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Diggen with Digger Don in Central Illinois / A Wheat Cent Kind of Day!
Hey Diggers,
With the weather forecast to be so nice this weekend Don and I decided to meet for some coin shooting. We met at a park that dates to 1834 and it didn't take long to realize we weren't going to find anything there! I overheard Don talking to a gentleman who was walking his dog in the park. About 20 minutes later I saw this same gentleman at his house across the street. I walked over and introduced myself and asked him questions about his Victorian style house (1888). I asked him if anyone had ever detected his yard and he said "No, do you want to?" I said yes and he said "Have fun, knock yourself out!"
Don gave me the choice of which half of the yard I wanted. I chose the side that looked most promising. BIG MISTAKE, LOL! I was digging wheat cents and he was popping Barber quarters! Every time I turned around he was filming another find! I got a wheat cent, what have you got? Oh, just another Barber quarter. :devilish::devilish::devilish: Don killed it! I was very happy to see the joy on his face as he held 3 just-dug Barbers in his hand! :clapping:
Finally I got a great signal about 8 inches deep and pulled out a huge copper coin. It was too big to be a large cent so I thought it might be some kind of KG or something (I was thinking colonial copper for some crazy reason!). Turned out to be a 1861 French Empire Napoleon III 10 Centimes. A few minutes later I scored my first silver with a 1924-D mercury dime that was sharing the hole with a wheat cent and a chunk of rusted iron (LOVE the e-trac). All together we pulled 7 silvers out of that yard!
The next thing I know Don informs me he has gotten permission for us 2 doors down. It was also a late 1800s Victorian. He asked which side of the yard I wanted and I said "OH NO! The last time we did this you killed me!" I told Don he gets to pick this time! :) He picked the side closest to the driveway and I got the larger portion of the yard (He is such a nice guy!). A couple wheat cents later and finally a beautiful 12-48 at 4 inches deep. Out pops a very nice 1925 SLQ! :happydance01: As the day went on we got a couple more permissions but the finds were not as thrilling for me as the first 2 yards. I finished the day with 18 wheat cents, 1 Indian Head cent, 5 silvers, 2 junk rings, an old key, and 2 enameled pins. I must admit thought that my most favorite find of the day was a simple coal scatter tag! I love finding them. They always ring up as 12-12 on the e-trac. You think you're digging a nickel and out pops a thin aluminum token. It was pristine when I dug it but it got bent in my pouch. The Orient Coal Co. was an Illinois mining company and is well known for a disaster where 119 miners died in an explosion in 1951.
Thanks Don for sharing this adventure with me. I had a great time. I'm looking forward to our next meeting in late May.
P.S. Can anyone identify the bullet I found at the 1870 house?
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