Finally After 3 Seasons I Got My White Whale! My First IHP And His Tribe Too!

Centsless Detecting

Bronze Member
Aug 13, 2017
1,382
4,058
Milwaukee WI
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
-Minelab Equinox 800 with 11" and 6" coils -Minelab Manticore-
-Garett AT Pinpointer-
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well hello again TNET. Something amazing happened to me yesterday. It was beautiful, sunny and 60 degrees after work. My wonderful wife let me go detecting, I promised I would be no more than an hour. I have my usual park with acres of woods that I call home in the spring before everything grows over.

Over the winter I found out that there were extensive Native American mounds that, for hundreds of years they gathered to celebrate the summer solstice. Unfortunately all of the historically mapped mounds are now gone. Now before anyone accuses me of anything, I would NEVER EVER disrupt a Native American Mound. I have a profound respect for ancient culture no matter who or when they lived.

My plan was to head to a spot where, I suspect, there is one of these such lost mounds. It is maybe 3 to 4 feet tall, 15 feet long, and 10 feet wide. It is so perfectly laid out that it most likely is man made in my opinion. My plan was to detect the flat land around the base without disturbing the actual mound itself. One of these days Ill take some good pics of the mound in question. Well, I didn't even get anywhere near the mound. I passed a hill that I have walked by dozens of times but noticed an area I wanted to give a go at.

First signal, a pull tab, of course. Second, a lead dipped wire? No pics but it seems pretty insignificant. Third signal sounded like a shotgun head stamp 4 inches down. Man, was I in for the greatest surprise in my short detecting career! I see what looks like two green pennies. Thinking wheaties because so far, that's all I get out of this park. I clean off the first one and see the wreath and shield. I'm glad no one was around because I couldn't stop cursing and freaking out :laughing7:

There they were 1906 and 1907 IHPS in amazing condition. They must have been dropped very early. Grab the pinpointer and there is still more. A third IHP 1884! I made it back to the 1800s a year and 2 days after my first ever 1800s coin! This one a little worn but still amazing to me.

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I had been detecting for maybe 10 minutes total at this point. Called my wife with the good news and what a joyous occasion it was. Well now of course I'm not leaving this spot and the mound will have to wait for another day. I keep swinging in the same 5x5 foot area. A few great sounding square nails and round nails. Maybe 20 minutes after the first coins, 2 feet away I get another penny signal, 4 inches down. Here we go I'm thinking and there it was.. IHP number 4! This one is 1880 and almost in just as good condition as the 1906 and 1907! Full Liberty on the head dresses of these three.

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I was on cloud 9 all night and I still haven't come down yet :hello2: I decided to call it a night after that, as my hour was nearly up. I looked around the area I was in and noticed a past hole I dug not 10 feet from my favorite coin spill to date. Goes to show how close you can be to something and not even know.

Here they are partially cleaned up. Not sure if I want to clean them any more, as I do not want to ruin the beautiful green patina. But if anyone has some advise, I may give it a go on the 1884 :icon_thumright:

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I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did finding my first tribe of natives! In the future I will share more about the mounds that were in my area, including hand drawn maps from the 1850s in comparison to the lay of the land today.

Good luck to everyone out there and as always happy hunting. Hope to be posting more often.

-TheMilDetector-
 

Upvote 44
Congrats on the finds!
 

I was stoked when I found my first IHP, they aren't so easy to come by in my neck of the woods.
 

Whats the name of your new tribe!:occasion14:
 

That is quite a little run you got there Mil! Very nice! Imagine if those were all Seated dimes or better yet...Capped Bust! You just NEVER know what’s coming next,you had a day that most would be very OK with....:occasion14:
 

Wow those are beautiful IHP’s!!! I’ve probably gotten 7 IHP’s in my 3 years detecting and most are chewed up looking. I think we all have a special place in our hearts for Indian cents. Till this day when I find one I become a young boy. Congratulations on those four beauties [emoji1360]
 

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Congrats on not getting your first 1 but 4!!!! Very awesome!!!!!:occasion14:
 

Congratulations!:hello2:
 

Still waiting to find my first after 12 years detecting ( imagine my celebration when it happens !) Those are really nice coins . I've found 5 of them in penny rolls over the last 3 years .
 

Congrats. I wouldn't do any more cleaning on them. They look great as they are.
 

My first IHs were a coin spill also gotta love hearing the pinpointer keep beeping. Put those in some nice cases we work hard for our cool finds Well done Tommy
 

Very nice finds, I luv the Indians, congrats!:thumbsup:
 

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