West Jersey Detecting
Gold Member
This year turned out to be the best year of metal detecting for me, with a little help from an amazing machine called the White's DFX. This made a huge difference in both the quantity and the quality of what I found.
I first started using the DFX in late March of 2008. At once I knew this was no ordinary machine. My first outing produced a Mercury Dime and a silver "Rosie" Dime, but this was only the beginning.
In early April, I returned to a field that had previously produced a few 18th and 19th century buttons, but no old coins. On this warm April day, I found more than 10 metal buttons, including a late 19th century "Dandy" button. The real find of the day, however, came when I got a nice penny signal at a depth of two inches. When I removed the coin from the plug, I knew I had found something special. It was too caked with mud to identify on the spot, but it was bigger than a nickel and smaller than a quarter. I knew I had found my first two cent piece, or my first half cent. Either would have made me happy, and as it turns out it was the latter, an 1809 Half Cent!
I returned to the site in late May, finding coins spanning five centuries; two modern coins dated 2001 and 1996, an 1836 "Booby Head" Large Cent, a 1787 Connecticut Copper and a 1699 William III Halfpenny!
Earlier in May, My detecting buddy Dale and I had the opportunity to detect in a spot that I had detected a few years back. At that prior time I found a few nice Indian Head Pennies. This time I hit big with my first Draped Bust Large Cent, an 1801. This "minor rarity" is variety Sheldon - 221, a die error with "1" over "0" in the fraction. I found a few buttons and a pocket watch very close by. The specific spot was quite remote, and I wonder if some weary traveler laid down his cloak, never to return, or perhaps he passed away with only the metal of his belongings surviving for 200 years in the woods.
As the hot weather approached, my detecting season winded down. It was not worth the potential for tick bites, mosquito bites, chiggar bites, snake bites or worse, not to mention poison ivy and thorny underbrush, the risk of heat stroke and who knows what else. I did, however, get in a little detecting time. There were some cool days in July, and I took advantage of the situation, digging a beauty of an Indian Head, dated 1875. This "semi key date" Indian Head looks as if it was dropped on the trip home from the mint! Nearby were some outstanding Scovill military buttons. Definitely worth the risks of summer detecting!
The Fall produced some of my best finds to date. I returned to the site of an old tavern. The tavern was built sometime around the 1780's and burnt down in 1859. All that remains is a slight depression in the ground with scattered bricks. A few years back I found my first Large Cent at this spot. The 1836 "Matron Head" still remains one of my best finds. On this outing, I dug a beauty of a copper, a non-regal King George III Halfpenny, dated 1773, and a circa 1860 suspender buckle which features the symbols of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
I returned again to this same spot in November and dug my first Flying Eagle Cent, this one dated 1857. These coins are an uncommon find for a few reasons. They were only placed into circulation for two years (1857 & 1858). They are also a lower conductivity coin, which means the metal detector interprets the signal to be a common soda can pull tab. I knew this signal was too deep to pass up, and I am glad I trusted my instincts.
There were many other terrific finds in 2008 including plenty of silver dimes and Indian Head Cents. I also found more than 50 buttons, most dated 1770-1850. I can only hope that the new year brings new metal detecting opportunities.
Happy Holidays and thank you for looking.
Neil
I first started using the DFX in late March of 2008. At once I knew this was no ordinary machine. My first outing produced a Mercury Dime and a silver "Rosie" Dime, but this was only the beginning.
In early April, I returned to a field that had previously produced a few 18th and 19th century buttons, but no old coins. On this warm April day, I found more than 10 metal buttons, including a late 19th century "Dandy" button. The real find of the day, however, came when I got a nice penny signal at a depth of two inches. When I removed the coin from the plug, I knew I had found something special. It was too caked with mud to identify on the spot, but it was bigger than a nickel and smaller than a quarter. I knew I had found my first two cent piece, or my first half cent. Either would have made me happy, and as it turns out it was the latter, an 1809 Half Cent!
I returned to the site in late May, finding coins spanning five centuries; two modern coins dated 2001 and 1996, an 1836 "Booby Head" Large Cent, a 1787 Connecticut Copper and a 1699 William III Halfpenny!
Earlier in May, My detecting buddy Dale and I had the opportunity to detect in a spot that I had detected a few years back. At that prior time I found a few nice Indian Head Pennies. This time I hit big with my first Draped Bust Large Cent, an 1801. This "minor rarity" is variety Sheldon - 221, a die error with "1" over "0" in the fraction. I found a few buttons and a pocket watch very close by. The specific spot was quite remote, and I wonder if some weary traveler laid down his cloak, never to return, or perhaps he passed away with only the metal of his belongings surviving for 200 years in the woods.
As the hot weather approached, my detecting season winded down. It was not worth the potential for tick bites, mosquito bites, chiggar bites, snake bites or worse, not to mention poison ivy and thorny underbrush, the risk of heat stroke and who knows what else. I did, however, get in a little detecting time. There were some cool days in July, and I took advantage of the situation, digging a beauty of an Indian Head, dated 1875. This "semi key date" Indian Head looks as if it was dropped on the trip home from the mint! Nearby were some outstanding Scovill military buttons. Definitely worth the risks of summer detecting!
The Fall produced some of my best finds to date. I returned to the site of an old tavern. The tavern was built sometime around the 1780's and burnt down in 1859. All that remains is a slight depression in the ground with scattered bricks. A few years back I found my first Large Cent at this spot. The 1836 "Matron Head" still remains one of my best finds. On this outing, I dug a beauty of a copper, a non-regal King George III Halfpenny, dated 1773, and a circa 1860 suspender buckle which features the symbols of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
I returned again to this same spot in November and dug my first Flying Eagle Cent, this one dated 1857. These coins are an uncommon find for a few reasons. They were only placed into circulation for two years (1857 & 1858). They are also a lower conductivity coin, which means the metal detector interprets the signal to be a common soda can pull tab. I knew this signal was too deep to pass up, and I am glad I trusted my instincts.
There were many other terrific finds in 2008 including plenty of silver dimes and Indian Head Cents. I also found more than 50 buttons, most dated 1770-1850. I can only hope that the new year brings new metal detecting opportunities.
Happy Holidays and thank you for looking.
Neil
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