Cooperating in a study like this bids well for our hobby.

[thedeserttortoise]

I just discovered this on the Minelab site. The following link is to a professor at Notre Dame I believe. Its voluntary actions such as the sharing of data that will help to legitimizes our hobby both now and in the future. Please consider sharing your colonial coin information with this study group.

"A Project of the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment
University of Notre Dame, Department of Special Collections
by Louis Jordan "



"Dr. Philip Mossman, author of several important articles and books on Colonial numismatics and the editor of The Colonial Newsletter, is maintaining a database of all Colonial coin hoards discovered in America. If you have uncovered some items please send him a listing of the items with a description of the location where the coins were uncovered. His study is limited to coins found in non-collector accumulations. This refers to items found in the ground during excavations, while metal detecting or along a river bank or beach; it does not include coins acquired from dealers, auctions or flea markets or coins that have been held by a family.

The purpose for maintaining this census of newly discovered coins is to study the circulation patterns of the money used in Colonial and Confederation America before the Federal Mint was established in 1793. Thus the focus of the work is to discover specific coins that were lost during the Colonial and Confederation period and have remained in that location to the present day. Please DO NOT send the coins themselves but only a description and the general location where they were recovered.

To contact Dr. Mossman through e-mail simply click on his address listed below and an e-mail form will appear. Please include in the subject line: Colonial coins and be sure to include a return e-mail address.

PLMossman@aol.com "


http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/FAQ/coinfind.html This is the link to the page I copied the above from. Tortoise

PS> Its reported that he keeps all information confidential too.

 

[grumpyolman]

Or, maybe it bids well for those uglioligists who would like to collect evidence about why we shouldn't be allowed to detect in 'sensitive' areas or at all. You 'heard' that he keeps all information confidential. Hmm. That's comforting.
Maybe it's the way the post is written, but to me alarm bells went off right away about 'big brother' monitoring what I am doing within my hobby. In this economy I wouldn't put it beyond reasonable that we might pay a tax on detector purchases to have a fee permit organized. You all declare your income of finds to the Feds? Wonder when that'll be an issue? Sorry for the paranoia but past experience does kick in. Jim

 

[JohnnyI]

I'm all for the project. 95% of the colonial fields I've hunted in Pennsylvania (which were battle sites or encampments) have fallen victim to developments since (despite my pleas to save them), and if there had been some record of combined finds, maybe, just maybe, some of the development could have been stalled. One of my pet peaves is coin or relic hunting without keeping records, and it is the records, which to my mind anyway, give the objects their real value, as well as their posterity should they ever be sold. I don't see much difference with this project than what Russell Rulau has been doing much of his life, by documenting early American tokens as thoroughly as he has. He has made it a point to mention general locations of finds when possible (along with attribute to finder) and this has caused no harm. To the contrary, it has increased interest in detecting and contributed to saving many objects before they are lost. The governement certainly hasn't shown any interest, despite the fact that Rulau's books are in the library of Congress.

 

[Mr. Beard]

I kind of agree with grumpy. This could backfire on those submitting their finds info.
Those who have those older treasures( be it coins,or other items) don't want the Feds come knocking at their door arresting them and taking away their hard earned diggings.
Of course this is just my opinion.

 

[thedeserttortoise]

I believe this is legit. Why I mentioned that cooperation with researchers might bode well at this point in time, is that it strengthens future court or legislative issues. Its hard to argue that detectorists are harmful when a jury or committee can look at evidence that in fact an academician from a noted and respected institution asked for and was assisted in his studies by detectorists. I agree with you Jim that its easy to become distrustful of government. In fact, your speaking to the choir on that issue. I am also a gun collector. Every time I fill out those federal forms upon purchase I begin to wonder just how hard it is for those in charge to come knocking at my door....I hope we never see those days happen. And just as I volunteer for 4H firearms programs for the kids as a way to help demonstrate my belief and good intentions I think by helping out anyone that is willing to request it from us detectorists is a push in the right direction too. If we start having a few of these archeologist's saying wow, those detectorists are sure helping us we might be able to sway these govt agency's into accepting a program such as England has. I do believe theirs is one of the fairest and pro detectorists national programs in existence. Tortoise

 

[thedeserttortoise]

Yes. Before we get overwhelmed in argument I'll call this guy and see just what he's recording in the way of the finder, which if we are legally detecting probably has no bearing anyway. But, yes. It would be nice if he is just publishing the information of the find and not the finder. I'll call or email him tomorrow. With the issue of who and who not to trust in mind, I recently invited our local police, sheriffs and the family's and children of the 4H club out to shoot my 50 caliber Barrett M107 rifle. I was bowled over by the thanks and support I received from all involved. Sure, it does make me stand out but it did more good by being able to dispel the fear and distrust many might have had over and individual owning what is normally portrayed as a demon weapon. I guess I'm beginning to mellow in my old age. Tortoise

 

[grumpyolman]

I'd, at a drop of the hat,would (and have) assist law enforcement . Archelogists would get my help too. All that gold treasure that was recovered on the Nat Geo series is now supposed to be returned to the country of origin...according to the latest news report. It still has a way to go on appeal before all is final. That, solely on it's merits insures if I find the big one (like never) you can bet your last detector that I'll do anything I can to keep what I found. Won't shoot anybody but short of that all bets are off. It's so ludicrous...The country of origin just knew it was lost. They weren't even sure in what ocean. These other guys found it and had the technology to recover it. It's kind of cool they chartered a 707 or some big commercial rig, and put the gold in the seats of the aircraft. Got it out of there and it's supposed to be hidden in a vault somewhere. Thier research ship was blocked from departure by somebody's navy. If you haven't seen the series...take a look. Jim