West Jersey Detecting
Gold Member
I haven't posted much recently because I don’t have the chance to get out detecting nearly as much as I once did! But I finally got an opportunity to detect a site that I’ve known about for around 10 years. It’s a site, with about two acres of farmland and some surrounding woods. I didn’t know anything about the history of the site, but I had a hunch it was a good one. The previous owner had the land for sale but wouldn’t grant permission to detect it when I asked some years back, because “his insurance company wouldn’t allow it”. I offered to sign a “hold harmless” waiver of liability, but he still declined. I closed the door on that deal when I told him that he was poor old sod for letting his insurance company control who he allows on his property.
Fast forward to November, 2015. I was driving past the property when I noticed that the “for sale” sign was no longer there. With a little time and research, I finally got the go ahead I was looking for!
It’s a small field, only around 2 acres, and not as old as I would have liked, but on my first “reconnaissance” outing of about an hour I dug these four mid-19[SUP]th[/SUP] century buttons all well preserved. I knew right then that I needed to spend more time here and made sure I had plenty put aside for the next weekend.
I arrived around 8 AM on day 1. The temps were unseasonably mild and I was in short sleeves. My first good target came in less than an hour in, an 1874 Indian Head Cent. I was off to the races! After a few minutes of working the area, the targets started coming quickly; a beautiful copper broach, followed by a large, ornate button, a cut copper, a thimble and an awesome padlock. I hit pay dirt! I then decided to wander the field for a bit. There were few targets. Mostly just junk and a Mercury dime so I made my way back to the small area that had been producing the good finds. As I neared the area I got a jumpy signal on the T2. It could have easily been a piece of can slaw, but to my surprise I got Spanish silver, my first in over a year! It’s holed and smooth with virtually no detail, but I’m able to make out enough of the top right lion’s foot to get a positive ID on it being a half reale. Less than 15 minutes later I got another “junk” signal that turned out to be another keeper for sure, a very nice 1863 “fatty”. After that I dug two more crusty Indians and had to call it a day, but there was no question that I needed to return asap!
It was a full week of restless sleep before I was able to make it back to the site, but it felt like a month. This time it was a cold morning with a strong wind from the west, making it feel even colder. I started swinging the coil in the same area I had left the week before, but it was more than an hour before I got my first signal worth checking out. It was a very questionable target mostly in the iron range, bouncing to the pull tab range. I decided to dig because I’ve learned not to take chances, especially on deep signals. Glad I did, because at a depth of 10+ inches was a Flying Eagle cent with some great detail! I dug a few buttons and then, about 15 minutes later dug a great looking Indian Head cent. Another hour and a few more buttons in my pouch before I got a solid pull-tab signal at around 6 or 7 inches and got my second Flying Eagle of the day! This one looked great right out of the hole! After digging a few more buttons, I really needed to get home to take care of some errands. It was with great difficulty that I powered off my T2 and left the site. It wasn’t until much later that I realized it was a key date, 1870, and probably the best looking Indian I’d ever dug! I just carefully cleaned it with a little compressed air and then Vaseline and a toothpick and swab to remove loose dirt. If it wasn't for a tiny bit of verdigris, this would be an AU key date coin!
Here they are after cleaning
By the time I returned to the site again, the temps had warmed up to a balmy 70 degrees, Thank you El Nino! I wasn’t there long before I got a good solid hit and dug an old zinc religious medallion, some thimbles, followed soon after with a beautiful old cupboard key, a few more flat buttons, and then a great looking (but slightly dented) NY Militia button! I was just getting warmed up! A while later, another deep questionable signal at around 11 inches and what a beautiful site! An 1851 Large Cent, and great detail!!! After replacing the deep plug, I swept the coil one time and got another deep signal that sounded very similar, this one reading 13 inches on my display. Could it be another LC? I dug a huge plug and there was no target in the hole, but the signal had cleared up to a nice copper / silver reading. Deep iron? There’s always the chance of iron on those deep ones, but at more than 15 inches I felt a round object in the bottom of the hole. I carefully dug around it with my Lesche and out of the ground came a large crotal bell. I later was able to match the makers mark to William Barton, one of the first American bell maker.
The next few outings were equally as amazing with two “modern” silver Barber Dimes stuck together 1894, 1901 (both New Orleans mint), some more Indians, including two 1864, one clearly a pointed bust “L” variety, two semi-key 1869 (one is bent), a half dime and a Braided half cent in awesome condition! You won’t see many later date Braided Hair half cents dug. Most were cashed in for new small cents and melted down as a result of the Coin Act of 1857 when they became obsolete. I ended my last hunt with an awesome brass 1814 Friedrich Wilhelm III Jetton!
Now that the targets are fewer and far between, I’m going to have to dig more of those deep iron signals. I know there must be some three cent pieces and maybe a deuce or two waiting for me!
A list of the coins follows below.
Half Reale – Undated
Half Cent – 1851
Large Cent – 1851
Flying Eagle – 1857 (2)
Indian Head “Fatty” – 1863
Indian Heads – Bronze
1864
1864 “L”
1865
1869 (2)
1870
1874
1879
Half Dime – 1858
Barber Dimes
1894 O
1901 O
Friedrich Wilhelm III Jetton -1814
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