Where has all the gold gone? some recent finds....

[Goldstrike]

Even though we have had very hot and dry weather here, I've been pounding the local parks for anything worthy of keeping!!! I always hope for silver and even better still GOLD targets!! Typically, it's been a handful or two of clad and lot's of junk. Here are some finds I have found recently. The 925 silver star (not the medal unfortunately)!!! which was a very cool find and the gold plated pendant. A few wheat cents.....I'm always on the lookout for rare dates and a 1944 copper penny (not much chance there) but you never know!!! Another junk ring ugh!! but at least it's a 'ring' and it could have been a gold one!!!
My question of the day is Where is all the gold? Of course I fully realise there are a LOT more detectorists out there and even a newbie can locate freshly dropped gold rings and such, so unless your at the right place at the right time, the chances of finding newly dropped gold and silver targets is slim. It is amazing how finding something good/unusual/historic/valuable can build your confidence back up so here's hoping the next hunt will be the lucky one

[size=large]Happy hunting everyone![/size]​

 

[mudpuppy]

I hear you 5x5 here Goldie! Wheres the gold? A feller has to think about this gold fever and perhaps go subsurface?...looking at hookah rigs myself...
Mud

 

[Goldstrike]

Hi Mudd....thanks for the reply and yes, as I've been hammering the parks, I realise the only way to get the deep silver is to go deeper!!
Back in the late 60's and 70's when metal detectors and detecting started to become fun for a few to do, the surface silver coins and probably a lot of surface gold targets, rings etc; were scooped up. My only regret is that I did not get into this hobby then. I would be riding around in a Mercedes and have home's in Malibu, Florida Key's and other beautiful parts of this great Nation!!! Those earlier detectorists made out like bandits!! Dang!!!! my mouth is watering at that thought now!!!
So here we are now and although, most of the old silver and gold have been found in the populated areas, parks and such (not considering freshly dropped targets) there are still a ton of good and valuable targets just waiting for perhaps some new technology that will help detectors to detect deeper.
So for now, I continue to keep an eye out for when there is construction in progress i.e. cracked sidewalks ripped up prior to relaying fresh concrete, ball park fields that are being returfed, bleachers being relocated football and sports fields being scrapped prior to being re-seeded and sidewalks being removed to make room for minimalls and other projects and so on. That window of opportunity will give you a narrow chance to detect deeper and scoop up those old silver coins and jewellery and maybe a few gold ones too!!
I never get too discouraged though because I do enjoy the journey and there are always other satisfying spin offs from this hobby like a bikini clad young lady that gave me a $100 bill on a crowded beach about 4 years ago! Yes that actually happened! That experience was one of many awesome memorable experiences that Ive had. I'm sure you have had many yourselve's!!! Have a fun day hunting!!!

 

[mudpuppy]

How cool is that! $100!

Yeah, and to think theres active posters here that lived during the glory days of detecting...they have some awesome stories of hunting Fair Grounds that had never seen a coil...stuff like that, makes a guy listen like a little kid to one of ol Grandpas stories......this is such a young sport/technology, and this is a big Planet, so theres gotta be that one time place for you and me I would hope.. still, a guy has to really hustle to find even a decent amount of clad now a days...
Mud

 

[Goldstrike]

Here are some beach pics of bygone years. Can you imagine all the gold and silver jewellery and coins that were lost from all those years? It just makes me wonder how much is still buried in the sand just a few tantalising inches beyond the reach of metal detectors!!!! The $200,000,000 yes 200 million dollars! of pirate treasure that was found on Coco's Island recently proves to me there's still more treasure to be found!!

 

[Prep1957]

I was one of those guys that was hauling it all in the 70's it was great but you got to remember a silver quarter was worth 25 cents the same as the new clad that came out.It was a second job for me I was making good money back then 8000 a year at my real job as a pipeliner but I made more metal detecting after work and on weekends.I remember hunting State Parks back then having 500 coin days plus 20 or pot pipes,20 or so rings in one day and that is not counting cap guns lead sinkers,dozens of pocket knives all of these were less than 4 inches deep.This tells me that how a coin sinks in number of years is all bunk I remember finding half dollars barbers,walking liberty,franklins all just below or in plug in one day.Those early TR Fishers were very good at finding gold to 5 inches,not only that they were very good at anything that was plated that included bobby pins were worse than pull tabs liked plated fish hooks also but I found a ton of plated rings captain midnight,decoder,batman,love,peace war.If it makes you feel any better gold was only about 300 an ounce back then, I got more money reselling the pot pipes and drug scales back then.A heavy mans school gold class ring was netting he about 10 bucks.