Lessons I learned to help you

[ERnurse]

I've seen so many new people join the site this year. And so many are posting that they would like to find old coins, not just clad or pop tops, I just had to post this for you. Last year, for my birthday, I wanted a metal detector. I've always wanted one, so I went out and bought one. The first thing I did was go out to places where I knew people hung around everyday. I found a lot of clad coins, nothing old. I didn't care, it was alot of fun. I still feel that way. Nothing like going to a ball field or park and digging $5-$10 dollars worth of clad in a couple of days. That will pay for the detector after a while.
Deep down, I really wanted to find old coins, since I was a coin collector. I started looking on the web for help, and I found Treasure Quest. I started getting real impatient that I wasn't finding old coins. For most of last year, all I dug was clad. Why it never dawned on me to look in old places to find old coins, I still don't know. Brain cramp I guess.

I found the area on this site about articles and stories. There was one story that really caught my attention. "Carpet of Coins". It was written by Free2Detect, and it just blew me away. Everyday that I go into town, run to the post office, pay the light bill, buy skittles and a diet coke, I WAS WALKING ON A CARPET OF COINS!!!! The story is about looking in the most obvious places, that are just unreachable, unless, someone, like the city works department, decides to tear something up, just to fix it again. Under old sidewalks being replaced, parking lots, stores being torn down, right in the middle of town! All I can say is Thanks Free and thanks TQ.

I took what I learned from that one story, and applied it to my town, and the neighboring towns. Suddenly, finding old, desirable coins was not as impossible as I first thought. My first silver was a 1910 Barber Dime, with a 1903 IH penny laying just 3 inches from it. Holy cow, I was finding old coins.

This year, I read the story, "Carpet of Coins" again before my first hunt of the season. Got me fired up. I researched a nearby town and found where the old school used to be. After looking around the site, I remebered what Free said about Sidewalks. I looked down and low and behold, I could see where 2 sidewalks ran from the street to where the front of the school. Just looking in the slight depression where the sidewalks used to be, I have found a 1899 Barber quarter, 2 barber dimes, 2 Mercs, 2 Roosies, and 2 washington quarters, ALL SILVER!!!. Not to mention about 35 Wheat pennies, 3 Buffalo nickles, a Silver WWII nickle, a token, 3 peices of jewelry. Thants just from 1 site!

So, for all of you getting started out there,don't get discouraged. The coins you seek are right under your feet! Everyone on this site who has been detecting for a while says the samething over and over to give encouragement. And they are absolutly right. If the site is old, keep at it, the good stuff is there. Free, Pappy, Greg, Boobie, and all the guys are telling exactly what to do and how to do it. Just check out Boobie's web site sometime and look at all of his finds. Mounds and Mounds of old Stuff. And that same old stuff and old coins are in every town across america.

So do your research. Talk with the old people of the towns. Look at old maps at the courthouse or on the web. Get permission, and get out there and find those old coins. There just laying there doing nothing but waiting for someone to dig them up. Good luck, and post those finds! We can't wait to see them.

HH


Rob

[Boobird]

Well spoken Rob... Thats it in a nutshell...!!!


Boobird...

[rarefindz]

Great post Rob. I've only really been MDing for a couple months and it's now definitely clear that "you get out what you put in." Doing research, learning your machine, and most importantly, getting out in the field and putting in the time. For every old coin or "nice" find, there are many many pop tops and pull tabs to be dug, that's just a fact. And the one thing I know so far, is that I don't dig "everything", but just about. Maybe I'll change as I get older or when I'm more pressed for time, but I can't stand the thought of leaving that incredible find down there and besides, taking trash out of the ground seems like a good thing to me anyway. Because without a visual, waiting on those "good" signals leaves some good stuff in the ground for someone more hungry for it.

Actually, I feel a little lucky since I haven't spent a ton of time in the field yet, and have found some silver, not a lot though. But I've also been reading as many of the great posts on TQ, like yours, and trying to learn from the people who know their stuff and have the goods to back up their years of hands-on experience and knowledge. I've also walked up to a couple front doors in town and just asked for permission to hunt their 1800 year old yards. Respect is paramount, obviously, but it certainly seems being timid in this activity will limit your finds. So to any other newbies, if you want a shot at the old stuff, just ask, and you may get a yard thats never been searched and just waiting to give up its past.

And as far as clad, I'll take any clad, any day at any time. Last night I snuck in 45 mins. right before dark and closing time at a local park in FL -as I'm visiting family in FL right now. All I found was a new dime, but it's 10c I didn't have before and I got to know my machine a little better in the process. Attitude is the key to reaching our specific MDing goals, I don't know much about too much, but I do know that.

Got to run, 2 hours until daylight and need to get ready to drive out to the beaches in FL today and find some stuff I don't have right now while enjoying the ocean breeze. MDing is my vacation, glad I got my wife hooked too!

~ rarefindz

[dave]

I was the same , started last year ,found alot of clad , as i went on i got to older sites and i kept going back and low and behold , it works , know your machine and keep at it , it works for me .

[KenPa]

Great post ERNurse. Research is definately the key. And thanks to Free2Detect for all the great leads that are here for the taking. I know free puts alot of effort into the posts and I for one appreciate it.

[ERnurse]

Saw a side walk being torn up today!!! Going to hit it tonight. Remember, torn up sidewalks in the old part of town=old coins!!! "Carpet of Coins" Night detecting just to try it out. Hope to post some finds. I called the police dept. and let then know so I wouldn't be maced or pistol whipped.


Rob

[dad_of_3]

Good luck with your night hunt! (I have been tempeted to go night hunting a few times)

[didijim]

I also have been only mding for a few months even though I got my 1st md last year. Too many hours but you know what, I think about it all the time, doing research all the time, getting many good clues and ideas here, enjoying everyone, thankful for all of the input from those who have enoyed the research and promise that one day, I am going ona trip, using my mding, using all the research, and still following all the leads. I also research gold and the diamons field in Ark. Working on a plan for one great trip, work when I have to, free room and board in the mh, just ministering,fishing, mding and panning, maybe some sluicing when I figure it out lol lol. more and more hours are attributed to mding, 1/2 here and there. still looking for those old coins, found old stuff, just not coins, mostly trash though. love every minute of it.

thanks to all, blessings, going to get my husband interested at a a full scale too. prayers for me for that.

blessings to all have a great night

[janiece]

Did you go on your night hunt? Do any good?

[ERnurse]

Rained me out all weekend long, now its clear and 37 degrees. But I still got my eye on it for the next day or so, or should I say night.


HH

Rob