charlotte49er
Sr. Member
- Jun 2, 2011
- 252
- 52
- Detector(s) used
- XP DEUS, DetectorPro Pirate Pro & Headhunter Wader, Fisher F2, F4, F75, Tesoro Compadre, Silver Umax, Vaquero, Cortes, Nugget Snoop & Falcon MD20
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
Almost 3 weeks ago, my friends and I got permission from the owner to metal detect one of (NC) Cabarrus County's many defunct gold mines.
This mine had 3 shafts on the property (Though 2 of them were just deep holes.) The mine primarily operated from the early 1900's to the early 1930's. The main shaft was re-discovered in 1969 and found to be 88 feet deep and full of water. (It still it today.)
The property in the current owner's family for at least the last 100 years. Also, he didn't recall that anyone had ever gotten permission to metal detect on the property. (Virgin ground!)
There were about 14 of us that were able to make it. I had told everyone in my e-mail that I had no idea what we might find. We could find Gold, Gold in Quartz, Old tools, turn of the century money, junk or nothing. We searched about 3 hours, some longer, but I had to leave to mind the store.
Right off, a couple of the guys found what they said was a bucket off of a bucket dredge. (I think it was part of a clam shell bucket.)
After 3 hours, no gold, quarts with gold or old coins. Everyone I talked to afterwards, fun. There was a cemetery up on a hill that the owner said we could search, (not his family plots. It was on the property that he bought long after the gold mine.) We will come back to that one.
My finds:
Part of a hammer drill chisel and a broken plough blade. I still had fun, even though we didn't find the Mother Lode. (I need to clean these up with electrolysis.)
Found the chisel piece about 5" down. Dirt was HARD packed, despite the rain the day before. I was using my XP DEUS set on "Gold Prospecting" Mode. Manual ground balanced. 9" coil. After so many started finding barbed wire pieces buried, I switched to "Relic" Mode. That's when I found the plough blade.
The owner said I could use his name to contact other mine owners in the area. (There are about 20-30 defunct mines around there.)
This mine had 3 shafts on the property (Though 2 of them were just deep holes.) The mine primarily operated from the early 1900's to the early 1930's. The main shaft was re-discovered in 1969 and found to be 88 feet deep and full of water. (It still it today.)
The property in the current owner's family for at least the last 100 years. Also, he didn't recall that anyone had ever gotten permission to metal detect on the property. (Virgin ground!)
There were about 14 of us that were able to make it. I had told everyone in my e-mail that I had no idea what we might find. We could find Gold, Gold in Quartz, Old tools, turn of the century money, junk or nothing. We searched about 3 hours, some longer, but I had to leave to mind the store.
Right off, a couple of the guys found what they said was a bucket off of a bucket dredge. (I think it was part of a clam shell bucket.)
After 3 hours, no gold, quarts with gold or old coins. Everyone I talked to afterwards, fun. There was a cemetery up on a hill that the owner said we could search, (not his family plots. It was on the property that he bought long after the gold mine.) We will come back to that one.
My finds:
Part of a hammer drill chisel and a broken plough blade. I still had fun, even though we didn't find the Mother Lode. (I need to clean these up with electrolysis.)
Found the chisel piece about 5" down. Dirt was HARD packed, despite the rain the day before. I was using my XP DEUS set on "Gold Prospecting" Mode. Manual ground balanced. 9" coil. After so many started finding barbed wire pieces buried, I switched to "Relic" Mode. That's when I found the plough blade.
The owner said I could use his name to contact other mine owners in the area. (There are about 20-30 defunct mines around there.)
