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View Full Version : Return to the Mystery Field and more!



Bell-Two
11-20-2016, 07:51 PM
Trying to take advantage of good weather before the impending cold snap makes things…shall we say…less pleasant we got out for a hunt with the crew. Diane, Doug and I visited a field and despite the numerous signs there was not much there except for my find of a very nice early button with a floral design looks to be the type that were made between 1800-1820. We then revisited another site the one I call the Mystery Field, it was a site that although does not appear on any of the early maps gave up some fantastic goodies. My article on this site was just published in the American Digger Magazine. We found that the farmer had lightly disked the site so we anticipated making some more finds. I made the first find a nice 1861 Fatty Indian and then a flat button. Doug took over from there with first an Indian Head then a Shield Nickel…Diane was scuffling this day and found just a few bits of brass and copper items. Doug then called me again and said he had an Indian and while I was walking over to see it he took a step and swung his coil and heard a tone…looking down there was a Fatty Indian on top of the ground! We hunted a bit then crossed the road to the old school house site where the signals was sparse until I dug a very nice WW1 collar disk. Friday turned out to be the nicest day of the week with temps in the 70’s so Diane and I went out to check out a new site when we got there the farmer was working in the portion of the field we wanted to check so we left so as to not disturb him. We then went to the Mystery Field again. A hour or so there was not giving us much except for a couple of buttons Diane got a nice gilted button with a nice design and I dug another early style button with a diamond shape and a nice pattern. We then moved to another field that has been good to us in the past and we each got a nice item. I got what I have to say was a very odd signal with numbers jumping all over the place…ah but the tone I would get when I narrowed my swing. The best target ID was a 12-15 on the CTX and I was very pleased to dig a Shield Nickel. Just before we left Diane dug a bent brass item that after I straightened it out turned out to be a Hotel Key Tag…”Jones House”. We then moved on to our last stop of the day to a field that we had been at once, a cornfield where the stalks and the ground cover made swinging the coil very difficult. The first time here Diane got an 1889 V-Nickel and I got a Bridle Rosette. This time I got the coin an 1893 Indian and Diane got a Bridle Rosette. As the sun was dipping low we decided to make our way home.


https://youtu.be/iyF0BdXeWco

BTV Digger
11-20-2016, 08:12 PM
Great finds Tony. Congrats on that Shield Nickel - really in great shape for a field dug specimen!

John-

Digger_O'Dell
11-20-2016, 09:40 PM
Wow, lots of great finds! Love that shield nickel and that fatty looks to be in nice shape too! Congrats and well done!

MangoAve
11-21-2016, 10:29 AM
Nice shield nickel and IH, Tony. Grats on the collar disc too. I see the cold snap coming, too, and although I wanted to get out more, I have actually been winding down a bit.

Tony Two-Cent
11-21-2016, 10:39 AM
Great finds, Tony! That Shield Nickel is really sharp, and it is not a common date for a dug example. I like that collar disk too.

:congrats:

OxShoeDrew
11-21-2016, 10:40 AM
So MANY nice finds!! I wish I knew what those minelab vdi numbers meant. Is the back of that collar pin in tact??

Tony Two-Cent
11-21-2016, 10:48 AM
I wish I knew what those minelab vdi numbers meant.

Here's one way to relate Minelab VDI numbers to other machines: Ignore the first number and double the second number. For example, a VDI number of 11-47 on an E-Trac or CTX 3030 is often a silver quarter. Take that 47 number and double it to 94. That is close to the VDI you would get on some non-Minelab machines. Not exact but close.

Lodge Scent
11-21-2016, 10:51 AM
Great hunt with some great buttons.

Bell-Two
11-21-2016, 07:12 PM
So MANY nice finds!! I wish I knew what those minelab vdi numbers meant. Is the back of that collar pin in tact??

No it is gone.

calabash digger
11-21-2016, 08:45 PM
you guys killed it some really nice finds.

Bucknut
11-22-2016, 09:14 AM
I have Shield Nickel envy! Still on my bucket list. Awesome digs guys and gal!

wisconsin digger
11-25-2016, 06:10 PM
Great finds and nice video. Sounds like it was a bit windy that day. Congrats on the Shield WD

aloldstuff
11-26-2016, 02:23 PM
Never dug a shield nickel, never been with anybody who has dug one. Great finds....:thumbsup02:

del
11-26-2016, 03:27 PM
Cool relics and coins as usual Tony , you and Diane out do yourselves ! thanks for sharing :notworthy: