History found, then taken away or just lost

[WildWildBill]

I decided to try and hunt Old Bellamy Road off of 214 in Alachula County. The mustang would not be a wise vehicle choice, so my '63 Chevy had to be up for the mission. I had never seen the road personally, but the pics on the Internet told me everything---Dukes of Hazard style. 214 actually has a road name, but I don't remember. I just knew that once the road took a left turn I would be on Bellamy Road. Once on Bellamy Road I saw fence on both sides and any gaps were openings for log trucks. Finally, the dirt/sand turned to pavement. I decided to check out an area not far from a road leading to a boat dock. Turned up several rust objects, small and of little consequence. Flakes to be exact. Then, I get a nice little hit at a +58 mixed with some ferrous. Silver I hoped. I dug down about a good 6 inches and checked the hole. It was already out. Got my pin pointer out and probed the dirt.....there it is!!! Lots of build up on it. About the size of a nickel, but thinner. Maybe a 1 or 1 1/2 reale Not sure, but didn't want to rub it. Went ahead and dropped it in my pouch. The rain was rolling in, scattered shower and I don't have covering for the battery box or display. As I beat feet back to the truck I tripped and fell. Clumsy me. Thought about hanging around and hunting more, but time was not on my side. Taillights and brake lights don't work, and besides, I was stoked about my find and wanted to clean it properly.
When I got home, the coin was not in the pouch!!!! What the f#€¥!!! Did I really drop it from my pouch when I tripped and fell?? Heart burn quickly set in with my anger. How could I have done that? I guess I will definitely be making my way back to that sight soon. Hopefully I can rediscover my coin and post it after cleaning it-----to be continued!!

 

[testing123]

hope you find it! Based on its size, it could have been a 1 Real. A half real is more like the size of a dime.

 

[Ed (Upstate NY)]

I think we've all been there. Only coin I can recall losing was a V nickel many years ago. I'm sure some other detectorist found it and wondered how a V nickel could have been right on the surface ! I did misplace a nice Standing Liberty quarter in my truck once and almost tore the interior apart looking for it. I did find it under the carpet in the extended cab !

 

[EasternShoreMetal]

finds in my pouch, GOOD finds, in my pocket.
Ouch!
At least it's not running away.. all you have to do is find where you fell.. good luck!

 

[Scrappy]

I bet you have something special that fell out. I also bet you can find it in less than 20 minutes when you retrace your steps. Go get 'er done!

 

[beez0404]

I think you'll find it when you get back there. Hope you do.

 

[Metal Illness]

Hope you get back out there and find it! Clean it up and then show us what it is . Reminds me of an arrowhead hunting trip I took my 4-5 year old daughter along. Every few minutes she runs over to me with a "pretty' or "shiny" rock and ask's Dad is this an arrowhead? Finally I did find one and after trying to drop it out in front of her 4-5 times for her to find, she didn't. I finally showed it to her and of course she wanted to hold it. At some point in time as she continued picking up "pretty" and "shiny" rocks she left it laying on the ground and it was gone. I would grid off the fields and leave a big pile of stones at the last row that I walked. The next day I went back and back tracked from my pile of rocks and I found it. It's the Arrowhead I found twice!

 

[hikerdude]

WOW.............. that's all I can think to say. The worse thing in the world, for me at least, is to loose something after spending time and effort trying to find it in the first place. I sure hope you find it again. That would be my highest priority, find it again. Good luck.
HH everyone

 

[hikerdude]

Hope you get back out there and find it! Clean it up and then show us what it is . Reminds me of an arrowhead hunting trip I took my 4-5 year old daughter along. Every few minutes she runs over to me with a "pretty' or "shiny" rock and ask's Dad is this an arrowhead? Finally I did find one and after trying to drop it out in front of her 4-5 times for her to find, she didn't. I finally showed it to her and of course she wanted to hold it. At some point in time as she continued picking up "pretty" and "shiny" rocks she left it laying on the ground and it was gone. I would grid off the fields and leave a big pile of stones at the last row that I walked. The next day I went back and back tracked from my pile of rocks and I found it. It's the Arrowhead I found twice!

I don't know anyone else who md's like me. I go backwards. I swing my coil back and forth, step back, over lap my next pass, step back and so forth. Maybe 3 or 4 times I have found a coin or object that missed my pouch and fell to the ground, Going back wards, you always refind the targets you just found. Especially when it's wet and muddy, coins can stick to my glove and not make it into my pouch.
HH everyone

 

[DFX DAVE in M.D.]

A few times I put a nice find in cigarette cellophane and put it in my wallet. I did that with my 1854 Half Dime I detected right away, it was so small, I was not going to lose it.

 

[treblehunter]

Good luck on your research!

 

[doninbrewster]

Here's what I use on my hunts. The small box is for short hunts and the larger box is for all day hunts in the woods. They're sturdy and best of all, they're metal. Easy to detect if you lose them in the mud or in the leaves.

View attachment 1101022

Your not the only one out there with an Altoids tin. I've sectioned one off for silver coins, Indians, V and shield nickels and jewelry. I throw all the clad, wheaties etc in the pouch.

 

[pong12211]

Best of luck in your search.

 

[Deno]

I feel your pain WWB.

This is the kind of mistake you only make once.

Years ago me and my buddy Weaver were hunting an old school site in Glasgow Ky

that was on my great grandmothers farm. I had all kinds of family that had attended

this school in the late 30's and early 40's. I found a copper ring that could have been a

wedding ring that had an inscription on the inside that I couldn't read. Anyway I put

in my my pocket and when I got home I couldn't find it. The only thing I can figure

is when we stopped at Wendy's on the way home it must have fell out into the parking lot

when I pulled my keys out. It made me sick, the thing had been lost for no telling how

many years and I found it and managed to lose it again in a matter of hours.

 

[FragFox]

I am finding as in any hobby there are ups and downs. MD'ing is no different. I had a full day of suck but soreness aside, I am ready for more!

I am using a canteen pouch on my belt for my finds. It has a heavy flap style top and two smaller Velcro compartments for the good stuff. Trouble is, nothing has ever entered the Velcro pouch yet. Maybe today though.............

 

[fongu]

This has probably happened to many of us. I can think of 3-4 occasions when I lost a nice find and somebody else just walked along and picked it up. When I get tired or in a hurry or both, I get careless. I lost two silver dimes last year, a large cent in 2012 and a 14K gold ring in 2013. The pill bottle with cotton sounds like a good idea to me and the metal boxes even better. Live and learn from your mistakes and hope since it's an isolated spot you can recover your find.

 

[danimal03]

that is too bad. however I would go back and search the area you dropped it in your pouch. it may have somehow fell outside. I would also work the area you fell. Like the others have already mentioned; I carry a small fishing container that is subdivided with cotton balls. anything good goes in there. I once lost a .31 pistol ball which made me sick. I found it on the land I owned and was one of only 3 relics I dug on my property. it actually was in a special container but it had somehow come apart in my gear bag and I have no idea where it went. I have only found one reale ever so I would really go back and look for it. Spanish silver is awesome to find... good luck finding it.

 

[PeteWmass]

if I had something I "didn't want to rub" - I sure wouldn't throw it in with everything else.......

 

[Ahab8]

Another little top with the coins. If it's an old copper pack some of the dirt from the hole in with it. Coppers don't like coming out if the ground and like to flake apart. If you can keep them moist til you get home to clean them you have a much better shot at keeping them whole.
I have two special cases I carry. One is for those special finds. It's a fairly small Tupperware type container but it read special snaps on the sides so it can't open. I put a small cloth in the bottom. If I get something it goes in there and then I have an inner zipper pocket inside my backpack so the only way I'm losing something is if I lose that backpack. I can't even imagine losing a find of a lifetime. Not sure I could handle that lol

 

[sponge]

Sometimes I carry a chest just in case I hit a hoard of gold and silver coins lol

I read chest. Yep it says chest. Im twichin now.

sent from a sending device.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I have some old plastic 35mm film containers with snap on lids that I use. Even an old pill bottle will work for small, easily lost objects. Good providence on finding your lost item.