Have Detector...will travel!

[bunker314]

Hi All,

Had a chance to detect in the Quad Cities area of Illinois. A friend is a trustee off a large farm in that area and asked me if I would go up and try and find some possible caches that we said to be hidden in the basement of an old farm house. Of course I said yes. I did find where they weren't lol. This moved the search over and BINGO! My friend located them in buckets of pea gravel. Three bank bags of silver dimes, one bag of silver quarters (oldest 1858 seated), one bag of 400 silver rounds! (1oz. ea)

I detected around a log cabin that was built in 1837 and was still standing. Lincoln was know to stay here. Below is what I found outside. No silver coins, only 2 Indian Head pennies and 1 wheatie.

I think there may be 3 pairs of rosettes, but each were found apart from each other. Love the tokens!

What a great time! Will definitely go back again!

Any help with ID's is appreciated.

Thanks for looking,

Bunker

 

[Goldstrike]

Wow!!! That must have been really exciting to find those bank bags full of old silver! I'm not sure where the Quad Cities area is but I have property in Pekin (S/O Peoria) and love to detect the old sites around there when I get the chance. Awesome finds....a big congrats!!!

 

[bunker314]

Thanks Goldstrike, flew into Moline, IL.
Bunker

 

[bob.oz]

Nice stuff Bunker...A big WOW on those bags of silver. Must of been a real eye popper!!

 

[kschae4]

Bunky, you've come back posting with a vengence. Great mix of time period finds there. Would've definitely liked to see a pic or two of the cache bags..

 

[bunker314]

Hey Ken... is a one pix. I will put up a couple when I can get them off my camera. Pile dimes... all '64 and earlier.
Bunker

 

[Goes4ever]

Holy cow, that is the biggest pile of silver coins I ever saw! Please post any other pics!

 

[bunker314]

Here are a few more shots. 200 of the 400 silver rounds. 47 standing liberty quarters, 2 barbers, 1 seated. The rest of the 1800 silver quarters were Washingtons. The buckets that held the cache.
Thanks for looking.
Bunker

 

[mcb613]

Strange mix of dates... Was there any info on when they were tucked away? The walls looks like poured concrete. How old was the structure they were found in? Would love to hear more of the back story. A bucket of silver is surely on my bucket list! Pardon the pun.

 

[kschae4]

Bunky..thanks for the additional pics. Hope there's key and semi-dates among them. Honestly...what will happen to the recovered caches now ?

 

[bunker314]

Here is a little of the history of the place. The family moved there back in 1836ish. Built a log cabin 14x16. Eight couples lived in there the first winter till their own places were built. The owner was the biggest man so he became the sheriff. (lol) There is a cement type post outside the cabin with eye loop bolts. The prisoners were handcuffed to in place of a jail cell. The gentleman became a state congressman and became friends with a guy named Abraham Lincoln. Who came and visited and stayed in the cabin. They have built a structure around the log cabin in order to preserve it. Two groups came while I was there trying to get it to move it to a museum type setting.
The house where the cache was located was built probably mid 1900's. Pre 50's. It has a summer kitchen out back. Part of the cellar (where the cache was) had a dirt floor and cement walls. Also located in that room was a cistern about 12 feet deeper with about 4 foot of water in it. Some bricks had been knocked out of it. Owner didn't know it was there. He didn't build the house.
The silver belongs to the man's estate in the hands of his trustee.