I Suppose Everyone Has A Digger's "Kiss" Horror Story

[40 Rounds]

I've watched a lot of metal detecting videos on Youtube of people hitting their target while digging it up. Seeing "Brad" from the Hoover boys scratch the Flowing Hair half dime/dime-(can't remember which it was) and dicing that French gold coin into 4 pieces comes to mind. Anyway I have not been at this hobby very long and have always tried to be careful digging all of my targets. Early on when I nicked a couple of modern coins and one or two wheats I tried to slow down and be extra careful but I am almost sick with what I did today to this 1902 Indian Head Penny. I was not expecting an Indian when I started to dig as the numbers on my detector were kind of jumpy. Anyway I was pleasantly surprised when I got it out of the hole. I started to clean it up a bit...and was getting annoyed at the stubborn piece of grass on my coin when I suddenly realized it was not grass but I must have hit it with my digger! Ugh!!! I know some of you folks probably have dozens or maybe even hundreds of IHPs you have recovered but this one is only my fourth and I really like IHPs. And this one is in pretty good shape...or at least it was before I dug it. I guess its better than getting "skunked". Sorry had to vent.

Anybody else have digger kiss horror stories they want to share?

 

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[Cobradude22]

That’s not bad at all man. If you didn’t find it, would be lost to time. Nice save.

 

[Joe hunter]

Looks great to me.look what I did to my only standing liberty it not cool I try to be careful but stuff happens.

 

[Randyg12]

I feel you pain but at least you had dug three before this one. I scratched the very first Indian that I found but like mine your looks great even with the scratch. Congrats

 

[Noah_D]

It happens to the best of us... I have a huge scratch across both my barber and walking liberty half dollars. Still a nice find!

 

[treblehunter]

I never said anything about hitting this beauty until the third page!
Congrats on your Indian Head Cent


http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/414368-1922-peace-dollar.html

 

[JeffInMass]

Don't sweat it, it happens to every single hunter at one time or another. I don't use a probe but rely on my pinpointing skills with the detector- when it's a clean signal, most times the coin is right in the middle of my plug, then I work along the outside/in and am usually pretty good at not hitting it. One February; however, I was hunting a park in my old hometown and got a great high-pitched signal 6" or so deep and singing of silver. The ground was still frozen in some spots- this was one of them. It took a while just to penetrate the first 2" or so of frozen ground and it wasn't much easier going after that, but there was no way I was leaving that signal. Finally got it out- a beautiful 1921 Standing Liberty quarter, full date and tons of detail. Turn it over, nice 1/4" gash in the left field area- very depressing! Be careful, do the best you can and you won't hit many- GL!

 

[Mudflap]

Been there, done that! I've even wrecked a few even as I was taking what I thought was extreme care while digging!!! Still a nice find!!!

 

[releventchair]

New rule , if you scratch it , ya gotta put it back!

I can remove trash just perfect. But as value increases and I've been making many trash recoveries.....I'll stab the only or best good find of the day sometimes.

 

[BigWaveDave]

I carved up a nice Barber Quarter one day, that was special.

 

[jewelerguy]

I've done that more times than I care to admit

 

[40 Rounds]

Thank you all for the sympathy and stories. This Indian was a good 8 to 9 inches down. It took a while to isolate it and again with the numbers it was reading it did not sound like an IHP on my AT Pro...I am guessing it was because it was on edge. Anyway I glad to have found it especially being that deep.

 

[villival]

The first silver coins I ever dug were two mercury dimes. The first was exciting enough, but the second one at the same permission was almost too much.

However, I had, and still have, a bad habit of stuffing things in my pockets and it wasn't until I got home and pulled them out, that I realized I had also stuck a very thin piece of wire I dug into the same pocket. There's a nice big scratch across one of them.

As they say, it's only money. And scratched at that.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Congrats!!! I've done this before. I increased the size of my plug x2, and dig 1/2 a plug folding it back to not kill the grass roots. Believe it or not I haven't hit a coin in over a year since. Just an idea. Happy Hunting!!!

 

[ToddsPoint]

I pull the plug with my shovel but after that I use a PVC hand digger I made. No problems so far. Gary

 

[Erik in NJ]

I feel your pain brother! I have hit a couple beautiful items over the last 20 years. I try not to think about it, but even scratching a roached IHC (like I just did the other day) gets under my skin.

 

[pepperj]

Done lots over the yrs-Each one is a wake up call to dig wide and deep, but it seems that it happens once in a while. Not many I remember that stick in the hurt file except a beauty 1918 SLQ dug, I carved up. Buddy asked to have a look at it, another buddy yelled over asking, and buddy tossed across the corn field.
Another was a 1853 quarter dug on my property in the winter-not expecting what popped up. The silver always-why?

 

[Argentium]

Like treblehunter , I also stabbed a Peace Dollar !(1923-S) ..I was able to turn it eagle side up ,and use it as the focal point in a bolo tie - fabricated a sterling setting for it , and sold it for $75. , so a bit of redemption ..

 

[Trezurehunter]

I know I scratched a few in my early days (and most of us have). I have a Morgan Dollar with a small scratch on it. At first I thought I may have put it there, then I remembered I was digging in a farm field, so I blamed it on the plow !! Your Indian is still a nice find. Don't beat yourself up over it.

 

[DFW_THer]

#stillgettingoverit