Well guys, the title kinda gave it away. Here's the story!
I met up with Firewxman (Shawn) for a "last of the season" hunt. He was really wanting to find a Buffalo nickel. I decided to try and get permission to take him to the place I'd been making real good finds at last spring and a little this summer. I put up some horse hay (round and square bales of alfafla) for this individual and received the ok.
Shawn pm'd me and a time was set for last Thursday. We started hunting about 11:00 am and by noon I'd dug about 2 wheats and Shawn had unearthed a wheat and a 1918 Merc. (which we got on a FULL Dig). I was trying to dig up a very "iffy" signal and out of the corner of my eye I see something. Its Shawn walking over. Now, for those of you who don't know, a detectorist doesn't just leave his detector and come over to his detecting partner without something good.
With my headphones still on I asked "find something good??". He looked down kinda sheepishly and nodded. You see, he was feeling bad because I had invited him into my private spot and here he held in his palm a 1903 Barber Half Dollar.
My reaction???
I was esctatic for him. I've never even dug a silver half. I shook his hand, took the camera out and got some footage. It was really neat to see him holding that big silver coin.
He then managed a penny pocket spill, 2 wheats and his first Indian Head 1899 (also his first coin in the 1800's). Thats fun for anyone to see. Just before I'd went over to watch and film his penny pocket spill, I had hit a good signal right near a badger hole (there are pocket gophers and badger holes like crazy at this vey sandy site). I kept looking a the numbers. I mean the sound was there, but the numbers would hardly ever leave 01-43, 01-41, sometimes hitting 12-46. Pinpointing didn't scream either.
Now let me tell you there was hardly any chance for clad out here and I'd never found a aluminum can smashed or otherwise at this location. It is simply a cow/horse pasture...but over 100 years ago it was a recreational spot for close to 30 years. We pulled 17 coins out that day alone in a 6 hour hunt...prior to that I'd found around 66 coins taking us to 83 for this one location.
After filming Shawn's IH, we went back over and filmed my signal and FULL dig. Well I can't begin to explain the excitement when I finally pinpointed, probably a find of a lifetime for me....the reeded edge of a very large silver coin. The 1878 Morgan Dollar came out of her hiding place after 100+ years underground. As I reveiwed the film and how I'd dug her, I realized she was oriented directly on edge about 6" down.
A couple of wheats, military button, and a 1892 barber dime that I scratched finished out the hunt. The dog/cane top came from the same place but at an earlier hunt along with the 1907 barber dime.
The Mercs, wheats, and Ih's came from a different location. Saturday my wife and I went over into Iowa to do some detecting and I managed 3 wheats, 1 IH, and another dollar...only 1972 dollar. If I had to end Md'ing this year, I couldn't ask for a better finish!
Thanks to Shawn for the great hunt, it was much better to share in the experience of finding such a great coin, than had I been there alone.
For you guys back East. Finding a silver dollar out here in an area that did not see a great deal of "settlement" until the mid 1880's, would be akin to you guys finding a Spanish Reale or the like!!!
If you can I would encourage you to watch at least the Part II video, It is just the FULL dig of that Morgan Dollar.
Now where's that GOLD coin that needs found!!!!
NebTrac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeqhZJWBU4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd6HE_zPhN0
I met up with Firewxman (Shawn) for a "last of the season" hunt. He was really wanting to find a Buffalo nickel. I decided to try and get permission to take him to the place I'd been making real good finds at last spring and a little this summer. I put up some horse hay (round and square bales of alfafla) for this individual and received the ok.
Shawn pm'd me and a time was set for last Thursday. We started hunting about 11:00 am and by noon I'd dug about 2 wheats and Shawn had unearthed a wheat and a 1918 Merc. (which we got on a FULL Dig). I was trying to dig up a very "iffy" signal and out of the corner of my eye I see something. Its Shawn walking over. Now, for those of you who don't know, a detectorist doesn't just leave his detector and come over to his detecting partner without something good.
With my headphones still on I asked "find something good??". He looked down kinda sheepishly and nodded. You see, he was feeling bad because I had invited him into my private spot and here he held in his palm a 1903 Barber Half Dollar.
My reaction???
I was esctatic for him. I've never even dug a silver half. I shook his hand, took the camera out and got some footage. It was really neat to see him holding that big silver coin.
He then managed a penny pocket spill, 2 wheats and his first Indian Head 1899 (also his first coin in the 1800's). Thats fun for anyone to see. Just before I'd went over to watch and film his penny pocket spill, I had hit a good signal right near a badger hole (there are pocket gophers and badger holes like crazy at this vey sandy site). I kept looking a the numbers. I mean the sound was there, but the numbers would hardly ever leave 01-43, 01-41, sometimes hitting 12-46. Pinpointing didn't scream either.
Now let me tell you there was hardly any chance for clad out here and I'd never found a aluminum can smashed or otherwise at this location. It is simply a cow/horse pasture...but over 100 years ago it was a recreational spot for close to 30 years. We pulled 17 coins out that day alone in a 6 hour hunt...prior to that I'd found around 66 coins taking us to 83 for this one location.
After filming Shawn's IH, we went back over and filmed my signal and FULL dig. Well I can't begin to explain the excitement when I finally pinpointed, probably a find of a lifetime for me....the reeded edge of a very large silver coin. The 1878 Morgan Dollar came out of her hiding place after 100+ years underground. As I reveiwed the film and how I'd dug her, I realized she was oriented directly on edge about 6" down.
A couple of wheats, military button, and a 1892 barber dime that I scratched finished out the hunt. The dog/cane top came from the same place but at an earlier hunt along with the 1907 barber dime.
The Mercs, wheats, and Ih's came from a different location. Saturday my wife and I went over into Iowa to do some detecting and I managed 3 wheats, 1 IH, and another dollar...only 1972 dollar. If I had to end Md'ing this year, I couldn't ask for a better finish!
Thanks to Shawn for the great hunt, it was much better to share in the experience of finding such a great coin, than had I been there alone.
For you guys back East. Finding a silver dollar out here in an area that did not see a great deal of "settlement" until the mid 1880's, would be akin to you guys finding a Spanish Reale or the like!!!
If you can I would encourage you to watch at least the Part II video, It is just the FULL dig of that Morgan Dollar.
Now where's that GOLD coin that needs found!!!!
NebTrac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeqhZJWBU4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd6HE_zPhN0
...and thanks for taking me along for the thrill.
....big old smile
...and trembling hands
.
...THANK YOU