[size=medium]Before you read this story, it was written last night BEFORE I had an expert evaluate my Mercury dime. As it turned out it wasn't what I thought, but I didn't want to edit the whole story, so here it is.[/size]
This has turned out to be my best day yet. Where should I even start? Screw it, lets just jump right in!
Woke-up at 5AM because my gf was working at Ft Dix and had to be there by 7AM. It was raining lightly, and the News said it would clear-up around noon. I double-checked my Radar app, and from the look of it the rain would stop earlier. I was waiting for a phone call from a fellow MDer, but I hadn't heard from him by 9AM, and I was getting impatient. I decided I would try the Frankford Arsenal. I had been given limited permission by one of the companies there to hunt their yard, look for any personal items, and keep anything else I uncovered. It was a disaster from the start. Soon as I pull up and see the guy heading in to the building, I realize I'm out of disposable gloves. So, after introducing myself and telling him why I was there, and who gave me permission, I left and drove to Home Depot to replenish my glove supply. This all took about 40 minutes. 40 minutes that i didn't want to waste, since this was gonna be the best area I could ever hunt! Right? Ugh, not so much. There was a lot of trash. I was nulling almost the entire time, but then I heard a faint signal. It was faint, but oh was it sweet. I started to think it was a silver quarter or dime. I pinpoint, start to dig, and this is what I unearthed! A WWI button!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
On the reverse side it says "The Austin Co."
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
So now I'm stoked. I just found a WWI button. The rain is stopping, and I'm off to a great day. Then...beep beep beep beep nail nail nail null null null nulllllll. ugh. It was frustrating. So much trash there. After 2 hours I called it a morning, and it was time to leave and go grab some lunch. Happy I found a WWI button, so I thought my day might be through.
After lunch I decided to go prospect a few spots. This turned-out to be such a waste. Areas I thought were public, turned to be private. What a bummer! About this same time the weather was getting really nice out. I considered calling it a day, but decided to go hunt the park I'm always at instead. Now, every time I go to this park I drive a complete circle around it to get an idea where it's busy, where it isn't, and where I wanna park in relation to where I think I'll hunt all day. So I pick a spot on the side with two Baseball fields and a Football field. As I'm parking I notice a guy detecting in the outfield of one of the Baseball fields. I decided to go over and introduce myself before getting started, and it turns out to be a young kid. He's got some super old detector, and a shovel. Note that. He has a SHOVEL, and it's NOT designed for digging tight holes for plugs. No, not at all, and as I'm talking to this kid I start to notice giant holes all over the field. I mean 2x2 holes and a foot deep everywhere! I'm pissed now, and ask him if he had done it. Of course the a-hole denies it, but it's clear he was responsible. I'm about to lose it at this point. Some dopey kid is gonna ruin my favorite spot?! Oh Hell no! I told him to fill his holes, and get off of the Baseball field. I explain that a) If you leave a hole and someone breaks an ankle you're responsible. Well, this doesn't scare him into filling his holes. Instead, this clown leaves, and now I'm stuck filling like 30 holes!
ugh! Wasting more time doing this kids work I finally finish and get back to hunting. Just as I start back up swinging my E-Trac, my gf calls me and almost simultaneously an older gent walks up and is waiting for me to hangup the phone. Thinking he somehow works there I quickly hangup and ask him how I can help him. He asks me what I'm swinging, and it turns out is a fellow MDer. Nice. He asks me what I've found so far, and it's not much, just some clad, and he tells me "You see that [AREA] over there inside the park? I was pulling Barber dimes out of there two years ago. A lot of them." I say thanks, and tell him that I haven't been lucky enough to find a Barber dime yet. He leaves, so after ten more minutes of shoe deep mud slinging, I figure I'll walk over to this area he pointed out. As always I'm dragging (not literally) my coil over the soil as I walk. Soon as I get to the start of this [AREA] my machine screams out a silver dime tone. 12-44 solid. Hmm, ok, a clad dime. Yippie-freakin-doo, I'll pop this baby out and continue on. Um, then this happens:
1945 Mercury dime? Yes!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
How lucky is that? Dragging my coil to a spot some random guy tells me about and I hit my first silver in two weeks. How could it get any better?! Oh, let me continue! Lets swing the coil 5-10 feet away and BAM! Another signal, but this time it's weird. Not one I'm familiar with. Jumpy, but iffy on a dime, so why not just dig it to make sure, and then this happens!!!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Could it be?! Is it really?! YES! MY FIRST BARBER DIME! A 1906 beauty too. This all because some awesome random fellow MDer tells me to go to this [AREA]. Amazing. The signal rang in at 09-36. What?! I wasn't gonna dig it at first, but the tones were sweet. When in doubt, dig it!
Filled the Barber plug and decided I better start walking back towards the Jeep, but I'll drag my coil as always, and as I cross the path just 20 feet from the first Mercury, I get yet another very solid dime signal. OK, I like dimes, so lets dig it, and oh man, this is the find of my life!(So I thought) I bust-out my camera and started filming as soon as I saw the date. When I saw the mint mark I just about soiled myself. D! A 1916-D Mercury dime, albeit it's in crappy shape, but this is the dime everyone looks for. Here it is, in my shaking hands now in the dark at the park, and not because I was swinging the E-Trac, but because I was dragging my coil along on my way home! Unfriggingreal right? No. I get home, wash it off, and STILL think I'm looking at a 1916-D Mercury dime. Then I take it to my buddy the next day, and he tells me it's just a hammered "S". ugh. So close. Oh well. Greatest weekend yet though. Notice the "OMG" on my finds sheet? haha in hindsight I rushed to judge.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Better? EDIT: This picture is worse than the first one.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Here are the total finds today, and all the cool junk I pulled out of the ground:
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
What a day. Love this hobby!
EDIT: After having the Mercury dime inspected, it is NOT a "D", but a hammered down "S". Disappointing, but still a semi-key date and has some value.
This has turned out to be my best day yet. Where should I even start? Screw it, lets just jump right in!
Woke-up at 5AM because my gf was working at Ft Dix and had to be there by 7AM. It was raining lightly, and the News said it would clear-up around noon. I double-checked my Radar app, and from the look of it the rain would stop earlier. I was waiting for a phone call from a fellow MDer, but I hadn't heard from him by 9AM, and I was getting impatient. I decided I would try the Frankford Arsenal. I had been given limited permission by one of the companies there to hunt their yard, look for any personal items, and keep anything else I uncovered. It was a disaster from the start. Soon as I pull up and see the guy heading in to the building, I realize I'm out of disposable gloves. So, after introducing myself and telling him why I was there, and who gave me permission, I left and drove to Home Depot to replenish my glove supply. This all took about 40 minutes. 40 minutes that i didn't want to waste, since this was gonna be the best area I could ever hunt! Right? Ugh, not so much. There was a lot of trash. I was nulling almost the entire time, but then I heard a faint signal. It was faint, but oh was it sweet. I started to think it was a silver quarter or dime. I pinpoint, start to dig, and this is what I unearthed! A WWI button!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
On the reverse side it says "The Austin Co."
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
So now I'm stoked. I just found a WWI button. The rain is stopping, and I'm off to a great day. Then...beep beep beep beep nail nail nail null null null nulllllll. ugh. It was frustrating. So much trash there. After 2 hours I called it a morning, and it was time to leave and go grab some lunch. Happy I found a WWI button, so I thought my day might be through.
After lunch I decided to go prospect a few spots. This turned-out to be such a waste. Areas I thought were public, turned to be private. What a bummer! About this same time the weather was getting really nice out. I considered calling it a day, but decided to go hunt the park I'm always at instead. Now, every time I go to this park I drive a complete circle around it to get an idea where it's busy, where it isn't, and where I wanna park in relation to where I think I'll hunt all day. So I pick a spot on the side with two Baseball fields and a Football field. As I'm parking I notice a guy detecting in the outfield of one of the Baseball fields. I decided to go over and introduce myself before getting started, and it turns out to be a young kid. He's got some super old detector, and a shovel. Note that. He has a SHOVEL, and it's NOT designed for digging tight holes for plugs. No, not at all, and as I'm talking to this kid I start to notice giant holes all over the field. I mean 2x2 holes and a foot deep everywhere! I'm pissed now, and ask him if he had done it. Of course the a-hole denies it, but it's clear he was responsible. I'm about to lose it at this point. Some dopey kid is gonna ruin my favorite spot?! Oh Hell no! I told him to fill his holes, and get off of the Baseball field. I explain that a) If you leave a hole and someone breaks an ankle you're responsible. Well, this doesn't scare him into filling his holes. Instead, this clown leaves, and now I'm stuck filling like 30 holes!
ugh! Wasting more time doing this kids work I finally finish and get back to hunting. Just as I start back up swinging my E-Trac, my gf calls me and almost simultaneously an older gent walks up and is waiting for me to hangup the phone. Thinking he somehow works there I quickly hangup and ask him how I can help him. He asks me what I'm swinging, and it turns out is a fellow MDer. Nice. He asks me what I've found so far, and it's not much, just some clad, and he tells me "You see that [AREA] over there inside the park? I was pulling Barber dimes out of there two years ago. A lot of them." I say thanks, and tell him that I haven't been lucky enough to find a Barber dime yet. He leaves, so after ten more minutes of shoe deep mud slinging, I figure I'll walk over to this area he pointed out. As always I'm dragging (not literally) my coil over the soil as I walk. Soon as I get to the start of this [AREA] my machine screams out a silver dime tone. 12-44 solid. Hmm, ok, a clad dime. Yippie-freakin-doo, I'll pop this baby out and continue on. Um, then this happens:1945 Mercury dime? Yes!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
How lucky is that? Dragging my coil to a spot some random guy tells me about and I hit my first silver in two weeks. How could it get any better?! Oh, let me continue! Lets swing the coil 5-10 feet away and BAM! Another signal, but this time it's weird. Not one I'm familiar with. Jumpy, but iffy on a dime, so why not just dig it to make sure, and then this happens!!!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Could it be?! Is it really?! YES! MY FIRST BARBER DIME! A 1906 beauty too. This all because some awesome random fellow MDer tells me to go to this [AREA]. Amazing. The signal rang in at 09-36. What?! I wasn't gonna dig it at first, but the tones were sweet. When in doubt, dig it!
Filled the Barber plug and decided I better start walking back towards the Jeep, but I'll drag my coil as always, and as I cross the path just 20 feet from the first Mercury, I get yet another very solid dime signal. OK, I like dimes, so lets dig it, and oh man, this is the find of my life!(So I thought) I bust-out my camera and started filming as soon as I saw the date. When I saw the mint mark I just about soiled myself. D! A 1916-D Mercury dime, albeit it's in crappy shape, but this is the dime everyone looks for. Here it is, in my shaking hands now in the dark at the park, and not because I was swinging the E-Trac, but because I was dragging my coil along on my way home! Unfriggingreal right? No. I get home, wash it off, and STILL think I'm looking at a 1916-D Mercury dime. Then I take it to my buddy the next day, and he tells me it's just a hammered "S". ugh. So close. Oh well. Greatest weekend yet though. Notice the "OMG" on my finds sheet? haha in hindsight I rushed to judge.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Better? EDIT: This picture is worse than the first one.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Here are the total finds today, and all the cool junk I pulled out of the ground:
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
What a day. Love this hobby!
EDIT: After having the Mercury dime inspected, it is NOT a "D", but a hammered down "S". Disappointing, but still a semi-key date and has some value.
