amazing how sanitized it is but the potential for a good find is sure there. I spent a couple of hours hoping that the Racer2 with the Shrew/Snake coil would bring the place back to life, but it only eek'd out two OK finds - one is a decorative do-dad, and the other is a railroad lead seal. It's from the long defunct Tonopah & Goldfield Railroad line. I've found several Tonopah & Goldfield Railroad seals before, but this one has a number that I've never seen. Most of the ones found at the other depot site are the marked with the same #. Last time I'll hunt this site, but I was glad to finally find one railroad related relic at it. Excuse the sideways orientation, it's an iPhone thing
T&G RR = Tonopah & Goldfield Rail Road:
TGRR1a by Calcobra, on FlickrTGRR1b by Calcobra, on FlickrOverall a great time was had by all, other peoples finds ranged from coins, marbles, and tokens to a 1909 dog license tag. Here's more pics of my finds:
TP3 by Calcobra, on FlickrTP1 by Calcobra, on FlickrThanks for looking!
Cal
Upvote
39
Love how well your gold ring turned out and that it fits the beloved. Blue stone it is. Thanks for sharing this remarkable hunt. 
