Have you ever found a coin or other valuable item

[Furious T]

when you know that someone else has located it before you? I do so regularly, and have my own theories. I'd love to hear anyone else's theories on how this happens. Who knows? We have probably all done the same.

 

[BarberBill]

If, as I assume, you mean recovered a target that someone before you didn't manage to recover, then yes. A few times and fairly often in organized competition hunts where time is of the essence. Poor pinpointing and/or lack of a probe causes some to miss the target.
HH
BB

 

[Furious T]

Yes, BB, that's what I meant. I quite often come across a target where the ground has been disturbed, but the coin or other item is still there. I suspect that it's sometimes because people dont re-check their holes, and I have other theories as well. Thanks for your reply.

 

[D&P-OR]

On in-field hunting, I've got readings on holes before where the coin was still down in the hole--had been dug, the target (coin) missed, then covered up again.----Have also found OLD coins before right beside dug & covered up holes.--I guess they dug it out of the hole then missed it even then.----I think a lot of this is caused by not only scanning carefully enough but from just from flat out getting in too much of a hurry.----I know speed is of the utmost importance in competition hunts but I've had a couple of VERY experienced hunters "flying" thru an area in a competition hunt once & I followed them thru the exact same area & recovered a "planted" Morgan dollar.---You can get in TOO big of a rush! --------Del

 

[BarberBill]

Targets that have taken the color of the soil or are in the side of the hole used to give me fits. Since I started using a pinpointer those sort of targets are usually quickly retrieved.
BB

 

[Cupajo]

One day I parked near a couple of fellows suiting up in waders and trying, it seemed, to hit the water before I did.

I'm never in a race when there is treasure to be found.

I chuckled to myself as they hit the water with two large splashes and forged ahead at flank speed!

Not more than 10 feet and 20 minutes later I had the first gold ring in my scoop! I yelled to these guys, "SLOW DOWN, YOU MISSED ONE!!!".

They were 75-100 feet down the beach from me throwing a wake as they cruised through the water.

5-10 feet and 15 minutes farther along I found a nice small engagement ring with a real diamond!!

I held it up and yelled again to these guys, now a hundred yards away, "SLOW DOWN YOU MISSED ANOTHER ONE!!!"

I don't know if they heard me or not, but by the time I found ring number three, a yard or so farther along, they had reached the end of the beach and were climbing up onto dry land and heading back to the car.

Ring number 4 was in my scoop before they got back to where I hunted in their tracks, ring number 5 came to light as they loaded their gear to leave and ring number 6 as they drove away, probably muttering to themselves some thing about what a waste of time detecting a hunted out beach!!!

There is a lesson in there somewhere!!!

This was the second of two 6 gold ring days I've had during my metal detecting career..

It happened in the mid-eighties and one of the rings belonged to a local that had asked me to watch for it in my finds.

I found it after over a year of watching for it and it had been in the water for over 40 years!

The old tortoise and the hare story is especially valid for water hunting!

GL&HH Friends,

CJ

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Yep and of all things a 1916 dime( unfortunately not the valuable one) was extremely deep and guess the fellow gave up..On the flip side ever wonder how many goodies we have missed by an inch or two in 20 years or so, honestly don't want to know and thats why goodies keep coming out of worked out areas...

 

[Furious T]

D&P-OR, yes, I believe speed is one fact which leads people to leave items behind....I'm sure it also happens when people detect in the dark. We've all probably left something behind at some stage. Thanks for the input.

 

[Furious T]

Wow! CJ, what a day you had, and the strange thing is, the people who tear along the beach in a huge hurry dont realise there is another way to detect i.e. the best way, low and slow.

 

[Furious T]

You're right Dan-Pa, I'm sure we've all been guilty of negligence in one form or another at some stage, but by hearing of other peoples experiences and applying our knowledge, we can improve as time goes on...or die of old age in the attempt.

 

[Furious T]

One of the reasons I made this post was that last Sunday, I was driving home from Sydney, and pulled in for a few minutes detecting at a favourite little spot of mine...yest others detect there, but I always find something. This time, one of the coins ($1) was in a hole that had been recently dug. I didn't find it straight away, but when I did I wondered "How many times must this happen?", so I asked the question. Thought some of the replies might also help the new guys and gals in the detecting hobby.

 

[D&P-OR]

Hey Dan----You made a GOOD point!!--I've told my wife a lot of times--I don't EVER want to know how many "mouth watering" targets we've missed because of not being able to get that last inch or so of detection depth.----If I knew, I'd go "bonkers"--maybe even more than I am right now!! ----Seriously, as Ty Brooks once said, you just have to do the best you can with the equip. you got on hand.----I'm still always looking for that "edge" though. ---------Del

 

[TURNMASTER]

Two coins. Good tone inbetween the 2 which were about 10" apart with several nails lining the hole. Someone dug right in the center where there was a good tone, but did not dig to the out side edges where the "iffy" signals were. 1899 injun and a merc. gotta love it.

Jeff

 

[Furious T]

You're right Jeff. How many times do we find something good right near a bit of junk? It just pays to be careful and take notice of the "not so good" signals.