My First DECENT Coin... You Guys Said Keep Digging!

DCMetal · Jun 27, 2015

My backyard is so much fun to explore. For the past year I have found loads of iron, Civil War bullets, horse shoes, toys, pennies, wheats, quarters and dimes. But I have yet to find a coin that has been found by so many of you.

Way down deep, about 12 inches I finally found a goodie-- a 1940 Mercury Dime. I was so excited that I just kept digging and digging. As I've said before, a good hard rain helps to turn up new treasures. It's been raining a lot in DC which has made detecting a little more exciting.

I've found a lot of glass, including a large piece of thick pink glass. I've found other pieces like it and have a huge jar of all of the glass I have found.

Some lead pieces, including a tiny duck head that looks like it's from a toy and another piece that was broken off of something. Not sure what it is.

I also found a D-ring that is very fragile and what I think is a brass keychain, maybe from the '40s? Another curious piece is either brass or copper. It has small holes punched through it but I'm not sure what it is.

Last night I had to leave a big hole in the ground because what ever I found (not iron) is trapped under a tangle of tree roots. The hole filled with water today from the rain so it will be a while until I can get to it. It's raining now so I'm off see what the earth has moved closer to the surface. Hopefully I sound find something to really cheer about. Small victories.

BTW, all of these things, along with the Civil War bullets have been found with a cruddy starter detector. My "good" one still hasn't made it to the shop.

villagenut · Jun 27, 2015

Glad you are finding success, you will always remember that merc dig....btw, do you have any grass left in your yard,you sure are pounding it there :laughing7:

DCMetal · Jun 27, 2015

villagenut said:
Glad you are finding success, you will always remember that merc dig....btw, do you have any grass left in your yard,you sure are pounding it there

Villagenut, luckily there's a huge portion that is mulch. When I get into the grass I try to cut carefully. It's not that bad actually. The rain always helps hide my crimes.

villagenut · Jun 27, 2015

Just think about what is under all that brick......and within the confines of all that shrubbery....future crime scenes is what I see happening there, but it may be hard to hide that and if you did, your spouse would probably choke you ,lol

Davers · Jun 27, 2015

DCMetal said:
Villagenut, luckily there's a huge portion that is mulch. When I get into the grass I try to cut carefully. It's not that bad actually. The rain always helps hide my crimes. View attachment 1179993 View attachment 1179997 View attachment 1179998

MAN!!
I was gonna ask how big your backyard was, but when I saw the Picture I had a face of Shock (like that of the lady W/Dark Hair Wearing Black in the pic, on the right.....Well it was on the Right.lol

Some Serious History in your yard,'Any Spirits in the Attic?'

Maybee

get in good with the neighbors & hunt their yards??
Davers

Like it was said imagine whats covered by the Homes.?

DirtStalker · Jun 27, 2015

You're Hooked now! Congratulations

Davers · Jun 27, 2015

That's just Sooo, Cool ,(all from your yard)
Maybe an old Relic Hunter lived there before you.
if not
Def, Battle /Skirmish Area.. Any of that type of history in your Hood?

Again Just Cool IMO. Sorry took extra med's this AM...lol

Garrett424 · Jun 27, 2015

Congrats on that Merc.
And you're right. Just keep digging and sooner or later, the treasure will appear as you now know first hand. It really is a numbers game to some degree. Also, just showing up is more than half the battle.
There is literally treasure everywhere. Sometimes you just need to remove the trash to reveal it.

Fine job. May your first "decent" coin be the first of many, many more.

DCMetal · Jun 27, 2015

Davers said:
That's just Sooo, Cool ,(all from your yard)
Maybe an old Relic Hunter lived there before you.
if not
Def, Battle /Skirmish Area.. Any of that type of history in your Hood?

Again Just Cool IMO. Sorry took extra med's this AM...lol

LOL! Davers, my house is in between Fort Bayard and Fort Gaines. Also not far from Fort Reno. My property backed up to a military road. During the Civil War the property was wooded. So maybe there was a camp nearby as well. In 1890 the land was purchased by a former Kansas Senator. I found the original deed online and quickly bought it. I'm still trying to figure out what was here between 1890 and 1939, when my house was built. I'm thinking a small house, shed, blacksmith? I can't even count the number of nails and chunks of iron that I've found.

When I started this I just threw most of the things I found in buckets. Now that I know more, I will eventually go back through it and see if there's something of interest.

I have also found 3 clay marbles and a toy that pre-dates the house along with really old pottery and glass. I rail splitter, several railroad nails and a uniform button from the Eckington & Old Soldiers Home Rail Car. It was a line that ran from Tenley Town to Lincoln's "Old Soldiers Home," where I believe Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address.

Davers · Jun 27, 2015

Great Info ...Thanks, Ill look up those forts.
You don't have to worry about waking up one morning & finding me in your back Yard.

Clay Marble -- I found my first one last Sunday , Thought it was a Musket Ball at first.

BTW, I "Think" the Brass piece with the holes in it was part of a clamp of some sort used in Telephone type wires(a 'Tension er ' of some sort Still used today but most are Aluminum.
Just saying that's what it looks like, I've dug a few old Brass ones usually near Tele, Poles & the Side of Homes /Buildings.

You live in a cool place & have a Lovely Home / Back Yard.
Best of luck.
Davers

bonepicker · Jun 27, 2015

Nice merc. You have a lot of history in your backyard. The photo of the piece you are holding in your hand appears to be a fishing lure. Down here in the south we call em jig-heads, The jigs-head is usually made out of lead and sometimes painted. HH.