Iron nail becomes Seated Quarter!

PlzBSeated

Sr. Member
Mar 8, 2014
444
4,023
SW Michigan
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Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter, Whites Spectrum XLT, Whites MXT, Fisher CZ-21, Garrett AT Pro, Minelab E-Trac
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Back to the tear-out today. Bout called it quits because there just weren't any good signals. But decided as long as I was there I would try pulling out some of the square nails that are all over the place, and see if I could coax a signal out of the ground. And I had succeeded with pulling out an IHP. About what I would expect.

I came on a patch of iron signals and started digging holes trying to pull out any nails. Suddenly I started getting a jumpy but high tone. Out of the side of the hole something started to glint in the sun and I thought, finally some silver. But then realized the reeded edge that was staring at me was too large to be a dime. Holy crap! In amongst about three large square nails was hiding a seated quarter.

Seated Liberty Quarter 041324.jpgSeated Liberty Quarter Reverse 041324.jpg

Note the rust stain on the back where it was leaning up against a nail. And looks like I grazed it with the digger. :BangHead: My only defense is I really had no idea that I was about to pop a large silver out of the ground.

Coins Obverse 041324.jpgCoins reverese 041324.jpg

Also found an IHP and another shield nickel amongst all the iron signals this afternoon. I sort of get why I'm finding so many nickels. The "cherry pickers" don't investigate the low signals. When there's iron in the ground, these hit more like foil.

Finds 041324.jpg

Today's finds...

1868 Shield Nickel
1878 Seated Liberty Quarter
1880 Indian Head Penny
Clay Marble
(2) Lead bag seals

PBS
 

Upvote 36
That's a great find! How was the signal when you started digging -- could you only hear the nails, or was there a hint of the quarter as well? I've got a yard that's covered in square nails -- you're giving me hope!
 

Back to the tear-out today. Bout called it quits because there just weren't any good signals. But decided as long as I was there I would try pulling out some of the square nails that are all over the place, and see if I could coax a signal out of the ground. And I had succeeded with pulling out an IHP. About what I would expect.

I came on a patch of iron signals and started digging holes trying to pull out any nails. Suddenly I started getting a jumpy but high tone. Out of the side of the hole something started to glint in the sun and I thought, finally some silver. But then realized the reeded edge that was staring at me was too large to be a dime. Holy crap! In amongst about three large square nails was hiding a seated quarter.

View attachment 2143322View attachment 2143323

Note the rust stain on the back where it was leaning up against a nail. And looks like I grazed it with the digger. :BangHead: My only defense is I really had no idea that I was about to pop a large silver out of the ground.

View attachment 2143324View attachment 2143325

Also found an IHP and another shield nickel amongst all the iron signals this afternoon. I sort of get why I'm finding so many nickels. The "cherry pickers" don't investigate the low signals. When there's iron in the ground, these hit more like foil.

View attachment 2143326

Today's finds...

1868 Shield Nickel
1878 Seated Liberty Quarter
1880 Indian Head Penny
Clay Marble
(2) Lead bag seals

PBS
Congrats!!
 

Well done 👍
 

Love when nails turn to silver! Awesome find.
 

That's a great find! How was the signal when you started digging -- could you only hear the nails, or was there a hint of the quarter as well? I've got a yard that's covered in square nails -- you're giving me hope!
No indication of a good target when I started digging. I was simply trying to remove anything that might mask a target. It is a lot of work, but I have found some pretty decent targets over the years by doing such in very trashy areas. Typically tear-outs. I wouldn't do that, say in a nice park.
 

If you've got a good tearout site, you need to read this and read it quick before they close it up! It will teach you how to get many times what you are getting now out of there. When I realized how many coins were being masked by all those square nails, I figured out what to do about it! Not to mention most of the coins were underneath the sand and gravel base they put in for the sidewalk cement.

 

Back to the tear-out today. Bout called it quits because there just weren't any good signals. But decided as long as I was there I would try pulling out some of the square nails that are all over the place, and see if I could coax a signal out of the ground. And I had succeeded with pulling out an IHP. About what I would expect.

I came on a patch of iron signals and started digging holes trying to pull out any nails. Suddenly I started getting a jumpy but high tone. Out of the side of the hole something started to glint in the sun and I thought, finally some silver. But then realized the reeded edge that was staring at me was too large to be a dime. Holy crap! In amongst about three large square nails was hiding a seated quarter.

View attachment 2143322View attachment 2143323

Note the rust stain on the back where it was leaning up against a nail. And looks like I grazed it with the digger. :BangHead: My only defense is I really had no idea that I was about to pop a large silver out of the ground.

View attachment 2143324View attachment 2143325

Also found an IHP and another shield nickel amongst all the iron signals this afternoon. I sort of get why I'm finding so many nickels. The "cherry pickers" don't investigate the low signals. When there's iron in the ground, these hit more like foil.

View attachment 2143326

Today's finds...

1868 Shield Nickel
1878 Seated Liberty Quarter
1880 Indian Head Penny
Clay Marble
(2) Lead bag seals

PBS
Awesome!!! Congrats!!! The Elusive Seated Quarter 😁
 

If you've got a good tearout site, you need to read this and read it quick before they close it up! It will teach you how to get many times what you are getting now out of there. When I realized how many coins were being masked by all those square nails, I figured out what to do about it! Not to mention most of the coins were underneath the sand and gravel base they put in for the sidewalk cement.

Thanks, Ron! Lots of good thoughts in there. I started detecting in '91. I still have an article I clipped, from I believe the Herald Pollution, it has a picture of you holding an 1854 Seated Liberty Quarter that you dug in Decatur. I had kept that article for inspiration.

I also supposedly met one of your relatives in Vandalia. Don't remember his name but he invited me out detecting with him one day in Williamsville. Afterwards he showed me his collection of finds. Blew me away at the time. Another inspiration.

PBS
 

That must have been my brother Jerry. He used one of my detectors for decades. Just bought his own machine (Deus II) last month. We still go detecting together. I took a 20 year hiatus from detecting for family reasons, but now that I am retired I started detecting again last summer. I am in Cassopolis. What town are you in?
 

That must have been my brother Jerry. He used one of my detectors for decades. Just bought his own machine (Deus II) last month. We still go detecting together. I took a 20 year hiatus from detecting for family reasons, but now that I am retired I started detecting again last summer. I am in Cassopolis. What town are you in?
Schoolcraft.

PBS
 

I lived in Decatur when that story was written. I did some hunting in Bronson Park in Kalamazoo back in the late 70s. Got some good stuff out of there. I stick closer to home these days because of the price of gas, but I've been doing good. I got 13 IHPs and 16 silver (including a seated quarter) last year. I am at 39 IHPs already this year, but running a bit behind on silver. They are supposed to be doing a tearout in a neighboring town this year. I've not done one of those since Dundee back in the 90s.
 

I lived in Decatur when that story was written. I did some hunting in Bronson Park in Kalamazoo back in the late 70s. Got some good stuff out of there. I stick closer to home these days because of the price of gas, but I've been doing good. I got 13 IHPs and 16 silver (including a seated quarter) last year. I am at 39 IHPs already this year, but running a bit behind on silver. They are supposed to be doing a tearout in a neighboring town this year. I've not done one of those since Dundee back in the 90s.
I had some good years, but then got very busy with work. Have recently retired (for now anyway) and am looking to have a much better year than the last few.

PBS
 

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