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Thread: Frozen hunts at a few cellars.

  1. #1

    Frozen hunts at a few cellars.

    This weekend I got out to a few cellars. Saturday I refused to use my Ironclad gloves that have been washed 3 times. I made due with my regular nitrile coated cloth gloves. They sure got wet and cold. The first cellar I went to I was thinking it was so far out in the forest, that it would be untouched. There didn't seem to be any dig holes, but I was finding cans 3-4" deep around the well. I pretty much stayed away from the cellar, but I did do a quick scan managing a small buckle. Most of the finds on both places were on the other side of the road. Prob overlooked areas. The big spoon came from a small depression just 10-15 ft from the cellar. Three nails came out of the hole before the spoon did... so you better believe masking is merely a relative thing. A small dime under a nail might be masked, but a larger target like this spoon you sure will hear with a few nails over it. The pic with the two spoons comparison is a large tablespoon (from my silverware drawer) and the larger serving spoon piece. It looks like pewter. Sure, the pic is a little unfocused due to the glare from the new spoon, but it doesn't matter for a size comparison.
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    Across the road I did see some older trees and what appeared to be either a barn or a cabin site. Just off the beaten road I picked up a crusty IH. It appears to be an 1864. It's thin so it's not the fatty variety. I doctored one pic to show the beginning of the date as is it not easily visible in either. The other pic you can surely see the '4' in the 7 o'clock position clear as day. By a big tree I dug up what I thought was a ring... turns out it must be one of those two sided lockets where there would be glass. Kev figures it would be like one of those lockets with a lock of hair vs a photo. Looks gold plated and it still opens. Not 2 ft away was the suspender buckle with the patent dates of 1871 and 1874. I figure both items are close in age.
    I saw a cellar on the way driving that I decided to touch lightly on the way home. I found some odd cap right on the lip of the cellar. It has a big hole in the middle and a thread. Not something I can recognize a use for having a big hole. The gf said its prob just a cap that had a wick. Around the back of the cellar was an ornate brass piece. Maybe a furniture decoration or piece of a clock.

    The following day Kev and I went directly to this cellar, but focused across the road. We both noticed this road lined with stones going off from the main road. I figured that was the best place to start with the most carriage/foot/oxen traffic. Turns out there wasn't much in there. I didn't even hear much iron. The second time thru I did catch a bigger piece of iron right to make it sound like a good signal. It was just like a bucket piece. Flat stock iron with a metal ring. Next to the road was a pen. I gave that a check. I noticed this area that almost looked like an entrance next to an entrance to the pen. I got a solid tone of 86... I was thinking silver. Turned out to be a 1995 quarter. It was encased in the frozen ground. I smacked the clump a few times to break it up. Once I saw the rim I was a little disappointed, but still optimistic, until I finally broke it out and saw it was modern. Ugh. But a few feet away I did get a less stable tone. Turned out to be my first LC of the year. The flaking patina gave me a bad notion that it wouldn't clean up too well. I could see 1822 coming out of the ground. I instantly noticed the classic bust. The date is semi visible now with the porous metal. I am still happy to get an LC. Near what appears to be a barn I pulled up a buckle similar to the previous day. Other than that, the other notable find was across back at the cellar. Kinda up behind the cellar and a retaining wall I did get a splitting wedge. Just a ways from the wedge (as I knew the spot was active) came an iron buckle. Seems like it was semi-dressy. Not the Sunday Silver, but something that was thin and not for working.
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  2. #2
    Elite Member Bucknut's Avatar
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    Looks like a nice January hunt to me!
    Detectors I use: Minelab Equinox 900 & Manticore
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    (probably should have started with that one)

  3. #3
    Administrator del's Avatar
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    I like the seal matrix , go back and sift the hole for the stone that fell out .
    congrats on the matron and the pewter spoon bowl . it wasn't a bad weekend to be out .

    it looks like you smeared strawberry jam all over that fungus Jim , hey you have to really bring more snacks you . It will stop those impulsive hunger cravings.
    "Honesty is an expensive gift ,
    so don't expect it from cheap people"

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  4. #4
    Senior Member MIKE54's Avatar
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    Nice hunt Jim. It's Monday so are your fingers thawed out yet?

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Bucknut View Post
    Looks like a nice January hunt to me!
    A decent hunt. They could always be better... but at least there were some nice targets recovered. Thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by del View Post
    I like the seal matrix , go back and sift the hole for the stone that fell out .
    congrats on the matron and the pewter spoon bowl . it wasn't a bad weekend to be out .

    it looks like you smeared strawberry jam all over that fungus Jim , hey you have to really bring more snacks you . It will stop those impulsive hunger cravings.
    Hey..I didn't bring a snickers with me and I was getting cranky. lol. I don't usually see the red fungus out in the woods.
    That item is a seal matrix, not a pendant? ...I originally thought a weird style ring EVEN seeing (what is) the hinge on the bottom. Good thing I remember where it is.. and there is another nearby cellar I have to check out. This cellar is next to a standing early 1800s, but I am hoping it was bypassed as people either thought it was part of the standing house property or just wanted to be away from public eye. I need a small sifter to do so. The short vid I captured could help me narrow it down when I go back... I just had to overlay because I knew there was like 4 more cellars along the road and a school and none of the landscape looked like there was anything. No stone walls or anything. (and the oldest aerial is '70 so it helps zero)

    Saturday was wet and muddy. Sunday was ok. Just got cold later on.

    Quote Originally Posted by MIKE54 View Post
    Nice hunt Jim. It's Monday so are your fingers thawed out yet?
    Thanks, Mike. lol. It was cold toward the end. Lucky no frostbite where the fingers cramp up when warmed. I had some hand warmers with me, luckily. Is the count down now 4 more days for ya?

  6. #6
    Elite Member Digger_O'Dell's Avatar
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    Very nice hunt, good detective work reading the lay of the land. Congrats on the keepers!
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  7. #7
    Senior Member MIKE54's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MangoAve View Post
    A decent hunt. They could always be better... but at least there were some nice targets recovered. Thanks.



    Hey..I didn't bring a snickers with me and I was getting cranky. lol. I don't usually see the red fungus out in the woods.
    That item is a seal matrix, not a pendant? ...I originally thought a weird style ring EVEN seeing (what is) the hinge on the bottom. Good thing I remember where it is.. and there is another nearby cellar I have to check out. This cellar is next to a standing early 1800s, but I am hoping it was bypassed as people either thought it was part of the standing house property or just wanted to be away from public eye. I need a small sifter to do so. The short vid I captured could help me narrow it down when I go back... I just had to overlay because I knew there was like 4 more cellars along the road and a school and none of the landscape looked like there was anything. No stone walls or anything. (and the oldest aerial is '70 so it helps zero)

    Saturday was wet and muddy. Sunday was ok. Just got cold later on.



    Thanks, Mike. lol. It was cold toward the end. Lucky no frostbite where the fingers cramp up when warmed. I had some hand warmers with me, luckily. Is the count down now 4 more days for ya?
    16 MORE WORKING HOURS !!! And talk about luck...a guy I worked with years ago just got transferred to Middletown. We talked a little and it turns out he lives a mile away from me in a house built in 1875 with a lot of yard so....

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Digger_O'Dell View Post
    Very nice hunt, good detective work reading the lay of the land. Congrats on the keepers!
    Thanks. I can thank Dan for the little thought to check how the land used to be. But from then on it was all me to learn and understand and use the detector to see pockets of iron and understand.

    Quote Originally Posted by MIKE54 View Post
    16 MORE WORKING HOURS !!! And talk about luck...a guy I worked with years ago just got transferred to Middletown. We talked a little and it turns out he lives a mile away from me in a house built in 1875 with a lot of yard so....
    Good luck. I don't wanna say I cant wait to be close to retiring.... unless it means I came into some $$ and can do it younger. And good luck at your co-worker's house. I got one that lives a little ways away but owns an 1835. I could only find an ox shoe and cans. (The yard was changed a lot. One side of the house was completely dug up and I think a septic was added. The other side is narrow and paved. Right behind has a gazebo/patio. And away from the house there were some parties apparently from previous owners cuz I was finding buried cans... ugh) There is another co-worker's place to check out. It is the oldest town in CT, but not the oldest area. She was surprised when I showed her the old map and her house was a dot on there. She was thinking hers was early 1900. I have yet to go there to check it out.....

  9. #9
    Elite Member
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    Already jealous and the hard frost has just begun. Great finds. WD
    Total silver 3 - Goal 50 (2024 Finds) - 0 Washington - 0 Barber Dimes - 0 Mercury Dimes- - 3 Roosevelt Dimes - 0 V Nickels - 0 Buffalos - 0 War Nickels - 0 Indian - 10 Wheats - $ 3.44 in clad
    Relics: MILESTONES since 2012: 1700 silver coins - 8000 Clad Quarters - 500 Roosevelts - 750 Mercury Dimes

  10. #10
    You are off and running Jim! Nice finds for anytime of the year, never mind January!
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  11. #11
    Full Member GA1dad's Avatar
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    That is a great bunch of finds!!
    Primary machine= Teknetics T2

    2016 Totals
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    Silver Coins= 0
    Rings= 1

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