RelicHunter97
Hero Member
Productive Hunt in the Neighbor's Yard!
Hello everyone!
About a month ago, we picked up our things and moved to a house where we are house-sitting and dog-sitting indefinitely. This move placed us smack-dab in a historic town, with old houses all around, including this one, which was built in 1833. The house across the street was built in 1925, but historic maps show a house in that location decades earlier.
So about four or five days ago, I'm detecting in the yard, and I built up the courage to go and ask permission do metal detect in the yard (which is expansive, and the site of another house which is no longer there) At first I was apprehensive, but then I thought, "What's the worst that could happen? That they say no?" So I walked over and knocked on the door. I introduced myself, she introduced herself, and she said she had seen me working in the yard. I then explained what I was doing in the yard, and that that was what I had come to ask her about. She was very nice about it and said yes, wishing me luck. And off I went!
I started towards the front of the yard, where the other house had been, but I wasn't finding anything but modern coins. It wasn't until I started getting closer to her house that I started finding things. The first good find I made was a little pocket spill consisting of two Indian Head pennies by a tree. Encouraged, I kept moving along. A little while later, I came across another pocket spill, an Indian Head, and my very first Two Cent Piece! (Which I thought was a shield nickel until I cleaned it up
) Each of the coins had a crust on them which made it impossible to see detail, but it all came off after some hot peroxide baths! Towards the end of my hunt, I got a very strong half-dollar signal. I cut a plug and out popped a pocketwatch! This is my first which has retained the face, but this one has no case! It was made by the Illinois Watch Company ca. 1885, based on the serial number.
Thanks for looking and happy hunting!
-Anthony
Hello everyone!
About a month ago, we picked up our things and moved to a house where we are house-sitting and dog-sitting indefinitely. This move placed us smack-dab in a historic town, with old houses all around, including this one, which was built in 1833. The house across the street was built in 1925, but historic maps show a house in that location decades earlier.
So about four or five days ago, I'm detecting in the yard, and I built up the courage to go and ask permission do metal detect in the yard (which is expansive, and the site of another house which is no longer there) At first I was apprehensive, but then I thought, "What's the worst that could happen? That they say no?" So I walked over and knocked on the door. I introduced myself, she introduced herself, and she said she had seen me working in the yard. I then explained what I was doing in the yard, and that that was what I had come to ask her about. She was very nice about it and said yes, wishing me luck. And off I went!
I started towards the front of the yard, where the other house had been, but I wasn't finding anything but modern coins. It wasn't until I started getting closer to her house that I started finding things. The first good find I made was a little pocket spill consisting of two Indian Head pennies by a tree. Encouraged, I kept moving along. A little while later, I came across another pocket spill, an Indian Head, and my very first Two Cent Piece! (Which I thought was a shield nickel until I cleaned it up
) Each of the coins had a crust on them which made it impossible to see detail, but it all came off after some hot peroxide baths! Towards the end of my hunt, I got a very strong half-dollar signal. I cut a plug and out popped a pocketwatch! This is my first which has retained the face, but this one has no case! It was made by the Illinois Watch Company ca. 1885, based on the serial number. Thanks for looking and happy hunting!
-Anthony
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They get more rare as the dates progress. 1864 (19.8 million minted) 1866 (3.2 million minted).
