Full Metal Digger
Active member
Hey diggers!
Got in my first detecting experience in Germany today! I met up with Tom and Russ and they took me to a wooded mountain (think really big hill). According to them just about every single hilltop around here has evidence of earlier occupations. We met at 8:00 a.m. and carpooled in Tom's van to the base of the hill (berg) and hiked in swinging as we walked. Russ got the first find, a nice big Roman bronze coin! Then Tom pulled a 1700's kruezer. Then I got a big fat nothing.
It took me a good 2 hours to get my ear "dialed in." This kind of detecting is different than what I am used to. The signals are fainter and trashy sounding. I had my screen wide-open so I could hear every signal. All I could hear was the constant hum of the threshold with occasional little grunts. There are no classic 12-47 signals. In fact, the numbers are completely useless I found out. My first good target was a mid-tone 19-23 and turned out to be a flat button. As the day went on I was getting better at hearing the little signals but the finds were few and far between.
Of course, Russ and Tom were killing it with 1600s and 1700s coins (which by the way are very small and thin). Russ found 3 early French copper coins and a couple 20th century German coins. Tom got a coin spill with an 1876 silver 1 mark & copper 1 pfennig. My last 2 signals of the day were the best finds for me. A medieval thimble and then a Roman hobnail. The Romans would put tacks on the bottom of their sandals to improve traction.
All in all it was a very fun outing but now I am so sore I can barely move! Here's some pics. Thanks for looking and HH, Dave.
Got in my first detecting experience in Germany today! I met up with Tom and Russ and they took me to a wooded mountain (think really big hill). According to them just about every single hilltop around here has evidence of earlier occupations. We met at 8:00 a.m. and carpooled in Tom's van to the base of the hill (berg) and hiked in swinging as we walked. Russ got the first find, a nice big Roman bronze coin! Then Tom pulled a 1700's kruezer. Then I got a big fat nothing.
It took me a good 2 hours to get my ear "dialed in." This kind of detecting is different than what I am used to. The signals are fainter and trashy sounding. I had my screen wide-open so I could hear every signal. All I could hear was the constant hum of the threshold with occasional little grunts. There are no classic 12-47 signals. In fact, the numbers are completely useless I found out. My first good target was a mid-tone 19-23 and turned out to be a flat button. As the day went on I was getting better at hearing the little signals but the finds were few and far between.
Of course, Russ and Tom were killing it with 1600s and 1700s coins (which by the way are very small and thin). Russ found 3 early French copper coins and a couple 20th century German coins. Tom got a coin spill with an 1876 silver 1 mark & copper 1 pfennig. My last 2 signals of the day were the best finds for me. A medieval thimble and then a Roman hobnail. The Romans would put tacks on the bottom of their sandals to improve traction.
All in all it was a very fun outing but now I am so sore I can barely move! Here's some pics. Thanks for looking and HH, Dave.
