Hi all. Hope you're all well and staying safe and sane in these unusual and concerning times. I've had the opportunity to hunt 3 times in the past week - actually my first time out since returning from overseas and having a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Went with close detecting friends on these hunts, but drove separately and maintained reasonable distances from each other in the fields except when we unearthed something really good. Well, that happened quite a bit on these hunts as we discovered two separate colonial tavern sites. Had been bopping around last Saturday in a few fields when the property owner stopped by and informed us of the first tavern site in a corn field down the road (on no maps but described in the town's early history). We hit it only for 30 minutes right at the end of the day and I pulled a 1798 DB and a few buttons. The no-date Braided Hair was dug earlier in the day at another unremarkable field.
My friend also dug a DB (1803, not pictured). Safe to say we were excited to return this past Monday for a full six hour hunt. Epic would be an understatement as we pulled 15 coppers and other great coins along with 50 or so buttons and other relics.
Here's my coin take above. Another DB (1796), 3 Matron LCs (1816, 1820 and 1822), 2 Massachusetts Coppers (1787 and 1788), a wiped KG2, 1864 Two Center, 1896 Indian and a spectacular 1780 Two Reales!
Then yesterday another friend of mine hit a private yard nearby and what I had long thought was another tavern site. Well, I think my hunch was true!
We dug 14 more coppers, a wiped 1 Reale and an 1835 Capped Bust Dime (see above). This shot is of all of our coins with two of my friends Matrons missing. My take was another Massachusetts Copper (my third in 3 days - insanity), 2 more Matron LCs (1816 and 183?), an 1802 DB, another wiped KG2 or 3 and the bust dime. The bust dime came from the private yard and since he had invited us over while seeing us in the field at the second tavern site I ended up giving it to him. I would've never dug it otherwise. Good karma for the metal detecting gods I say! All kidding aside I was happy to give it to him. Giving is always better than receiving and I've "received" a lot on these past few hunts!
Here's close-up shots of the bust dime. Just a beautiful coin. Thanks for looking and happy hunting all!
-John