Oddest dang hunt so far, just odd…..

[Ronstar]

First off, thanks to whomever posted the info about the ground swelling and shrinking a few weeks ago (cant find if now to save myself), I believe that advise is probably what I experienced today.

Went out to a county park where I found my very first silver ever, a 36 Merc. Been there a few times and have several other silvers over time. Mostly dimes and quarters in the 30-50s years. A fair amount of clad and numerous tokens etc. I started out on the slow side today with mostly tabs and pull rings here and there. Wasnt expecting much really, its one of those parks thats been pretty well hit by me, jkline, and a couple other guys over the years. Back in the 30-40s there was a dance hall and clubhouse here.
I found zero at the volleyball pit so moved over to the horseshoe pits. As I got close to the one end I started getting various pretty strong penny/dime and quarter signals. I thought this was odd because pretty sure we had dug all that outta there. Decided to investigate and started bringing up really old steel bottle caps at 2-3”. The tones were sharp like coins should be but where did all this junk come from? I started just off the backside of the wooden horseshoe stop and bam, solid 92 and holding numbers. That should be dollar size and just below iron falsing. Detector said 4” so in I went…… big silver!!!! At first I thought it might be another SpaceJam token because something on it looked like a space ship. Rubbed it off and I can see “Un Peso” and 1934 below that. I flip it over and there was an eagle and the word “Mexicanos” visible. What did I just find that everybody ever missed before? Ok, take some pics and regroup.
Started a circular pattern out and away from this plug, kept digging old bottle caps and pulltabs and beavertails. About 10 feet out I get another 91-92 hit at 4”, oh c’mon baby…… nope. Some type of a smashed tin lid with writing on it. I can barely make it out but a little more brushing it says “3 Merry Widows”. Ok, look that one up later.
Rest of the hunt was one clad quarter, two clad dimes, and one memorial penny. Everything else was just junk at 2” deep.
Now I know I’ve hit this place pretty hard like I said and so has jkline and others. How were these two larger items missed? Late last winter we tried to hunt here and the ground was so frozen the Lesche shovels would not dig. We tried again later when it warmed up a bit and the place was a swamp, then it froze again. Now, we are 5” below normal rainfall and are considered as extreme drought. Ground is just crumbly dirt.

Could we have experienced exactly what was posted about the ground swelling and shrinking and items actually being lifted during this progress? Right now I’m a believer.

Oh, the 3 Merry Widow top was to a condom tin popular back in the 1920-30s. Look it up kinda interesting. Now I’m wondering if the Peso and the condom are somehow the same drop.

 

[still looking 52]

There's no doubt that as the ground freezes and thaws stuff gets moved around, I'm with you on that one Ronstar.
I also think the wetter the area is the more movement there is, as you know when water freezes it swells up and then contracts, this is for sure, no way things aren't going to tossed around.
Nice report on your detecting.

 

[fwcrawford]

Nice find with that peso… I bet it sounded good!!!
I see you ID’d the condom container… I found one some years ago..have seen others posted as well.
“Sube” made that post about the ground that you mentioned.

 

[JimmyCT]

That’s one nice find on the peso Mr. Ron!
Not sure how it was missed but glad you went back. At least you or anyone else can’t kill the grass at that location

 

[jim tn]

Those Uno Peso's are a neat find. So are the "3 Merry widow's," which were pretty active in one of the old park woods I hunt in the winter time. I've recovered numerous of them in various condition stages. Agnus, is one of the Widows and maybe Becky, another. Good on the big silver. HH jim tn

 

[miserman]

Nice find. My guess on why you found them this time is that you found them this time because you dug them this time. What I mean is, maybe with the wetter conditions before, they rang a little louder and closer to the "falsing numbers" and were passed up as junk. We always talk about wet ground helping, but sometimes maybe the targets just ring up too good. Maybe the dry ground was your friend today?

 

[Ronstar]

With at least five minimum people working that park in the last 10 years I really have to think that coin got “moved up” as described. Its been passed over by my F5 and F75, Jeff’s CTX3030 and Etrac (and maybe his newer Nox 800), and an older Tesoro (not sure model) and at least one Garrett. I got it at 4”! Could it have been on edge and moved to almost flat? The really old super rusted and crusty bottle caps are another clue as they were not that noticeable last Spring I’m not complaining mind you as I was the the lucky guy on the merry go round that got the lucky ticket.

Meanwhile Jim TN, not exactly sure how you would know the names of two of the Merry Widows but I may have to sign up on another forum to find out, like Penthouse Forum???

 

[laplander]

First off, thanks to whomever posted the info about the ground swelling and shrinking a few weeks ago (cant find if now to save myself), I believe that advise is probably what I experienced today.

Went out to a county park where I found my very first silver ever, a 36 Merc. Been there a few times and have several other silvers over time. Mostly dimes and quarters in the 30-50s years. A fair amount of clad and numerous tokens etc. I started out on the slow side today with mostly tabs and pull rings here and there. Wasnt expecting much really, its one of those parks thats been pretty well hit by me, jkline, and a couple other guys over the years. Back in the 30-40s there was a dance hall and clubhouse here.
I found zero at the volleyball pit so moved over to the horseshoe pits. As I got close to the one end I started getting various pretty strong penny/dime and quarter signals. I thought this was odd because pretty sure we had dug all that outta there. Decided to investigate and started bringing up really old steel bottle caps at 2-3”. The tones were sharp like coins should be but where did all this junk come from? I started just off the backside of the wooden horseshoe stop and bam, solid 92 and holding numbers. That should be dollar size and just below iron falsing. Detector said 4” so in I went…… big silver!!!! At first I thought it might be another SpaceJam token because something on it looked like a space ship. Rubbed it off and I can see “Un Peso” and 1934 below that. I flip it over and there was an eagle and the word “Mexicanos” visible. What did I just find that everybody ever missed before? Ok, take some pics and regroup.
Started a circular pattern out and away from this plug, kept digging old bottle caps and pulltabs and beavertails. About 10 feet out I get another 91-92 hit at 4”, oh c’mon baby…… nope. Some type of a smashed tin lid with writing on it. I can barely make it out but a little more brushing it says “3 Merry Widows”. Ok, look that one up later.
Rest of the hunt was one clad quarter, two clad dimes, and one memorial penny. Everything else was just junk at 2” deep.
Now I know I’ve hit this place pretty hard like I said and so has jkline and others. How were these two larger items missed? Late last winter we tried to hunt here and the ground was so frozen the Lesche shovels would not dig. We tried again later when it warmed up a bit and the place was a swamp, then it froze again. Now, we are 5” below normal rainfall and are considered as extreme drought. Ground is just crumbly dirt.

Could we have experienced exactly what was posted about the ground swelling and shrinking and items actually being lifted during this progress? Right now I’m a believer.

Oh, the 3 Merry Widow top was to a condom tin popular back in the 1920-30s. Look it up kinda interesting. Now I’m wondering if the Peso and the condom are somehow the same drop.

Search Subes post on the ground moving. Nice finds!
HH Jeff

 

[Ronstar]

Going to see if I can save that entire post to my phone…… I have Elmy and Revier’s knowledge stored but not in single post form.

 

[MikeO]

Nice Peso.
I found one about 20yrs ago at an old homesite. I assume a kid took it from dads stash and buried it.

At very productive places I will hunt them every few years simply because of the freeze thaw repeat. What might be missed one year because it’s on edge very could well be laying flatter a couple years later.

 

[jim tn]

Wet, dry ground, ground movement, I believe they all play a part in treasure recovery. As well as, repeated hunting of a given spot. My belief and experience shows me as we repeatedly hunt a spot, or others do, the easily identifiable targets get more sparse with each outing and we began digging more iffy signals. These iffy signals, mostly trash, get removed and "viola," one of the next outings that Walking Lady Half on edge at 6" all of a sudden doesn't sound to bad. In fact, that exact thing happened to me back in the spring. I probably had hunted that block long school curb strip 7-8 times as it always seemed to give up a goodie or two. How, though, does one miss a half dollar in a curb strip 7-8 times after hunting it length wise and up and down, curb to sidewalk, and then on the 9th or so outing hit a half? There is always that chance we just never got our coil situated over said target, but in a condensed area, something else came into play imo.

Ronstar, I'm going to check on the 3 Merry Widows once again, though Mable is now ringing a bell, along with Becky and Agnus. No, not Penthouse, these 3 Widows made their living standing up! HH jim tn

 

[floodplaindetector]

Cool coin. Jim said it well. Over the years, I have saw many city parks in many stages or degrees of remaining targets. Frost action, tree root growth, removing junk targets, heavy rain & drought can all play a part in exposing more targets.
Certain parks seem to give up more targets year after year than others and those are the ones I return to.
Dave

 

[Mark kus]

Nice finds I always go at a park as if it’s going to have silver in it!!!
Mark

 

[JimmyCT]

Nice finds I always go at a park as if it’s going to have silver in it!!!
Mark

So that’s your secret to finding silver halves

 

[Ronstar]

I think a lot of us in our earlier years hunt an area once or twice and move on, if not getting rich why go back? I’m now applying this theory to the Arboretum where in the lower part of the trails I’ve pulled two silver Kennedy’s and those two lucky charm tokens. Jeff pulled that clad Kennedy that had the engraved commemorative date on it as well. Possibly more goodies to be found….

All this info about the ladies has peaked my interest but I’m not finding any info on them. Were they associated with the company, or you just pulling my leg?????

 

[Missouri -- Ma Betty]

There's no doubt that as the ground freezes and thaws stuff gets moved around, I'm with you on that one Ronstar.
I also think the wetter the area is the more movement there is, as you know when water freezes it swells up and then contracts, this is for sure, no way things aren't going to tossed around.
Nice report on your detecting.

I would think sidewalks & foundations would prove freezing & thawing moves ground soils up & down & maybe even sideways! Tree roots move soil, as well as animals digging holes & etc. That is why older coins can be found in shallower ground while less dated coins are found deeper! Praise God for changes that make differences in the lands & waters around us! Amen! Ma

 

[jim tn]

All this info about the ladies has peaked my interest but I’m not finding any info on them. Were they associated with the company, or you just pulling my leg?????

No, no leg pulling. I was a long time into the hobby before I found my first one, about the early 90's, over in Columbus Ga. Was hunting with a fellow who stated they were an old condom container. Ok! After finding a couple more over here where I now reside (ok, I'm getting to it) I researched them and found out, if I'm remembering everything correctly, the co was founded in the early years of 1900, and maybe, or maybe not, by 3 widows, Agnus, Becky, and Mabel. (Not sure if they founded the co or bought an existing one) A number of years later they sold the co and Trojans come to mind that bought them out. For sure, though, the co was owned by three widows. HH jim tn

 

[Ronstar]

ASI Heritage - 3 Merry Widows

Of the over 20,000 domestic artifacts recovered from the Weir I site in Scarborough, Ontario, this little one caught our eye. The small, round aluminum container is stamped “3 Merry Widows/Agnes, Mabel, Beckie.” Dating from the 1920s and 1930s, 3 Merry Widows was a popular brand of rubber (and...

asiheritage.ca

 

[Ronstar]

Still not getting more history on the outfit but Jim filled in some of the blanks. Inquiring minds need to know…… lol

 

[Mark kus]

I think a lot of us in our earlier years hunt an area once or twice and move on, if not getting rich why go back? I’m now applying this theory to the Arboretum where in the lower part of the trails I’ve pulled two silver Kennedy’s and those two lucky charm tokens. Jeff pulled that clad Kennedy that had the engraved commemorative date on it as well. Possibly more goodies to be found….

All this info about the ladies has peaked my interest but I’m not finding any info on them. Were they associated with the company, or you just pulling my leg?????

I hunt one also once a year when it gets mowed made some beautiful finds there one was a Morgan dollar Franklin half large cent !
Mark