Pennies and Pulltabs

[Digger_O'Dell]

Well, I hope I didn't use up a lifetime's worth of luck with my one honey hole. First I went off to the sites I located as an 1850's era grist mill and saw mill, as well as a blacksmith shop, tavern and inn. I could pretty much verify it was the right location by finding a few square nails, and some kind of tag with an 1871 date, but nothing else in the region even close to being from that era. Found tons of fishing sinkers, garbage and pull tabs, but not a single coin-not even clad! Very unusual...
Secondly I went to the first public park in the city, a very small square that dated back to 1837. Once again, after several hours I found nothing but a few clad, a couple newer pennies and tons of pull tabs. Nothing older than around 1987-so what gives-someone hunted it out earlier maybe? I would have guessed a minimum of a couple Wheaties at least!
Lastly, went out for a couple hours today to another park location expecting to at least find some decent amount of clad. Two hours later I had 2 quarters and a penny-go figure.

My question is how often does everyone get these nasty dry spells? Or is it more a rule than the exception

Update-the "tag" mentioned above was now identified as actually being a suspender clip, so actually one nice find!

[Bucknut]

Everyone that I know who detects gets into a dry spell. I think that a dry spell makes the good times even more fun.

Keep swinging!

[Tony Two-Cent]

Bucknut is right, dry spells are what make the productive sites that much more exciting!

I seldom stay at an unproductive site for more than a couple of hours. If I haven't found a keeper in that mount of time I move on to Plan B, or Plan C, etc. I almost always have several sites lined up in case the first ones are duds.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Yep, I had gotten skunked at plan A, B and C! Yes, I'm an extremely stubborn person and hate to "lose", so often stick it out to the bitter end just in case there is that one special find I wouldn't want to miss. But luckily as I posted elsewhere about the vintage aerial photos site, I now have hope for another park that I had given up hope. In that case I was looking where there was supposedly 2 school buildings over the years, the first build in the 1840's, and the second that took it's place around 1890 which was razed around 1970 and the property turned into a park. Before I had only had topography and guesses as to the actual location. With the vintage photo from 1963 I was able to determine I was completely off as there were significant changes in tree lines, parking, etc over the years.

[Digger Don]

It happens quite often, but as Tony said, when you finally come out of it, it's just that more exciting.
And by the way, You'll always come out of it.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Went back to the location of the old school and found nothing but a couple pull tabs and junk. Had a hard time believing I found a Hamms beer can a foot down! Appears that someone had cleaned this area out as it looked like a lot of old plugs were still loose where they must have left the trash after exposing it. Really bad form in my opinion!
Oh well, on to the next adventure!

[OxShoeDrew]

Beer cans a foot down sound like coppers!! Then you dig 7in and still nothing
But after I dig modern trash at a foot, I know nice old targets could be shallow ...as the dirt was plowed or moved around.
I get in object slumps from time to time....like not finding a coin in an inordinately long time.

[Digger_O'Dell]

From what I have found is when I find beet cans a foot down it is usually because fill material was put in over the site after all the other dirt was removed when the original building(s) were razed. That also explains things like the lack of nails and other trash.
On another note along these lines I went out today before work to a micro park in an area that is supposed to have a lot of history. Turns out the park was nothing but maybe 1-2 inches top soil that looks like potting mix put in over a fill of gravel and and slag probably from a steel mill. This cause me to try using my high frequency double D coil to try and cherry pick a bit through all the metal. Only thing I did manage to find there was a 1965 dime. Oh well, on to the next place.

[leslie(nova scotia)]

Such is the life of a digaholic! Dig and they will come!