Got any "Almost great find" stories?

[Boobydoo]

Got any "Almost great find" stories?

Hello!

After reading Goldfever's story about what happened to him at the beach this weekend, seeing a ring slide out of his scooper falling back to the bottom, and then having the detector go on the fritz at the same time reminded me of an "almost great find" I had.

So, if you have any good stories of almost finds, or things you thought were treasures, turned out to be junk, junk that was a real treasure, or stories about frustrating Th'ing ordeals that happened to you, feel free to share it here. I would love to read all about your "trying" TH'ing times. Yep, we all have had them, this isn't the easiest of hobbys and it takes a lot of both luck and skill to reel in some of those treasures.

Here's one of mine...
One Friday several years back, driving home from work. Craziness... three lanes of eager workers trying to get home for the weekend. So I am just entering I-75, mearging slowly from the cloverleaf entry, looking around, back , to the side, getting on the freeway, everyone cruising by at 80 mph or so. Finally got in the far right lane and take a breath, all of a sudden, a $20 bill blows up from the road in front of me and and latches onto my windshield wiper right in front of my face. So close but what to do? Couldn't reach it as it was too close to the center of the car. All these thoughts running through my head of how to get this thing. Again, looking behind checking traffic, too heavy to do any crazy moves... and just like that, 10 or 15 seconds after it attached, it blows off in a blink and I didn't even catch a glimpse of it in my mirrors which direction it flew. I just drove on, cussing about how close and how far I was to snagging an easy $20.
I guess it wasn't worth losing my life over...lol.

I am looking forward to reading some good stories!


Take care, happy hunting!
BDoo

 

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[Kiros32]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I was hunting in an old park last year and got a bomb on my MXT. It was a +90 I think and it said it was at 2 inches. My experience in the past has been that this is usually an aluminum can. I dug anyway and reached my hand in the hole to pull out some dirt and I could feel a large disc. I pull it out and it was an 1871-cc Seated Liberty Dollar...or so I thought. I actually think I shed a tear of joy before a tear of disappointment when a local coin dealer told me it was fake lol. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. I found out that these repros are popular overseas and was probably taken from daddy's "collection." Oh well!!!

 

[mlw67]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

Ahhhhh......the "Almost Great Find".....yeah, those always stick in the mind, don't they?

Boobydoo I had a very similar experience to yours, wherein I was getting onto I-84 from I-5, and although I can't prove it, I would swear I drove through a bunch of money blowing around. It was on the road, in the bushes, and flying around in the air. But I was going 50 MPH and there is no shoulder in that area--if you stop you are blocking a lane. I still occasionally wonder if that was real money and how much it might have been.

BUT--I have two "might have been" detecting stories that really, really, REALLY haunt me to this day.

The first was when I was 17, and I was on a cruise with my family from Montreal to New York. We made a stop in Quebec City, Quebec. I had my detector with me (duh--like I ever *didn't* have it), and was excited about finding someplace--any place--to metal detect. I found a small city park that looked old and began to detect. I didn't have long to hunt but I do remember I found a wheat cent which I thought was weird because here was in Canada and the oldest thing I found was american? Anyway, I had to catch a bus back to the boat before it left. As I was riding the bus back, detector in hand, we passed a huge park and I saw a memorial stone that said something about some battle being fought there back in the 1700s. But what *really* got my attention was the fact that the entire park had the top few inches of sod and soil removed. Yep, nice and neat, they had taken the first 100 years off the surface of the entire freakin' battle-memorial park. No fences up or anything either. But--I was leaving, and I wasn't coming back.


The second story that deeply bothers me is very similar. I was young, broke, and detector-free when walking around downtown Portland one time. There are blocks and blocks of parks running consecutively called appropriately enough "The Park Blocks". These are the oldest parks in Portland, and every single one of them had all of the sod taken off. Again, nice and neat, the entire park, block after block after block. No fences. And I had no detector, no money, no coin love. I saw an older couple out there hunting and they looked kind of scared of me. I didn't talk to them, but I remember thinking that their pockets were probably full of seated liberties and gold pieces. Lots of gold coins came out of these parks back in the 60s and 70s. I used to read about these parks in treasure magazines when I lived in Yakima, WA as a kid. >grabbing a tissue<

Nope--no way I can forget those "almost found" moments.

 

[Boobydoo]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I was hunting in an old park last year and got a bomb on my MXT. It was a +90 I think and it said it was at 2 inches. My experience in the past has been that this is usually an aluminum can. I dug anyway and reached my hand in the hole to pull out some dirt and I could feel a large disc. I pull it out and it was an 1871-cc Seated Liberty Dollar...or so I thought. I actually think I shed a tear of joy before a tear of disappointment when a local coin dealer told me it was fake lol. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. I found out that these repros are popular overseas and was probably taken from daddy's "collection." Oh well!!!

Wow, a real disapointment. Was it silver at least?
I dug a replica Gold Spanish Reale this weekend and at first thought it was the real thing... but like normal, it wasn't.

Thanks for posting your story. I enjoyed the read!

BDoo

 

[Boobydoo]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

Ahhhhh......the "Almost Great Find".....yeah, those always stick in the mind, don't they?

Boobydoo I had a very similar experience to yours, wherein I was getting onto I-84 from I-5, and although I can't prove it, I would swear I drove through a bunch of money blowing around. It was on the road, in the bushes, and flying around in the air. But I was going 50 MPH and there is no shoulder in that area--if you stop you are blocking a lane. I still occasionally wonder if that was real money and how much it might have been.

BUT--I have two "might have been" detecting stories that really, really, REALLY haunt me to this day.

The first was when I was 17, and I was on a cruise with my family from Montreal to New York. We made a stop in Quebec City, Quebec. I had my detector with me (duh--like I ever *didn't* have it), and was excited about finding someplace--any place--to metal detect. I found a small city park that looked old and began to detect. I didn't have long to hunt but I do remember I found a wheat cent which I thought was weird because here was in Canada and the oldest thing I found was american? Anyway, I had to catch a bus back to the boat before it left. As I was riding the bus back, detector in hand, we passed a huge park and I saw a memorial stone that said something about some battle being fought there back in the 1700s. But what *really* got my attention was the fact that the entire park had the top few inches of sod and soil removed. Yep, nice and neat, they had taken the first 100 years off the surface of the entire freakin' battle-memorial park. No fences up or anything either. But--I was leaving, and I wasn't coming back.


The second story that deeply bothers me is very similar. I was young, broke, and detector-free when walking around downtown Portland one time. There are blocks and blocks of parks running consecutively called appropriately enough "The Park Blocks". These are the oldest parks in Portland, and every single one of them had all of the sod taken off. Again, nice and neat, the entire park, block after block after block. No fences. And I had no detector, no money, no coin love. I saw an older couple out there hunting and they looked kind of scared of me. I didn't talk to them, but I remember thinking that their pockets were probably full of seated liberties and gold pieces. Lots of gold coins came out of these parks back in the 60s and 70s. I used to read about these parks in treasure magazines when I lived in Yakima, WA as a kid. >grabbing a tissue<

Nope--no way I can forget those "almost found" moments.

Hi MLK

Thanks for posting your stories. I can empathize for sure with you there.
As I am driving along seeing potential spots and no time to detect them, or even worse, no detector as you mentioned. It hurts huh.
Very interesting read and write up .

Thank you my friend!

BDoo

 

[Monty]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I guess there's no way of knowing of all the almost finds I have made. I almost found a 1873 Silver dollar in my back yard, but since I didn't find it I'll never know! Seriously, my few almost finds have been those darn gold colored pull tabs that someone has put on the market! For about the fourth time last week I got a signal in the gold range and dug down about four inches and saw circular gold shinning as bright as a diamond in a goat's a$$. My heart began to race and my breathing became difficult as I gingerly took the point of my trowel and slowly began removing the dirt almost one grain at a time so as not to damage the "gold ring". More of it comes into view and my heart skips a beat or two and my throat becomes dryer and I have an overwhelming feeling of well being as the adrynalin rushes through my body. One more little fleck of dirt and there it is! A darn gold colored pull tab! Curse you oh gods of the gold. And a pox on you the unknown manufacturer of this wretched piece of faux gold colored junk! There you have it as I pull out the gold colored pull tab and stab it into pieces with my digging tool and raise my face to the heavens with a less than silent curse! Monty

 

[Luke34]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

'Bout the only thing that sticks to my windshield wipers is parking-violation citations!

 

[jeff of pa]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

Boobydoo I had a very similar experience to yours, wherein I was getting onto I-84 from I-5, and although I can't prove it, I would swear I drove through a bunch of money blowing around. It was on the road, in the bushes, and flying around in the air. But I was going 50 MPH and there is no shoulder in that area--if you stop you are blocking a lane. I still occasionally wonder if that was real money and how much it might have been.

I can't go into Details, But, I was told a story once,
About someone Driving along the Turnpike, Opening the Window
and Throwing Packs of Hundreds out the window, because they had
a Bullet Hole in them.
I never had the Nerve to Ask where.

Years ago I was Detecting a Town square and Found a 21 Mercury.
I'm not sure if it was a D, "My Memory" (or lack of).
When I pulled it out, I was being watched by another Detectorist who stopped to Introduce Himself. My eye sight is bad, So I handed it to him and he told me it was a 21.
After I reached home, I used a Magnifying Glass & confirmed the Date. The Coin was in Excellent shape, Full Bands on the Back.
I Didn't have a recent coin book or Computer back then, so I called my Nephew for Pricing on the Computer.
I then called a Local Dealer, who said he would have to Ship it for
Grading Before Giving me a Price, and that I should bring it in the next day.
I litterly Sat up looking at this coin till the middle of the night,
Checking & Re Checking.
Time came to Go to the Dealer.
I walked in, with a Big Smile & Dropped the coin in his Palm.
He closed his Hand, popped the Coin up between his Thumb & Finger
and looked at it in his Magnifying Glass & said this is a 24


Another Time I was Doing a Drained lake.
I had already Found & pulled out 2 Slot machines
(2 Of over 20 that are there) there was still a large pond of
water where they were dumped because this was the Deepest
part of the lake. and the reason they were dumped there.
I started Detecting in the water & got a good signal.
about 3 to 4 feet out from the edge.
After Creating a Make shift Bridge of Rock to get out on,
I layd down & Reached in the Water.
Pushing my hand Down into the Muddy water, and using my
Probe, I was able to Locate the Source, and started Feeling around
in order to get a grip.
I first felt a Corner, Then another, & then a 3rd. & Deduced,
I had another Slot machine.
I worked at this for at least 2 Hours, as it was at arms length
and at times I had to put My Head Under water in order to reach
it & Grip it.
Finally I was able to pull it up, and it was a Wooden Milk Box,
not a Slot Machine.

 

[Roadquest]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I was detecting, a few years ago in a wooded area behind an abandoned
drive in. found some Civil war "stuff" there before. Came to this
big tree, always check real good within 20 feet of a large tree, Will I
did, I got a good reading on my detector, I'm thinking oh man, this is going
to be good. About 8" down I found a can, ok I get it out of the ground.
Get the top off, this little can is full of marijuan, I say to my self, ok I
think it's time to get out of here. I thought about it later, I woundered if
there was any cash in a can out there.
And, by the way I Uh just thru that marijuan away.

Roadquest

 

[mlw67]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

LOL Roadquest!

I would have burned it to get rid of the evidence.

 

[Roadquest]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

mlw67,

I did, a little bit at the time.

 

[Boobydoo]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I guess there's no way of knowing of all the almost finds I have made. I almost found a 1873 Silver dollar in my back yard, but since I didn't find it I'll never know! Seriously, my few almost finds have been those darn gold colored pull tabs that someone has put on the market! For about the fourth time last week I got a signal in the gold range and dug down about four inches and saw circular gold shinning as bright as a diamond in a goat's a$$. My heart began to race and my breathing became difficult as I gingerly took the point of my trowel and slowly began removing the dirt almost one grain at a time so as not to damage the "gold ring". More of it comes into view and my heart skips a beat or two and my throat becomes dryer and I have an overwhelming feeling of well being as the adrynalin rushes through my body. One more little fleck of dirt and there it is! A darn gold colored pull tab! Curse you oh gods of the gold. And a pox on you the unknown manufacturer of this wretched piece of faux gold colored junk! There you have it as I pull out the gold colored pull tab and stab it into pieces with my digging tool and raise my face to the heavens with a less than silent curse! Monty

Hi Monty!

You first bit made me laugh!! good one!

Those dang pull tabs, the gold ones
are so frustrating and I have done the same thing as you explain.

Thanks for commenting!

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[Digginman]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I'll try to make this as short as possible:

A friend of mine and me were heavily into hunting. We researched where the Union Calvary dumped a payroll, when they were ambushed by the Confederates, between Forestville and Timberville, Virginia. This was during the Battle of Timberville. Not much of a battle really, more of a running one. We researched for months. We had looked for a year or so, and thought we had it narrowed down. We had dug so much, but still believed it was ours to be found.

We asked for permission off of an old man named Bowman. He told us to go ahead. On this farm we found several depressions, and dug up Spenser Cartridges. We were close and we knew it. We searched every inch of his property, came up with the normal Civil War Relics, but no payroll. Finally we gave up. This took us another year.

A couple of years later, a guy at work told us Mr. Bowman had died. There was going to be an auction of his property. This guy was a packrat of the worst kind. He had everything you could think of. 1st editions of every bestseller from the past 40 years or so, wooden shingles for log cabin, etc. It was a sale of the century.

The buyer of the house was razing it to build his own home there. During the destruction, in the walls of the house, was found over $20,000.00, face value, of old paper dollars. I never did learn of the dates of these bills. Rumor has it they were from the mid-1800's.

I have always wondered if he had this payroll, and let us look, knowing he had nothing to lose. I hope to think so.

DM

 

[buscadero]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I was living in the Detroit area about five yrs ago and was talking Metal Detecting with a friend at our local Coffee Shop. A guy seated about three seats down asked us if we had MDs. We said yes and he proceeded to tell us about a friend of his who had recently passed away suddenly. It seems the guy was a dope dealer and always said that when he had $750k. hid away that he was going to retire to the Bahamas. anyhow, this guy we were talking to asked if one of us would follow him up north about 30 mi. and check out some property that the dealers grandparents lived on (about 10 acres, he said) Evidently, the dealers wife had found some maps that her husband drew up and found some Gold Coins in PVC pipes buried in her back yard, but no cash. This guy was sure that the cash was buried on this northern property. I told him we would think about it, so he gave us a phone number to call. He also said we would receive 20% finders fee. We talked it over and decided not to proceed with it. Going out in the boondocks with a total stranger all alone and with the awesome amount of money involved, I could just feel the bullet in the back of my head if I was successful. Was I stupid or smart?

 

[Digginman]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I think it was a smart move. I lived in Detroit for 23 years. I didn't even know my neighbors. I didn't even venture out at night very often.

DM

 

[Jeffro]

Re: Got any "Almost great find" stories?

I think I posted this story before, but its been awhile-

I was doing some nugget shooting up on Brice creek in the Bohemia district of Oregon, nice little nuggies come in pockets up there. Anyways there was this high, flat bedrock shelf chock full of cracks that I was inspecting rather closely. Back behind an upcrop of bedrock, I got a whopper signal in a pile of black sand, just laying there. As I looked down under my coil, I could actually see the gold rim of a BIG coin staring back at me! My heart was thumping something fierce and didn't settle down for hours. I whooped and hollered for my Dad who was closeby panning, and then he started whooping and hollering!

Wel, to make a short story even longer, after I got back to town and did some research, it wasn't gold at all.... drats!!!!!! Here it is-