Metal detectors / Treasure hunting

[rex soldier]

Here is a good web site full of info for treasure hunters TreasureNet
and a good book is United States Treasure Atlas Volume 4 . Lots of good stories of lost treasure , Old ghost towns and were Old timers found gold .

 

[selinoid44]

Another quality find!
Found this 8" down in a church yard. Its a 1892 Portugal Reis

and the back

I spend a lot of time looking and finds like this make it all worth the while.

 

[spearheadersarge]

Nice! I'm assuming that it's silver? Have you checked for the value? Just curious?

 

[selinoid44]

I have looked on ebay to see what the 20 reis is going for the highest I saw on there was only $35-buy it now. Silver spot price closed at $27.01 yesterday and I havent had a chance to weigh it yet. Silver has been down for a while. I'm not sure that this coin is silver. Im still researching.

 

[CBR1000rr]

That's a neat find. Finding foreign currency is always my favorite. It always makes me wonder how it came to be where you found it?

I've seen this coin before and I may actually have one somewhere. If I'm not mistaken, it's made of aluminum and should be worth around $10. Again, I don't know what the interweb has to say about it as I haven't looked it up for quite some time.

Again, GREAT find!

 

[rex soldier]

Wounder if missionaries brought it back from there trip ?

I went out yesterday and all i found was a iphone and sun poisoning .

 

[selinoid44]

To heavy for aluminum. I doubt they even knew what aluminum was in 1892. I think its bronze. I also thought probably a missionary probably dropped it.

 

[sepe]

To heavy for aluminum. I doubt they even knew what aluminum was in 1892. I think its bronze. I also thought probably a missionary probably dropped it.

Yup, it is bronze. I couldn't tell from the picture but check to see if there is an A under the 20 reis. The ones with an A are suppose to be a little more rare.

 

[rnmcguire]

I was talking to an older gentleman about a year ago and he brought up the price of gold nowadays. He said he's got a bunch from over 25 years of metal detector use. He said it takes alot of patience of course and that he's dug up a bunch of junk but he's also found alot of jewelry and coinage. I want one someday.

 

[spearheadersarge]

All the good stuff will be all gone by the time I get one!

 

[selinoid44]

All the good stuff will be all gone by the time I get one!

Yeah right, you better just let me have all the goodies.

 

[CBR1000rr]

All the good stuff will be all gone by the time I get one!

The neat thing about metal detecting is that it's highly unlikely for an area to be picked dry. Through the seasons the ground is constantly freezing, thawing and turning. Stuff that's buried too deep to be picked upby a detector this year will be moved towards the surface next year. Then you have people passing up what may be awesome finds because they think it's junk based on their detectors readings. The detector could be out of balance or maybe they are just tired and start getting lazy. I know someone who hits a local park several times a year (along with many other enthusiasts) and he's always finding new and cool stuff.

Just this morning I found a nickel in a hole I dug this past weekend and some how missed it. Had I only dug down another inch I would have found it but I thought I was picking up a residue signal from some rusted iron.

 

[SyntorX]

I hear Griffy Res. is going to be drained for dam work....I may go over there and see what may have fell in the water.

 

[spearheadersarge]

I hear Griffy Res. is going to be drained for dam work....I may go over there and see what may have fell in the water.

That sounds like a promising idea! Who knows what kind of valuables you may find. Keep us posted.

 

[Tydeeh22]

bunch of beer cans and cell phones?

 

[selinoid44]

You may have to get a permit. I know Salomonie and most State Parks have regs you have to follow...

 

[UNRWhitey]

I have one . Only thing I have found is a dime 1940.

 

[Papa]

I use mine to pick up my brass in the grass... lol Sometimes lost screws or nails in the driveway...

 

[PhilB]

I have been involved in the hobby of metal detecting for many years. My favorite places to detect are old home sites only found by using plat maps from the 1800's. Most of these sites are in corn or bean fields. I don't have photos of many of my finds but I've got literally bags of old coins. I sold off most of the damaged gold and silver jewelry I've found and my wife or DIL has kept the nicer stuff. Here are a few of the coins I have photos of...

The last photo is a general service Civil War button. I've found many of these over the years. Just like the shooting hobby, metal detecting requires a major investment of time and practice if you want to do well. Buying a metal detector and thinking you will instantly be finding great things is like buying your first gun and expecting to hit the X ring every time. It is a very rewarding hobby especially when you can find a long lost ring or piece of jewelry for someone. Once I found a wedding ring lost in a semi-trailer full of shelled corn for a very grateful farmer. I even got called by a local veternarian to find an expensive clamp of some kind that he used when castrating horses. A horse dislodged it in a large stall covered in a foot of straw and the only other way to find it was pay someone to clean the stall out by hand. I enjoy metal detecting as much as I do shooting and re-loading.

 

[gunman41mag]

must be nice to have time too look for lost treasures