What's it worth-the age old question.

[pepperj]

Over the years we all have had the age old question of what's it worth?

Folks seem to relate when the $$$ is involved, and not really the historical side of the item it seems.
Even if it's a 50BC gold coin or a crusty old 200 yr old copper.

I recently got a new permission through conversation I was having with another permission.
Smaller in size 160 acres but does have 3-4 sites on the fields.
The owner likes to see what is found in the few hunts that I have done there.

No problem in that as time is short with his combining and tilling and my life I send a few photos and a breakdown of where it was found by text.
Quote: "I just like to know as I find it all very interesting"

So Saturday it was overcast-got a small window of time and went over to the farm.
Pulling in I noticed that 80% of the field had been tilled-also with the recent rains it looked sticky.
The guy was sitting in his workshop door so I stopped and chatted.

He gave permission to drive out along the access road running between the fields-"Don't go into the field as you'll never get out"
We got talking about the finds and then came the question...

The old 1854 Half Penny Token that you found -"Honestly what is that really worth?"
"Not that it matters to me-but I'd like to know."

Well in the dug state that it was in, $1.00 or 2 maybe if it was cleaned up, at best. Coins dug have a really low value and basically the little crotal bell I found is probably worth more in the market place than the coppers are.

Then he said the following "It was that I was taking with another guy and the guy said there was no way that he would allow somebody to hunt his place because "WHAT IF" the coin is worth $500 and he just took it for free?"

The permission said what does it matter-I'm not going to go out there with a metal detector and look for it in the first place-I just find it really interesting.

I find it interesting that some arm chair thinkers believe that the recovered finds are worth so much, and $$$ factor come into play.
Not the history of the items-or saving the items from being totally destroyed by the working of the soils/farming.

This permission does the harvesting on 5 other of my permissions and a positive voice goes a long ways, and a negative word can really go the other way.

He does another permission and like himself they invited me (I never asked them) to detect. The other permission has 650 acres of his own and leases more land also.
In getting a update on the fields he introduced me to another farmer and said that I go around digging up lots of gold (His sense of humour-being Dutch and all)

Peter if I found any gold I would gladly split it with you 50/50 as I never have found a piece yet on any of my permissions.
Jim if you do find any-go buy a pizza for yourself and the Mrs.

So after much rambling about how we're perceived by others it's kind of makes me want to do a few things.
Make a small shadow box up of the finds I get off the harvesters land-as he is just interested.
Also he would certainly tell others-Especially the guy that thinks everything is worth so much $$$.

I would also like the speak with the other guy-to give him the actual truth on what things are really worth in value.
I'll ponder these thoughts for a bit-think about it when I dig perhaps.

What are/were your experiences and thoughts about this topic when it comes to others and what they believe.

We all value certain things a different way-and granted some items fetch a good some of $$$ but so does a lottery ticket-we buy many, but few ever pay back.

 

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[FreeBirdTim]

Perfect example of why I stick to public land. I have at least five standing offers to metal detect private property, but I won't go near them. Most want to keep everything I find and a couple want to watch me detect and check out everything I dig. Can you imagine someone dogging you for hours and looking over your shoulder whenever you get a signal? No thanks.

The problem with most land owners is they think everything on their land belongs to them. That's true, but I'm not metal detecting anyone's property for free and handing over everything I find. Either let me keep at least half of the finds or pay me $20 an hour to detect your property. Don't like the terms? Go buy a metal detector and see what's on your land yourself.

 

[Whynotnow?]

Perfect example of why I stick to public land. I have at least five standing offers to metal detect private property, but I won't go near them. Most want to keep everything I find and a couple want to watch me detect and check out everything I dig. Can you imagine someone dogging you for hours and looking over your shoulder whenever you get a signal? No thanks.

The problem with most land owners is they think everything on their land belongs to them. That's true, but I'm not metal detecting anyone's property for free and handing over everything I find. Either let me keep at least half of the finds or pay me $20 an hour to detect your property. Don't like the terms? Go buy a metal detector and see what's on your land yourself.

I've had a couple of people want to watch me metal detect their property. I always explain its going to be hours of watching me dig garbage just for a few holes that are actually keepers. If they still want to watch, I may or may not purposefully dig as many junk tones as I can to get them disinterested. Typically after 30 mins of bottle caps and can slaw they leave me alone to do my thing and I check in when I'm done. I dont have any issue showing/giving them what I find, I just really hate having someone standing over my shoulder.

 

[robertk]

What are/were your experiences and thoughts about this topic when it comes to others and what they believe.

Granted I don't have hardly any experience asking for permission, but I can say that in general people who know I detect see it an amusement and tend to tease me about it. "Call me when you find some gold"... that sort of thing.

I wouldn't mind sharing with the landowner, though I'm also of the mindset that I should get something out of the effort put into the hunting. And having them shadow me would get really annoying. I'd probably bring out a spare detector and have them join in. If they weren't interested, I'd dig every signal until they got tired or watching or decided there wasn't anything out there of value.

It all kinda reminds me of the laws about "you can't detect on X property because you might disturb the history of the items". Yeah, well, if they remain buried forever, there's no history at all, is there? Same thing with "valuables". You haven't "lost" anything by digging it up if you never knew you had it in the first place.

 

[cajundetector]

Over the years we all have had the age old question of what's it worth?

Folks seem to relate when the $$$ is involved, and not really the historical side of the item it seems.
Even if it's a 50BC gold coin or a crusty old 200 yr old copper.

I recently got a new permission through conversation I was having with another permission.
Smaller in size 160 acres but does have 3-4 sites on the fields.
The owner likes to see what is found in the few hunts that I have done there.

No problem in that as time is short with his combining and tilling and my life I send a few photos and a breakdown of where it was found by text.
Quote: "I just like to know as I find it all very interesting"

So Saturday it was overcast-got a small window of time and went over to the farm.
Pulling in I noticed that 80% of the field had been tilled-also with the recent rains it looked sticky.
The guy was sitting in his workshop door so I stopped and chatted.

He gave permission to drive out along the access road running between the fields-"Don't go into the field as you'll never get out"
We got talking about the finds and then came the question...

The old 1854 Half Penny Token that you found -"Honestly what is that really worth?"
"Not that it matters to me-but I'd like to know."

Well in the dug state that it was in, $1.00 or 2 maybe if it was cleaned up, at best. Coins dug have a really low value and basically the little crotal bell I found is probably worth more in the market place than the coppers are.

Then he said the following "It was that I was taking with another guy and the guy said there was no way that he would allow somebody to hunt his place because "WHAT IF" the coin is worth $500 and he just took it for free?"

The permission said what does it matter-I'm not going to go out there with a metal detector and look for it in the first place-I just find it really interesting.

I find it interesting that some arm chair thinkers believe that the recovered finds are worth so much, and $$$ factor come into play.
Not the history of the items-or saving the items from being totally destroyed by the working of the soils/farming.

This permission does the harvesting on 5 other of my permissions and a positive voice goes a long ways, and a negative word can really go the other way.

He does another permission and like himself they invited me (I never asked them) to detect. The other permission has 650 acres of his own and leases more land also.
In getting a update on the fields he introduced me to another farmer and said that I go around digging up lots of gold (His sense of humour-being Dutch and all)

Peter if I found any gold I would gladly split it with you 50/50 as I never have found a piece yet on any of my permissions.
Jim if you do find any-go buy a pizza for yourself and the Mrs.

So after much rambling about how we're perceived by others it's kind of makes me want to do a few things.
Make a small shadow box up of the finds I get off the harvesters land-as he is just interested.
Also he would certainly tell others-Especially the guy that thinks everything is worth so much $$$.

I would also like the speak with the other guy-to give him the actual truth on what things are really worth in value.
I'll ponder these thoughts for a bit-think about it when I dig perhaps.

What are/were your experiences and thoughts about this topic when it comes to others and what they believe.

We all value certain things a different way-and granted some items fetch a good some of $$$ but so does a lottery ticket-we buy many, but few ever pay back.

I’m like you 🌶️, if I had to sell my collection to live I would starve. I have some neat historical things but my entire collection is probably worth 200$ if I’m lucky. I can care less, it’s worth a lot to me. And the few folks I know that are into history 👍

 

[michael NY]

Over the years we all have had the age old question of what's it worth?

Folks seem to relate when the $$$ is involved, and not really the historical side of the item it seems.
Even if it's a 50BC gold coin or a crusty old 200 yr old copper.

I recently got a new permission through conversation I was having with another permission.
Smaller in size 160 acres but does have 3-4 sites on the fields.
The owner likes to see what is found in the few hunts that I have done there.

No problem in that as time is short with his combining and tilling and my life I send a few photos and a breakdown of where it was found by text.
Quote: "I just like to know as I find it all very interesting"

So Saturday it was overcast-got a small window of time and went over to the farm.
Pulling in I noticed that 80% of the field had been tilled-also with the recent rains it looked sticky.
The guy was sitting in his workshop door so I stopped and chatted.

He gave permission to drive out along the access road running between the fields-"Don't go into the field as you'll never get out"
We got talking about the finds and then came the question...

The old 1854 Half Penny Token that you found -"Honestly what is that really worth?"
"Not that it matters to me-but I'd like to know."

Well in the dug state that it was in, $1.00 or 2 maybe if it was cleaned up, at best. Coins dug have a really low value and basically the little crotal bell I found is probably worth more in the market place than the coppers are.

Then he said the following "It was that I was taking with another guy and the guy said there was no way that he would allow somebody to hunt his place because "WHAT IF" the coin is worth $500 and he just took it for free?"

The permission said what does it matter-I'm not going to go out there with a metal detector and look for it in the first place-I just find it really interesting.

I find it interesting that some arm chair thinkers believe that the recovered finds are worth so much, and $$$ factor come into play.
Not the history of the items-or saving the items from being totally destroyed by the working of the soils/farming.

This permission does the harvesting on 5 other of my permissions and a positive voice goes a long ways, and a negative word can really go the other way.

He does another permission and like himself they invited me (I never asked them) to detect. The other permission has 650 acres of his own and leases more land also.
In getting a update on the fields he introduced me to another farmer and said that I go around digging up lots of gold (His sense of humour-being Dutch and all)

Peter if I found any gold I would gladly split it with you 50/50 as I never have found a piece yet on any of my permissions.
Jim if you do find any-go buy a pizza for yourself and the Mrs.

So after much rambling about how we're perceived by others it's kind of makes me want to do a few things.
Make a small shadow box up of the finds I get off the harvesters land-as he is just interested.
Also he would certainly tell others-Especially the guy that thinks everything is worth so much $$$.

I would also like the speak with the other guy-to give him the actual truth on what things are really worth in value.
I'll ponder these thoughts for a bit-think about it when I dig perhaps.

What are/were your experiences and thoughts about this topic when it comes to others and what they believe.

We all value certain things a different way-and granted some items fetch a good some of $$$ but so does a lottery ticket-we buy many, but few ever pay back.

Well said it’s obvious that one gesture of being kind can open up window for many more opportunities. And the education to folks it’s not about the dollar vale to an item recovered it’s the story to what the time can tell is worth telling.

 

[pepperj]

I’m like you 🌶️, if I had to sell my collection to live I would starve. I have some neat historical things but my entire collection is probably worth 200$ if I’m lucky. I can care less, it’s worth a lot to me. And the few folks I know that are into history 👍

I have a few items that would fetch $$$.
But till the final days I will be doing the "I have instead of I had" when it comes to finds.
As the years are getting longer in the tooth, it's just neat to look at certain things and remember the location and digging it up.
Though the regular everyday stuff it's a where and when. That stuff will be first to go one day down the road well traveled.

 

[pepperj]

Perfect example of why I stick to public land. I have at least five standing offers to metal detect private property, but I won't go near them. Most want to keep everything I find and a couple want to watch me detect and check out everything I dig. Can you imagine someone dogging you for hours and looking over your shoulder whenever you get a signal? No thanks.

The problem with most land owners is they think everything on their land belongs to them. That's true, but I'm not metal detecting anyone's property for free and handing over everything I find. Either let me keep at least half of the finds or pay me $20 an hour to detect your property. Don't like the terms? Go buy a metal detector and see what's on your land yourself.

Sorry to hear that you haven't had the wonderful experience of trouble free private permissions.

Granted I had an invite 8yrs ago by the local author/historian for her school house/church in a nearby hamlet.
Nobody has detected it either. (the best site scenario for any detectorist).
But as you described she wanted to watch-and keep everything.
It still sits there today, and probably will for sometime to come.

Actually of all my permissions I have only been asked a couple times to see what I found. (even a picture was ok)
Nobody wanted a single article that has been retrieved.
98% don't even care what I dig up, it's just the way it has worked out.

I only do cellar hole/homestead hunting where nothing remains-I don't detect around the permission's farm house.

Some of these permissions are a decade old, and a few are even going on into the teens now.
Mostly I get a big friendly wave, a stop of a tractor and a chat up about life.
They might ask if i have had any luck, and I'll bore them with a list of things.

I just did a quick mental calculation of permissions and 8700 acres of land.
I have most likely forgotten a few off the list as well, as I don't get on them as much, as there's only so much time one has to detect.
No regulations, laws, nitty bitties calling the local LEO for digging craters in the park, swinging what looks like a rifle of sorts, asked endless questions on weed killing, bug eradication, what it's worth, what am I looking for.
Did my time doing the public spaces, and rather have the private.

I did stop at a country hall last week and dug a LC and a couple of silvers. First time doing a public spot in many years, felt kind of weird actually, hand digging plugs again.

 

[Blackfoot58]

I’m like you 🌶️, if I had to sell my collection to live I would starve. I have some neat historical things but my entire collection is probably worth 200$ if I’m lucky. I can care less, it’s worth a lot to me. And the few folks I know that are into history 👍

Well said. I agree completely

 

[Blackfoot58]

I have permission from one farmer x 3 fields. I MD and look for artifacts in all 3. When MDing, I keep every nail, screw and chunk of wire from these properties in a jar. I also keep all of the bigger pcs of broken glass. These can each mean eventual down time from flat tires on equipment. He’s appreciative and sees the value.

 

[pepperj]

Granted I don't have hardly any experience asking for permission, but I can say that in general people who know I detect see it an amusement and tend to tease me about it. "Call me when you find some gold"... that sort of thing.

I wouldn't mind sharing with the landowner, though I'm also of the mindset that I should get something out of the effort put into the hunting. And having them shadow me would get really annoying. I'd probably bring out a spare detector and have them join in. If they weren't interested, I'd dig every signal until they got tired or watching or decided there wasn't anything out there of value.

It all kinda reminds me of the laws about "you can't detect on X property because you might disturb the history of the items". Yeah, well, if they remain buried forever, there's no history at all, is there? Same thing with "valuables". You haven't "lost" anything by digging it up if you never knew you had it in the first place.

I hear you on looking over the shoulder feeling.
I don't do well with that at all it seems.

Now there has been an offer of a military block house that sits on a private permission.
"You can come detect it if I can watch you dig everything up"

I still haven't discounted the offer as it was just presented to me a few weeks ago.

I could wait till the northern snow streamers are whipping through the fields, I'm sure they'd be up for watching me hunt.

 

[Blackfoot58]

I hear you on looking over the shoulder feeling.
I don't do well with that at all it seems.

Now there has been an offer of a military block house that sits on a private permission.
"You can come detect it if I can watch you dig everything up"

I still haven't discounted the offer as it was just presented to me a few weeks ago.

I could wait till the northern snow streamers are whipping through the fields, I'm sure they'd be up for watching me hunt.

Yep. Go when it’s windy and raining. Eat lots of chili the night before! 😂

 

[pepperj]

I have permission from one farmer x 3 fields. I MD and look for artifacts in all 3. When MDing, I keep every nail, screw and chunk of wire from these properties in a jar. I also keep all of the bigger pcs of broken glass. These can each mean eventual down time from flat tires on equipment. He’s appreciative and sees the value.

I guess through the life long pursuit of looking at or digging in the dirt I have seen enough broken glass.
The larger shards I will remove but the flat/smaller pieces stay as they lay in the fields.
It would be a long time consuming endeavour to pick up the glass on a few permissions and the plow/farrow/disking has pretty well broken the glass up to little pieces over the past 100 years.

I remove all the steel though, throw it off into the hedge row/tree line as the farmer has instructed I can do.
If there is a steel anchor/T-bar post that can't be removed I will mark it, put a white pail over it, tell the permission about it. This has always been a "Thank You" as doing a $ Thousand dollar rear tractor tire in isn't a great day for the permission.
Aluminum wire is another one that the dairy/beef farmers like to see me find.
The magnets don't pick up the wire so it can do a cow in if digested.
The harvester permission just told me he had a copper pipe caught in the head of the harvester.

Have a big permission tell me they had an axel puncture the tire on the tractor "Gee we wish you were here a week ago"
I did find the other one buried at site and removed it, and informed them that it was removed.

 

[pepperj]

Yep. Go when it’s windy and raining. Eat lots of chili the night before! 😂

Usually most want to just hear what was dug up, see a picture at most.
Very short interest actually on some dirty piece of metal that's not gold with big sparkling diamonds.

I returned a crotal bell to a permission that had the original family member's initials on the bell.
The mother stated it was the only item they had now referencing the person.

The son walked up-looked-gee I thought you had found a big diamond by the looks of all the excitement-grunted-went back to his chores.

 

[robertk]

The son walked up-looked-gee I thought you had found a big diamond by the looks of all the excitement-grunted-went back to his chores.

Most kids have no interest in history. (And given how awful the average history class is in school, it's hard to blame them.)

 

[pepperj]

Most kids have no interest in history. (And given how awful the average history class is in school, it's hard to blame them.)

Except the son is in his 40s and has 4 kids of his own.🤣
Farm/University degree in agriculture, but zero interest in history. 😕

 

[Blak bart]

Pepper you know my situation is a little different than most, and I get the same questions. It's different for me because I'm hunting gold jewelry, and fresh drops. When you actually are getting gold, and people know you are it becomes difficult to hide the results, and I can see people doing the math in there head.....that math is almost always wrong because of karat content. But if I was on private property and pulled as much gold as I do on public property..... im almost certain it would cause friction with the land owners, and you would quickly see the owner with a detector and you would not be back !! Almost 100% of the time I get the old speech......" if you find a diamond ring it's mine, or oh you found a ring....I just lost mine" I always say what's it look like ? And it's mostly joking around.....mostly!! Once in a while I get a real confrontation with thieves that really will make a scene and swear I have there gold.....99% of these types are actually waiting to see if you'll give it to them. I was almost jumped and robbed by a gang of 14-18 year Olds, and I flatly told them come get it !! They tried to get a life guard to make me give it up after I told them F you !! Life guard was keen and asked for a description that could not be verified by these thugs.....I got my gold ring, and was told I should leave before a riot started.....I did, and never went back to this big city beach !! Most times I pretend I can't hear with the headphones on and go back underwater now !!

 

[pepperj]

Pepper you know my situation is a little different than most, and I get the same questions. It's different for me because I'm hunting gold jewelry, and fresh drops. When you actually are getting gold, and people know you are it becomes difficult to hide the results, and I can see people doing the math in there head.....that math is almost always wrong because of karat content. But if I was on private property and pulled as much gold as I do on public property..... im almost certain it would cause friction with the land owners, and you would quickly see the owner with a detector and you would not be back !! Almost 100% of the time I get the old speech......" if you find a diamond ring it's mine, or oh you found a ring....I just lost mine" I always say what's it look like ? And it's mostly joking around.....mostly!! Once in a while I get a real confrontation with thieves that really will make a scene and swear I have there gold.....99% of these types are actually waiting to see if you'll give it to them. I was almost jumped and robbed by a gang of 14-18 year Olds, and I flatly told them come get it !! They tried to get a life guard to make me give it up after I told them F you !! Life guard was keen and asked for a description that could not be verified by these thugs.....I got my gold ring, and was told I should leave before a riot started.....I did, and never went back to this big city beach !! Most times I pretend I can't hear with the headphones on and go back underwater now !!

What you wrote Bart and the finding gold on a beach is the 180 of finding a cruddy copper in a field.
Public vs private-gold vs copper-though the theme is all the same "What's it worth"

In your case it's a given the mental calculator starts flipping digits when the scale weight is presented.
(Disclaimer I have done it more than once seeing the gold posted up on the threads)

Though the replacement price and the realization of melt are 2 different worlds.
A diamond in a ring is not worth nearly as much as what the appraisal papers state.
Yet most folks just see the $$$ when viewing or in some cases trying to scam the recovered gold.

I ran into more of the silly statements from folks detecting the sand beaches, then the outright dumb questions from folks in the park settings.
Transitioning off the lawn settings into the trail/treed sections of parks came a peace of mind.
Then the outright transition to private permission detecting was the best.

Given I have dug 100's of LCs, barrels of iron, lots of relics, silver count has dropped to -10% of the yearly totals, and never have found gold at a homestead/cellar hole.

I even cringe at the very thought of going to find a ring for somebody.
That look they have when one doesn't recover that ring that was "I lost it right here" statement.
Given the rings that were recovered and the tears of joy is a feeling that it was worth the effort.