- Jan 27, 2015
- 974
- 3,371
- 🏆 Honorable Mentions:
- 3
- Detector(s) used
-
Minelab Equinox 800
XP Deus 2
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
Hi everyone. I had a great 90 minute hunt today at a property in my town. I had hunted briefly at this property about a week ago, and in that first hunt I found two Indian Head Pennies (1883, 1893), but that hunt got cut short and I only covered maybe 10% of the property.
Today in the cold I went back and found that a few days ago the homeowner had taken down a 200 year-old tree in the front yard. With the tree gone and with easy access to the ground I thought I'd swing the detector over the hole. Literally the first signal I got was a 15-16 TDI on my Equinox, and it didn't take much shoveling to uncover this ring! It's my first gold find with my metal detector. It weighs 14.7 grams and it's marked 14K with a maker's mark on the inside. On the front it has a crest with a stag and lion and words that say "IN CRUCE SALUS" (or "Salvation from the Cross") but the writing is reversed, like the words and crest are meant to be pressed into wax to seal a letter (and when pressed they would come out with correct orientation).
Initial research has not turned up anything that will help me identify the owner or the meaning of the crest. One source I read says that 14K gold was not used before 1906, so I don't think this is too old. I've given the ring to the property owner (my typical arrangement, and I'm fine with that) and he's going to do further research and try to find out the maker's mark and possibly the owner.
Finding the ring obviously made me super happy, and I did a little "gold dance" as is tradition (at least according to the Detectorists), but you know what made me happier: I put the ring in my pocket and kept detecting. Reflecting on that, it proves to me that I enjoy the process and the experience of metal detecting, and I'm not just in it for the shiny stuff. (Though it helps...).
I proceeded to find two dog tags about 15 minutes later (one from 2012 and one from 1957), and then toward the end of my hunt I got a scratchy 20's signal which turned out to be the first Liberty Seated Dime I've ever dug! 1883, and in good condition - except for where I hit it with the shovel (ouch - it happens. You can see the damage on the reverse near the "D" in Dime).
The property owner was so happy about the ring he told me to keep the dime, which I love because now every time I see the dime I'll think of the ring too!
Great day.
Today in the cold I went back and found that a few days ago the homeowner had taken down a 200 year-old tree in the front yard. With the tree gone and with easy access to the ground I thought I'd swing the detector over the hole. Literally the first signal I got was a 15-16 TDI on my Equinox, and it didn't take much shoveling to uncover this ring! It's my first gold find with my metal detector. It weighs 14.7 grams and it's marked 14K with a maker's mark on the inside. On the front it has a crest with a stag and lion and words that say "IN CRUCE SALUS" (or "Salvation from the Cross") but the writing is reversed, like the words and crest are meant to be pressed into wax to seal a letter (and when pressed they would come out with correct orientation).
Initial research has not turned up anything that will help me identify the owner or the meaning of the crest. One source I read says that 14K gold was not used before 1906, so I don't think this is too old. I've given the ring to the property owner (my typical arrangement, and I'm fine with that) and he's going to do further research and try to find out the maker's mark and possibly the owner.
Finding the ring obviously made me super happy, and I did a little "gold dance" as is tradition (at least according to the Detectorists), but you know what made me happier: I put the ring in my pocket and kept detecting. Reflecting on that, it proves to me that I enjoy the process and the experience of metal detecting, and I'm not just in it for the shiny stuff. (Though it helps...).
I proceeded to find two dog tags about 15 minutes later (one from 2012 and one from 1957), and then toward the end of my hunt I got a scratchy 20's signal which turned out to be the first Liberty Seated Dime I've ever dug! 1883, and in good condition - except for where I hit it with the shovel (ouch - it happens. You can see the damage on the reverse near the "D" in Dime).
The property owner was so happy about the ring he told me to keep the dime, which I love because now every time I see the dime I'll think of the ring too!
Great day.
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That alone is very honourable and a HM shall be given. 
