A Potential Honey Hole Of Silver?

[Critterhunter]

I've got a little story to tell you guys and would like to ask your opinion on what the odds are that this will turn out to be a good spot. About 7 years ago a friend I know from the bar and I were sitting around at the local pub drinking a tall glass of beer. I brought up the subject of metal detecting and he related a story to me about a potential spot. Back in the early 60's he can remember a carnival that used to be set up in a field on one particular street. He was a kid back then so he doesn't remember how far back it was held at this site, but he does remember it being there for sure in the early 60's. He said the site has reverted back to woods and drew me a map to the location. I drove by there and saw that the woods did indeed look young enough to be about 50 years old. Had the trees looked older at this spot I would have thought the location was wrong, but based on the species of trees and their relative size I do believe they are about 50 years old or so, supporting the idea that before that this might have been open field.

I must have driven by that site 100 times over the last 7 years and always wondered, but as time went on I began to doubt the details of the conversation and never gave the spot a try. The reason I never did try it was there isn't a place to park for a good distance from the site. On the other hand, that is probably a good thing because that probably warded off other hunters from trying it. Not that this spot would come to mind to most hunters anyway, because the location looks like nothing special and this was a very small carnival that research might not bring to light.

Anyway, the other day I ran into that old friend that I hadn't seen in years. We caught up on old times and once again I asked him the details about that spot. All the facts were as I remembered them and nothing had changed, which gave me new confidence that maybe this spot does hold some silver lost during the carnival days. I drove around there the other day looking for the closest place to park and think I've got a game plan now.

My question to you is what odds do you give me that the site is correct and there is going to be some silver laying around to be dug? Just curious...

 

[Rick(ND)]

That is one of those places you just have to check out as some are good while others a real dud as I have found out myself. First thing you may want to checkout is some info on it from a old plat map or local history book to see how long it has been used for a site for this carnival. If you find a lot of bottle caps or other trash you are in the right spot and you have a good chance to find some silver, if it seems very clean as far as trash than you are not in the right spot or it wasn't there for too many years.
We found one in the woods that had been used for years and moved back in the early 40s, but it wasn't much there with only a few coins, so even though it was in a ways and not easy to get at someone must have did some research and found it before. Another site as back in the 70s for me as it was a old race track that was used for other functions too over the years. First time out i got some trash and no real coins as I must have walked between them or too big of a hurry as it was loaded when I tried it the second time.The thing was it was right in the town I lived in at the time and we all over looked it or thought being right in plain site its been hit over and over again. 2 of my silver dollars comes from this site plus 12 barber half's, some walkers too, a few seated dimes and many barber dimes and quarters too, like I say it was loaded and in plain site while a site far out in the woods is worked out. Just got to try it out and see for your self's.There is lot of sites in plain site others drive by every day that are good, but being in plain site we figured it is cleaned out, but some are the best spots. Seen this a lot over the years, so you just got to check them out as you never know unless you do try them.


Good luck and hope it is a good one.

 

[mudpuppy]

n/t

 

[GunnarMN]

DUDE,""this is it you will get a bucket full of silver and a handfull of rings, go for it . There was a spot like that up hear somone found it was a farm field that had revival meetings in the 1800s the 1st guy that was hunting it was coming out with hand fulls of silver coins every time he went thear then the word got out and many other were coming out with hand fulls of silver and it went on for some time untill just afew silvers came out then the farmer sold it and they built a houseing development on it but they got the lions share befor this , I also heard of a bus stop that was found and several handfulls of mercs were recovered you have found a good spot

 

[fwcrawford]

Sounds like a good lead to me and I would definately check it out.
All it is going to cost you is the time spent searching and
that is what detecting is about... looking for possible lost or purposely buried items!!!
I would give it a shot.
You could try it some time when you don't have many options as far as other sites to hunt.
Hope it turns out to be a good lead and looking forward to future posts about this site.
Good luck!!

 

[Terra1959]

Hi

For old coin sites, there is only one thing better than quality research and thats local knowledge
I hope that you get in there and good luck

t59

 

[JHM]

I use a bicycle for spots like that and put the detector in a backpack. Tie the shovel to the back rack. You can hunt spots you can't get to otherwise. I also have a 4 wheeler for out of the way spots. There's almost no place I can't get to. Hope your on a good spot.

 

[Critterhunter]

Well, I finally made the effort to find the closest parking spot and take the hike to these woods. Results? Didn't dig anything old. Just a few zinc pennies. Big let down, but there is a church next door with a large mowed field in the back so maybe that was the site of the carnival. My friend said that church wasn't there back in the day. I'm going to secure permission from the church and hunt there if they'll let me.