- Joined
- May 17, 2007
- Messages
- 2,240
- Reaction score
- 34
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Southeast Missouri
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab SE Professional with 6" Coil
Me and Mastereagle headed out to a place we just got permission to detect that promised to be an absolute treasure haven. Mastereagle was positively VIBRATING with the idea that we could hunt there. (It was kind of like a small earthquake actually.) 
I left work and wasted no time; headed home to change shirts and I was off to the site. I took no more than five minutes at my house and although Mastereagle was still at work when I left, he beat me to the site.
By the time I arrived, Mastereagle had already geared up and was standing by his car waiting on me. It’s like he had a transporter. 
We begin detecting and dig the usual aluminum siding and pulltabs and not much else is coming up. We were getting concerned we were going to get skunked when I moved out close to the road. A couple of feet from the corner of the lot, I got a “warbled” sound. When I opened the ground, there was this huge tree root the size of my arm. I removed all the dirt on both sides and went to digging around the root. Finally, out comes this little Sterling Monogrammed locket about the size of a nickel. It looked super old and had a script “M” in the middle of the lid. Awesome find.
Marked with Webster Sterling Mark – Some History on this:
The Webster Company was originally founded by George K. Webster in 1869 in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Their line of sterling items included over 20 patterns of dresser sets, picture frames, cigarette holders, bowls, baby items, candlesticks, napkin rings and more. They were primarily manufacturers of sterling items, however they did have a small line of silver plate items. In 1958, they purchased the Frank W. Smith Silver Co. and today the Webster Co. is part of Reed & Barton Silversmiths.
Mastereagle goes on hunting and grumbling and finally I think he is having a Heart Attack!! I look over there and thought he had bitten by something. (You know that furry thing on movies that runs out from under couches and attacks people…..and you never know what it is?? That’s what I thought had bitten him). He was leaping around and saying “Woh..woh…Oh my Gawd!” He was holding his hands tightly together as if something was wrong with his finger. I then realized, he had found something good. I discovered it was a token from an Old Bakery in this town from probably around the early 1900’s. The Bakery is long since gone.
I continued my Silver Streak by digging this earring marked “Sterling” a few minutes later:
We finished the night with a couple of wheats and other various things from another property up the road, but not much else to report as far as finds go. I couldn’t wait to get home and open the locket and see what was inside. I broke my own rule and got anxious to open it before it was clean and you know what happened….yep, the hinge breaks.
I know better than that!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back at home, I decided to wash up the locket. I noticed it was really heavy and it seems deeper than the interior suggest, but being clean, I laid it aside. My wife walks up there and says, “Hey this thing has something in it”. I get to looking and what appeared to be the base inside, is actually a wheat penny stack(?) I can tell there are several and the top one is a 1914! I can’t tell if the coins underneath are wheat pennies or possibly Indian Head Pennies. They are all Copper though. I worked last night for over an hour to get that top coin out, and they must have forced it in a little….it just isn’t coming out easy. I would appreciate any suggestions, for I fear I may explode if I don’t know what the other coins are!
I managed two Wheats also (1941 and 1957D):
A Racecar and Bullet:
Also found this junker plated pendant. The other thing is a light bulb base.
I left work and wasted no time; headed home to change shirts and I was off to the site. I took no more than five minutes at my house and although Mastereagle was still at work when I left, he beat me to the site.
By the time I arrived, Mastereagle had already geared up and was standing by his car waiting on me. It’s like he had a transporter. We begin detecting and dig the usual aluminum siding and pulltabs and not much else is coming up. We were getting concerned we were going to get skunked when I moved out close to the road. A couple of feet from the corner of the lot, I got a “warbled” sound. When I opened the ground, there was this huge tree root the size of my arm. I removed all the dirt on both sides and went to digging around the root. Finally, out comes this little Sterling Monogrammed locket about the size of a nickel. It looked super old and had a script “M” in the middle of the lid. Awesome find.
Marked with Webster Sterling Mark – Some History on this:
The Webster Company was originally founded by George K. Webster in 1869 in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Their line of sterling items included over 20 patterns of dresser sets, picture frames, cigarette holders, bowls, baby items, candlesticks, napkin rings and more. They were primarily manufacturers of sterling items, however they did have a small line of silver plate items. In 1958, they purchased the Frank W. Smith Silver Co. and today the Webster Co. is part of Reed & Barton Silversmiths.
Mastereagle goes on hunting and grumbling and finally I think he is having a Heart Attack!! I look over there and thought he had bitten by something. (You know that furry thing on movies that runs out from under couches and attacks people…..and you never know what it is?? That’s what I thought had bitten him). He was leaping around and saying “Woh..woh…Oh my Gawd!” He was holding his hands tightly together as if something was wrong with his finger. I then realized, he had found something good. I discovered it was a token from an Old Bakery in this town from probably around the early 1900’s. The Bakery is long since gone.
I continued my Silver Streak by digging this earring marked “Sterling” a few minutes later:
We finished the night with a couple of wheats and other various things from another property up the road, but not much else to report as far as finds go. I couldn’t wait to get home and open the locket and see what was inside. I broke my own rule and got anxious to open it before it was clean and you know what happened….yep, the hinge breaks.
I know better than that!!!!!!!!!!!!Back at home, I decided to wash up the locket. I noticed it was really heavy and it seems deeper than the interior suggest, but being clean, I laid it aside. My wife walks up there and says, “Hey this thing has something in it”. I get to looking and what appeared to be the base inside, is actually a wheat penny stack(?) I can tell there are several and the top one is a 1914! I can’t tell if the coins underneath are wheat pennies or possibly Indian Head Pennies. They are all Copper though. I worked last night for over an hour to get that top coin out, and they must have forced it in a little….it just isn’t coming out easy. I would appreciate any suggestions, for I fear I may explode if I don’t know what the other coins are!
I managed two Wheats also (1941 and 1957D):
A Racecar and Bullet:
Also found this junker plated pendant. The other thing is a light bulb base.
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![:-\](https://www.treasurenet.com/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
I don't have it soaking in anything right now. Are you serious about acetone? I know it is used to prepare metal for paint among other things, so that might work to de-crud those coins and assist with their removal. 
The coins are loose in the locket; they just are slightly larger than the opening and won't pass through since you can't get a hold of them. I don't think they need to be loosened. When you put something like tweezers inside to grasp a coin, the opening is a bit smaller than the coin and you don't have room for the tool and the coin which is already too big. The coin can't be tilted much either because of the coins underneath. The only way I see it coming out is by modifying the locket opening is some manner. 
