The Iceberg story- updated 2/23/07

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-50 silver total so far!!!

Really great story you guys,excellent research and fantastic finds. I have to confess my favorite part of the story is that you shared the site with some great new hunting buddies that you met here on Tnet. I always enjoy reading the 'lunchtime digs' even when you dont find much its still cool knowing that others are just as addicted to this thing as myself. I think Mirage and Nate made the first gestures by taking you to their park and showing you some of the techniques that I know take a lot of work to perfect and you sure paid them back in a big way Dan. Im guessing that Mirage is using the Exp2? When I saw it there I instantly thought'hey thats my MD' I guess its a good thing they decided to make more than one because they will have to pry my cold dead hands off mine if someone wants it. Please keep us posted on the site as well as the lunch digs...and one more thing dont hunt that place too often lest someone catch wind of your comings and goings and barge in there...HH
 

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Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-50 silver total so far!!!

Holy smokes guys, gimme a chance to re-attach my jawbone!

Now, that's what I call good research, well done, excellent digs and storyline.

Thanks for sharing, amazing. Makes me wonder what old parks are hidden around here......


WELL DONE
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-50 silver total so far!!!

Danimal.....AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D Sounds and looks like you have a GREAT spot there...always nice when your research pays off, kinda like a reward for a job well done...:) Kudos also for sharing the site with Mirage, it may have cut down on your totals, but is always more enjoyable when you can share a hotspot with a fellow ethusiast (except for when they pull Franklin Halves out from under you...:):) ). I;m sure Mirage will return the favor, although he may be hard pressed to come up with a hot spot like the one you found, so it works out for both of you.
Myself, I wouldn;t have "polished" the silver, but that is my personal preference, and they are your coins, so do as you wish..:) I do clean up my non key date IH's and Large cents, so I am not a purist either. Sounds like this spot will be providing lots more posts and I look forward to seeing all of the future finds from this area. Nice marbles too...gotta love the bonus finds, especially nice ones like that.
CONGRATS!!! and WTG on both the research and the superb finds and amount of them, and also for sharing the area with a fellow hunter!!!!!!!!
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-50 silver total so far!!!

shootist said:
Really great story you guys,excellent research and fantastic finds. I have to confess my favorite part of the story is that you shared the site with some great new hunting buddies that you met here on Tnet. I always enjoy reading the 'lunchtime digs' even when you dont find much its still cool knowing that others are just as addicted to this thing as myself. I think Mirage and Nate made the first gestures by taking you to their park and showing you some of the techniques that I know take a lot of work to perfect and you sure paid them back in a big way Dan. Im guessing that Mirage is using the Exp2? When I saw it there I instantly thought'hey thats my MD' I guess its a good thing they decided to make more than one because they will have to pry my cold dead hands off mine if someone wants it. Please keep us posted on the site as well as the lunch digs...and one more thing dont hunt that place too often lest someone catch wind of your comings and goings and barge in there...HH
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words Shootist...and concerning my Lunchtime digs, it's gonna be hard for a little bit to get worked up about them, although yesterdat I gritted my teeth and went out anyways (albow and wrist still hurting a lot)Ended up with two early wheats, a 1946 nickle (one yr from silver) and a 65 clad dime (that one yr again)
I didn't post them yet, as I might wait and do a weekly post on the Lunchtime digs, or take a rest and heal :)
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-50 silver total so far!!!

Iowa Man said:
Nice haul. I love that you take pictures while you are detecting. Who was using the Explorer? Good luck and hh.
Click to expand...
That would be Mirage's (Bob) Explorer.
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-50 silver total so far!!!

Nate in Ohio said:
What's up all. Here's my finds from the hot site. Yes, my MEASLEY four silver coins!! Also a 1923 buff, 17 wheats (some better dates), a 45-D and 42 quarter, some old thingy with a "T", and a thingy that reads "campus." I did score an 1876 seated dime (my third). That was exciting. The thing was pretty bad when I found it. I musta went through at least 40 Q-tips, both ends, scrubbing it with some silver cleaner (Mothers). Dan, did you check your wheats? These things clean up amazingly! I used ammonia and Q-tips. It's nice to find some older wheats for a change. Dude, thanks for letting us accompany you at the site! It was great even though I got annihilated for totals. I can't wait to find out what else is all going to turn up there. HH all!
Click to expand...
Nate,
That seated cleaned up pretty nicely. It had a weird yellowish creamy discoloration I haven't seen before. As far as checking my wheats, I only cleaned the area on the obverse for the date and threw them in the wheat bin, but yeah, a couple I cleaned fully, and was AMAZED at how good they look. No corrosion to speak of.
No problem on letting you two hunt there with me. I would hope the same in reciprication.
I'm juiced to get back there and find out what else lies hidden. Some of the area may not have the density of a few of those hotspots, but I bet there's good coins all over. It'll just take time and effort to get em out.
One thing that amazed me is that the seated dime was apparently only a few inches deep, and a few of my Buffalos were...let's just say (for sake of revealing too much) MUCH deeper. ;)
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

DesPlaines_IL_Bob said:
WOW !!!!!! JUST AWESOME GUYS !!!!!!!!!

HI HO SILVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You found a sweet spot. To find that many coins in an area tells me that it was probably a carnival or fair grounds for a few years or maybe an old baseball diamond.

TWO THUMBS UP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Bob-it was a picnic area...I will say that much. There was a concession stand for sure. Had to be. There MAY have been a ballfield there, but the research I have done has no mention of one. It's REAL difficult to visualize what existed then as the trees have nearly completely engulfed what MAY have been open fields. I DO know though that it was a picnic grove long ago.
Perhaps there was entertainment there. Again, I have no proof of that other than coin density in small spots (look like typical clad pocket spills but silver/wheat)
Before anyone gets the wrong ideas, we did find MANY coins already, but we have done a LOT of digging and moved a LOT of soil. These coins were NOT all packed together like sardines. There is also ample trash in the ground (nails, rusted harware) indicating (to me at least) that there were wooden structures that are now long gone.
Being a fairground is a good guess...I though of that as well, but again, have no records telling me that, and I DID look into some quite old records of the area.
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Nashoba said:
After looking at this post yet again, still in amazement, Busted ribs or not, my butt would be out there from dawn til dusk daily. This is just crazy cool! :o :o :o
~Nashoba~
Click to expand...

I'll tell ya what-since my divorce, I schedule my vacation time in week-long blocks and my son and I have planned trips camping, mountainbiking, etc...and each and every year by the time school starts I am OUT of vacation time.
What I would do for a day's vacation right now!!

maybe I won't feel too good tomorrow morning lol
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Dan, I like your possible scenario of the the kids fighting and the mother with the purse. :D It is almost plausible. You know everything has an explanation. If you can't explain it it is religion(anthropological definition). ;) I think that the more we can figure out how something got where it did the better a treasurehunter we will be. I gotten some very good explanations or theories from this forum about in general how coins end up where they do.

I figured out how that seated dime got where it did. Totally logical. I'll tell you in person so I can hear all the colorful remarks. ;D

later

Bob
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Mirage said:
Dan, I like your possible scenario of the the kids fighting and the mother with the purse. :D It is almost plausible. You know everything has an explanation. If you can't explain it it is religion(anthropological definition). ;) I think that the more we can figure out how something got where it did the better a treasurehunter we will be. I gotten some very good explanations or theories from this forum about in general how coins end up where they do.

I figured out how that seated dime got where it did. Totally logical. I'll tell you in person so I can hear all the colorful remarks. ;D

later

Bob
Click to expand...

I can't wait ::)
I thought Nate already explained the seated...some kid was carrying it from his father's collection. This kid MUST have been lightweight, and during the fight, another older boy grabbed him by his ankles and was swinging him around in a circle. The force flung the seated dime that precise distance from the others. The dime landed on a spot where a tree seedling lay. Over the years the tree grew, pushing the seated coin up shallower than the others, even though it was older.

We on for Sat (and Sun)? I'll have Spencer, and he's excited already. I have some new ideas too, including the one using the rare-earth magnets.
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Jer-
I would gladly give up a weekend hunt day at my new spot to meet you if we were in an area where there was a good possibility of finding large cents!
That is one of my remaining goals for my first year (I am 7 months into my first year detecting)
1st goal was 20 rings-I am at close to 40
2nd was 50 silver coins-I am already over 70
3rd was 1800s coin-I have 4 from 1800s and one from 1792!
4th was a large cent-unfilled
5th goal was enough clad to upgrade my machine-last count had me over $400 in clad, and I am not so sure I NEED to upgrade-VERY happy with the ACE.
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

groundfisher said:
Absolutely awesome finds for all of you.Congrats!Loved the pics!
If you see an old Jeep following you out this weekend...it's not me. :D
Click to expand...
We will be utilizing multiple vehicles, including decoys to return to this spot from now on. No one knows of the correct departure time, and the route used will be selected at random.
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

The Seeker said:
What a great site !! It is so nice to just find one of those places that have never been detected! I'm sure when you guys go back that there will be plenty more to be uncovered ! :o With the area so overgrown, Spring time will be a great time to go back while the grass and brush are matted down !!

We will look forward to more great finds and pics for sure this Spring! HH
Click to expand...

Seeker-I will be back ther each and every weekend until the ground freezes, and even then, as long as only the first inch or two is frozen, that is acceptable ;D
Hopefully, by spring, things will slow down. My son's travel baseball schedule takes most of my time once spring comes.
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

They are awesome finds, the kind you dream of.....just goes to show that research IS the key.

I noticed the coins cleaned up really well is this what you used (I have never heard of it before) BLUE MAGIC METAL POLISH CREAM?
If so where do you buy it or is there something that will do the same?

thanks
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Aussie Okie said:
They are awesome finds, the kind you dream of.....just goes to show that research IS the key.

I noticed the coins cleaned up really well is this what you used (I have never heard of it before) BLUE MAGIC METAL POLISH CREAM?
If so where do you buy it or is there something that will do the same?

thanks
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the stuff..Blue Magic...just Google it and you'll find plenty of online retailers that carry it.
Simichrome polish works well too, but it's more expensive, harder to come by, and contains a very fine abrasive.
There are LOTS of folks that say cleaning and polishing silver coins is taboo. The way I see it, I first check the coin to see if it's a key date. If not, I clean and polish it. I just like the way it displays better.
Also, when using either Blue Magic or Simichrome, after a few months the coin developes a nice luster and loses that bright shine.
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Danimal said:
Aussie Okie said:
They are awesome finds, the kind you dream of.....just goes to show that research IS the key.

I noticed the coins cleaned up really well is this what you used (I have never heard of it before) BLUE MAGIC METAL POLISH CREAM?
If so where do you buy it or is there something that will do the same?

thanks
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the stuff..Blue Magic...just Google it and you'll find plenty of online retailers that carry it.
Simichrome polish works well too, but it's more expensive, harder to come by, and contains a very fine abrasive.
There are LOTS of folks that say cleaning and polishing silver coins is taboo. The way I see it, I first check the coin to see if it's a key date. If not, I clean and polish it. I just like the way it displays better.
Also, when using either Blue Magic or Simichrome, after a few months the coin developes a nice luster and loses that bright shine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info...I wouldn't clean a good date but I have a Buffalo (my first), no date, so I guess it's worthless so I would like to clean it up.

thanks again
Paul
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Danimal,

Just wanted to add my congratulations to the list. If you weren't so willing to help your fellow TN'ers, and devote the due diligence to your research (even though it takes time you could be spending in the field), I'd be jealous.

I find myself going back to your detailed explanation of operating in pinpoint mode with the Ace250 again and again...still learning it but I have found a couple of coins using this method that just didn't ring reliably and I otherwise would have hesitated to dig.

Okay, who am I kidding.....I guess I AM jealous.

I'm trying to get permission right now to hunt a state owned site that was one of the earliest settlements (along a stagecoach road) in my town. The manager seemed pretty receptive to the idea, but get this. He said that he'd have to look into their policy, because in his 20 years on the job, no one has ever asked to MD! My fingers are starting to cramp after three days of keeping them crossed.

MP
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

mountainplayer said:
Danimal,

Just wanted to add my congratulations to the list. If you weren't so willing to help your fellow TN'ers, and devote the due diligence to your research (even though it takes time you could be spending in the field), I'd be jealous.

I find myself going back to your detailed explanation of operating in pinpoint mode with the Ace250 again and again...still learning it but I have found a couple of coins using this method that just didn't ring reliably and I otherwise would have hesitated to dig.

Okay, who am I kidding.....I guess I AM jealous.

I'm trying to get permission right now to hunt a state owned site that was one of the earliest settlements (along a stagecoach road) in my town. The manager seemed pretty receptive to the idea, but get this. He said that he'd have to look into their policy, because in his 20 years on the job, no one has ever asked to MD! My fingers are starting to cramp after three days of keeping them crossed.

MP
Click to expand...

Mountainplayer,
In reference to this " find myself going back to your detailed explanation of operating in pinpoint mode with the Ace250 again and again...still learning it but I have found a couple of coins using this method that just didn't ring reliably and I otherwise would have hesitated to dig."
Where is that located?

thanks
Paul
 

Re: Weekend hunt at the Iceberg with Mirage and Nate-57 silver,17 Buffalos!!

Without going into great detail again, it's simple really.
The ACE250, when in pinpoint, is not only working in non-motion, it's TRULY working in all-metal with NO discrimination and achieves greater depth of detection. Basically, I often hunt in pinpoint and once I center the coil on a target I HEAR, I release pinpoint and let the machine try and ID the target.
Sometimes the ACE, in pinpoint, will find a target that when pinpoint in released gets NO ID...no ring...nada

Someone somewhere talked recently about modding the ACE with a manual threshhold and GB controls...now THAT'S something I am interested in!!

Another thing...when MANY targets are in a small area, running in pinpoint (even with the small coil) allows you to distinguish between individual targets easier.
 

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