I don't do very much dirt hunting, I mainly hunt beaches and the water...so I don't find many older coins at all. I was bored on Sunday and decided to hit an old local park. This park has been hunted very hard over the years. I myself have hunted it probably a half dozen times, never find anything but modern clad and lots of old round pull-tabs. Well I started hunting with the AT-Pro with my 5X8"DD coil on it. I was finding the same old stuff like before, a little clad and garbage. I decided to start hunting right up against some of the trees, I have done this in the past but was running the standard coil. I found a few nickels, then I got another nickel VDI...right up against one of the trees. I dug down about 4" and out pops another dark nickel. Well I start to clean it off and I see a 5. At this point I'm wondering if it is a token instead. I clean it some more and I see the text "United States..." I flip it over and start to clean it and though roasted very bad I can make out a Shield. Holy cow...I had to get my phone out and Google Shield nickel. I was very excited to see the years minted..1866 to 1883. The date is roasted but can barely make out the last number, a zero. So its either a 1870 or 1880. Either way I dont care...its my oldest coin ever found.
Yeah it will take some sand to get moved for the Big Lake beach work to begin. I'm spending time inland myself.