My Large Cent is Just Around the Corner

mlw67 · Jul 30, 2006

Yesterday I took the day off to go hunting, and decided to split it into two different hunts.

For the first part of the hunt I went back to a 19th century homesite I recently got permission to hunt. (where I previously dug up that wood stove) I just *had* to find the missing fourth stove foot, and interestingly enough I walked right out and dug it up within five minutes. So then I spent some time in the general area trying to find an 1850s gathering spot, which was what I was originally looking for when I accidentally found the homesite. The homesite still has more signals to dig and certainly shows some promise, but I really want to find the gathering spot so I can hurry up and find a large cent. ::)

I obviously didn't find the sweet spot quite yet, but in the areas nearby I found these papered shotgun shells, which are really catching my interest quickly. They are kind of like digging up indian head pennies! I really like that they can be somewhat dated by the headstamps. The Western Super-X shell defies logic with its condition! The other shells were all dug from deep in the ground and look like crap. The Western shell I scuffed out of the surface dirt with my foot and it looks great?!? What the....?!?

That faucet is brass and sounded like a cache of silver. LOL

Michigan Badger · Aug 1, 2006

mlw67 I was in love with you until I found out your post picture isn't really you :'(

Gosh, and you're a man on top of it :-[

Oh well, I've gotten over the heartbreak.

Anyway, you like iron so you're okay in my book! 8)

Always a nuisance,

Badger

Pennyworth · Aug 1, 2006

I have a couple of questions:

What is a "paper" shotgun shell? I just don't understand that term,and yes I'm a female so that should explain why. LOL

Also the bottle cap with the 10 and a spade on it, what is that from? It looks rather interesting for a bottle cap,I'd keep that one.

Have you ever seen the episode of Will & Grace where Grace and Jack go to an Antiques Roadshow? Grace loves to see when people are told that they possibly have a rare item and they get that (ooooh look, like the one in your avatar) and then they are told that it is however a reproduction and rather worthless. Then Grace makes the awww face(missed it by that much look,and turns her head to the side). OK, well I picture this every time I'm digging a target and I think it's a good find and it turns out to a piece of trash. LOL

mlw67 · Aug 2, 2006

Badger: LOL!!! Loved your comments!

Pennyworth: I have no idea what cap that 10-of-spades was on, unfortunately. And also unfortunately I already threw it out.

'Paper' shotgun shells were ones that had paper sleeves on them, as opposed to the newer plastic-sleeved shells.

I like 'Will and Grace', but I haven't seen that episode! I'll have to watch for it.

I've never thought about my 'disappointed' face, although I'm sure I make one! I'm pretty expressionate.

lucky1777 · Aug 2, 2006

mlw67 said:
LOL Thanks for all the great comments, everyone!!

I'm not sure *what* my face will do when I find a large cent. There are actually several coins out there that would have me creating new and unusual facial expressions. Although I've found *way* more than my share of 1880s to 1920s coinage (and newer), still with all the bazillions of coins I've dug (30 years worth) I've never found a shield nickel, a flying eagle cent, a 'white' indian cent, a two cent piece, a three cent piece, a seated half, a gold coin....ah jeez, I've got some work to do!!

Blackjack if it makes you feel any better, I've never found any fishing floats.

Re the beach I was hunting: I barely even touched it. I went down along the water line and took one pass on about one-tenth the length of the beach--that was it. Maybe an hour and a half's worth of hunting, certainly not much longer. I got frustrated with all the junk and lack of jewels and didn't stay that long. I'll probably go back anyway. $:-\$

I'd say it hasn't been hunted, but there was one guy there hunting when I was! This is the first time in years I've seen another detectorist while out hunting. I'm not too worried, I don't think he knew what he was doing.

Wait--is there a kind of detector that you swing the coil really fast in an arc 2-feet above the ground on your left, 6-inches above the ground right in front of you, then again 2-feet above you on the right? With the coil pointing inwards toward you? If there is, then my bad--he did know what he was doing.

But was he digging all the bottle tops you where? Hmmm maybe he is an expert..

mlw67 · Aug 2, 2006

LOL Lucky!

I wasn't watching him too closely, since I was watching my coil--but my young apprentice was with me that day and he said that the guy, who was using a sand scoop, would scoop up the item, look in his scoop, and then dump it back in the sand! The nerve!