Shielded in the Dark

[Ill Digger]

Hey all :groovy:
I'm way behind in posting any finds I've been makin'. I've been getting out for an hour or so before and after work. The thing about getting off work at 9:30 at night the parks are closed and nobody wants you in their yards :confused: But that ain't stoppin' me! \:hammer: lol
I've been huntin' the cornfields in the dark with a head lamp thumbsup01 lol The finds aren't abundant but... :dontknow:
One nite last week I found a 1864 IH.
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx310/IllDigger/Metal%20Detectin%202012/IMG_1490.jpg

The next nite I went back to that field. I hunted till almost 1:30a.m. :crazy: lol Finally accepting defeat I headed back to my truck \:[ But... just before I got to the ditch were my truck was parked. Amongst the constant grunt of the two tone ferrous grunting I made out a little chirp. After swing in a few different directions and still getting a semi constant chirp I said Please |:confused:) :angelic: ! Anything but another nail. :rolleyes:
It turns out to be part of a vintage John Deer pin. thumbsup01
Here it is next to the IH I found the night before. (For size reference.)
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx310/IllDigger/Metal%20Detectin%202012/IMG_1491.jpg

I assumed it was a John Deer pin the next morning when I cleaned it off. But any doubt was erased when I seen this. thumbsup01
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx310/IllDigger/Metal%20Detectin%202012/IMG_1493.jpg

Over the weekend we hunted a park Saturday for a couple of hours and was able to grab a couple of Mercs and 4 wheaties. (Wheaties not pictured \:hammer:)
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx310/IllDigger/Metal%20Detectin%202012/IMG_1492.jpg

Sunday we knocked on a door. Hunted for a couple of hours there and grabbed another Merc and a couple of wheaties. (Wheaties pictured lol)
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx310/IllDigger/Metal%20Detectin%202012/IMG_1494.jpg

But last night after work in complete darkness I went to one of my 1800's church/ cornfield sites to hunt for a couple of hours. As far as finds go's this site has been a tuffy. Lots of Iron (I think the church was burned down) :hairpulling: But I know it won't be long and the crops will be in and I'll be out...till fall lol
So I went back to site #2. Again amongst all the iron I get a chirp :huh: as I swing forward the chirp turns into a full blown BING, BING, BING :drool: The display was showing a solid 11-13, 10-12 darn near on the surface :shocked01:. Here I have dug up a couple of older style, not &quot:daydream:ld Style....well maybe...pull tabs :dontknow: but anyway lol I was saying If it really is a nickle it should be a oldie. And it was! <:
My second Shied Nickle of the year thumbsup01 I can't really make out the date.... as usual :rolleyes:. It kinda looks like a 1869 to me? :dontknow: What do you guys and gals think it looks like? :->
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx310/IllDigger/Metal%20Detectin%202012/4-3-12shieldnickle.jpg

Of course the back is in great shape thumbsup01 8/ lol
http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx310/IllDigger/Metal%20Detectin%202012/4-3-12shieldnicklereverse.jpg

I've found a few other items too of course. But This is the best of the best from the last couple of weeks.
Thanks for lookin' & HH everyone! :grin:

[Tony Two-Cent]

Very nice finds there, Tim! That 1864 Indian Head looks like it was dropped the day it was minted! (No L on it?) That's a beautiful coin!

I also love the Shield Nickel! I still have nevver found one. crying01 I'm not sure about the date, you might be correct at 1869.

I'm glad the coyotes didn't get you in the dark and that you were able to find some nice keepers! lol

Congrats! <:

[aloldstuff]

Whats that guy doing out there in the middle of a cornfield in the middle of the night. Throw a net over him. Glad to see that you are getting out and making some great finds. As with Tony I also don't have a shield nickel yet. Congrats on all your keepers, especially like that 1864 IH, shes a beauty

[CODY]

Hey Tim, don't let the children get you! :shocked04: And watch out for shoeless Joe! :shocked03: Great finds! I also have yet to find a Shield. One day. Congrats! thumbsup01

[del]

pretty silver Tim , the shield nickle is in better than usual shape for them comming out of the ground . i agree it looks like a 69 .

Dan

[Cheap Thrills]

Awesome Tim !! :clapping: |:cheering:

[Toadman]

Great hunt there...... :perfect10: :perfect10: :perfect10: Love them shield nickles :happydance01: :happydance01: :happydance01: :happydance01:

[skribnodsister]

Nice finds Tim |:cheering: The IH is in awesome shape for coming out of the cornfields! :perfect10: The John Deer Pin is really Cool! Shoot I have a hard time finding things in the daytime and your out finding lots of goodies in the dark! Huge Congrats :perfect10: :perfect10:

[jkress]

<: <: <:

It's good to see you posting your great finds. :clapping: Not quite sure I'd be all for the late night corn field hunts....
but I'm definitely up for seeing some classic 'Ill Digger' finds. :peace:

Love the silver and especially the Shield... but the JD piece is an awesome recovery. Any date on it?

[DennisH]

Those are some great old coins. Does the 64 INdian have a L?

(ps makes me glad of my first shifht job.)

[Bell-Two]

Another way to tell if the 1864 is an L, which is for the designer Longacre is to look at the point of the bust if it is sharp as opposed to being more rounded is another tell on this coin.

[milco]

Great finds! The John Deere is an awesome find and probably quite valuable, as John Deere collectibles are always desirable.

[Ill Digger]

Very nice finds there, Tim! That 1864 Indian Head looks like it was dropped the day it was minted! (No L on it?) That's a beautiful coin!
Thanks Tony! Nope. No L on this one. :dontknow: Oh, well. 8/ It's one I needed for my IH book! thumbsup01



Whats that guy doing out there in the middle of a cornfield in the middle of the night. Throw a net over him.
:huh: Funny you should say that. In the field were I found the IH , one night I found a BIG pin that fell off of, or came off of a farming tractor in the field. It was lost in the last couple of farming seasons. It was still pretty shinny and had bright green paint on it. The very next day I stopped by the farmers house and gave it to his wife to give to him. While I was there I told her about my crazy work scedule and asked her if they minded if I stopped after work and hunted the field. She said Absolutely! No problem! Two nights later I stopped by the field to do some swinging (the night I found the JD pin) and this car comes racing down the road and pulls over and this guy jumps out, flashing a LED flashlight at me and starts screaming out into the field were I was standing. Who are you!? Whats your name? You ain't suppose to be here. Pointing, I said My name is Tim,I have permission from the land owners that live right in that house. I seen him reaching around his waist for something. I was thinking ,gun! :shocked01: Oh boy! This guy is :crazy: Then I could here him talking on the phone. This is around 11, 11:30 p.m. mind you. The next thing I here is him saying Yeah. Yep he on your property!.....yeah he's metal detecting..... it's kinda weird......... Oh......oh OK.....sorry to bother you.Sorry! and drove off. :rolleyes: Concerned neighbor from 3/4 of a mile down the road. lol



Hey Tim, don't let the children get you! :shocked04: And watch out for shoeless Joe! :shocked03: Great finds! I also have yet to find a Shield. One day. Congrats! thumbsup01
I'm more worried about the neighbors! :crazy: lol
Thanks Cody! lol You'll get yours one of these days :yes: thumbsup01



pretty silver Tim , the shield nickle is in better than usual shape for them comming out of the ground . i agree it looks like a 69 .

Dan
Thanks Dan! Yeah I was pretty surprised I could even make out an outline of a date lol OK we'll go with 1869 then. thumbsup01 lol



Awesome Tim !! :clapping: |:cheering:
Thank you sir! :beerbuddy:



Great hunt there...... :perfect10: :perfect10: :perfect10: Love them shield nickles :happydance01: :happydance01: :happydance01: :happydance01:
Thanks Rick :grin: Me too. :yes: thumbsup01



Nice finds Tim |:cheering: The IH is in awesome shape for coming out of the cornfields! :perfect10: The John Deer Pin is really Cool! Shoot I have a hard time finding things in the daytime and your out finding lots of goodies in the dark! Huge Congrats :perfect10: :perfect10:
Thanks! You do pretty good in the day light too. :yes: lol I think the John Deere pin is one cool find too. One cool thing is it's actually a red deer in the logo.Not a whittail. Modern logos use a whitetail deer as the mascot or trademark. :cool:



...but I'm definitely up for seeing some classic 'Ill Digger' finds. :peace:

Love the silver and especially the Shield... but the JD piece is an awesome recovery. Any date on it?
Thanks Joe! The best I could come up with is the 50's. I thought for sure it would've much older. Every John Deer emblem since 1876 has had a deer jumping from right to left. So when I seen this one going left to right....I thought for sure it had to be reeeeally old!
I seen a couple of intact ones for sale on line and they are labeled 1950's John Deere advertizing pin. :dontknow: Which I don't whole hardly beleive just yet. John Deere hasn't used the red deer logo since the 40's sometime. Here's a John Deere logo history lesson....
http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/corporate/our_company/about_us/history/trademarks/trademarks.page



Those are some great old coins. Does the 64 INdian have a L?

(ps makes me glad of my first shifht job.)
Thanks Dennis! Nope. No L on this one.
P.S. I don't blame you. lol



Another way to tell if the 1864 is an L, which is for the designer Longacre is to look at the point of the bust if it is sharp as opposed to being more rounded is another tell on this coin.
:yes: Yep. thumbsup01



Great finds! The John Deere is an awesome find and probably quite valuable, as John Deere collectibles are always desirable.
Thanks Darren! At first I had a hard time finding another one on line. I thought I had found a really rare piece. But they are out ther. And all the other ones I seen still had the 3 or 4 inch long stick pin still attached. But I like it anyway! <:

[Fire Fighter 43]

Very nice Tim, good to see you are getting out. |:cheering: you are definetly hardcore, night hunting and I'm sure it is not that warm.

[coop]

Awesome hunt thumbsup01

[starman2]

:perfect10: |:cheering:! Nice finds! The nickle looks like an 1895 to me. But it's kind of hard to tell. If they made a shield nickle in that year?? WTG!!

[Snapolson]

Those are some real beauties there Tim! Congrats! :perfect10: Be careful out there at night like that.