Vernon in Virginia~Formerly Alaska
New member
[size=large] Went out yesterday evening with a friend to a new spot. It was raining when we got there, so we had to sit in the truck for about 20 minutes until it let up. We had never been here before, but according to history books some troops came through here and spent the night on April 8th, 1865. I entered a field and got a bullet within the first minute. Then for the next hour, nothing but junk signals. One spot where a barn or two had burned down was blanketed with nails. I went back to the truck and got the small coil and was working the trash but it was nothing but nails.[/size]
[attachment 90350 1.jpg]
[size=large] I went down the hill and got a good signal that was fairly shallow, 2 or 3". Opened up a muddy hole and saw the corner of this sticking out. My heart jumped a few beats, but when I picked it up this is all that came out. I was happy and disappointed at the same time. I started circling on that hole trying to find the other half. [/size]
[attachment 90351 2.jpg]
[size=large]It looked to me like it had been struck by a plow, so I studied the field and decided which way a tractor would plow the field; then I started working in that direction both ways, hoping that the rest of the plate had been pushed a short distance away. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later and 9 feet away, I got another good signal a little deeper, 6" or so, and got the other half. The second piece on the left seems to be all there but has a really big bend almost 90* in the middle.[/size]
[attachment 90352 CWplateinbox.jpg]
[size=large]After getting home, I washed the mud off and cleaned it up a bit. Got a pair of rubber tipped pliers and gingerly tweaked the plate back in shape best I could. There was some cracking and poping going on, but I just had to have it somewhat flat. Anyway, there it is... well, 98% of it anyway. You can click on the last picture and blow it up pretty good size to take a better look at it... is this cool, or what?
Vernon[/size]
[attachment 90350 1.jpg]
[size=large] I went down the hill and got a good signal that was fairly shallow, 2 or 3". Opened up a muddy hole and saw the corner of this sticking out. My heart jumped a few beats, but when I picked it up this is all that came out. I was happy and disappointed at the same time. I started circling on that hole trying to find the other half. [/size]
[attachment 90351 2.jpg]
[size=large]It looked to me like it had been struck by a plow, so I studied the field and decided which way a tractor would plow the field; then I started working in that direction both ways, hoping that the rest of the plate had been pushed a short distance away. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later and 9 feet away, I got another good signal a little deeper, 6" or so, and got the other half. The second piece on the left seems to be all there but has a really big bend almost 90* in the middle.[/size]
[attachment 90352 CWplateinbox.jpg]
[size=large]After getting home, I washed the mud off and cleaned it up a bit. Got a pair of rubber tipped pliers and gingerly tweaked the plate back in shape best I could. There was some cracking and poping going on, but I just had to have it somewhat flat. Anyway, there it is... well, 98% of it anyway. You can click on the last picture and blow it up pretty good size to take a better look at it... is this cool, or what?
Vernon[/size]