Full Metal Digger
11-14-2012, 06:30 PM
Hey Diggers,
I had a great adventure this last weekend. I met up with Tony Two-Cent (TTC) and we drove from Illinois to Ohio and back (914 miles). MDing the whole way. Our plan was simple...we had no plan! We just started driving and following the old routes looking for old schools, parks, and farm houses. If we saw a place that looked promising we just stopped and started MDing!
The first day we barely made it out of Illinois. We detected at several old schools and sidewalk strips. We both found some nice older coins as well as a ton of modern coins. We finally crossed the state line well after dark and got some dinner and lodging in Vincennes, Indiana.
Day two was sunny and warm with temperatures getting up to the low-70s. We visited a large very old park (Gregg Park) in Vincennes and were very disappointed to not find any coins. I think we both got a modern dime and that was it for 1 hour of MDing. TTC suggested we drive around the old part of town looking for maybe another park. Soon we spotted an old elementary school and decided to try there. Finds were few and far between but we were getting some wheat pennies.
I decided to work the 3-foot wide sidewalk strip in front of the school and found a couple wheat pennies right away. I worked the entire block and just as I got to the end, I got a 12-44 signal at 2 inches deep right next to the curb-stone. Normally, a shallow 12-44 is indicative of a modern penny but since this coin was right up against the stone I figured I'd dig it. What a surprise to see a 1907 Barber dime pop out of the ground! A few minutes later, Tony pulled a silver Roosevelt dime from the middle of the front yard.
We stopped in another town at an old elementary school but it obviously had been hunted quite thoroughly since there were really no coins to be found. I got one wheat penny at 8 inches deep. As I was working the sidewalk strip I spotted something lying right on top of the grass. It was a shiny ring! Turned out to be gold-plated though. >:\ It does have a nice baguette-cut amethyst though (and my wife has already stolen it from my treasure box).
We stopped at several more schools, parks, and even an old house on our way across Indiana but just didn't have much luck.
Day three we woke up in Bloomington to heavy rain, falling temps, and snow flurries. We drove straight through to Ohio to meet Bell2Trac and his lovely wife Diane. They were so warm and cordial and welcomed us into their home. Since the weather was so bad, we spent the afternoon sitting in front of their fireplace talking about MDing and looking at the amazing finds they have made.
Day four was clear and cold. A heavy layer of frost covered my car. We met up with Bell2Trac (his name is Tony also) and followed him to a site where government housing (projects) used to stand. He said before that, there was older homes on the same site. We were able to get 3 hours of MDing in. Lots of folks know about this site so it is heavily hunted. Still, TTC managed to get a buffalo nickel and several wheaties. I got 8 wheaties and a nice 1938-D mercury dime. No no-silver-drive-home-of-shame for me!
All in all it was a great time and I really enjoyed the trip. TTC is a good traveling companion (quiet) and we had a blast meeting our fellow detectorists in Ohio. TTC and I are already talking about doing it again next year!
A special thanks to Tony and Diane for their hospitality. It was a real honor to meet you both and I look forward to meeting you again some day.
I will be posting a video but I have lots of footage to edit through so it will be a couple days. Here's some pics to fill the void until I get the video up. Thanks for looking and HH, Dave.
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0951.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0952.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0958.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0959.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0956.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0957.jpg
I had a great adventure this last weekend. I met up with Tony Two-Cent (TTC) and we drove from Illinois to Ohio and back (914 miles). MDing the whole way. Our plan was simple...we had no plan! We just started driving and following the old routes looking for old schools, parks, and farm houses. If we saw a place that looked promising we just stopped and started MDing!
The first day we barely made it out of Illinois. We detected at several old schools and sidewalk strips. We both found some nice older coins as well as a ton of modern coins. We finally crossed the state line well after dark and got some dinner and lodging in Vincennes, Indiana.
Day two was sunny and warm with temperatures getting up to the low-70s. We visited a large very old park (Gregg Park) in Vincennes and were very disappointed to not find any coins. I think we both got a modern dime and that was it for 1 hour of MDing. TTC suggested we drive around the old part of town looking for maybe another park. Soon we spotted an old elementary school and decided to try there. Finds were few and far between but we were getting some wheat pennies.
I decided to work the 3-foot wide sidewalk strip in front of the school and found a couple wheat pennies right away. I worked the entire block and just as I got to the end, I got a 12-44 signal at 2 inches deep right next to the curb-stone. Normally, a shallow 12-44 is indicative of a modern penny but since this coin was right up against the stone I figured I'd dig it. What a surprise to see a 1907 Barber dime pop out of the ground! A few minutes later, Tony pulled a silver Roosevelt dime from the middle of the front yard.
We stopped in another town at an old elementary school but it obviously had been hunted quite thoroughly since there were really no coins to be found. I got one wheat penny at 8 inches deep. As I was working the sidewalk strip I spotted something lying right on top of the grass. It was a shiny ring! Turned out to be gold-plated though. >:\ It does have a nice baguette-cut amethyst though (and my wife has already stolen it from my treasure box).
We stopped at several more schools, parks, and even an old house on our way across Indiana but just didn't have much luck.
Day three we woke up in Bloomington to heavy rain, falling temps, and snow flurries. We drove straight through to Ohio to meet Bell2Trac and his lovely wife Diane. They were so warm and cordial and welcomed us into their home. Since the weather was so bad, we spent the afternoon sitting in front of their fireplace talking about MDing and looking at the amazing finds they have made.
Day four was clear and cold. A heavy layer of frost covered my car. We met up with Bell2Trac (his name is Tony also) and followed him to a site where government housing (projects) used to stand. He said before that, there was older homes on the same site. We were able to get 3 hours of MDing in. Lots of folks know about this site so it is heavily hunted. Still, TTC managed to get a buffalo nickel and several wheaties. I got 8 wheaties and a nice 1938-D mercury dime. No no-silver-drive-home-of-shame for me!
All in all it was a great time and I really enjoyed the trip. TTC is a good traveling companion (quiet) and we had a blast meeting our fellow detectorists in Ohio. TTC and I are already talking about doing it again next year!
A special thanks to Tony and Diane for their hospitality. It was a real honor to meet you both and I look forward to meeting you again some day.
I will be posting a video but I have lots of footage to edit through so it will be a couple days. Here's some pics to fill the void until I get the video up. Thanks for looking and HH, Dave.
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0951.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0952.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0958.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0959.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0956.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af95/daddydigger1/IMG_0957.jpg