Silver Fox
Sr. Member
First Sac. & First Park Official
I have just about given up on finding any old coins and silver in NYC's Riverside Park; a park that should deliver older coins anywhere from the late 1800s to 1964 for silver. Yes, I have found SLQs & Liberty Heads (Mercs). Not that many but at least some. But that was years ago and the well seems to have dried up. So even though I go to places that should have these coins, such as the location of a 1913 dedication where 10,000 were in attendance; zip, nada, nothing. I doubt if anyone, regardless of detector wil find a Barber dime let alone a Barber half. Or a WL half. Much doubts.
So I go still hoping silver will find the light of day but knowing that I'm always going to wind up walking back home through the same old tried trails picking up a clad coin here and a clad coin there. Today I picked up 7 quarters, six dimes, 2 nickels(!), 3 cents, and my first Sacajawea dollar coin. I could have probably picked up more dimes and cents but I pass up a lot looking for that icon to register Quarter or higher. You may ask, why pass up dimes and cents. My answer is that I've gotten lazy and because I got spoiled by my previous detector, my trusty ol' Teknetics Mark I Ltd which was able to distinguish between cent and dime, not only visually but with different tones so that when I heard that sound it wasn't necessary for me to look at the meter I KNEW it was a dime and those I dug. But I just cannot be bothered to search for a cent. In other locations where there might be IHs I would do it but not in Riverside Park.
Then while I was moving from one location to another I arrived at a fenced off area and on the road ahead of me was a parks department vehicle and the driver was walking nearby on his cell phone. When he got through with his call he walked over to me and asked me if I had a permit. But as he asked me he showed me his ID wallet with the badge, etc. (I'll show you mine if you show me yours!) I showed him my permit but I don't think he had any idea what he was looking at as he kept going to the beaches section and I had to show him the list of parks.
I asked him if he knew when the fenced off area would be opened and he took a few steps to look at the posted signs but it didn't say. But he said that even if it was I couldn't detect in that area. There's nothing special or different about this area. Without the fence it's just like the rest of the park. He said it was a Class A area (?) and I said why aren't there signs to prevent detecting in that area. He could answer properly but looked at the signs again and said it was a Passive area. Whatever the hell that has to do with anything I don't know. Passive means to me no active sports, just a hanging out area. He was looking my permit over and saw the word rough area. I showed him an area around a tree that had no grass, just dirt. I asked him if THAT was a rough area and he said no, and then pointed to a small intersection corner where two paths come together and where a lamp sits. I has about 3 or 4 feet of bare dirt. THAT he said was a rough area. What an anal cavity! These are the people that rule or govern our hobby. A man in a suit that drives around god knows doing what and yet he has power over us, in a certain way.
After I left the park I thought why didn't I ask him what he would have done if I didn't have a permit. That might have been an opportunity he rarely encounters where he could have waxed victorious and pulled rank, etc. The actual, though rare, rangers and cops are real friendly and as long as you have a permit they banter with you asking what you've found, etc.
About the Sac. Even though it registers as a quarter and you think you're going for a quarter, you still look at the coin trying to figure out what it is as the inside edge gives it away that you don't have a quarter. But the new, non-shiny look makes it less attractive. Still, one dollar. Saves digging four times for quarters, or 10 times for dimes, 100 cents!
I didn't include photos 'cause you've all seen clads galore.
Silver Fox
I have just about given up on finding any old coins and silver in NYC's Riverside Park; a park that should deliver older coins anywhere from the late 1800s to 1964 for silver. Yes, I have found SLQs & Liberty Heads (Mercs). Not that many but at least some. But that was years ago and the well seems to have dried up. So even though I go to places that should have these coins, such as the location of a 1913 dedication where 10,000 were in attendance; zip, nada, nothing. I doubt if anyone, regardless of detector wil find a Barber dime let alone a Barber half. Or a WL half. Much doubts.
So I go still hoping silver will find the light of day but knowing that I'm always going to wind up walking back home through the same old tried trails picking up a clad coin here and a clad coin there. Today I picked up 7 quarters, six dimes, 2 nickels(!), 3 cents, and my first Sacajawea dollar coin. I could have probably picked up more dimes and cents but I pass up a lot looking for that icon to register Quarter or higher. You may ask, why pass up dimes and cents. My answer is that I've gotten lazy and because I got spoiled by my previous detector, my trusty ol' Teknetics Mark I Ltd which was able to distinguish between cent and dime, not only visually but with different tones so that when I heard that sound it wasn't necessary for me to look at the meter I KNEW it was a dime and those I dug. But I just cannot be bothered to search for a cent. In other locations where there might be IHs I would do it but not in Riverside Park.
Then while I was moving from one location to another I arrived at a fenced off area and on the road ahead of me was a parks department vehicle and the driver was walking nearby on his cell phone. When he got through with his call he walked over to me and asked me if I had a permit. But as he asked me he showed me his ID wallet with the badge, etc. (I'll show you mine if you show me yours!) I showed him my permit but I don't think he had any idea what he was looking at as he kept going to the beaches section and I had to show him the list of parks.
I asked him if he knew when the fenced off area would be opened and he took a few steps to look at the posted signs but it didn't say. But he said that even if it was I couldn't detect in that area. There's nothing special or different about this area. Without the fence it's just like the rest of the park. He said it was a Class A area (?) and I said why aren't there signs to prevent detecting in that area. He could answer properly but looked at the signs again and said it was a Passive area. Whatever the hell that has to do with anything I don't know. Passive means to me no active sports, just a hanging out area. He was looking my permit over and saw the word rough area. I showed him an area around a tree that had no grass, just dirt. I asked him if THAT was a rough area and he said no, and then pointed to a small intersection corner where two paths come together and where a lamp sits. I has about 3 or 4 feet of bare dirt. THAT he said was a rough area. What an anal cavity! These are the people that rule or govern our hobby. A man in a suit that drives around god knows doing what and yet he has power over us, in a certain way.
After I left the park I thought why didn't I ask him what he would have done if I didn't have a permit. That might have been an opportunity he rarely encounters where he could have waxed victorious and pulled rank, etc. The actual, though rare, rangers and cops are real friendly and as long as you have a permit they banter with you asking what you've found, etc.
About the Sac. Even though it registers as a quarter and you think you're going for a quarter, you still look at the coin trying to figure out what it is as the inside edge gives it away that you don't have a quarter. But the new, non-shiny look makes it less attractive. Still, one dollar. Saves digging four times for quarters, or 10 times for dimes, 100 cents!
I didn't include photos 'cause you've all seen clads galore.
Silver Fox
Upvote
3
I'm thinking about starting metal detecting and I literally live right next to van cortlandt park, but everyone is saying there not finding anything, not gonna waste my money. 
