First silver find of 2012, and of my LIFE! What was Yours??

[SeattleHistoryNut]

After two months of combing this site and drooling over everyone else's finds, I can finally post one of my own! After two months of drooling over all of your finds and learning everything I can about the hobby. . . the Girlfriend got the hint and got me an Ace 250 for Christmas! The very next morning I was out in a park by my house. . . well yesterday after about 12 total hours of hunting since Christmas, I struck my first ever "good," find!
I go to college in Walla Walla, Wa and there is a nice old turn of the century neighborhood lined with nothing but turn of the century mansions!! I got permission to hunt the yard of "Suttner Mansion," built in 1910 and after A LOT of nails (some of them square) there was a pretty little silver sheen in the dirt that i had been CRAVING to see/find/feel for the very first time in my metal detecting career it was a 1942 s Mercury Dime!! Verrry beat up but a SILVER Mercury dime nonetheless!! That feeling of euphoria, of pulling a SILVER coin out of the ground where so many dozens of people unknowingly walk by every day... was amazing.
I was also wondering if you all remember and wanted to share your first ever silver find! I'd welcome/appreciate the stories!
p.s. the pic of the house is Suttner Mansion where i found the Merc!
-SeattleHistoryNut

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Shark27]

Congrats! on the silver...it took me months to find my first silver coin and I thought that San Diego just didn't have any silver left in the ground....but when I noticed something different in the hole from all the clad I had unearth before I almost didnt know what to do...it's a cool feeling, I admit.

Shark27

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

A very anti-climatic Rosie.
It's gotten better.
Kudos,
Carl

 

[Mud Magnet]

Congrats on your first silver, hopefully the first of many.

Remember my first silver as if it was yesterday (unfortunately it wasn't). Back in the 70's using a Whites 2DB on the old schoolyard, hadn't had much luck on the lawn but then moved to a gravel area under the old slide fire escape and popped out a silver dime, and another, and another...got three mercs and five roosys that day and I was hooked. Detected pretty heavy for a couple of years but then started drinking beer and chasing tail and lost interest. Rediscovered the hobby last winter and am once again hooked (second childhood?). Who knows maybe in a couple years I'll start drinking beer and chasing tail again

 

[MKnTenn]

If your digging nails maybe you need to tweek your discrimination up a tad. Silver is nice in any condition. Hope it's the first of many great finds, HH

 

[Ken in Georgia]

Nice first.

 

[FoxHound0985]

Congrats on your first silver!! My first silver was also my first old coin to come out of the ground. A very toasted 1772 Half Reale. Only the last three numbers of the date were visible.

 

[SeatedorBust]

Congrats on your first silver! I used to live in Tri-Cities and have hunted Walla Walla before and have always wanted to go back... Lots of places to hunt there! My records show that i found over 20 silver on my few road trips over there. So that should be the first of many for you!! Keep swingin'!! My first was a 41 merc. In Missoula Montana in 1979... With a little Garrett's green machine I "borrowed" from my dad. Hooked for life.

 

[vanoldschool]

Congrats, theres more there in walla walla, Im from the Tri cities, you have a great location, get on Google Earth and start exploring !! almost forgot, my first was a 42 Merc in SanDiego, 2007??

 

[oxbowbarefoot]

Nice Merc. My first silver coin was a 1943 P War Nickel found with my Ace 250 at an old park in Westfield, MA.

 

[scaupus]

it's great to share your enthusiasm. Thank you very much!

I'm going to give you the long version of my first silver. My first detector was a whites 6000 si xl pro, which is a great analog machine which i bought for $20 a couple years ago and after a few months sold for $450. I hadn't intended to use it myself, I'm a trader and had bought it with only the intention to resell, but I got kind of interested in how it works. I noodled around with it, but I never got proficient, and I found it not very ergonomic, I really felt the strain after 30 minutes or so swinging it. Then I picked up an Ace 250 for $40 (i find all my stuff at yard and estate sales). I practiced with it at my local park, est. 1973 and found some interesting stuff including a 1900 English bronze penny. How'd it get to my 1970's trailer park out in the Everglades? I think a kid got it from the old guy who ran the 4 lane bowling alley in our Association Center, a beer bar, and a tiny convenience store. He had a counter full of collectable coins and stuff. He closed only months after I first moved in. It was mainly where old guys like me hung out and drank beer.

That penny is worth at best .50, but when I first saw that large coin in the dirt, and I made out the obviously very old classical image of a gal in robes, my heart skipped a beat. For an instant, I had the fantastic feeling that I could potentially find something wonderful almost anywhere. That feeling stuck with me, and I got the bug to find silver coins down in nearby Miami. I had checked my dad's 1925 house in Miami with the Whites a couple of times, but had found only clad and memorial pennies. I had decided there were no silver coins there.

But after finding that Victorian penny, I determined to try one more time, now using the Ace 250. I was in the swale, digging a dime signal, when my brother walked by going to the front gate and made some smarty mouth remark. Moments later, I saw a Mercury dime in the grass roots. It was a 1920 something, and it was clean and silvery bright. It was a huge thrill, and vindication against my skeptical brother!

Unfortunately, he was not impressed, as it was worth only about $3 as silver bullion. He's an accountant, and he just doesn't get the romance of finding old silver under your feet. Later, I found 9 more silver coins at my dad's, including a 1912 barber dime and a Walking half. I'm 99% sure I've dug out all the silver there. Just yesterday, I checked the yard again, but this time I was digging all the trash signals I had ignored while going after the silver. I was hoping maybe someone had lost a bit of gold jewelry out there. The last bottle cap signal I dug (now using a Spectrum eagle) as it was getting dark, turned out to be a penny. I thought it was a zincoln. Then I saw an Indian head-dress and the date, 1890, and it was as big a thrill as my first Mercury. I had never expected to find an Indian head cent in Miami.

 

[romeo-1]

Congrats on the first of many!

 

[lucky d]

cool beans dude ! i too like your enthusiasm as it reminded me of my first silver find in 06...armed with my new ace 250 i set out to find me a silver coin at the old army airfield near my house....a whole lot o trash and a bunch of wheaties later, Bingo ! a 42 merc....woooo hooo ! i was hooked....i only have found about 30 silvers since then, but the funny thing is, each one feels as good as the first...best wishes...hh

 

[Happy Harry]

April 27, 2008 Not a date that I will easily forget. Was hunting a set of three homes built in 1906. They were to be torn down and Condos/townhomes to be built. I had only been hunting since January 1,2008. I received my detector for Christmas December 2007. Its also a Garretts Ace 250. I was hunting under where the old clothes line had been. The posts were still there. Was getting a lot of trash signals and digging them as i was still new to my detector. Got this tremoundous strong signal that indicated .50. No way! Yup way! after digging a very large plug and searching thru dirt from about four inches down out pops a 1944 walking liberty half dollar. My first silver.
I still use the ACE 250. have found several additional silver coins including a 1876 Seated Liberty Quarter, and 1908 Barber Dime, and 1946 Quarter.
I feel that I now know this machine very well and continue to hunt with it. It still produces.
HHHH

 

[kayden]

WTG on your very 1st silver.You are right it is a rush. My 1st in a ghostown this past May was 2 barber dimes

 

[tmanfromtexas]

Congrats on your first silver. They are nice to find. I found my first silver in Indiana while I was working up there. I went hunting with a former tnetter and hit an old park that was covered in woods and weeds. I was using the Ace 250 and got a quarter signal. I dug down and out popped a 1941 Washington. I only dug 2 silvers with the ace, both Washingtons. I moved on to the etrac and even though I remember enjoying using the ace, I love using my etrac. Wishing you continued success. TMAN...

 

[Digginbingo]

Im new to it too. I got a ace 250 on xmas eve. Found a war nickle and a silver cross with jesus on it at a old church picnic area. next day found a 51 rosey. I know the feeling... its awesome. Cant wait to dig some BIG silver. Good luck

 

[Wldbil]

Congrats on the silver... Still waiting to find my first and I have been in this hobby a long time. Made a ton of nice finds, but somehow the silver coin has not surfaced

 

[dustbuster]

Congratulations on your silver I, also, have an Ace. I have only found one silver and of all places a tot lot. A 1964 Rosie. Still, it was terrific. I'm looking for that next one real soon.
HH

 

[PAdigs]

Congrats!...Any first silver is a nice find. My first and only for that matter, since I don't get out much was a 1920 walking liberty half...worn but not bad either. Found with a Bounty Hunter 202. I hope to find another silver & any would be welcome.