Thanks so much!All the kind words is almost overwhelming!I have been looking forward everyday to checking my replies almost as much as I have been to get back down to the "spot"!
I hear quite often about how lucky we are here on the East Coast with all the colonial and large copper finds, but whenever I see one of those West Coast gold finds, I get green with envy!
I guess the grass is always greener on the other side!
I cannot remember a more powerful posting on here except maybe Night Stalker who found a whole brick-lined pit filled with burlap-wrapped gold coins (and his find was crazy even w/out pictures)...this is an incredible find, especially considering how it appears to be just dropped randomly in the middle of nowhere.
The idea someone proposed of them being "dropped while galloping away from a posse" is not entirely without merit....the fact that the immediate area was searched futher and produced nothing supports a sudden drop and not a cache.
I would look at the saddle you referred to as the probably route a rider might take on horseback and try to extend the path in either direction from the perspective of someone riding a horse quickly through that unique topography. Then sweep this path say 10ft wide for some distance in either direction from your hot spot.
That's some serious coinage!...congrats on the banner.
I can say this is one of the few post that i have called my father in law, brother in law and several friends to come look at.
They are all amazed and hopefully they will all become detectorist also.
Truly awesome finds...
Thanks for the replies!Danimal I also think the possibility of an ambush or of a fleeting drop is a strong possibility.we searched the area hard in a 50 yard circle,but we will be searching a little more in depth on our next trip.I am presently researching deeper to try to connect some dots.There was a lot of Spanish activity in the area.Allen I am glad you are trying to get your family involved.I got my Dad and cousin involved several years ago and now we are quite the team!Its a good opportunity to spend some quality time together,and you dont have the trust issuesthat I have ran into in the past.
How did I miss this the first time around?! What an incredible day; those halves alone would have been sufficient, but to add a $10 gold piece? Fantastic! Congratulations on the banner; that is one beautiful coin!