CZconnoisseur
Active member
Went back to the fairgrounds last Tues night and hunted with Zippy and a new member of our local detecting club. I studied some maps of the fairgrounds to try and get a good idea of where more coins would have been dropped versus other areas, all in all the three of us put in at least 5 hours of solid detecting with a few results...
It took a couple hours before I found the first Wheat, but I found myself at an area I call the "mound", where some early 1900s coins have been found. The trash in this area varies from so-so to ridiculous, and decided to jump into 4 khz after 12 khz was turning up too much small aluminum junk. I figured I would take the hit in depth with nickels and other low conductors, but soon enough I got a fairly decent 30-34 signal in 4 khz that was a severely toasted V nickel - I think the date is 1898 but wouldn't bet on it! This nickel was only 4" deep, and in my 4 khz program in Reactivity = 3 this was a moderately faint signal. The key to hunting this place in my opinion is to dig anything that indicates within 20% of VDI value on a 90-degree cross scan. So, for instance if you get a "38" in 4 khz and on a cross sweep you get a 30-36 I would dig it! This of course isn't a foolproof method, and I'm sure I've missed some good targets, but most iffy targets dug in this area of the fairgrounds turns out to be junk. Wheat cents at this locale often register as pulltabs, and I remember one specific Indian cent found very closeby indicated a "54" while in 4 Khz, and out of the ground it read "56"
Upon return visits to the same area, I may dig those iffy targets to effectively clean out the area and see if anything masked still exists. Decided to keep it close to the "mound" and work a flat area that I've never searched too well, but quickly began finding some .45-70 cartridges...a sure indicator of older activity since these haven't (legally) been fired inside city limits in over 100 years! A couple headstamps also surfaced which indicated exactly like a nickel. At this point, I slowed down and kept a tight pattern, and a few goodies started coming through. The Buffalo nickel read dead-on at "38" both ways, but is so toasted it's hard to get a date! Still very enjoyable digging these 100+ year-old coins, and the weather was about 60*F and a slight breeze was blowing.
Came across a solid "70-72" in 4 khz and from about 4" deep out came a very nice WWI service button. The dogtag was a real boomer and was practically on the surface, as was the older square button.
Basically I have had these fairgrounds to myself since I started hunting there in 2013, but since I am leaving Memphis soon, I want others to be able to enjoy the possibility of public-land night hunts as much as I do since the possibilities at this site are great! It will be a much different style of hunting in Colorado , but I will be close enough to a large city to hit rentals and vacant property should that itch present itself. Plus, the possibility for gold coins (always have been on my bucket list, and notice the "plural" use) goes up out West!
It took a couple hours before I found the first Wheat, but I found myself at an area I call the "mound", where some early 1900s coins have been found. The trash in this area varies from so-so to ridiculous, and decided to jump into 4 khz after 12 khz was turning up too much small aluminum junk. I figured I would take the hit in depth with nickels and other low conductors, but soon enough I got a fairly decent 30-34 signal in 4 khz that was a severely toasted V nickel - I think the date is 1898 but wouldn't bet on it! This nickel was only 4" deep, and in my 4 khz program in Reactivity = 3 this was a moderately faint signal. The key to hunting this place in my opinion is to dig anything that indicates within 20% of VDI value on a 90-degree cross scan. So, for instance if you get a "38" in 4 khz and on a cross sweep you get a 30-36 I would dig it! This of course isn't a foolproof method, and I'm sure I've missed some good targets, but most iffy targets dug in this area of the fairgrounds turns out to be junk. Wheat cents at this locale often register as pulltabs, and I remember one specific Indian cent found very closeby indicated a "54" while in 4 Khz, and out of the ground it read "56"
Upon return visits to the same area, I may dig those iffy targets to effectively clean out the area and see if anything masked still exists. Decided to keep it close to the "mound" and work a flat area that I've never searched too well, but quickly began finding some .45-70 cartridges...a sure indicator of older activity since these haven't (legally) been fired inside city limits in over 100 years! A couple headstamps also surfaced which indicated exactly like a nickel. At this point, I slowed down and kept a tight pattern, and a few goodies started coming through. The Buffalo nickel read dead-on at "38" both ways, but is so toasted it's hard to get a date! Still very enjoyable digging these 100+ year-old coins, and the weather was about 60*F and a slight breeze was blowing.
Came across a solid "70-72" in 4 khz and from about 4" deep out came a very nice WWI service button. The dogtag was a real boomer and was practically on the surface, as was the older square button.
Basically I have had these fairgrounds to myself since I started hunting there in 2013, but since I am leaving Memphis soon, I want others to be able to enjoy the possibility of public-land night hunts as much as I do since the possibilities at this site are great! It will be a much different style of hunting in Colorado , but I will be close enough to a large city to hit rentals and vacant property should that itch present itself. Plus, the possibility for gold coins (always have been on my bucket list, and notice the "plural" use) goes up out West!
HH jim tn