Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good

Coasty

Jr. Member
Feb 2, 2010
38
183
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter 505
Was out and about found an old barn found a lot of junk then bingo! I came across an old glass milk bottle it was pretty dirty when I dug it out I could not believe my eyes. It was filled with buffalo nickels dates were 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1930. Took them home and ran then through my ultrasonic cleaner with just distilled water. They all came out with viewable dates and the bottle cleaned up nicely too.
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Upvote 65
NICE find thanks for sharing :) I would like to know more about your ultrasonic cleaner :)
I have an industrial model and use it for cleaning just about everything from tools to auto parts and range find shells. It only took 10 minutes of use to clean up everything. CareWorks makes smaller ones for jewelry which is around 55 bucks. With just dawn dish soap and distilled water everything came out clean without hurting any of the nickles. This is the one I have.
 

Was out and about found an old barn found a lot of junk then bingo! I came across an old glass milk bottle it was pretty dirty when I dug it out I could not believe my eyes. It was filled with buffalo nickels dates were 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1930. Took them home and ran then through my ultrasonic cleaner with just distilled water. They all came out with viewable dates and the bottle cleaned up nicely too.
View attachment 2163519
wow, super cool save. thanks for posting and big time gratz
 

I have an industrial model and use it for cleaning just about everything from tools to auto parts and range find shells. It only took 10 minutes of use to clean up everything. CareWorks makes smaller ones for jewelry which is around 55 bucks. With just dawn dish soap and distilled water everything came out clean without hurting any of the nickles. This is the one I have.
thanks Gare and Coasty. I have a similar ultrasonic cleaner but have only used it on jewelry finds. i will definitely try this on my buffalo stash. I have around 50, they all came from the ground and are very dark. may post the before and after results. HH
 

I have an industrial model and use it for cleaning just about everything from tools to auto parts and range find shells. It only took 10 minutes of use to clean up everything. CareWorks makes smaller ones for jewelry which is around 55 bucks. With just dawn dish soap and distilled water everything came out clean without hurting any of the nickles. This is the one I have.
Man that put the old tumbler to shame if I still shot like I used too idd for sure get one for my brass.
 

The kicker is I just have a cheap 10-year-old bounty hunter. I found lots of goodies and was going to upgrade but said why.
Viva LA bounty hunters,imm begining to see its not what you swing but WHERE you swing it.
 

How neat is that. All pulled from circulation decades ago they appear. Most Buffalos I recall still in circulation in the later 60s early 70s were pretty much worn out by then with barely a date left if at all. Back when those worn out buffalos were still pretty abundant you could've bought a lot of cheeseburgers with what's in that jar.
 

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Viva LA bounty hunters,imm begining to see its not what you swing but WHERE you swing it.
I found a ring it looked in bad shape, so I cleaned it in an ultrasonic cleaner. When it came out it had 10 red stones alternating with 10 white stones. I noticed on the inside there were several hall marks. It fit my pinky so it would fit my wife's ring finger. I took it to a local Jewler, and he said to appraise it, and it would be 35 bucks and the best 35 bucks you would spend. He recognized the hall mark got out a book and in his book was the ring. It was from England with the King's hall mark a lion made by one of the Kings Jewlers. It was made circa 1800 the stones were diamonds and rubies in a platinum band. Yes, worth some bucks gave it to my wife in a fancy ring box with the price tag. She damn near blew a gasket and when I told her I found it she was cool. You want to know the price of the ring? Well put it this way it is insured, and it would be most of the yearly wages of an average worker.
 

I'd take a close look at dates and mint marks, You might find a nice surprise in that batch.
 

I have an industrial model and use it for cleaning just about everything from tools to auto parts and range find shells. It only took 10 minutes of use to clean up everything. CareWorks makes smaller ones for jewelry which is around 55 bucks. With just dawn dish soap and distilled water everything came out clean without hurting any of the nickles. This is the one I have.
That's a pretty big unit at 5.8 gal.

When I was designing, we had very small ones (smaller than a :coffee2:) that held about a shot glass for cleaning mechanical pen tips. Something that size might only hold one or two coins at a time.

I've used other units that held about a quart. That was a nice size that could probably clean most MD finds.

I mention this for anyone pondering getting one (ultrasonic cleaner). Consider other factors than just price. Size, what you'll use it for, can you use more than water, frequency, power, does it have a heater (and do you need one)?
 

If I was you idd be careful from now on you've probably used up all your good luck in a single swing 😆
Some years back while upstate NY where I grew up, I found a mason jar full of buffalo nickels and various coins. Growing up where many of the battles were fought during the revolution I had shoe boxes full of musket balls, flints and lots of arrow heads. When I moved, I donated all of them to a local museum. I did keep the buffalo nickels and sold the other coins. Maybe they are just my karma.
 

I'd take a close look at dates and mint marks, You might find a nice surprise in that batch.
I did that already; I have a blue book, so I went through and checked. All the coins are in VG condition and all dates are very pronounced. My stepfather was a coin dealer when I was growing up in the 60s. I have a 1909 penny book filled up to 1962. A long with many other coin books. I even have a 1955 double die my birth year in ms-65 along with a 1909S VDB in ms-60.
 

Congratulations on that. That doesn't happen often. I dug a hazel atlas 🫙 of marbles this year , 144 marbles in total but I couldn't imagine a jar of vintage coins 🪙.
 

The kicker is I just have a cheap 10-year-old bounty hunter. I found lots of goodies and was going to upgrade but said why.
I could never knock a bounty hunter. I used one for like 7-8 years. Best think I ever found was with one. A skilled detectorist, with patience, can make a lower end machine perform well by learning how to wield it. I've passed by enough people with $1000 detectors swinging like they are Babe Ruth calling a homer. Then they ask why they aren't finding anything when their coil is at knee level at the end of their swings.
 

I could never knock a bounty hunter. I used one for like 7-8 years. Best think I ever found was with one. A skilled detectorist, with patience, can make a lower end machine perform well by learning how to wield it. I've passed by enough people with $1000 detectors swinging like they are Babe Ruth calling a homer. Then they ask why they aren't finding anything when their coil is at knee level at the end of their swings.
Low, slow and flat is the ticket
 

That's a pretty big unit at 5.8 gal.

When I was designing, we had very small ones (smaller than a :coffee2:) that held about a shot glass for cleaning mechanical pen tips. Something that size might only hold one or two coins at a time.

I've used other units that held about a quart. That was a nice size that could probably clean most MD finds.

I mention this for anyone pondering getting one (ultrasonic cleaner). Consider other factors than just price. Size, what you'll use it for, can you use more than water, frequency, power, does it have a heater (and do you need one)?
Yes, if you are doing small things a small unit is the best which I also have.
 

The milk bottle is from Chestnut Farms, one of my favs to dig back in the days of my house site diggin. Nice lil haul,
 

Some years back while upstate NY where I grew up, I found a mason jar full of buffalo nickels
So now you've found TWO ‽ 😲
Geez, how 'bout leaving something for someone else? 😝
The closest I've come to any kind of "hoard" find was the ten slot machine tokens I pulled out of the same hole.


Now every time I go back there, I can't help giving that area a few sweeps.... just in case I might have missed anything. 🤨
 

Viva LA bounty hunters,imm begining to see its not what you swing but WHERE you swing it.
Where you hunt is the most important element in success. You can have the best boat and top-of-the-line equipment, but if there are no fish in the lake you aren't going to catch your dinner.

Skill, of course, is important. And, generally speaking, a good machine will out-perform an average or poor one, if the operators have equal skills and experience.

But, by far, "Where" is paramount. That's why successful treasure hunters spend time on research before they spend time out in the field.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

Was out and about found an old barn found a lot of junk then bingo! I came across an old glass milk bottle it was pretty dirty when I dug it out I could not believe my eyes. It was filled with buffalo nickels dates were 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1930. Took them home and ran then through my ultrasonic cleaner with just distilled water. They all came out with viewable dates and the bottle cleaned up nicely too.
View attachment 2163519
A herd of buffalos!

Dulce!
 

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