Todays finds

[Anonymous]

Hi folks! Well, on some advice I was given, I headed out to a local schoolyard here today with the 550. I wasn't there to score great finds, just to try to learn my detector better...without the trash at my last spot. Well, I still hit a good share of trash (aluminum foil) but managed to learn a thing or to about my detector in the process. I've discovered the sweet sounds of coins. Although not amazing finds...my first coins. 6 to be exact. 5 pennies and a dime. None of these are older than 1953, but it was a good experience. I headed off to the far end of the yard along the treeline and water. After getting a solid reading just below the penny mark, at about 5" I dug up something interesting...maybe. It's VERY heavy. Looks to be lead. Is this an old bullet or musketball which was fired and struck something!? Anyone seen anything like this??? This schoolyard is in an area pretty rich in military and war of 1812 history. Who knows, maybe I am pumping this up to be something it's not. Any thoughts!? Thanks...and happy hunting!

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, that looks a lot like a musketball that hit something hard at high velocity, but it would be very difficult to determine the caliber and date in its condition. I always like to see a new detectorist so eager and excited though, and I'm sure you'll hear those sweet coin sounds many more times. You can pretty much expect to find a lot of trash in any area worth hunting. Even old sites that haven't seen human activity for 50 years or more are likely to be full of nails, cans, and rusted tin. You'll learn to deal with most of it in time though. You're off to a good start and you'll be amazed how much more you'll learn over the next few months. HB

 

[Anonymous]

It looks more like a melted can to me. It was pretty common for people to throw cans into fires and it is pretty common to find clumps of metal that have cooled down into shapes like that.
It could also be a clump of melted lead too as most folks used to make their own musket balls and bullets and if some spilled then you could end up with something like that. Even the most squashed musket balls I have found are still rounded on the side opposite the impact side.
One other thing, if it is old lead then it will be sort of white colored as lead oxide is white and that is what you get on the outside of lead that has been in the ground for a long time. Melted tin or aluminum from cans stays kind of grey or silver colored.

 

[Anonymous]

What type of trash and how much are you dealing with at your old site? Any site that dates close to the war of 1812 you should be digging ALL non iron targets, or you will miss some of the best finds. Learning to cherry pick coin targets in a school yard in my opinion is advice by someone who doesn't hunt very old sites. You will learn much more by going on an old site and just digging everything. I hunted parks for several weeks until I stumbled on to a field with an old site and that's where I learned the lesson of how many good targets sound like "junk"

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I have no idea of the size of musketballs normally. It almost seems too small? It's about an 1 1/8 x 1 1/8 and about 1/4" thick. One side is rounded. I am no expert, but I certainly know this is not a melted can as was suggested by someone. I guess it will remain a mystery. Cool find I think anyhow. The person who suggested I hunt somewhere less trashy did not actually specify a schoolyard. He just said somewhere less trashy to learn my detector better and find some coins etc. I think it was a great idea being that I had not yet found any coins with my 550, and I will be looking for coins, relics, etc. Thanks for your advice on the "trash" targets though from the war of 1812 period. So I should dig every target on a site from this era?

 

[Anonymous]

<span style="background-color:#ffff00;"> So I should dig every target on a site from this era? </span>
ABSOLUTELY! A site that age can give up a great find anywhere on the ID. There are many fantastic early military buttons to be found at the 1812 period sites, and I guarantee if you are not digging everything you will miss more than you will find. A good % of them were pewter with an iron shank so even someone who just got into the hobby I'm sure you can imagine how bad a signal that might be. Also, masking affects the signal, as well as depth, being on edge, being an irregular shape etc. etc. Basically all my sites range in date from about 1730-1830 and myself and my hunting buds hit them right until there is not a peep. One thing that is very interesting is an old site will almost always give up at least one very good find. The funny part is you never know what the heck it is going to be so that is why you have to clean the place out. <img src="/metal/html/tongue.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":b">
ps I have MANY sites that no longer give up coins but I still find a good button or two the few times I hunt them each year.
C.C. <IMG SRC="/metal/html/canada.jpg" BORDER=0 width=34 height=17 ALT="c~">