Silver in the School box

[shafer44]

Well, Sunday, one of my hunting partners and I went to one of his vacant lots and searched for a couple of hours. We live in west Texas and don't have the silver rich earth that a lot of you do over to the east and north east. We hunt vacant lots where houses used to be years ago and hope to unearth some silver treasures or wheats. The lot that we hunted had very obvious signs that it had been hunted several times before, as is most all the vacant lots that I go to. I have been hunting for a year and a half and my hunting partner has 30+ years under his belt, so he always flogs me. We hunted for a couple of hours, and I felt lucky to find 1 wheat and 4 memorials. Of course my buddy found a Merc, which I have not found one yet. I have found several Rosies, but the Mercs have eluded me. Well, he had to go back home so he could watch his football game, so we loaded up and I took him home. I get a little burned out searching for 2 hours or more and only finding as little as I did. so I usually redeem my self by going to a school yard sand,chip or rubber box. There was a school that I had not been to since they replaced the chips and playground equipment, so I deciced to go there. Usually, there is another guy or guys that seems to be just ahead of me or a day before me and I feel lucky to find a few pennies and maybe a quarter they missed. Well, today was a little better, I found (all clad, of course) 14 quarters, 5 dimes, 1 nickel, 9 crustie zinc pennies and 5 memorials. This in itself was what we consider a successful hunt. Well, I finished the chip box and the other area where the swings are have the chewed up rubber tire material, so I decided to go check out the swing area. I found a couple of quarters on the way over to the swings and I think the nickel and a couple of memorials were found under the first couple of swings. Then I got a 50 VDI and of course, I always pick everything out of the schoolyards, so the kids don't step on them, and find a small ring. I have to use reading glasses to examine anything closely, since I am of that Vintage over 60 age, and I did not have my glasses so I put the ring in my pouch. I continued checking under the swings and right under the next to the last swing I got a +15 hit. Well, I again was just going to remove junk, so I pinpointed with the V3i and my 4x6 shooter coil and then stuck my TRX down in the rubber material and went right down to a necklace. Since it hit at +15, I figured I had just found another junk jewelry item, so in the pouch it went. I did not find anything else, so I went home. When I got home, I got my reading glasses and looked first at the ring. It did not hit like silver, so I did not expect it to be, as it also had a worn area on the band that showed copper, but with my glasses on, I did see 5 tiny little diamonds. I did not know that they made diamonds that small...lol. Oh, well, not really that valuable, but a good trinket to keep. Then I took the necklace out and on the clasp, with my glasses and a magnifying glass, I found AVERY .925. I am a little skeptical, so I took my silver acid test kit and double checked it, but it was silver. I know this is a corny little story, but if I were out on some vacant lot and got a VDI of +15, how many times would I have passed on digging it??? Would you have dug a +15 reading?

 

[Ytcoinshooter]

Nice work. Chains can come in anywhere on the lower end. Without a charm, pendent or big lobstah clasp they are even more elusive. You are doing fine and its a exercise in patience to chase those low readings in a park or schoolyard. You said you've been at this for a year and a half and if you can take the up/down of retrieving all those signals there is more out there. Searching a former swim area that is exposed on Nov. 7 I got a VDI on my V3i that was hitting 6 - 8, I was digging all foil signals looking for a chain. this .9 gram / .6 .dwt piece of 14K was my reward. The picture does not reveal how small this thing really is.
HH-Bruce

 

[MattBullSummerville]

That Shooter coil is a winner. I've been finding small jewelry, small rings, charms and plated junk in the 8-10, 10-12 VDI on my MX5. Started digging them just to see what comes up. Can't wait to find my first chain with that setup.

 

[mudpuppy]

Great score on that small chain!

Theres a lot of them out there that get missed on account of the signal...not very many of us will miss on a ring (we hope) but those chains have all seen a coil or two in a popular area like a park or sportsfield and been passed over as junk, or disced out to begin with.
Mud.

 

[shafer44]

Thanks ytcoinshooter. yeah the small stuff is challenging. In school boxes, I pull everything, just to make sure the junk is out so that the kids don't get cut on the pull tabs, can slaw etc. I found one very small ankle bracelet before and it had a plate on it like yours for a name, otherwise, I probably would not have even got a strong enough signal to dig.

 

[shafer44]

Thanks MattBullSummerville! I have been pretty amazed overall with my V3i and my favorite coil is the 4x6. I am liking my 6x10 more and more, but the 4x6 almost makes a pinpointer not needed.

 

[shafer44]

Thanks Mudpuppy. You are right. I cannot tell you how many chewing gum wrappers, pull tabs, tiny bits of aluminum and other junk stuff I have pulled out and dug up, but we normally set out VDI range from 0-93 and dig everything that give a VDI and beeps. I have dug a lot more trash than treasures, but at least this way, we are removing some of the junk and some treasures and that means the next time we hunt this area, we have more or better chances of finding goodies.