School yard hunt over in STL today--got some keepers!

[Full Metal Digger]

Hey diggers,
I met up with Denny this morning over in STL at an old school that is slated for demolition (to build condos). Not a huge yard but decent sized. The part that is under the asphalt parking lot is where the real treasures are probably waiting! Hopefully Denny can catch it when they rip it up. We hunted for 5 hours. It has been detected before but I was finding lots of clad quarters, a clad half, and a Sacajawea dollar so it wasn't hunted too hard. The soil was easy digging and there were enough targets to keep you happy.

I ended up digging 15 nickels. Most were modern but I got a no-date buffalo and a nice 1911 V nickel. The V nickel rang up as a 10-12 about 7 inches deep. It was not a strong signal but was repeatable. I could tell right away it was an older nickel and was glad to see the V on the back as I rubbed the dirt off. I hit a little hot spot and got a wheat cent at 10 inches that sounded like silver. Then about a foot away I got a mercury dime at 10 inches that sounded like a wheat cent! Three feet way from that I got a penny signal about 7 inches and popped up a nice silver ring. I think the stone is soapstone. It has a waxy feel to it.

I also found a small child's harmonica that still had the rotted wood parts but they pretty much crumbled when I picked it up. A ball button made an odd signal at 6 inches deep. The play money is about the size of a half dime and nearly stopped my heart when it rolled out of the hole from 9 inches deep!

Thanks again Denny for meeting up with me. I had a blast!

Thanks for looking and HH, Dave.

[Fire Fighter 43]

Old nickels and silver, can't ask for much more than that. Nice hunt.

[denny2w]

Yes, Dave it was a lot of fun, we need to do it again!
Denny

[Digger Don]

Some very nice finds there Dave. I hope you can get onto the site after they pull out the asphalt.
Keep us posted.

[aloldstuff]

Nice hunting Dave. Getting some old nickels and silvers is a good hunt. You must be biting at the bit waiting for that asphalt to be torn up. Finding that much of a harmonica and not just the reed is cool.

on the keepers

[Tony Two-Cent]

Nice finds, Dave! One can only imagine what lies under that asphalt! I hope you or Denny is able to get back there after they tear it up.

[Full Metal Digger]

Old nickels and silver, can't ask for much more than that. Nice hunt.

Thanks. It was fun to swing in a safe neighborhood for once!

Yes, Dave it was a lot of fun, we need to do it again!
Denny

Yes, real soon I hope. Thanks again!

Some very nice finds there Dave. I hope you can get onto the site after they pull out the asphalt.
Keep us posted.

The asphalt part is bigger than the grassy part! I hope it works out.

Nice hunting Dave. Getting some old nickels and silvers is a good hunt. You must be biting at the bit waiting for that asphalt to be torn up. Finding that much of a harmonica and not just the reed is cool.

on the keepers

Thanks guy! That's only the second complete harmonica I have found.

Nice finds, Dave! One can only imagine what lies under that asphalt! I hope you or Denny is able to get back there after they tear it up.

Thanks Tony! It would be a dream site to hunt one of those school parking lot tear outs!

[Full Metal Digger]

BTW, here's the clad I dug at the school. Lots of nickels (again)!

[Skamaniac]

That looks like it was a fun outing. Enough to keep you busy for sure.

[Cheap Thrills]

Wow Daddy , you really did well there !

[Beartoe]

Good diggs!

Can't wait to see what you find under the asphalt.