Metal Detecting Finds?

Hmmmm, we have 14 acres near Lake Anna in Louisa County, VA that is totally grown over, untouched. Maybe I should see what's down there--besides ticks, wolf spiders, skunks and black rat snakes!

I've been playing with my son's metal detector around the front yard and found :

A few pennies and dimes.
1 Table spoon
1 32 cal. spent-casing
3 Nails
1 metalic gizmo
And an as yet unretreived thing hiding under a mass of tree roots that's driving me crazy.

 

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You should most definitely check out your land! Virginia is chock full of history!

 

I don't live in a great area for hunting but enjoy it very much.
A few years back I got to join a local club on a hunt. It was fun.
Still looking for that first gold coin.

 

I've fished Lake Anna and I wouldn't let a couple critters stop me from detecting on 14 acres of virgin soil. Just think of the history that awaits you there. That would be a dream come true for many...

 

I've been detecting on and off for a few years, and I agree, it is a great hobby.

Here are some of the finds from the last few weeks. Mostly field finds (with the farmer's approval), and nothing major, but it was sure exciting finding these.
I collect these type of coins anyway, so these are some which I will not need to buy.

 

I guess I can douse myself with insect repellant for the ticks and remind myself that skunks only come out at night, and that black snakes are kindly with only the best of intentions, and I need to deal with my arachniphobia sooner or later.

And yes, there is history right in the area. The parcel right next to ours contains a very old long ago abandoned grave yard. The small graves are marked with blocks of stone, if that. Only five or six graves were visable last time I went down there many years ago. There is no way I would ever go near that site with a metal detector, but I'm curious as to the history of who lived there--and when. The stones had no dates or names as I recall. There is/was poverty in Louisa County and I am wondering if this site is from the pre-civil war era.

Anyway... my bottom line is that I'd hate to dig up something on my land that I would regret.

 

I've got a Bounty Hunter 505. For a cheaper detector, it can be calibrated pretty well to avoid wasting time digging up pop tabs and other junk. Without the detector classifying what it's picking up, it would be USELESS IMO to even bother going out. You could dig up pop tabs all day in most areas if you want to dig every single hit. Mainly you have to get used to the detector and the 3 different signals it emits, just to give yourself a chance of digging up something worth while.

Metal detecting is one of those things that's easy to talk about on the internet. In practice, it's work! Not only is it hard to find new ground to search, but you can't describe what it's like digging hundreds of small holes with a hand shovel until you actually go out and do it. I'm guessing a very small fraction of people who think they would like to do it, would actually want to or be able to go out detecting all the time, even if they had a top notch detector given to them. There's much more to it than just showcasing found treasures on forums.

I haven't been out this year yet but tried lining up a spot this morning that I've been meaning to get to. So far all I've found is modern change everywhere I go. Toys, and junk also. Have some more places lined up but really wish I lived out east as far as this hobby goes.

 

This could be excellent ground but it will be much harder detecting it all if it's overgrown. I've found that tall grass, thick brush and dense tree cover makes it all but impossible to swing the detector or get it low enough to the ground. In fact, it becomes downright miserable! It's a whole different ball game from searching somebody's mowed yard. If it's mainly trees, I'd still try to weave through there in some type of pattern.

 

I have been having problems isolating nickels from pull tabs on my Whites ID. does anybody else have this problem/know how to fix it?

 

Excellent point! There are two or three acres that used to be a pasture, I think that area could be navigated.

 

Yup, mine tells me that nickels are junk and that bottle caps are precious metal. I havn't been able to figure it out yet...

 

Any idea if any spots once had outhouses or were used for household dumping?

 

The path from the back door to the outhouse is always a place to check.

 

Did a lil bay area detecting. Ended up with lots of change a good mix of Lincolns wheats, and Indians. Bunch of rosies and mercs. A couple barbers and some liberty seated dimes
dime dates were
1848
1848
1853
1871
1872 CC
1872
1876 CC
1877 CC
1878 S
1883
1884
1885 S

I was quite suprised with my finds

 

Awesome!!!:bigeyes:

 

wow indeed. great finds. are any of them in a condition above AG3 'ground find'?

 

I can't remember if I posted this last year or not. I found this here in Winnipeg, at an old park. The area where the park sits used to be a stopping area in the mid 1800's for people on their way to one of the forts.

It's an 8 Maravedies 1817 FERNANDO VII and is my oldest metal detecting find.

It was pretty crusty when I found it but (don't tell anyone) I cleaned it.

 

Yessir. Only 4 were AG3.
1848
1848
1853
1876 CC


The rest were G to VF.
The 85 S and 72 CC are f12.
I was shocked when I pulled the 72 CC

 

Awesome! I just got a Pioneer 5.5 and a Garrett 250... only have practiced thus far, and seem to be having good luck with the tests and practice with the Garrett.

Your finds are encouraging!

 

Terrific finds! I really like this one!!!

I tried doing a google on it, but couldn't find much on it... can you tell a little about it?

Thanks
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