I recently made a trip down to the east coast and visited a few spots I found last year. The sites don't produce a lot of coins but the upside is no modern junk although iron is everywhere. My plan is to dig all good non-ferrous targets. This yields a lot of lumps of lead, line weights, brass grommets, and various shapes of small copper and brass including small cheap 19th century jewelery and furniture brass. The area had a small population of farmer/fishermen from 1850 to the 1920s.
It is a large site, 100s of acres, so I concentrate on the perimeters of old fields which are outlined by rock walls and piles and paths. I average about a coin a day and maybe 10 or so relics and/or lead scrap.
The shoe buckle was found near an old fence and 14" deep. By switching to prospecting mode I reassured myself I was not getting a false signal from iron. It gave a solid 34 with 5 depth bars with a 10.5" DD mid freq coil with sensitivity on 24. I figure it to be about 1770 +/- 10 years. It is the first object found to date earlier than the 1850 date of the community although several towns nearby (< 5 mi) where known to be occupied prior to 1700 permanently and seasonally back to 1600.
The 1876 5c piece is a Newfoundland piece and values about $100 your money or mine. Found near my house on an old and seldom used path. Found on a foggy, cold day when I just had to go out. I searched a small length of the path for 20 minutes and also found a musket ball and a brass hook (cup-hook) before beating it back home. Did I mention it was 38f and the wind was blowing 40mph.
1859
Bounty Hunter Landstar
XT70
9" Conc mid
10.5" DD mid
5x10" DD high
It is a large site, 100s of acres, so I concentrate on the perimeters of old fields which are outlined by rock walls and piles and paths. I average about a coin a day and maybe 10 or so relics and/or lead scrap.
The shoe buckle was found near an old fence and 14" deep. By switching to prospecting mode I reassured myself I was not getting a false signal from iron. It gave a solid 34 with 5 depth bars with a 10.5" DD mid freq coil with sensitivity on 24. I figure it to be about 1770 +/- 10 years. It is the first object found to date earlier than the 1850 date of the community although several towns nearby (< 5 mi) where known to be occupied prior to 1700 permanently and seasonally back to 1600.
The 1876 5c piece is a Newfoundland piece and values about $100 your money or mine. Found near my house on an old and seldom used path. Found on a foggy, cold day when I just had to go out. I searched a small length of the path for 20 minutes and also found a musket ball and a brass hook (cup-hook) before beating it back home. Did I mention it was 38f and the wind was blowing 40mph.
1859
Bounty Hunter Landstar
XT70
9" Conc mid
10.5" DD mid
5x10" DD high