A
Anonymous
Guest
I went back to my old swimming hole today. That place must be virgin. It just keeps giving up the goodies.
I started off in the usual way, recovering all targets that gave any sound higher than iron, as well as the larger iron targets. As old as this site is, it's more relic hunting in the water, than water hunting in general. I was getting a few coins, including the occasional Wheat, along with the usual water stuff, sinkers, fishing tackle, etc. I also managed to get some brass padlocks. One of them looks to have some age on it, probably late 1800's. I got one signal, a strong High Coin reading. I scooped it up, and dumped the load into the sifter. After I shook it a few times and removed the larger rocks, I spread the gravel around, and then saw the target, a quarter. But, it looked kind of funny. I could see bare metal in the high spots that wasn't tarnished. I immediately looked at the date, and read "1949" Sweet, my first silver quarter this year! Here's the cleaned-up pic:
<center> <img src=http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/6389/20060417washington4kn.jpg> </center> <p>
I had to cook it a bit in my electrolysis tank, then rub it with a little baking soda. I sure hope there aren't any key-date coins in this swimming hole, as it's going to look cruddy!
After a little bit, I got yet another small, tight, sounding High Coin hit. I scooped it up, and looking in the sifter, saw a small ring. It was heavily tarnished. I couldn't see a mark on the inside, and the outside had what appeared to be reeding on it, so I was thinking I had coin ring. Again, I "cooked" this one in my electrolysis tank. This one is old, that's for sure. It's lightly engraved "STERLING" on the band, and a maker's mark of ->M<-. Here's the cleaned-up pic:
<center> <img src=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/166/20060417silverring2vm.jpg> </center> <p>
And yes, I broke it. Darn. At least the price of silver is up.
Shortly after I recovered the ring, I spied a little splotch of red on the riverbed. I started muttering, "It can't be!" But when I scooped it up, sure enough, it was!
<center> <img src=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5258/20060417marble9vk.jpg> </center> <p>
I've only found two other marbles in the water, another one that I eyeballed, and one that I was lucky enough to scoop while chasing a coin.
Here's the Nut. 51 cents in clad, five Wheat's dated '40, '41, '41D, '42, and '51D, the silver quarter, the ring, three padlocks, 5 pieces of lead, a brass Miraculous Medallion, and the usual junk. No keys today! Here's the pic:
<center> <img src=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/1176/20060417nut9yd.jpg> </center> <p>
I don't know if I'm going to attempt to get in here without wearing my waders. When I got out, and Laurie and I walked back to the van, she suddenly said that I had several leaches on the back side of my waders. I must have flicked off over a dozen of the little bloodsuckers before I was done.
Note: the picture(s) might not show up due to bandwidth limitations. If the picture(s) are not there, check back at a later time.
I started off in the usual way, recovering all targets that gave any sound higher than iron, as well as the larger iron targets. As old as this site is, it's more relic hunting in the water, than water hunting in general. I was getting a few coins, including the occasional Wheat, along with the usual water stuff, sinkers, fishing tackle, etc. I also managed to get some brass padlocks. One of them looks to have some age on it, probably late 1800's. I got one signal, a strong High Coin reading. I scooped it up, and dumped the load into the sifter. After I shook it a few times and removed the larger rocks, I spread the gravel around, and then saw the target, a quarter. But, it looked kind of funny. I could see bare metal in the high spots that wasn't tarnished. I immediately looked at the date, and read "1949" Sweet, my first silver quarter this year! Here's the cleaned-up pic:
<center> <img src=http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/6389/20060417washington4kn.jpg> </center> <p>
I had to cook it a bit in my electrolysis tank, then rub it with a little baking soda. I sure hope there aren't any key-date coins in this swimming hole, as it's going to look cruddy!
After a little bit, I got yet another small, tight, sounding High Coin hit. I scooped it up, and looking in the sifter, saw a small ring. It was heavily tarnished. I couldn't see a mark on the inside, and the outside had what appeared to be reeding on it, so I was thinking I had coin ring. Again, I "cooked" this one in my electrolysis tank. This one is old, that's for sure. It's lightly engraved "STERLING" on the band, and a maker's mark of ->M<-. Here's the cleaned-up pic:
<center> <img src=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/166/20060417silverring2vm.jpg> </center> <p>
And yes, I broke it. Darn. At least the price of silver is up.
Shortly after I recovered the ring, I spied a little splotch of red on the riverbed. I started muttering, "It can't be!" But when I scooped it up, sure enough, it was!
<center> <img src=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5258/20060417marble9vk.jpg> </center> <p>
I've only found two other marbles in the water, another one that I eyeballed, and one that I was lucky enough to scoop while chasing a coin.
Here's the Nut. 51 cents in clad, five Wheat's dated '40, '41, '41D, '42, and '51D, the silver quarter, the ring, three padlocks, 5 pieces of lead, a brass Miraculous Medallion, and the usual junk. No keys today! Here's the pic:
<center> <img src=http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/1176/20060417nut9yd.jpg> </center> <p>
I don't know if I'm going to attempt to get in here without wearing my waders. When I got out, and Laurie and I walked back to the van, she suddenly said that I had several leaches on the back side of my waders. I must have flicked off over a dozen of the little bloodsuckers before I was done.
Note: the picture(s) might not show up due to bandwidth limitations. If the picture(s) are not there, check back at a later time.
