Puzzled on 1860s historic site

[Bum Luck]

After a serious amount of research, I finally obtained permission to hunt an old recreational cabin site that was frequented in the 1920s, but that dates back to the 1860s as a residence. There's a small privy hole 30 feet away.

I got to the site (not an easy ordeal) and it is overgrown with woody shrubs and tree falls. I spent maybe 4 hours there, and came up with junk stove parts, a few pop cans, a brass lamp top, and other misc junk, but not a single coin.

The site was easier to get to in the 60s, and so I'm wondering if it had been worked over 'in the old days'.

It's not that I ended up cut and scratched up and exhausted, but I sincerely want to learn from those of you who have found similar results.

What do you guys and gals think?

 

[Larry (IL)]

Recreational metal detectors have been around for 60 years so it is quite possible someone else got there before you but keep trying. One of these days...................

 

[matthias]

Hang in there. Im working a stubborn site currently too. Good luck and HH. Matt

 

[JimmyCT]

That is usually the norm at old house sites (at least for me anyways) Not sure what size coil you are using but near old home sites I go with a small coil and work slow. It can be frustrating but also very rewarding if you take the time and have lots of patients. If the place has been graced by others....hopefully for your sake they became frustrated with the garbage and gave up. One old house site I went to I found a couple IH cents and a nice brass eagle button. The owner of the property thought I was nuts ( maybe I am ? lol ) for spending many, many hours to find a couple of IH cents and a brass button. (she was in the house next door watching me)
Check out that privy too! Is there a water source (well or brook) nearby? Large trees or rocks? Explore away from the site as well. Have fun,be careful of ticks and most importantly be safe if you are going out there by yourself. Best of luck and Happy hunting - Jim

 

[Hank68]

A small coil helps in places like this, but the more you uncover the better chance of finding some great keepers, HH tigerhank68

 

[kneedet]

i too have had no luck around an old ghost town area from the late 1800's. what are some things to look for when your at an old site that would be a good spot to detect

 

[fwcrawford]

I have come across some sites like that.. should hold some goodies, yet they are elusive.
I would keep on trying it until you are satisfied that you have covered it thoroughly.
Sometimes those great finds don't show up for several hunts and then boom,, you wonder how you missed that signal before.
I have also found that sometimes you expect too much right off the bat and then get let down when you don't find any good targets.
Next time just relax and remember that you are looking for items that weren't lost on purpose.
Someone may have detected it before.. do you see anything laying of top of rocks or stumps?
I usually look for signs of previous detecting such as items laying on top of rocks or on top of the ground that look like they may have been dug up and left behind.
Keep at it and keep us posted and good luck,
Felix

 

[Ed in SoDak]

What's your disc level? The items you list might ring in even with high disc. Lots of nails will tend to mask anything beneath or nearby.

Old homesites always had a junk pile or place to toss old cans and broken things. Look for where laundry may have hung or former shady spots or places where groups might gather for a picnic.

-Ed

 

[GunnarMN]

it was like that for me at the tabor hometead around the house just pennys but 400 ft out in the middle of the field i find silver quarters , depends how much time you have but you can keep picking the trash and get the masked items, me and a buddy went to an old house and between two big cotton woods we dug a 6x6ft eara 12" deep and sifted no detecting and found a buffalow nickle and 1877 indian several wheats a silver rose dime and a great big flint spear point and many nails and junk so you may want to just try to sift the trashy eareas and detect the cleaner spots when i find the out houses i would collect every thing and log it and document it and i came up with a formula average out house lasted 4 to 5 years so from 1860 to 1910 you should have 14 out house holes look for depreasions lilacs or trees bits of old bottle they usally are close together we found a goose size milk glass egg in one and a ceramic clown that scared me i hate clowns it just spoiled it

 

[GKMan]

I have had alot of luck searching farther away from the foundation.. Just this weekend I was a few hundred feet from the the foundation and I dug a nice 1851 large cent. I was on my way towards a stone wall to detect along it because I was looking for a break from listening to trash signals and out of the blue I get that nice coin tone..... So, I will normally look for a little hill, openings in stone walls, basically any place that would have been the scene of increased human activity. Sometimes I find myself way off the beaten path and have to remind myself to get back closer to the foundation, but I have made some great finds during these little jaunts.
Always have that coil swinging low as you go.....

 

[osgood]

im still working a site couple times a year where I found some large cents years ago. No coins but a lot of interesting historic finds keep popping up, Dont ever forget the machines of today are much more sophisticated than stuff of 40 years ago. Im still finding good stuff, including silver, at "hunted out parks", with these beasts. CO

 

[Bum Luck]

Thanks guys for all the replies. It sure helped my resolve to go back and get beat up again!

This time I'm going to go the easy route there.

I'll keep you posted!