angellionel
01-07-2010, 04:56 PM
It has been only during the past five years that I have kept track of the silver coins I have found and, with the exception of 2008, when I had to limit my detecting time, I managed 100+ silver coins in each of those years.
2005 - 162
2006 - 155
2007 - 118
2008 - 32
I was quite pleased with my results, but they certainly do pale in comparison to what 2009 had in store for me. One thing is certain - I more than made up for 2008.
Here's a quick summary of my results during 2009. I did not keep count of the number of wheat cents, clad coins, and other interesting finds I made during the year.
Silver Coins - 447
Silver Rings - 33
Coppers - 16
Indian Head Cents - 67
The following is a review of several of the finds I made each month during 2009 along with a selection of photos. Much of it may be repetitive to some, since I did draw on what I had already posted throughout the year, but I have included additional information as well.
This will be part one of two posts. This first post covers March through July, and part two will cover August through December.
Part Two can be viewed here (http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?552-2009-Redux-Part-Two).
MARCH 2009
10 SILVER COINS - 1 SILVER RING - 1 COPPER - 3 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
My first time out last year was on March 14th, when I took my DFX to a wooded site located by one of the local rivers. In years past the site had yielded several old silver coins, which included half dollars and Barber coins, so I was looking forward to starting my first trip of the year by scoring with a silver piece or two. I didn't do bad that first time out. There were enough targets to keep my interest, and I had a few nice coins by the time I had to leave.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/031409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_031409.jpg
During this time in early March Angie (Epi-hunter) had loaned me her Explorer SE to try it out and see what I thought of it. I did some reading on settings and how other experienced detectorists worked their machine and was now ready to try it out at one of my favorite locations, a meadow. I knew it would be a challenge to work and learn using the SE, but I was also sure the effort would be well worth it.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_031509.jpg
[COLOR=black]The first time out with the SE felt as if I were riding a wild horse I needed to tame - the tones were something else! Oh, it was no problem finding shallow targets, but I was primarily interested in learning what the SE was telling me when sweeping over deep targets as well as trash. I dug plenty that first day, but the education was worth it.
I experimented with different settings in an attempt to come up with something I could have as a base, and then make changes on the fly as needed. Initially I thought the display would end up being a distraction, but it actually proved invaluable in identifying targets when used in combination with the tones.
I did not find any silver that first day other than a wartime silver nickel, but I did dig up a corroded large cent, two old wheat cents, an Indian Head cent, and an old button.
I enjoyed using the SE and would not hesitate to use it at anytime. The following several weeks I spent with the SE would set the stage for my experience with the E-Trac later in the year.
Below are the finds I made on that first day, along with a photo of the meadow.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_031509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/031509.jpg
I soon returned to the meadow and this time I did score with two Barber dimes, both dated 1914, though I missed one when taking the photo. I think it was mixed in somewhere in the pile.
Later in the week I was eager to try out the SE at another favorite spot, 'merc city', a site that has produced plenty of deep silver in past hunts. I was able to coax five silver coins from the ground, along with a silver ring and several wheat cents. The Barber half made for a very pleasant find.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_032109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/finds_032809.jpg
APRIL 2009
18 SILVER COINS - 2 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER - 3 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
Working the meadow on another trip yielded me an oldie, an 1892 Barber quarter. At another site, seen in the next photo, I managed two silver coins, a 1929 standing liberty quarter and a 1945 Washington quarter. Surprisingly, the coins were no deeper than an inch or two.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/041109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1892_Barber_quarter_041009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Quarters_041109.jpg
This particular site, which has produced several large cents in addition to old silver, is a favorite retreat. It is quiet, away from the roads, and a pleasure to hunt, even when nothing is found. I was not going home empty on this day though. The SE proved to be a silver magnet once again.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/041509_01.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/dimes_041509.jpg
By now Angie must have been wondering if she would ever see her Explorer SE again. I would not have blamed her; the SE was rapidly becoming fused to my arm, and after this day it would require surgery to remove it.
The old tree has held many coins and several gold pieces under its embrace for many years. A friend of mine has worked the area repeatedly over the years, finding some very nice pieces, but he still left a few behind.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/01_041809.jpg
Not far from the large tree I managed a 1895-S Barber half and then a colonial coin under another tree. Later I picked up two mercury dimes at a small park located just a few miles from the above location.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/02_coins_041809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Dimes_041809.jpg
Here are the silver coins found with the Explorer SE up to April 19th. There is no doubt about it, the SE is a very capable machine, albeit one requiring patience and a tolerance of its many tones.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Silver_Found_With_SE.jpg
The silver streak continues, this time at a park located at small Connecticut town. I had been there with a friend a while back and we managed to dig up several old coins. Although I was expecting to find a silver dime or two I certainly was not expecting to find any of the larger type silver, so the walking liberty half was a nice surprise. I was hoping for a seated or Barber dime as in the last time I had been there, but the mercury dimes were as much fun to find.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Finds_042609.jpg
MAY 2009
52 SILVER COINS - 1 SILVER RING - 27 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
Another small park, but closer to home. The Sovereign GT had managed some nice coins from it so I wanted to see how well the SE would perform at this somewhat trashy site. I jumped from one area to another, just getting a feel of the place, and managed two mercury dimes, a 14kt wedding band, and several wheat cents.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/mercs_050209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/goldring_050209.jpg
The following day I took the SE to a park that had yielded old coins in past years. Selecting an area closer to the fence surrounding the park I proceeded to work a grid and picked up seven silver dimes along with several old wheat cents and Indian Head cents.
One of the holes had a nice coin spill of eight coins. After digging a hole about 8 inches deep I made use of the probe to locate what I thought would be a single coin. The target was dead center so I dug some more making sure to slip the blade at an angle away from the possible silver coin so as not to scratch it. At about the 10 inch mark I saw the glint of silver and picked up the coin - a 1903 Barber dime. It had a greenish tint on it, indicative of its being in close proximity to another object, such as a copper cent. I dug some more, then an Indian Head cent came out, then a wheat, then a mercury dime, another Indian Head, and finally three more wheat cents... a total of eight coins - two silver dimes, two Indian Head cents and four wheat cents.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coinspill_050309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_050309.jpg
Many of the parks I frequent have been cherry-picked to death, taking a bite out of the larger coins. At least there are still silver dimes to be found at such places.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins050909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins051009.jpg
Among my finds during May was a very nice 1837 seated dime, the first year of mint. It is in great condition, but it is slightly bent. It was no more than three inches deep in rocky soil, but the signal could easily have been missed due to the trash and rusted iron at that location. A slow sweep did the trick. The 1876 Seated is quite worn, but a pleasant find even so. The pile consists of twenty wheat cents, mostly dated between 1910 and 1918, five Indian Head cents dated 1895, 1904, 1905, 1907 and 1908, and the rest silver.
On my next trip out I left the Explorer SE at home, taking my new E-Trac instead. It did not disappoint. First time out with it and I hit on silver, finding an 1877-S seated dime and a 1898 Barber half.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_051709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins051909.jpg
During May I met up with Epi-hunter (Angie) for some detecting. We hit two parks, one local and one some 60 miles from my location. We had hoped to hit on some seated coins, since the two parks had produced such in the past, but not this time.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Angie_052209.jpg
They did yield other silver coins however, so we couldn't complain. The second park we worked is small, but it would have been a mistake to rush it, not because the targets were deep, though many were, but because of the amount of trash concentrated throughout the park. We visited the site again some months later, and we did much better then.
Here is Angie working the V3 she had at the time, and while digging a silver quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Angie_B_052209.jpg
While working one park I managed ten Indian Head cents and thirty old wheat cents, just about all dated in the teens.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/indianheads_052109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/wheats_052109.jpg
Detecting with my E-Trac for a couple of hours after work scored me with some silver and several wheat cents. The old Canadian silver dime was a nice surprise.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins052709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins052809.jpg
I am mostly a coinshooter, but I do enjoy finding old buttons and other items of historical value. Old pocket watches, like the one below, make for neat finds. I did dig up a few during 2009. The best pocket watch I have found is a small gold piece I dug up back in 2005.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pocketwatch_052909.jpg
I hit a few parks the last two days of May and walked away with ten more silver coins to add to my collection. The best one is the 1888 seated dime, which is finely detailed as well as having a nice marbled look to it.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_053009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_053109.jpg
JUNE 2009
45 SILVER COINS - 3 SILVER RINGS - 5 COPPERS - 6 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
The first day of June I hit a site I had until now ignored, since I had been concentrating on other locations. The area I worked is a slope facing the road. It is a relatively small area, yet it yielded five silver dimes, several wheat cents, clad coins, as well as a badly corroded Colonial coin. I picked up the silver shown in the other photo the next two days out.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_060109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_06_02_03_09.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1851largecent_060409.jpg
I spent a few hours at a local park after work hoping to score a few old coins, though I was not expecting to find a large cent at this park since it has been heavily cherry-picked. The E-Trac 'sang' as I swept the coil over the target. I thought it would be a silver quarter, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice 1851 large cent come out of the ground. I did pick up silver as well, a 1914 Barber dime and a 1944 mercury dime.
On my way to detect at a small park I had the impulse to change directions and head to another park I was passing on the way. It was drizzling lightly and I wanted to take advantage of the cover the many trees there offered while allowing me to detect the ground near them. I had intended to remain for a short time and then continue on to my original destination once it stopped raining, but I stayed put once I started to pick up a few old wheat cents. It worked out well as I managed three more silver dimes, two mercs and one Roosevelt. I did head to my original destination the next day, and dug up three silver Roosevelt dimes.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_060509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_060609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1892S_barberdime_060709.jpg
I had been tempted to head out to the beach but went to a local park instead, one I have never been to despite its being fairly close to where I live. I was there 15 minutes or so when I hit my first nice target, somewhat deep and with the right tone. I was pleased to see that it was a Barber dime, but even more so to see the date - 1892-S, a semi-key date, with mintage of 990,710.
Trips to a few small parks during the week after work yielded me several silver coins. The 1940 mercury dime shown on the first photo is slightly bent.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_060909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_061009.jpg
Three parks in one day yielded me two mercury dimes, both dated 1917, a 1876-CC Seated dime, and a 1912 Barber dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_061309A.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_061309B.jpg
I drove to a site I had spotted while doing some research, walking around a bit once there in order to make sure it was public property. It was. The site has several trails heading into the woods, and I did work some of it for a while but did not find much. Then I began to work the area by the road, which is mostly overgrown with weeds and grass, but it was there where I hit on two nice old coins, a George II 1752 halfpenny and a 1810 large cent.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1752colonialcoin_062009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1810LC_062009.jpg
After detecting the site for a while longer I decided to drive up to a small park located only a few miles from where I was. I didn't stay very long, but I did pick up two Barber dimes while there. The silver ring is from the prior day, when I had hit a school yard.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_062009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_ring_061909.jpg
Bruce (bmattioli) and I got together to hit a park in Hartford, hoping to score with a few old coins. It was a beautiful day - sunny with a light breeze. The park we worked is incredibly trashy around the large trees found there - crown caps were evident all over the place - but that's the area we elected to work. The first two photos are of my silver from that day and Bruce with his DFX.
While working the first park I had concentrated my efforts around two of the large trees found there and managed an Indian Head cent and a 1724 Hibernia. It is in poor shape though. I also dug up a few silver coins from that park before we headed to another site where I picked up a few more silver pieces.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_062809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/bruce_062809.jpg
Here's the 1724 Hibernia. The worn out Spanish Reale is from a hunt a few days earlier.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_062809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/reale_062409.jpg
JULY 2009
64 SILVER COINS - 3 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER - 19 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
I had a good start the first day of July, picking up three silver dimes, a 1911 Barber dime and two mercs, dated 1919-S and 1943. However, the best was yet to come.
Angie (Epi-hunter) had been planning a few day's vacation to the East Coast during the July 4th holiday weekend, so I suggested we get together for a day or two to go detecting at the park we had worked the last time she had been in the New England area. Here we are, busy working that park.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_Angel_070509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_Angie_070509.jpg
Angie had her new E-Trac, and this particular park would be ideal for testing its capabilities. She was pleased with the results as she picked up several beautiful old silver coins, as well as wheat cents, Indian Head cents, and two sterling silver rings. Here are her finds. The 1854 half dime is a beauty and a rare variety - base overlapping the date.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_Angie_silver_070509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_Angie_finds_070509.jpg
The following is the silver I picked up on that holiday weekend. Only one of the coins has a mint mark, a seated dime, dated 1876-CC. The 1853 seated quarter was part of a coin spill. It was in the hole with three Indian Head cents, dated 1879, 1881, and 1887.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_silver_070509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_coinspill_070509.jpg
The quarter had one of the Indian Head cents on it, leaving a greenish circular mark. The second photo is of the old Chinese coin I found that same day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_seatedquarter_070509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_chinesecoin_070509.jpg
I also found a total of eighteen Indian Head cents, dated 1879, 1880, 1881, 1887, 1887, 1893, 1897, 1901, 1901, 1901, 1902, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1904, 1904, 1906 and 1908, and 50 old wheat cents, mostly dated in the teens, the oldest dated 1909.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_18_indianheads_070509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_50_wheats_070509.jpg
Later that week I headed out to detect at a Connecticut park. I selected a relatively small section and worked it slowly while using a grid. The effort paid off, as I managed to dig up 9 silver coins, 12 wheat cents and some neat relics.
A WWI US Army infantry Collar Insignia and a pin. The lower part has the words For Production.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/infantrycollardisk_070609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pin_070609.jpg
The silver coins, mostly mercury dimes. The second photo is of finds I made two days later while working another park.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_070609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_070809.jpg
The July 11th weekend was a good one. That Saturday I took a long drive to a park I had on my list but had not yet detected. I felt it would hold some keepers given its history. It was slow going at first, but then I hit a flat area near a group of large trees and began to pick up a few nice coins. The copper is completely worn on one side and I can barely make out an outline on the other, but it's still a good find.
On Sunday I remained closer to home, opting to detect at a park I had recently hit. Before arriving at the site I had made up my mind to grid a section of the park and work it slowly. It can get tedious, but it sure pays off. I dug up plenty of trash, but I also managed to pull nine silver coins.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_071109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_071209.jpg
During the week I made a few trips to local parks and dug up three silver dimes and a sterling silver religious pendant. Then on that Saturday I headed to another park and found four silver coins as well as several old wheat cents.
That Sunday turned out to be a great detecting day too, as I managed to find a total of 15 silver coins, three Washington quarters, dated 1941, 1941 and 1962-D, five Roosevelt dimes, dated 1946, 1947, 1952, 1954-D and 1960-D, and seven mercury dimes, dated 1918-S, 1923, 1925, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1945.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_071809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_071909.jpg
The last finds of July, a 1928 Buffalo nickel, a 1943-S wartime silver nickel, and three mercury dimes, dated 1920, 1920, and 1943.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/nickels_072409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_072509.jpg
By this point I had found 189 silver coins. The second half of the year would be just as exciting and with many more silver coins yet to be discovered.
2005 - 162
2006 - 155
2007 - 118
2008 - 32
I was quite pleased with my results, but they certainly do pale in comparison to what 2009 had in store for me. One thing is certain - I more than made up for 2008.
Here's a quick summary of my results during 2009. I did not keep count of the number of wheat cents, clad coins, and other interesting finds I made during the year.
Silver Coins - 447
Silver Rings - 33
Coppers - 16
Indian Head Cents - 67
The following is a review of several of the finds I made each month during 2009 along with a selection of photos. Much of it may be repetitive to some, since I did draw on what I had already posted throughout the year, but I have included additional information as well.
This will be part one of two posts. This first post covers March through July, and part two will cover August through December.
Part Two can be viewed here (http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?552-2009-Redux-Part-Two).
MARCH 2009
10 SILVER COINS - 1 SILVER RING - 1 COPPER - 3 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
My first time out last year was on March 14th, when I took my DFX to a wooded site located by one of the local rivers. In years past the site had yielded several old silver coins, which included half dollars and Barber coins, so I was looking forward to starting my first trip of the year by scoring with a silver piece or two. I didn't do bad that first time out. There were enough targets to keep my interest, and I had a few nice coins by the time I had to leave.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/031409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_031409.jpg
During this time in early March Angie (Epi-hunter) had loaned me her Explorer SE to try it out and see what I thought of it. I did some reading on settings and how other experienced detectorists worked their machine and was now ready to try it out at one of my favorite locations, a meadow. I knew it would be a challenge to work and learn using the SE, but I was also sure the effort would be well worth it.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_031509.jpg
[COLOR=black]The first time out with the SE felt as if I were riding a wild horse I needed to tame - the tones were something else! Oh, it was no problem finding shallow targets, but I was primarily interested in learning what the SE was telling me when sweeping over deep targets as well as trash. I dug plenty that first day, but the education was worth it.
I experimented with different settings in an attempt to come up with something I could have as a base, and then make changes on the fly as needed. Initially I thought the display would end up being a distraction, but it actually proved invaluable in identifying targets when used in combination with the tones.
I did not find any silver that first day other than a wartime silver nickel, but I did dig up a corroded large cent, two old wheat cents, an Indian Head cent, and an old button.
I enjoyed using the SE and would not hesitate to use it at anytime. The following several weeks I spent with the SE would set the stage for my experience with the E-Trac later in the year.
Below are the finds I made on that first day, along with a photo of the meadow.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_031509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/031509.jpg
I soon returned to the meadow and this time I did score with two Barber dimes, both dated 1914, though I missed one when taking the photo. I think it was mixed in somewhere in the pile.
Later in the week I was eager to try out the SE at another favorite spot, 'merc city', a site that has produced plenty of deep silver in past hunts. I was able to coax five silver coins from the ground, along with a silver ring and several wheat cents. The Barber half made for a very pleasant find.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_032109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/finds_032809.jpg
APRIL 2009
18 SILVER COINS - 2 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER - 3 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
Working the meadow on another trip yielded me an oldie, an 1892 Barber quarter. At another site, seen in the next photo, I managed two silver coins, a 1929 standing liberty quarter and a 1945 Washington quarter. Surprisingly, the coins were no deeper than an inch or two.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/041109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1892_Barber_quarter_041009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Quarters_041109.jpg
This particular site, which has produced several large cents in addition to old silver, is a favorite retreat. It is quiet, away from the roads, and a pleasure to hunt, even when nothing is found. I was not going home empty on this day though. The SE proved to be a silver magnet once again.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/041509_01.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/dimes_041509.jpg
By now Angie must have been wondering if she would ever see her Explorer SE again. I would not have blamed her; the SE was rapidly becoming fused to my arm, and after this day it would require surgery to remove it.
The old tree has held many coins and several gold pieces under its embrace for many years. A friend of mine has worked the area repeatedly over the years, finding some very nice pieces, but he still left a few behind.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/01_041809.jpg
Not far from the large tree I managed a 1895-S Barber half and then a colonial coin under another tree. Later I picked up two mercury dimes at a small park located just a few miles from the above location.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/02_coins_041809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Dimes_041809.jpg
Here are the silver coins found with the Explorer SE up to April 19th. There is no doubt about it, the SE is a very capable machine, albeit one requiring patience and a tolerance of its many tones.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Silver_Found_With_SE.jpg
The silver streak continues, this time at a park located at small Connecticut town. I had been there with a friend a while back and we managed to dig up several old coins. Although I was expecting to find a silver dime or two I certainly was not expecting to find any of the larger type silver, so the walking liberty half was a nice surprise. I was hoping for a seated or Barber dime as in the last time I had been there, but the mercury dimes were as much fun to find.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Finds_042609.jpg
MAY 2009
52 SILVER COINS - 1 SILVER RING - 27 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
Another small park, but closer to home. The Sovereign GT had managed some nice coins from it so I wanted to see how well the SE would perform at this somewhat trashy site. I jumped from one area to another, just getting a feel of the place, and managed two mercury dimes, a 14kt wedding band, and several wheat cents.
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The following day I took the SE to a park that had yielded old coins in past years. Selecting an area closer to the fence surrounding the park I proceeded to work a grid and picked up seven silver dimes along with several old wheat cents and Indian Head cents.
One of the holes had a nice coin spill of eight coins. After digging a hole about 8 inches deep I made use of the probe to locate what I thought would be a single coin. The target was dead center so I dug some more making sure to slip the blade at an angle away from the possible silver coin so as not to scratch it. At about the 10 inch mark I saw the glint of silver and picked up the coin - a 1903 Barber dime. It had a greenish tint on it, indicative of its being in close proximity to another object, such as a copper cent. I dug some more, then an Indian Head cent came out, then a wheat, then a mercury dime, another Indian Head, and finally three more wheat cents... a total of eight coins - two silver dimes, two Indian Head cents and four wheat cents.
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http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_050309.jpg
Many of the parks I frequent have been cherry-picked to death, taking a bite out of the larger coins. At least there are still silver dimes to be found at such places.
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Among my finds during May was a very nice 1837 seated dime, the first year of mint. It is in great condition, but it is slightly bent. It was no more than three inches deep in rocky soil, but the signal could easily have been missed due to the trash and rusted iron at that location. A slow sweep did the trick. The 1876 Seated is quite worn, but a pleasant find even so. The pile consists of twenty wheat cents, mostly dated between 1910 and 1918, five Indian Head cents dated 1895, 1904, 1905, 1907 and 1908, and the rest silver.
On my next trip out I left the Explorer SE at home, taking my new E-Trac instead. It did not disappoint. First time out with it and I hit on silver, finding an 1877-S seated dime and a 1898 Barber half.
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During May I met up with Epi-hunter (Angie) for some detecting. We hit two parks, one local and one some 60 miles from my location. We had hoped to hit on some seated coins, since the two parks had produced such in the past, but not this time.
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They did yield other silver coins however, so we couldn't complain. The second park we worked is small, but it would have been a mistake to rush it, not because the targets were deep, though many were, but because of the amount of trash concentrated throughout the park. We visited the site again some months later, and we did much better then.
Here is Angie working the V3 she had at the time, and while digging a silver quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/Angie_B_052209.jpg
While working one park I managed ten Indian Head cents and thirty old wheat cents, just about all dated in the teens.
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Detecting with my E-Trac for a couple of hours after work scored me with some silver and several wheat cents. The old Canadian silver dime was a nice surprise.
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I am mostly a coinshooter, but I do enjoy finding old buttons and other items of historical value. Old pocket watches, like the one below, make for neat finds. I did dig up a few during 2009. The best pocket watch I have found is a small gold piece I dug up back in 2005.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pocketwatch_052909.jpg
I hit a few parks the last two days of May and walked away with ten more silver coins to add to my collection. The best one is the 1888 seated dime, which is finely detailed as well as having a nice marbled look to it.
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JUNE 2009
45 SILVER COINS - 3 SILVER RINGS - 5 COPPERS - 6 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
The first day of June I hit a site I had until now ignored, since I had been concentrating on other locations. The area I worked is a slope facing the road. It is a relatively small area, yet it yielded five silver dimes, several wheat cents, clad coins, as well as a badly corroded Colonial coin. I picked up the silver shown in the other photo the next two days out.
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I spent a few hours at a local park after work hoping to score a few old coins, though I was not expecting to find a large cent at this park since it has been heavily cherry-picked. The E-Trac 'sang' as I swept the coil over the target. I thought it would be a silver quarter, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice 1851 large cent come out of the ground. I did pick up silver as well, a 1914 Barber dime and a 1944 mercury dime.
On my way to detect at a small park I had the impulse to change directions and head to another park I was passing on the way. It was drizzling lightly and I wanted to take advantage of the cover the many trees there offered while allowing me to detect the ground near them. I had intended to remain for a short time and then continue on to my original destination once it stopped raining, but I stayed put once I started to pick up a few old wheat cents. It worked out well as I managed three more silver dimes, two mercs and one Roosevelt. I did head to my original destination the next day, and dug up three silver Roosevelt dimes.
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I had been tempted to head out to the beach but went to a local park instead, one I have never been to despite its being fairly close to where I live. I was there 15 minutes or so when I hit my first nice target, somewhat deep and with the right tone. I was pleased to see that it was a Barber dime, but even more so to see the date - 1892-S, a semi-key date, with mintage of 990,710.
Trips to a few small parks during the week after work yielded me several silver coins. The 1940 mercury dime shown on the first photo is slightly bent.
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Three parks in one day yielded me two mercury dimes, both dated 1917, a 1876-CC Seated dime, and a 1912 Barber dime.
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I drove to a site I had spotted while doing some research, walking around a bit once there in order to make sure it was public property. It was. The site has several trails heading into the woods, and I did work some of it for a while but did not find much. Then I began to work the area by the road, which is mostly overgrown with weeds and grass, but it was there where I hit on two nice old coins, a George II 1752 halfpenny and a 1810 large cent.
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After detecting the site for a while longer I decided to drive up to a small park located only a few miles from where I was. I didn't stay very long, but I did pick up two Barber dimes while there. The silver ring is from the prior day, when I had hit a school yard.
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Bruce (bmattioli) and I got together to hit a park in Hartford, hoping to score with a few old coins. It was a beautiful day - sunny with a light breeze. The park we worked is incredibly trashy around the large trees found there - crown caps were evident all over the place - but that's the area we elected to work. The first two photos are of my silver from that day and Bruce with his DFX.
While working the first park I had concentrated my efforts around two of the large trees found there and managed an Indian Head cent and a 1724 Hibernia. It is in poor shape though. I also dug up a few silver coins from that park before we headed to another site where I picked up a few more silver pieces.
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http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/bruce_062809.jpg
Here's the 1724 Hibernia. The worn out Spanish Reale is from a hunt a few days earlier.
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JULY 2009
64 SILVER COINS - 3 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER - 19 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
I had a good start the first day of July, picking up three silver dimes, a 1911 Barber dime and two mercs, dated 1919-S and 1943. However, the best was yet to come.
Angie (Epi-hunter) had been planning a few day's vacation to the East Coast during the July 4th holiday weekend, so I suggested we get together for a day or two to go detecting at the park we had worked the last time she had been in the New England area. Here we are, busy working that park.
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Angie had her new E-Trac, and this particular park would be ideal for testing its capabilities. She was pleased with the results as she picked up several beautiful old silver coins, as well as wheat cents, Indian Head cents, and two sterling silver rings. Here are her finds. The 1854 half dime is a beauty and a rare variety - base overlapping the date.
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http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/TDV_Angie_finds_070509.jpg
The following is the silver I picked up on that holiday weekend. Only one of the coins has a mint mark, a seated dime, dated 1876-CC. The 1853 seated quarter was part of a coin spill. It was in the hole with three Indian Head cents, dated 1879, 1881, and 1887.
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The quarter had one of the Indian Head cents on it, leaving a greenish circular mark. The second photo is of the old Chinese coin I found that same day.
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I also found a total of eighteen Indian Head cents, dated 1879, 1880, 1881, 1887, 1887, 1893, 1897, 1901, 1901, 1901, 1902, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1904, 1904, 1906 and 1908, and 50 old wheat cents, mostly dated in the teens, the oldest dated 1909.
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Later that week I headed out to detect at a Connecticut park. I selected a relatively small section and worked it slowly while using a grid. The effort paid off, as I managed to dig up 9 silver coins, 12 wheat cents and some neat relics.
A WWI US Army infantry Collar Insignia and a pin. The lower part has the words For Production.
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http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pin_070609.jpg
The silver coins, mostly mercury dimes. The second photo is of finds I made two days later while working another park.
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The July 11th weekend was a good one. That Saturday I took a long drive to a park I had on my list but had not yet detected. I felt it would hold some keepers given its history. It was slow going at first, but then I hit a flat area near a group of large trees and began to pick up a few nice coins. The copper is completely worn on one side and I can barely make out an outline on the other, but it's still a good find.
On Sunday I remained closer to home, opting to detect at a park I had recently hit. Before arriving at the site I had made up my mind to grid a section of the park and work it slowly. It can get tedious, but it sure pays off. I dug up plenty of trash, but I also managed to pull nine silver coins.
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During the week I made a few trips to local parks and dug up three silver dimes and a sterling silver religious pendant. Then on that Saturday I headed to another park and found four silver coins as well as several old wheat cents.
That Sunday turned out to be a great detecting day too, as I managed to find a total of 15 silver coins, three Washington quarters, dated 1941, 1941 and 1962-D, five Roosevelt dimes, dated 1946, 1947, 1952, 1954-D and 1960-D, and seven mercury dimes, dated 1918-S, 1923, 1925, 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1945.
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The last finds of July, a 1928 Buffalo nickel, a 1943-S wartime silver nickel, and three mercury dimes, dated 1920, 1920, and 1943.
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By this point I had found 189 silver coins. The second half of the year would be just as exciting and with many more silver coins yet to be discovered.