Old soccer field gives up an amazing 10k gold medallion!

FreeBirdTim

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Sep 24, 2013
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Scituate, RI
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I don't post my daily finds here very often, but I had to make an exception with this find!

Decided to do a 1970's era soccer field that I usually hit once or twice a year. It's a tough one, since it's full of aluminum trash and hundreds of pennies. Not kidding, I find at least 25 every time I hunt this spot. I have found a few Sterling silver rings there, so that's why I dig the 80 and 81 signals. I never dig any signal under 52, due to all the aluminum junk. Until today, that is...

Right off the bat, I dug two really grungy red nickels that rang up at 52. A few minutes later, I got a really solid 50 signal. I said what the heck, I'll dig it, could be another nickel. Popped the plug and saw a little bit of gold color staring up at me about 3 inches down! Pulled it out, wiped it off and realized that it was a gold medallion with a three dimensional lion's head in the middle! It looked so intricate that I knew it had to be gold. Cleaned it up at home and spotted the 10k stamp on the clasp. My first gold find in about three years and my first gold jewelry that wasn't a ring.

It's slightly larger than a quarter and weighs 5.7 grams. Not all gold, though. The middle appears to be silver with dozens of tiny diamond chips around the lion's head. It does have some damage, probably from being stepped on with soccer cleats. There's a few diamond chips missing and two larger diamonds that were prongs on the crown are gone. Still an amazing find, though! I found a used one on eBay that's listed for $475! Someone must have been upset when they lost this medallion!

Here's a few pics. The in situ pics aren't very good, due to my GoPro taking lousy macro pics. Gotta get a macro lens for it one of these days.


10k medallion.png
10k medallion reverse.png
10k gold medallion.jpeg
10k gold medallion reverse.jpg
 

Upvote 42
I don't post my daily finds here very often, but I had to make an exception with this find!

Decided to do a 1970's era soccer field that I usually hit once or twice a year. It's a tough one, since it's full of aluminum trash and hundreds of pennies. Not kidding, I find at least 25 every time I hunt this spot. I have found a few Sterling silver rings there, so that's why I dig the 80 and 81 signals. I never dig any signal under 52, due to all the aluminum junk. Until today, that is...

Right off the bat, I dug two really grungy red nickels that rang up at 52. A few minutes later, I got a really solid 50 signal. I said what the heck, I'll dig it, could be another nickel. Popped the plug and saw a little bit of gold color staring up at me about 3 inches down! Pulled it out, wiped it off and realized that it was a gold medallion with a three dimensional lion's head in the middle! It looked so intricate that I knew it had to be gold. Cleaned it up at home and spotted the 10k stamp on the clasp. My first gold find in about three years and my first gold jewelry that wasn't a ring.

It's slightly larger than a quarter and weighs 5.7 grams. Not all gold, though. The middle appears to be silver with dozens of tiny diamond chips around the lion's head. It does have some damage, probably from being stepped on with soccer cleats. There's a few diamond chips missing and two larger diamonds that were prongs on the crown are gone. Still an amazing find, though! I found a used one on eBay that's listed for $475! Someone must have been upset when they lost this medallion!

Here's a few pics. The in situ pics aren't very good, due to my GoPro taking lousy macro pics. Gotta get a macro lens for it one of these days.


View attachment 2179603View attachment 2179604View attachment 2179605View attachment 2179606
Awesome!!! Congrats!!!
 

Thanks for all the great replies, guys. Going to rain for a couple of days this week, so I'll be hitting that soccer field hard over the weekend. Hoping I missed the gold chain that the medallion was attached to, but I doubt it's still there. Can't hurt to try, though.
 

I don't post my daily finds here very often, but I had to make an exception with this find!

Decided to do a 1970's era soccer field that I usually hit once or twice a year. It's a tough one, since it's full of aluminum trash and hundreds of pennies. Not kidding, I find at least 25 every time I hunt this spot. I have found a few Sterling silver rings there, so that's why I dig the 80 and 81 signals. I never dig any signal under 52, due to all the aluminum junk. Until today, that is...

Right off the bat, I dug two really grungy red nickels that rang up at 52. A few minutes later, I got a really solid 50 signal. I said what the heck, I'll dig it, could be another nickel. Popped the plug and saw a little bit of gold color staring up at me about 3 inches down! Pulled it out, wiped it off and realized that it was a gold medallion with a three dimensional lion's head in the middle! It looked so intricate that I knew it had to be gold. Cleaned it up at home and spotted the 10k stamp on the clasp. My first gold find in about three years and my first gold jewelry that wasn't a ring.

It's slightly larger than a quarter and weighs 5.7 grams. Not all gold, though. The middle appears to be silver with dozens of tiny diamond chips around the lion's head. It does have some damage, probably from being stepped on with soccer cleats. There's a few diamond chips missing and two larger diamonds that were prongs on the crown are gone. Still an amazing find, though! I found a used one on eBay that's listed for $475! Someone must have been upset when they lost this medallion!

Here's a few pics. The in situ pics aren't very good, due to my GoPro taking lousy macro pics. Gotta get a macro lens for it one of these days.


View attachment 2179603View attachment 2179604View attachment 2179605View attachment 2179606
wow, she's a beauty for sure, wtg!
 

What a feeling digging that up must be
 

Yup, expecting a grungy nickel and instead saw shiny gold color in the hole! Still thought it was going to be gold plated, though. Figured it was too big and heavy to be solid gold. Glad I was wrong!
 

My experiences have taught me that when I'm digging a nickel and I see gold it is likely gold as the plated items are usually over brass and hit high tone like a penny or dime/quarter.
Super find and thanks for sharing.
 

I don't post my daily finds here very often, but I had to make an exception with this find!

Decided to do a 1970's era soccer field that I usually hit once or twice a year. It's a tough one, since it's full of aluminum trash and hundreds of pennies. Not kidding, I find at least 25 every time I hunt this spot. I have found a few Sterling silver rings there, so that's why I dig the 80 and 81 signals. I never dig any signal under 52, due to all the aluminum junk. Until today, that is...

Right off the bat, I dug two really grungy red nickels that rang up at 52. A few minutes later, I got a really solid 50 signal. I said what the heck, I'll dig it, could be another nickel. Popped the plug and saw a little bit of gold color staring up at me about 3 inches down! Pulled it out, wiped it off and realized that it was a gold medallion with a three dimensional lion's head in the middle! It looked so intricate that I knew it had to be gold. Cleaned it up at home and spotted the 10k stamp on the clasp. My first gold find in about three years and my first gold jewelry that wasn't a ring.

It's slightly larger than a quarter and weighs 5.7 grams. Not all gold, though. The middle appears to be silver with dozens of tiny diamond chips around the lion's head. It does have some damage, probably from being stepped on with soccer cleats. There's a few diamond chips missing and two larger diamonds that were prongs on the crown are gone. Still an amazing find, though! I found a used one on eBay that's listed for $475! Someone must have been upset when they lost this medallion!

Here's a few pics. The in situ pics aren't very good, due to my GoPro taking lousy macro pics. Gotta get a macro lens for it one of these days.


View attachment 2179603View attachment 2179604View attachment 2179605View attachment 2179606
Pretty nice to find something like that
 

Wow, what a beauty! Gotta dig those mid and low tones if you want gold for sure. The silver inner portion of your pendant is most likely white gold. If it were silver, it would be marked 10k/925 or something like that. Congrats!
 

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