Churchyard Finds

[hikermike]

? I found these Jan. 10th in an old church yard I have been hunting. It's my first half dollar and and mercury dime. If the chunk next to them is gold, it would also be a first!This site has produced literally a pile of things. I will post some pics of the other finds too. I hope to get back there today and look a little more before the weather gets bad here! The pics arent in the right order....oooops!

 

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[kenb]

Any idea what the three almost identical items on the left and right are?, they look like some sort of specific blades
Fantastic finds by the way!!!!

 

[OnionRings]

Hikermike, Very nice finds!

The gold you e-mailed me on did you test it?

Looking at it I'm unsure if it's gold but I would have it tested.

Onion

 

[hikermike]

The three items are just old plows. There were cotton fields all around the area at one time. I havent had the chunk checked to see if it is gold, but I plan to do that when the weather gets nasty this weekend. It came out of the ground looking just about the way it does now. I just rinsed it off with water and wiped it down.

 

[hikermike]

Here is a better pic of the melted chunk of unknown metal.

 

[TORRERO]

man are you lucky, cherish this church yard because I've hunted many, many churches down here in NC / SC
I;ve dug almost everything here in church yards before but never this much stuff in any given one yard.
you have done well....
as for your "gold" piece its probable some alumanum slag.
rings of real high on a machine, but I've seen a lot of stuff like that come out of the ground.
good luck

 

[OnionRings]

After looking at it closer I would guess it's not gold. I would have it tested. How much does it weigh?

Onion

 

[Coin_Saver]

Not to bring u down but it kinda looks like fools gold to me, but it defianatly could be real! I hope it is go test it!! HH CS

 

[hikermike]

It's probably just wishful thinking on my part because I have yet to find anything gold, but I will have it checked this weekend. I went back today but only found some clad, but this is a very big area to search(around 6-8 acres).So far I have only covered part of where the older three churchs were located. I found out today where the old outhouses were located for the fourth church. They were used from 1902- the 1940's. They ususally hold some treasures....if nothing else maybe some old bottles.Hopefully I can get back out there as soon as the weather breaks!! This area has been detected over the years but only around where the fourth and present day church is located. They couldnt have hunted where the older churchs were becauce there has been too many things found there!! There is also an area I have got to get to where the spring is that they got water from. It's all grown over, but with a little work I think I can get it cleared enough to check out. The spring is close to where I found the 1786 half reale!!

 

[True_Metal]

Excellent digs! Some really nice old coinage there. 8) That sounds like a great spot!

 

[SnowQueen]

Hikermike, what is that shield on the second row to the left of the spoon? Also I saw a few boy scout items in your stuff and just showed my husband. Thanks!! It'll help him support my hobby more knowing I can find some boy scout items. HH. Snow

 

[True_Metal]

What are those three large coins at the bottom far right next to the wheaties? Are those Coppers?

 

[sssnake31]

Very nice finds, if only I could ever be so lucky. HH and keep us updated with the rest.

 

[hunting4gold]

Great finds... I have had the chance to hunt a few old Churches that have been very productive especially when they have not been hunted... Looks like you were the first one to get to this one.... Keep it up and good luck...

 

[hikermike]

The shield next to the spoon and the pieces above the spoon came from piles of dirt that are left over when they dig new graves.The graveyard caretaker told me they are pieces that came off of coffins when the grave diggers got a little too close to other graves.Kind of morbid, but who knows what might be in this left over dirt. The three large coins next to the wheaties are copper.One is a 1942 Jamacian penny. The other two are commerative coins. One is a Thomas Jefferson "sage of Monticello" coin, and the other is a James Madison"declared war of 1812"commerative coin. The Thomas Jefferson coin was found in the edge of the woods next to the church property line. The James Madison was found on the other side of the property in what was a cotton field many years ago. I searched a little more yesterday, but only found 28 cent in clad and a tiger cub or weeblos buckle.

 

[xXx]

Very nice. How long have you been hunting this church yard? Looks like about a years worth of my hunting.
xXx

 

[hikermike]

I've had my xlt since the early 90's, but haven't used it much until this past fall. I was diagnosed with polycythemia vera in 2002 which is a chronic form of cancer of the bone marrow. I was put on alpha interferon (6million units) every other day for over a year. Taking this medicine is like having the super flu. They took me off of it this past fall to give me a break and to see how my blood levels would respond. Since I was put on disability and off the meds for awhile I thought I would knock the dust off the ole xlt and do some detecting on the days when I felt ok.I am a member of the church I have been detecting and they told me I could hunt the entire property. I have only been hunting it off and on since late september.After finding the half reale I kinda went into detecting madness!! I got it so bad that Christmas eve you could have found me detecting under the security lights between the church and the cemetery. I guess I figured I better get as much done as fast as I can because with all three of my blood lines going through the roof, I will soon be back on the interferon.