Corn Field Hunt Results in CTX First Gold...........I Think

[C&RHunter]

Friday, after 4 hours of checking a couple of potential new "farm field" sites, we went to the disk-ed cornfield where I found 3 V nickels on my last trip there. At the turn of the 1900's there was a race track there. I have found multiple lead seals for old bottles, and we have found Indians, barbers and V nickels there. There is very little trash out in this cornfield, so I hunt in my open screen and dig all targets that don't indicate iron. We had 45 minutes left in the day when we arrived at this field and I was coin-less for the day. I was getting desperate for a coin, I don't like getting skunked. The pictures show everything I recovered in the 45 minute hunt here. I had found all the misc. stuff and time for the hunt was running out when, I got a hit reading 12Fe 15 CO. I checked it a couple of ways the reading had no significant change. It showed only 2 inches deep, so I used my toe to move some dirt and corn stubble. Rescanned and the target had moved. I thought, probably a small piece of aluminum on the surface, but when I looked at the clod beneath the coil, I saw the ring embedded in the clod. I know very little about jewelry, but this ring looks like gold to me. Absolutely zero sign of corrosion, or any thing that appears to be base metal. This has been a farm field for probably close to 100 years, and chemicals take a toll on brass and copper (junk rings). There is no karat marking inside the ring, only the C in a square. Afterwards we hunted the area for about 30 minutes, my hunting partner got a V nickel, but nothing else. (By using the GPS function, and plotting the finds from this field, I think we are finding things along where the north side of the track used to be. A long narrow pattern of finds, Is starting to develop as I add more finds from other hunts to the plot.) It was to time to go, and I still hadn't found a coin for the day, but on the way to the truck got a 11/12 FE 13CO hit, and recovered the 1903 V nickel. So with the ring and the V nickel, the very unproductive day had a very nice ending after all........HH

Any ideas about no carat marking on this ring?
The ring weighs 2.9 grams.

 

[Digger]

Congrats on another nice recovery. I think you're correct. It does look to be gold. Especially with no peeling or flaking around the edges, like gold plating or gold filled rings have after being buried in a corn field for a long time. I would guess the C inside the lozenge (diamond shape with four equal sides) would represent the makers mark. The lozenge shape was mandatory for French maker's marks from 1797 onwards. Do there happen to be any other marking inside, that are just too worn to see with the naked eye? If you get a chance, hold the broken ends of the band together and get another TID. I would be interested in hearing how different it is from the 12/15 you got in the field. Thanks in advance. HH Randy

 

[TreasureHuntersSupply]

hh

 

[Coilfisher]

Everything fits for it to be gold.
-No corrosion
-Pre 20's I do not think had to be jewler stamped for content
-The dating of the site

Looks like alot of the older rings you see from that time period.
Congrats.

Of course a jeweler can verify with the tests.

 

[C&RHunter]

Thanks for the good words fellas....I'm basically an "Old coin" type of hunter, so whenever I find a piece of gold, I attribute it to a great deal of luck, and, of course, a very good machine. (Earlier this year, hunting along side of a sidewalk and while still using my E-Trac, I found a heart shaped drop with 17 small diamonds.)

Randy........I carefully held the ends of the band together and rescanned the ring. It scans 12FE 15CO in both High trash and Ferrous Coin. Also, I checked the inside of the band using a loupe. The only marking that I see is the one in the photo....HH

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

Awesome finds! Did you check the ring with a magnet?

 

[scubadetector]

Its gold. I have found enough very old signet rings to know that. Congrats

 

[Old California]

Outstanding find, she diffently is an old ring. A find to be proud of, if possible get it repaired.

Several years ago, a cousin found an old ring at one of my old sites. Part silver upper portion gold, hand engraved a beauty for sure, Luckly my cousin and I struck a deal so now this particular ring is displayed with my other finds from this site.

Compare yours with mine, Sort of similar.

Thanks for sharing, super find a beauty for sure.
Paul (Ca)

 

[C&RHunter]

Thanks to all for the positive comments about the ring. It is really a treat for me to find something like that. However, it really makes me want to find more..........Must be the gold bug biting.........Gold has been few and far between, but very nice when found.....I'll keep plugging away at this site, who knows, maybe there is another ring just waiting to be saved from more years in the ground, if not I'm sure there some more old coins waiting......HH