Good advice/new hunt sites for coins

bergie

Bronze Member
Aug 2, 2004
1,815
1,147
This may be obvious, but I found a very good way for anyone to find new hunt sites for coins that may not have been searched or known to many people. I was talking to my mother in law and asking about places people would go decades ago swimming in creeks, rivers or lakes. Most places have what used to be called the "old swimming hole" for the area. She told me about an old swimming hole that used to be packed with people decades ago, but is now just a creek on private property. I got permission to go there and it was clear it had never been searched. I've found silver coins every time and other coins dating from 1934 to the late 1970s. I then went to some of the online newspaper sites for the area and entered "old swimming hole" and variations and searched for articles. I found a current land dispute about a location that used to be a swimming hole. Even though the article talked about a big dispute between the "bad guy" landowner and people who wanted to continue to swim, he was very nice when I approached him and allowed me to check. It was mostly rocks, so I didn't find much, but then he told me there was a 100 year old baseball field on the property and he had photos of it. It was really overgrown during the early summer when I searched so I could hardly check and will have to go back, but I did find a 1908 dime. So, talk to old timers about old swimming holes and check your local newspaper online archives.
 

Sounds like your not only doing the right thing, but your having some fantastic luck along with it...
 

That first swimming hole has spoiled me rotten (along with True Metal). Now that we have all but cleaned it out (except we are going to build equipment and clean the bottom of the creek), it's now a bummer to go anywhere else that's well known until we find that next big hidden spot. I think I've found the next one but won't know for sure for another day or two. I've done much research on this one and it has all the earmarks of a good spot--1) lost over time and no real historical info on it except memories of old timers, so unlikely to have been searched; 2) a reason for people at the location to have had money and lost it; 3) no changes at all in the geography such as development or movement of earth. This one dates back to the 50s and I've now seen photographic proof of it with lots of people/parked cars from a person whose family once owned the site. Should be silver!!!
 

I...LOVE old swimming holes. Even small ones.

There are TONS of these sites that have not been detected. I found one last year, a small pond that's been used for over 160 years (as evidenced by old newspaper accounts). I've found some great stuff there in the short time I've been there. I've only been there there a few times, and still have about a quarter of the pond to check before I do a second sweep, but it makes me happy.

Not to mention it's still used today, but rarely. Mostly just a rope/tire swing.

Doc
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top