CTX Gold

[ironman200081]

Last Sunday I went detecting at an old park that had been well-hit since the 1970's. My first dig of the day was a solid 12-18 signal on my CTX. Normally, this would be a hard pass for me in a park because experience has taught me that such signals are almost always pull tabs or can slaw. However, the solidness of the beep and the depth made me curious, so I put shovel to turf and popped out a small object that appeared to be gold. I quickly ran it over to my digging partner who agreed that it was solid gold. After a little water, the dirt was cleaned away. No hallmark, but it felt like it had some weight to it. I was sure it was solid.

I used my scale and acid kit at home and confirmed that the pin is 2.8 grams of 14-karat gold. I believe the letters on the front, "MNS" stand for Missouri Normal School, which was the former name of my alma matter Central Missouri State University (now called University of Central Missouri). The "05" would be Class of 1905. On the back are the hand-etched initials "E.M.S." The entire pin was hand-engraved in excellent craftsmanship. The weak link was the soldered-on brass stick in the back that probably could not keep up with supporting the weight of the gold pin. Poor EMS lost his/her pin a long, long time ago when the brass stick failed. Why the maker used a brass stick rather than gold is a mystery, as is the identity of "EMS." I may have to see if the university has any graduation rolls from back in 1905 so I can learn more about the pin's former owner.

 

[IDXMonster]

That’s a find B. And the notion that the CTX isn’t that good at finding low/mids like nickels?....nonsense. It’s all in the setup. Beauty of a pin!

 

[ironman200081]

That’s a find B. And the notion that the CTX isn’t that good at finding low/mids like nickels?....nonsense. It’s all in the setup. Beauty of a pin!

Thanks! And you are absolutely right about the low conductors. I found several other "low conductors" that hunt too including a V nickel, a gold-plated cufflink, and a gold-plated horse charm from a necklace. My digging partner with his CTX found a V nickel and a .36 Civil War pistol ball, both low conductors.

 

[C&RHunter]

Nice gold find! My Alma Mater as well, Go Mules!

 

[jkline]

Nice find. I find low conductors all the time. This morning I found a .45 muzzle loading projectile which must be from the 1880's.

 

[laplander]

Nice bit of gold Ironman! Minelabs rule on low conductors in my opinion too!
HH Jeff

 

[carver]

Last Sunday I went detecting at an old park that had been well-hit since the 1970's. My first dig of the day was a solid 12-18 signal on my CTX. Normally, this would be a hard pass for me in a park because experience has taught me that such signals are almost always pull tabs or can slaw. However, the solidness of the beep and the depth made me curious, so I put shovel to turf and popped out a small object that appeared to be gold. I quickly ran it over to my digging partner who agreed that it was solid gold. After a little water, the dirt was cleaned away. No hallmark, but it felt like it had some weight to it. I was sure it was solid.

I used my scale and acid kit at home and confirmed that the pin is 2.8 grams of 14-karat gold. I believe the letters on the front, "MNS" stand for Missouri Normal School, which was the former name of my alma matter Central Missouri State University (now called University of Central Missouri). The "05" would be Class of 1905. On the back are the hand-etched initials "E.M.S." The entire pin was hand-engraved in excellent craftsmanship. The weak link was the soldered-on brass stick in the back that probably could not keep up with supporting the weight of the gold pin. Poor EMS lost his/her pin a long, long time ago when the brass stick failed. Why the maker used a brass stick rather than gold is a mystery, as is the identity of "EMS." I may have to see if the university has any graduation rolls from back in 1905 so I can learn more about the pin's former owner.
View attachment 6768View attachment 6769View attachment 6770View attachment 6771

NICE FIND

CARVER

 

[Jim Robertson]

Congrats real nice fine. The CTX keeps proving itself time after time. I still think it is one of the top machines in it price range on the market today.

 

[frogmanungar]

Last Sunday I went detecting at an old park that had been well-hit since the 1970's. My first dig of the day was a solid 12-18 signal on my CTX. Normally, this would be a hard pass for me in a park because experience has taught me that such signals are almost always pull tabs or can slaw. However, the solidness of the beep and the depth made me curious, so I put shovel to turf and popped out a small object that appeared to be gold. I quickly ran it over to my digging partner who agreed that it was solid gold. After a little water, the dirt was cleaned away. No hallmark, but it felt like it had some weight to it. I was sure it was solid.

I used my scale and acid kit at home and confirmed that the pin is 2.8 grams of 14-karat gold. I believe the letters on the front, "MNS" stand for Missouri Normal School, which was the former name of my alma matter Central Missouri State University (now called University of Central Missouri). The "05" would be Class of 1905. On the back are the hand-etched initials "E.M.S." The entire pin was hand-engraved in excellent craftsmanship. The weak link was the soldered-on brass stick in the back that probably could not keep up with supporting the weight of the gold pin. Poor EMS lost his/her pin a long, long time ago when the brass stick failed. Why the maker used a brass stick rather than gold is a mystery, as is the identity of "EMS." I may have to see if the university has any graduation rolls from back in 1905 so I can learn more about the pin's former owner.
View attachment 6768View attachment 6769View attachment 6770View attachment 6771

Just curious. that reading is what I usually dig up pull tabs (depending how old). So Ive stopped digging in that range. Are you basically digging everything? Or could you tell by the tone crispness, etc that it was worth digging?

 

[ironman200081]

Just curious. that reading is what I usually dig up pull tabs (depending how old). So Ive stopped digging in that range. Are you basically digging everything? Or could you tell by the tone crispness, etc that it was worth digging?

I could tell by how solid the tone was that it was less likely to be a pull tab or can slaw. Notice that when you pass over pull tabs/slaw your tone warbles a bit (more noticeable when you are using 50 tone CO) and your VID will jump by a few value points. I suspect this is because of the holes in the tabs or irregular surface (this is just a guess, I am NOT a science person and I went to the community college version of law school). I do a lot of relic hunting, so solid-sounding tones with a VID beyond the "normal" coin ranges are must-digs for me. Of course, I do get fooled from time to time by the tail end of a beaver-tail tab pr by a square pull tab.

Keep in mind that sometimes the silver war nickels will read 12-18 or even higher for some mystical reason. So will other desireable targets like jewelry, old buttons, old pistol bullets, etc. It is also true that folks who dig the most trash also dig more desirable finds because they do dig every signal. I am a "dig it all" in fields or in the woods where Civil War camps once were (and I have buckets-o-shotgun shells to prove it) but I don't in trashy parks because I don't want to spend hours digging slaw and tabs.