Finally, my first official hunt and I scored unexpected treasure!!

[Dirt slinger]

Some may remember when I joined a few weeks ago I was a guy who was really wanting to get into this hobby. I was given an old Whites Coinmaster 6000 Di/series 3 detector by my father in law, though he didnt even know if it worked or where it came from. Well, when I got it, all it had for power was the rechargeable batt pack that would not charge up beyond 40% and in doing some testing in my backyard, trying to figure out what all the knobs did I wasnt impressed. I ordered a couple of reg batt boxes and put one of them in and it changed this detector. In doing some testing of trash and diff coins the old analog meter was dead on, (funny how it works better with full power LOL ) so, I take it back out to the back yard where I had tried it earlier, to actually start my first hunt, and about 5 swings in and the meter swings all the way over to the other side saying either a dollar or silver. I'm not sure whether to believe it, so I turned to about 90* and swept it again just to see if it would change. It didnt and it was saying only about 1 1/2" deep so I dig and find this! Now I dont know jack about coins so I dont know if this is silver or not but its way cool for my first find!! I'm gonna LOVE this hobby!! BTW, if someone can tell me about this coin I'd appreciate it. Also, just above the "we" on the coin, in the shadow part of Kennedys neck there is a symbol of somekind, anyone able to make out what it is? Thanks.
Ken.

 

[matthias]

Nice job! You didnt strike silver but you are close. Good luck in the future! Happy Hunting. Matt

 

[Larry (IL)]

He sure did....... that is 90% silver, melt value is $12.80 as we speak. Congratulations Ken, very nice find.

 

[MNCoinhunter]

Nice big silver honker !! Congrats !!

 

[Dirt slinger]

Hey thanks guys. I was just doing a search and everything I found on this coin says it is 90% silver, WOO HOO! This is so cool to find something like this 8 feet out my back door. This house was built in '65 so it may have been there all along, but that is where my kids swing set was for the last 8 years, so after I tore it down last year, I tilled up that area and reseeded it, so maybe thats why it was so near the surface. I'm gonna go sweep my whole 2 acres! I'm in the middle of what has been farm land for 200 years probably so I wouldnt expect alot of coins in my area, but this is a good place to get my feet wet and figure out this detector a bit better. Thanks again.
Ken.

 

[leslie]

Nice one Ken, hope it's the first of many

H H

Les.

 

[matthias]

I respectfully stand corrected! Thanks Larry. HH everyone. Matt

 

[Elton]

The Kennedy half dollar, first minted in 1964, is a currently struck fifty cent coin issued by the United States Mint. Intended as a memorial to the assassinated President John F. Kennedy, it was authorized by Congress just over a month after his death. Use of existing works by Mint sculptors Gilroy Roberts and Frank Gasparro allowed dies to be prepared quickly, and striking of the new coins began in January 1964.

The coins vanished from circulation soon after their release in April 1964 due to collectors, hoarders, and those interested in a memento of the late president. Although the Mint greatly increased production, the denomination still failed to circulate. Continued rises in the price of silver increased the hoarding

 

[JimmyCT]

. Congrats on the silver 50 center! nice job! - Jim

 

[Steve O]

The symbol you see are the stylized initials of the obverse designer, Gilroy Roberts.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

no turning back now.....you are hooked like the rest of us....no known cure...... congrats.....

 

[Dirt slinger]

no turning back now.....you are hooked like the rest of us....no known cure...... congrats.....

Absolutely !! LOL. This coin will likely never leave me being my first one. Went back out fot a couple more hours, found 2 pennys, both '63's, kinda interesting since the Kennedy was a '64, and then all kinds of trash from pieces of old tools, to old match box cars, a spoon, and of course several old tabs. Gotta figure out how weed out some of the trash with this unit. I had a number of things register as gold, but were just junk. several that said quarter and was just junk. Gotta do some studying I guess. Dang I hate studying! Anyway, thanks guys. H H.
Ken.

 

[michaelosully]

Hey Ken,
Great silver find!
You're wrong when you said "...I dont know jack..." You do know him, you just met John F. 'Jack' Kennedy while !!!!
It's a great feeling when you find something like this. Yep, you're hooked alright.

I'm glad you posted it because I get to learn from it too, so a big THANKS to Elton for the write-up!

 

[bob.oz]

Nice find....make sure to check along drive and walkway edges.....clotheslines and curbs are good areas to detect also...good luck with more finds...

 

[Hank68]

Yeah I remember you dirt slinger, glad you figured it out on the detector, cheers on the silver! Wow!

 

[Dirt slinger]

Nice find....make sure to check along drive and walkway edges.....clotheslines and curbs are good areas to detect also...good luck with more finds...

Thanks for the tip. Thanks also to Eldon for the info on the coin, and Hank68 you've been helpful as well, you too leslie, so this is kind of a "collective effort" Lol.

 

[leslie]

Keep using and learning your machine Ken, keep reading your instruction manual,

and keep on asking your questions, plenty of help from the good folks on this Forum.

Remember,you have to dig the trash to find the good stuff.

Good Luck Mate and keep swinging that coil.

Les

 

[Marcus Detectus]

Love those Kennedys. I have found 2 of the 1976 halfs while detecting. Not only is it the bicentennial of the nation, it's also the year I was married. One I have mounted in leather and wear as a medallion (I make these for a hobby) the other is just put away for now.

 

[so_ill_digger]

Sweet! I've been hunting for months now and haven't found a silver half dollar yet