pa-dirt_nc-sand
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I started md'ing first of the year. Took 4 months to find a silver coin, (1891 seated dime, did not realize how cool this one was, now having found several more silvers, but none as nice or as old) This weekend found the next milestone...
I wish I had taken more pics of the location, plug, cleaning, but thought this was just another clad and modern trash outing. So here is the story.
98% of the time I am detecting in coin mode basically because I am always short on time and hate digging up so much foil and pull tabs. I've gotten fairly proficient at minimizing the trash in coin mode. When I open up the the machine (jewelry mode) it is very good at finding the smallest bits of foil and deep pull tabs. I decided the park I was at was too modern for old silver, so I did the rare move and selected jewelry mode.
In jewelry mode the ground was giving all kinds of unusual (for me) tones. Had a bit of trouble isolating a repeatable tone, but after about 5 min was able to dig a modern penny. About 5 ft from this penny my detector gives off this really load scratchy/screeching mid tone that I can isolate. Figure this one is going to be my first pull tab spill, but when I pull the plug out pops a circular disk embedded with dirt. I first think, old round pull tab (the ones you think are a ring when still in the plug), but then when I rub some of the dirt off I realize it is a pendant with Chinese writing. The dirt is so embedded that I figure it is another toasted participation award, probably old aluminum, but maybe too heavy so probably pot metal. I decide, not thinking too much of it, to put in my keeper pocket not the trash barrel pocket and continue detecting clad for the next 60 min.
I throw the handful of clad and this pendant in my typical cleaning bowl, run the water and grab a beer. When I drain the water the first glint of gold comes through the muddy water. I still am thinking "oh, another gold painted, plated, flaking toasted badge"., but I hit it with a brush to check it out. First thing that hits me is after some soap and water the piece is actually cleaning up nicely, not crumbling in my hands. I dry it off and bring over to the light to try and read the really small print. I make out " .999 1/4 Oz". Ok, now I am slightly intrigued. This is not the typical sportsmanship verbiage. Then I make out "AU". It's been 30 years since I studied the periodic table so I quickly google search AU and the magical elusive word pops up in the search "Gold". My heart starts racing and I type in Gold Panda Coin and the rest is history as they say. My first gold coin, not the old historical one we all dream off, but my first gold anything and first gold coin.
Unless I find out it is a forgery or reproduction...
I started md'ing first of the year. Took 4 months to find a silver coin, (1891 seated dime, did not realize how cool this one was, now having found several more silvers, but none as nice or as old) This weekend found the next milestone...
I wish I had taken more pics of the location, plug, cleaning, but thought this was just another clad and modern trash outing. So here is the story.
98% of the time I am detecting in coin mode basically because I am always short on time and hate digging up so much foil and pull tabs. I've gotten fairly proficient at minimizing the trash in coin mode. When I open up the the machine (jewelry mode) it is very good at finding the smallest bits of foil and deep pull tabs. I decided the park I was at was too modern for old silver, so I did the rare move and selected jewelry mode.
In jewelry mode the ground was giving all kinds of unusual (for me) tones. Had a bit of trouble isolating a repeatable tone, but after about 5 min was able to dig a modern penny. About 5 ft from this penny my detector gives off this really load scratchy/screeching mid tone that I can isolate. Figure this one is going to be my first pull tab spill, but when I pull the plug out pops a circular disk embedded with dirt. I first think, old round pull tab (the ones you think are a ring when still in the plug), but then when I rub some of the dirt off I realize it is a pendant with Chinese writing. The dirt is so embedded that I figure it is another toasted participation award, probably old aluminum, but maybe too heavy so probably pot metal. I decide, not thinking too much of it, to put in my keeper pocket not the trash barrel pocket and continue detecting clad for the next 60 min.
I throw the handful of clad and this pendant in my typical cleaning bowl, run the water and grab a beer. When I drain the water the first glint of gold comes through the muddy water. I still am thinking "oh, another gold painted, plated, flaking toasted badge"., but I hit it with a brush to check it out. First thing that hits me is after some soap and water the piece is actually cleaning up nicely, not crumbling in my hands. I dry it off and bring over to the light to try and read the really small print. I make out " .999 1/4 Oz". Ok, now I am slightly intrigued. This is not the typical sportsmanship verbiage. Then I make out "AU". It's been 30 years since I studied the periodic table so I quickly google search AU and the magical elusive word pops up in the search "Gold". My heart starts racing and I type in Gold Panda Coin and the rest is history as they say. My first gold coin, not the old historical one we all dream off, but my first gold anything and first gold coin.
Unless I find out it is a forgery or reproduction...
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