Narthoniel
Bronze Member
Update info: Drumroll please. Scroll down to topic #31 to see the verdict!
Hello everyone,
Last week we had a big Nor'easter come through. For an entire week the winds were out of the northeast, and the beach was very generous for a little while. On Saturday, September 20th, I found an 1884s Morgan Dollar. In addition to that, 90% of the coins I dug this week were very corroded - shows that there was erosion, and that what I was finding was old. I managed to get in 12 hunts at low tide over 9 days, and of them, about 9 were great for target density. Managed over 100 targets a trip several times, and 5-7 bucks in clad was common. All in all, that week was one of my best for hunting.
The storm officially passed through on Thursday. It rained and the wind was very strong all day and into the night. I snuck out between rain bands for about 3 hours, and it happened to clear at low tide. Found 2 rings, one of them gold, and a nice silver bracelet my wife now has. But the rain eventually came, and reluctantly, I left my honeyhole.
Come Friday, I was planning to get up early enough to be out well ahead of low tide. I knew that with a storm like that, the window was going to be very small for good hunts. Low tide was at noon, and guess what time I woke up. 11:30 am. DOH! I kicked myself very hard, and the wife as well(who happens to be the alarm clock). On any other day, I would have stated home. But, because of the storm, I forced myself out the door, upset and a little disgruntled at the lost time.
Was pleased to find the beach nice and low, and decided to leave my honeyhole for the first time all week. So, I strolled on along the beach, and worked the water and surf for a while. After about 10 blocks, I hit the area around the Pier fairly well, and turned to head home. I talked to a hunter by the Pier who was on his way home(as it was 2 hours past low tide at this point). He had very little to show for the day, only clad. I decided to work the coin line on the way home - hoping there would be one at all. The beach was so wide from the storm, I did not know if I could find a good target line. Well, no sooner than I started, I started hitting patches of coins here and there.
As I was scooting along, I noticed another hunter coming up behind me, working a similar line. So I doubled back and talked to him. He had no goodies either - bummer. We chatted for a bit, and off I went again, heading back torwards home. About 15 minutes later, I saw another hunter. He broke the handle on his scoop, and was struggling along with just the basket. And, once again, he had no goodies. We chatted for a bit, and when we were done, he turned off his machine and headed back to his hotel. Bear in mind he was walking torwards me before we met and he was working the same line I was more or less.
So, after he left, I cranked the Excal back up, and headed on down again. Not 50 feet from that spot, I had another signal. I honestly don't recall much more, except that I dug at least once(of course), and once the target was out of the scoop, I kicked the sand. It was then that I saw it. There, laying before me, was a ring.
I picked it up, and immediately noticed how heavy it was. Very heavy. Then, as I started removing sand, I saw the stones. Lots of stones. Once in the middle, and lots of smaller ones on the side. I looked the ring over, and could not see any marks on the band. Knowing little about it, I stuck it in my goodie pocket, and kept on truckin.
I stayed on the beach for another couple hours. I wanted to be sure and use as much time as I could, since the beach was in great shape for hunting. And then, on home I went. Once I got home, I put on my unhappy face, and said hello to the wife.
"How did it go?" She asked.
"Not well, not much clad, and only one little ring," Said I.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that."
I then went about my normal routine. Set the Excal in the corner, and started emptying my finds bag into the sand strainer in the sink. She turned to look at something on the table, and I walked up behind her, pulled out the ring, and put it right in front of her face. She almost fell down(maybe not, it is hard to recall it all. But it sounds good, right?
) I washed it off, and looked closer, and saw a mark. And let me say I am sure that when I read it, I scared the hell out of my neighbors. The mark of 18k with so many shiny white stones meant only one thing: THE REAL THING BABY!!!!
The dance and hollering that ensued were most embarrassing. I recall hugging the wife, picking her up and swinging her around in the air with arms, legs and hair flying around hitting furniture, walls, etc. I was ecstatic. This was the dream find I had been hoping for, but, there was that little grain of doubt about the stones. Were they real? They looked too nice. I am used to the too nice stones being fakes, so that little bit of doubt was eating me all night.
The next day, we took it to my local jeweler, and had the stones tested. DIAMONDS ALL!!! I was ecstatic. I left the ring with her to be cleaned, and only today was it finished. I did not want to post anything about this until the ring was clean, and I am glad I waited. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Tomorrow evening I will have the ring appraised, and I am on pins and needles.
I hope every single one of you has the opportunity, timing, and luck to find something of this beauty and value. This is a great feeling, and I cannot imagine ever finding something so nice again. I feel sorrow for whoever lost this ring, but, I am ecstatic for my gain.
Thank you for reading,
Anthony
Hello everyone,
Last week we had a big Nor'easter come through. For an entire week the winds were out of the northeast, and the beach was very generous for a little while. On Saturday, September 20th, I found an 1884s Morgan Dollar. In addition to that, 90% of the coins I dug this week were very corroded - shows that there was erosion, and that what I was finding was old. I managed to get in 12 hunts at low tide over 9 days, and of them, about 9 were great for target density. Managed over 100 targets a trip several times, and 5-7 bucks in clad was common. All in all, that week was one of my best for hunting.
The storm officially passed through on Thursday. It rained and the wind was very strong all day and into the night. I snuck out between rain bands for about 3 hours, and it happened to clear at low tide. Found 2 rings, one of them gold, and a nice silver bracelet my wife now has. But the rain eventually came, and reluctantly, I left my honeyhole.
Come Friday, I was planning to get up early enough to be out well ahead of low tide. I knew that with a storm like that, the window was going to be very small for good hunts. Low tide was at noon, and guess what time I woke up. 11:30 am. DOH! I kicked myself very hard, and the wife as well(who happens to be the alarm clock). On any other day, I would have stated home. But, because of the storm, I forced myself out the door, upset and a little disgruntled at the lost time.
Was pleased to find the beach nice and low, and decided to leave my honeyhole for the first time all week. So, I strolled on along the beach, and worked the water and surf for a while. After about 10 blocks, I hit the area around the Pier fairly well, and turned to head home. I talked to a hunter by the Pier who was on his way home(as it was 2 hours past low tide at this point). He had very little to show for the day, only clad. I decided to work the coin line on the way home - hoping there would be one at all. The beach was so wide from the storm, I did not know if I could find a good target line. Well, no sooner than I started, I started hitting patches of coins here and there.
As I was scooting along, I noticed another hunter coming up behind me, working a similar line. So I doubled back and talked to him. He had no goodies either - bummer. We chatted for a bit, and off I went again, heading back torwards home. About 15 minutes later, I saw another hunter. He broke the handle on his scoop, and was struggling along with just the basket. And, once again, he had no goodies. We chatted for a bit, and when we were done, he turned off his machine and headed back to his hotel. Bear in mind he was walking torwards me before we met and he was working the same line I was more or less.
So, after he left, I cranked the Excal back up, and headed on down again. Not 50 feet from that spot, I had another signal. I honestly don't recall much more, except that I dug at least once(of course), and once the target was out of the scoop, I kicked the sand. It was then that I saw it. There, laying before me, was a ring.
I picked it up, and immediately noticed how heavy it was. Very heavy. Then, as I started removing sand, I saw the stones. Lots of stones. Once in the middle, and lots of smaller ones on the side. I looked the ring over, and could not see any marks on the band. Knowing little about it, I stuck it in my goodie pocket, and kept on truckin.
I stayed on the beach for another couple hours. I wanted to be sure and use as much time as I could, since the beach was in great shape for hunting. And then, on home I went. Once I got home, I put on my unhappy face, and said hello to the wife.
"How did it go?" She asked.
"Not well, not much clad, and only one little ring," Said I.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that."
I then went about my normal routine. Set the Excal in the corner, and started emptying my finds bag into the sand strainer in the sink. She turned to look at something on the table, and I walked up behind her, pulled out the ring, and put it right in front of her face. She almost fell down(maybe not, it is hard to recall it all. But it sounds good, right?
) I washed it off, and looked closer, and saw a mark. And let me say I am sure that when I read it, I scared the hell out of my neighbors. The mark of 18k with so many shiny white stones meant only one thing: THE REAL THING BABY!!!! The dance and hollering that ensued were most embarrassing. I recall hugging the wife, picking her up and swinging her around in the air with arms, legs and hair flying around hitting furniture, walls, etc. I was ecstatic. This was the dream find I had been hoping for, but, there was that little grain of doubt about the stones. Were they real? They looked too nice. I am used to the too nice stones being fakes, so that little bit of doubt was eating me all night.
The next day, we took it to my local jeweler, and had the stones tested. DIAMONDS ALL!!! I was ecstatic. I left the ring with her to be cleaned, and only today was it finished. I did not want to post anything about this until the ring was clean, and I am glad I waited. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Tomorrow evening I will have the ring appraised, and I am on pins and needles.
I hope every single one of you has the opportunity, timing, and luck to find something of this beauty and value. This is a great feeling, and I cannot imagine ever finding something so nice again. I feel sorrow for whoever lost this ring, but, I am ecstatic for my gain.
Thank you for reading,
Anthony
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