You'd be worn out and ugly too if you had been standing straight up for 156 years:smile:

[Hotcz70]

After spending the day yesterday hunting with my buddy Darrel; I was able to squeeze in a 2 hour hunt today with Dave-IL at our field site that we were told had been hunted out a couple of years ago when we were granted permission to hunt it.

It has been a lot of fun over the last 2 hunting seasons ...and even at it's peak of giving up finds...it was no different than it is now.

Some days we'd dig a keeper after a few hours...and other days we wouldn't.

Dave just got a sweet Barber dime here last week and I got nothing...but I got the enjoyment of seeing the look on his face as he pulled it from the dark soil....and I was thrilled for him.

I got only one signal to investigate today...and it was a strange one...but I was pretty sure it had a nice shot at being silver.

It was a nice, high warble but it would only hit from two of four angles even though there was no nulling.

It also had an additional "blip" sound to it as the coil passed over it from each of the two angles.

At this point I was honestly thinking it had a good shot at being deep silver on edge.

I called Dave over and let him listen to it...and after he had a chance to run his coil over it a few times and examine the sound...I excitedely started to dig a big plug with the help of Hercules who started hammering the soil as well

I dug down a solid 8" then ran the probe...and got nothing??...on what I was fairly confident was a silver hit.

I ran the coil over the hole again and it still sang "silver" from the same two angles...so I widened the hole quite a bit...and deepened it somewhat.

I then ran the probe again...and this time I got a faint warble from the bottom back part of the hole...so I widened the hole by another 4"...then began to carefully dig down with my fingers.

From at least 7" away from where it pinpointed...and where I centered the hole...I saw a dark disc clinging to the bottom edge of the hole and it was standing absolutely straight on edge from a measured 10".

That explained why it only hit from 2 angles as well as sounding off with the extra "blip" as the coil passed over it.

I then stuck the lesche a couple of inches behind it and plucked it out still attached to the clod as you see.

[attachment 247392 watsonseated.jpg]

I honestly couldn't tell what it was because it was dark grayish/black like many of the silver coins are out here....but could tell it was ancient...and both Dave and I could tell it was silver.

At this point we were both excited at the possibilites of it being a seated...so we started checking it out from the sides...and it was as thin as thin gets on a silver coin.

[attachment 247393 watsonseated2.jpg] [attachment 247394 watsonseated9.jpg]

I remember mumbling..."it's probably a stinkin', worn old Barber".

Sincerely...how crazy to say something like that which sounds so unappreciative of finding a silver coin...and I truthfully did not mean it in that sense.

My point is that it just goes to show the amazing thrills this old field has provides us...when a person could actually even consider being disappointed to find a Barber dime instead of something else.

I then popped it off the clod and we started looking at it closer.

[attachment 247395 watsonseated3.jpg]

I had to rub it a little bit to even see anything on it...and then could barely make out what looked to be a wreath...so we knew we were looking at the reverse.

We then flipped it over and could see absolutely no details to know whether or not it was a Barber or a seated coin...so I started rubbin' it a little more...until some scant little line started to show up.

I did not have my glasses on but I thought I saw the neck line of a Barber coin...so I rubbed a little more.

It was then that I finally realized I had a seated coin...and could tell it was an older one.

[attachment 247396 watsonseated4.jpg]

At this point Dave was just as excited as I was...and Phil, Darrel, and Brad are the same way. We don't care who finds it...we are thrilled for each other.

We then had some fun trying to see what date the seated was...so we worked on it a little bit at a time.

[attachment 247397 watsonseated5.jpg]

We finally were able to make out the date of 1856...one of the oldest coins yet from this site!

[attachment 247398 watsonseated6.jpg] [attachment 247399 watsonseated7.jpg]

It was just very special to be able to share the experience with a buddy there from start to finish...from the point of listening to the undug target...to helping me see what the date was after we dug it up.

I know...quite a long and "windy" post for a coin that's so worn it probably isn't worth $5...but the thrills it gave us digging it, examining it, and messing with it for almost 15 minutes before we could finally make out a date...was priceless.

Another day in this hobby that will give me memories I'll never forget...AND gave Herky a few muddy paws to be cleaned before he jumped in the car to head home. He also carries the "proof" on his nose and mouth of helping us dig the hole.

[attachment 247400 watsonseated8.jpg]

 

[JimmyCT]

To me this is what the hunt is all about and like you mention, it's priceless. Glad you had a great time out in the field and have great hunting partners to share the memories with. Super cool coin and wish you guys continued luck in the field. I love your dog Herky he is a great pet and companion. - Jim



I know...quite a long and "windy" post for a coin that's so worn it probably isn't worth $5...but the thrills it gave us digging it, examining it, and messing with it for almost 15 minutes before we could finally make out a date...was priceless.

 

[MNCoinhunter]

Nice old seated dime !

 

[Elton]

I think it is a Great find made by one of the best Minelab users on the forum.... Wow ....... Man I'm lovin that Story, and coin.
Felt like I was standing next to you and Dave.

Think you would have found it without Herky's help Bryce ???. ...........

 

[D&P-OR]

Bryce-----Patsy & I loved your story----GREAT title also! ----Man, Herkey looks like he can FINALLY relax now that the coin has been recovered. ------Congrats.----------Del

 

[ToddWisconsin]

Nice hunt Bryce... Kinda reminds me of hunting with my brother in law ... We both get excited when either of us finds a GOOD one... He had me on Barber halves .. five to zero .. but last year I finally found two ! Just one of those coins that eluded me for many years!

 

[Jeff in Pa]

Nice find Bryce!

 

[niterider_58]

Congratulations Bryce on a super find, if that seated dime could talk can you imagine the stories it could tell from 1856....WOW... Nice hunt you to.

 

[US Marshal]

Great story and photo's, felt like I was right there the whole time next to ol' Herc! Few if any can sniff 'em out deep on edge like you can. Congrats on another nice score

-Matt

 

[Critterhunter]

Bryce, once again I see Herc deserves most of the credit on both finding stuff and helping you write a great story. Trully a priceless story and a priceless coin. What makes the coin priceless is not only the effort of 3, but more importantly the shared experience between all 3.

Often me and my hunting circle of friends compare signals before digging. In fact, we are under direct orders with each other to be called over to check any super deep, masked, or iffy coin hits so we can compare how our machines and coils are doing against each other. All have held their own with each other, by the way, every single time on these checks.

We get great enjoyment out of saying "I think I've got a coin on edge up against some iron here, or a really deep one at fringe depth (for our soil). Let's see if you can wiggle out as good of a hit on it too."

Great way to see if a machine needs a little tweaking for a given site as well, meaning if adjustments might be needed to max out performance, and to also sharpen our skills learning from each other.

I remember one day a friend called me over to check a signal that was nulling for us about halfway around it, then would give a warble like a coin on edge for a certain angle span, and then in the final tight last angle on it would go all "coin" for us. Ended up being a silver quarter on edge, about 8" deep, and standing right up against a piece of iron. Worst of all 3 worlds- depth (for this site's soil, being on edge, and close by masking).

But much more importantly than contrasting/comparing undug signals, then we share in the experience of hearing with our machines and wondering what the possibilities here are, and then watch as it's dug, to see just what that thing turns out to be.

I enjoy that aspect of the hunt more than anything myself, and would rather watch a friend dig 10 silver coins while I get skunked, rather than to hunt alone by myself and not be able to share the experience of discovery. In fact, on many days I'd more in the mood to watch a target get dug by somebody else, and will watch the expression on their face as they find it more than I will what they are actually starting to pull out of the hole. That's priceless to me.

Speaking of which, never forget this one- One day a friend and I were deep in the woods hunting the spine of a ridge, when I came across a really good coin hit out of nowhere. My friend was too far down the ridge spine to call back to sweep the signal so he could see, so I just went ahead and dug it up.

In the bottom of the hole I saw a silver quarter, though I had no idea what kind since I hadn't picked it up or rubbed off the dirt yet. I left the coin and my machine there and hiked down the ridge spine to find my friend and call him back to it, as I had a feeling this could be something special.

I let him do the honors of pulling it out of the hole, and as he did I only watched his face and not the coin. His eyes got huge and he said "NO WAY!" in such a way that I knew we were talking something even a little more special than a Washington, SLQ, or even a Barber.

So I excitedly yelled back "Is it seated?!" And yes, sure enough, I had read him right. Not only that, but it was in mint condition with no signs of wear at all. Around a $1400 coin according to my ten year old coin book on the ride home, but to my dismay I had done the worse and dinged the edge of that coin!

To this day when I think of that day, I don't think of the coin, but rather I think of the excitement on my friend's face as he learned what he was holding in his hand.

Once again, great story my friend. You are the master for sure. Just glad you don't hunt my neck of the woods or I'd always be looking over my shoulder making sure nobody is following me to my favorite "secret" spots. I don't need that kind of Olympic level competition to contend with. Then I'd have to cut out the beer drinking and really put my nose to the grindstone

 

[drkp88]

Great find and great story Bryce. I could feel the excitement you had not only digging it but in relaying the story!
This could be a classic "campfire story"!
Non-hunters just don't get it; it's not about "scrounging for money".
Bruce

 

[teleman2525]

gotta love your stories bryce great reading and hecules the mighty coin dog is way cool very nice find in that one old seated ild call that a good day any day

 

[JW]

I Wish we had coins that old here! WTG Bud!!

 

[zipperhead]

Wow that looks like a really old silver coin and at 10 inches, so those explores are much deeper than the CTX 3030 and some of the other minelab detectors I may have to see about getting one of those I have a etrac right now and I really love it thanks for the pics.

 

[G-Money]

Hey WTG Bryce That is awesome !!!!! Glad you guys got out and hunted before the weather changed !!!!

 

[Gold Nuggets]

The story was great Bryce and a big congrats on the Seated silver.
Gold Nuggets

 

[LFarthing42]

GREAT story and pictures. I love reading your posts and so does my wife and she doesn't like detecting...lol. Thanks for doing what you do...and nice find.

 

[TwoRivers]

A lot of fun and a great hunt..............Old colonial silver is on my agenda for the rest of the year, been a while since I've found a seated coin...Thanks for the great post...

John in Virginia

 

[Coilfisher]

Nice one Bryce.

I have never had any success with "one-way hits." Interesting.

 

[Hawkeye Jim]

Man, that's a nice oldie for sure Bryce and a super recovery!

BTW.......how old is Herky???

Jim