Not my worst find this past week, but close!!! :P

mfitzy111

Hero Member
Mar 6, 2011
572
8
NEPA
Detector(s) used
garrett ACE350 (traded off!), minelab E-TRAC, AT-Pro
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
I hit the bank CRHing and dumped change, then headed to the local park (only to come to the gate being down and park was closed for some unknown reason.) so I backtracked off to local park number two where I have been once before and only found new clad...I figured I'd give some providence to digging all signals again ...until I get sick of finding pull tabs or dig up a gold ring, what ever came first -it was after noon and just warming up for the day
...so I started near the recreational area- play ground, concession stand and worked that area (again- as I hit this area just last fall and only found a few dimes, and clad quarters) I was working that area again and found a clad dime, then I hit a weird signal. was it a penny? copper?
it appeared to be a tone like copper but to me on the etrac the numbers didn't seem right (very likely why I didn't want to dig it last time I was here- just another Lincoln memorial penny.) so I just decided to dig as it was about my third good hit for clad by this time.

I dug down about 5-6 inches and saw what I thought was a walker- the size was right - but something was wrong- I know it wasn't silver from the tone- I was thinking wow! a gold coin, flowing lines in the design- what is this???, and I'm killing it with my digging utensil :tard: - no way, scratching it to death in the coal rocks!!! ug! no!! it can't be!!...so I carefully removed some coal chunks and carefully dug out what turned out to be a 1887 pocket watch. ok I took this picture in the car after one of the covers broke off- just picking it out of the hole that happened. (well and I wanted to see what the inside looked like as it was partially open and dirt was coming out of it!)

I really looked it over going from the hole to the car. I decided that if it was gold- gold doesn't rust or turn green like copper, so it was wrong, but gold colored! ;D ...after opening it up at home and washing it out I found some serial numbers on both the doors, breaking door number two off! :tard: (that was how I found the date online as to what year it was- it had all the info including the fact it wasn't a gold watch- meaning it was just gold plated.) major bummer.
bummer. I stopped in to the local jewelry store and asked -the dude was like- man you should just toss this in the trash- this isn't gold, it's not worth anything. He used his air tool to cut the back open so I could see every part in the watch had sadly rusted in to a trashy rusted pile in the center of the watch.

anyhow - I decided that this wasn't going in to the trash- I plan on finding the web site again printing the info up on the watch and boxing it up and sending it off to the Lackawanna historical society - I've already been in contact with them and they said just call before sending any relics to them. The watch artwork in my opinion was pretty cool looking- and someone who worked on the local rail lines that ran through the small town (town settled in 1871, incorporated in 1888) where i found it, lost it way before I was born!! so why not. That poor rail worker lost what was likely his tool for keeping the line running on time over 100 years ago. and I totally found that! Yeah, it's true! if it was gold it would have been a fantastic find, something I could pay off my car with...but it's still history so it's not my worst find! I have to share that...right!?!?!!

ok - I am so going back there when I'm off again. if someone lost a watch in 1887 they might have dropped some other really good treats also. you never know...
 

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I think it is a really cool find and a really cool thing your doing with it. HH
 

I'd love to see a picture of the face. Not gold, but you don't find pocket watches everyday. :laughing9:
 

Ok - I'll take some pictures of it's face. I just opened it and wanted more info on it...

here are the details inside it.

Illinois watch case co
ELGIN winner
guaranteed 20 years
serial number 3225208

a google search produced this info...
http://mb.nawcc.org/showwiki.php?title=Illinois_Watch_Case_Co


now I am certain that the first link I found directed me to a page that said this watch's serial number was from 1887/1888.

but then I found something I didn't know - I have to get the serial number of the working area inside the watch case- that serial number on the inside (the jewerly store guy opened the case for me) -is 18,317,909 and it says 15 jewels under it- with all the rust and mess you can barely make out what it says...

http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/histories/elgin.html

finally according to this link -using the right serial numbers, I believe the watch isn't from 1887 it's really from 1914!!!!

anyhow the site I found on my laptop (as I'm at work right now) was a serial number look up tool that listed more details about the watch maker and info on when it was made, what jewels where in it and stuff I have never seen before! I would love to find that site again (and will have to search the history on my laptop to see if I can locate it again.)

and finally you all wanted more pics- so I took some with my cell phone camera- the pics likely don't do the art work on the watch justice.

and guys I'll be looking for gold any time I go anyplace! :)

update- the jeweler said it was just gold plated. so no winner on it being worth the big bucks...better luck next time! :) and I just emailed the pictures to the historical society and am waiting on them to get back to me. I told them I can mail this off this week if they want it. :)
 

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