Bavaria Mike
Gold Member
- Feb 7, 2005
- 8,340
- 177
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab XT70, Fisher 1280, Garrett Ace 250 and MH5
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Although I grew up near this historical town and had toured it several times as a child, I have just now realized the important significance of its origin. Schoenbrunn (Beautiful Spring in German) was founded in 1772 and is considered the first white settlement in Ohio. It was founded by missionaries from Moravia Bohemia, present Czechoslovakia, approximately 150 miles from where I live in Germany and the Delaware Indians whom were being pushed away westward by the British and white settlers. I took my sons and German friend here for a tour of the reconstructed settlement. Due to the well kept and preserved documents of the town, they were able to reconstruct it nearly as it was built, they even have the town layout as it was planned in 1772. This is a picture down the main road present day.
One of the many reconstructed cabins.
After the tour, I met up with the park manager and had to ask if I could detect here. She laughed and said she wouldn?t give me permission to detect the reconstructed site, as I expected, but she did give me permission to detect everywhere outside the fenced in area, which is where I wanted to detect. I couldn?t believe I had permission for this, she even wrote her name down on a piece of paper in case anyone harassed me. So the next morning I got up at 06:30 and was on site detecting around 07:30. I detected for about 2 ? hours, all the time I had for this. Within the first hour, I found this button that I?m sure dates back to the early settlement and a 1942 silver Mercury dime, had I not found anything else, I was happy! Obverse of button and silver dime, the dime has the initials AW (Adolph A Weinman) of the designer.
Reverse of the button and silver dime. I?m going to send the button to the museum.
Looking at the thick canopy of the forest area I was detecting, I expected the floor to have a thick layer of dead foliage however it was mostly dirt and small amounts of vegetation with some over grown areas as well. Into the second hour I hadn?t found much but a little trash and a few square nails, then this nice little tin popped up, it was about 2? down. I picked it up and noted it had some weight to it, gave it a light shake and it gave a tinking sound. My curiosity was running wild by now but I didn?t want to damage it so I put it in my pouch until I got home.
Arriving home, I put a bead of oil around the tin and tried to gently open it but it wasn?t budging without a little force. I had to use a small screwdriver, then it popped and I opened it. What a sight to see, a flint laying on top of a nicely shaped steel for building a fire. I removed the steel and flint and marveled over it for several minutes. I really thought I had found a great find dating back to the early settlement.
The flint and steel.
Looking back into the tin, there was also a small wad of cloth which I gently removed.
I was thinking the only thing better would be a gold coin under it, as I lifted it out, I could see two small round pieces of gold that turned out to be earrings. I was elated to find them in the tin. Took them out and cleaned them up and looked at them under a loupe and saw a 14K stamp on one of them. As thrilled as I was about finding the gold under the cloth, it shattered my idea of the flint and steel being an original relic from the settlement and I surmised it must have been lost by a re-enactor as they have several re-enactments there through out the summer. I still consider it a great and exciting find.
The gold earrings up close, I also noted they are not a matched pair but they?re still gold. HH, Mike
One of the many reconstructed cabins.
After the tour, I met up with the park manager and had to ask if I could detect here. She laughed and said she wouldn?t give me permission to detect the reconstructed site, as I expected, but she did give me permission to detect everywhere outside the fenced in area, which is where I wanted to detect. I couldn?t believe I had permission for this, she even wrote her name down on a piece of paper in case anyone harassed me. So the next morning I got up at 06:30 and was on site detecting around 07:30. I detected for about 2 ? hours, all the time I had for this. Within the first hour, I found this button that I?m sure dates back to the early settlement and a 1942 silver Mercury dime, had I not found anything else, I was happy! Obverse of button and silver dime, the dime has the initials AW (Adolph A Weinman) of the designer.
Reverse of the button and silver dime. I?m going to send the button to the museum.
Looking at the thick canopy of the forest area I was detecting, I expected the floor to have a thick layer of dead foliage however it was mostly dirt and small amounts of vegetation with some over grown areas as well. Into the second hour I hadn?t found much but a little trash and a few square nails, then this nice little tin popped up, it was about 2? down. I picked it up and noted it had some weight to it, gave it a light shake and it gave a tinking sound. My curiosity was running wild by now but I didn?t want to damage it so I put it in my pouch until I got home.
Arriving home, I put a bead of oil around the tin and tried to gently open it but it wasn?t budging without a little force. I had to use a small screwdriver, then it popped and I opened it. What a sight to see, a flint laying on top of a nicely shaped steel for building a fire. I removed the steel and flint and marveled over it for several minutes. I really thought I had found a great find dating back to the early settlement.
The flint and steel.
Looking back into the tin, there was also a small wad of cloth which I gently removed.
I was thinking the only thing better would be a gold coin under it, as I lifted it out, I could see two small round pieces of gold that turned out to be earrings. I was elated to find them in the tin. Took them out and cleaned them up and looked at them under a loupe and saw a 14K stamp on one of them. As thrilled as I was about finding the gold under the cloth, it shattered my idea of the flint and steel being an original relic from the settlement and I surmised it must have been lost by a re-enactor as they have several re-enactments there through out the summer. I still consider it a great and exciting find.
The gold earrings up close, I also noted they are not a matched pair but they?re still gold. HH, Mike
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