Would you do this? Find a 1852 gold coin and give it to the land owner?

[bakergeol]

Hi Paul
Thanks for posting. I hope you didn't mind me retelling your story. It was such a good story that I felt it desired to be retold again here on this forum. We do get a lot of posts here from people reporting the "bad apples" in our hobby- those that trespass and are not respectfull of private property. As TN has such a high number of new users I felt it was good for them to see a good story revealing the true spirit of our hobby.

HH
George

 

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[CarolinaDigs]

Many years ago a gentleman ask my parents once if he could walk the fields, bordering the river to their farm. My mother remembered that I was selfish about letting anyone else search for Indian relics other than my brother and myself. He agreed that he would turn over anything he found to me. Well when he came back to the home I was there and he showed me his finds. Beautiful arrowheads, spearheads and a nutty stone. I refused to take them. They were to great of a find. He was very pleased to keep them Of course a 1852 gold coin is alot different. Probably should have sold it and split the difference

 

[Cynangyl]

Absolutely I would turn it over to the landowner. That was the deal made to begin with. I would insist on a pic to post here though!

 

[cosmic]

I would keep my word... But I would never enter into that agreement.. If the property owner told me that I would graciously decline.. I asked permission to hunt a late 1800's house but the property owner wanted me to cut down a large tree and put up a basketball hoop.. At least 1000.00 worth of work to find some change...NOT!!!! If it was a area with a chance of a large cache maybe..
But if I enter into a agreement I keep it, verbal or written....
That would be a hard decision but he did the right thing.....

 

[la9]

He made an agreement and stuck to it, just like it should be.

I was raised when your word was your honor and your handshake meant something. I still try to be this way but it so hard nowadays, seems like everyone is out for themselves.

Also, maybe he found a cache of them so giving up one is not that big a deal...........

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

No way! I think the homeowner should give him the coin! Did this guy just think someone wanted to dig up their property and give it all to them That is selfish on the homeowners part! I agree if the person detecting agreed to it....that was not smart! But the homeowner should have some common sense and realize this was not fair at all

 

[Handyman]

Yes, I would give the coin to the land owner. Good or bad, a deal is a deal.

 

[El Cooter]

MindHunter,you are right. Cooter

 

[bill gent]

well he did talk about preserving history problem is the owner will usually not have the same in mind when he lists it on e bay

 

[BioProfessor]

I wonder what the landowner would have said if the finder brought him the display case with the gold coin in it and gave it to him but talked to him about the gold coin. If the owner was just interested in what items were on the property, he may be willing to let the finder replace the real gold coin with a replica coin. It looks the same in the display case and if the finder tells him how rare it is to find gold and how much he would really like to keep it, it might work out fine. He kept his word and gave the land owner the real coin so he is seen as an honest man. There is nothing wrong with negotiating for the coin AFTER he has given it to the land owner. Maybe the land owner would want a little compensation and that would be something to negotiate. Just saying there is a way for the finder to keep his word and the coin as well.

Daryl

 

[Old California]

Hi George,

I don't mind at all you posting the story, It actually may encourage others to do the same or something similar in the future.

Plus, I want to thank you and the several others for the positive comments and thank my friends, Steve, Joe and Tom Tanner for their kind words as well (Thanks Gang!)

HH, Paul (Ca)

 

[RW]

If he returned that, just imagine what he kept! He must have hit the motherlode!
It is sort of like admitting to a lesser crime, except now everyone is happy.

 

[Nashoba]

Doesnt matter what WE would or wouldnt do. The gentleman is the one who made the agreement and he stood by his word. Very admirable!

Words to live by.................

~Nash~

 

[nightshift]

i wouldnt mind betting that this guy has found more than what he has returned........

 

[nightshift]

i wouldnt mind betting that this guy found more than he actually returned........

 

[Tom_in_CA]

RW and Nightshift: As I said, Paul's a friend of mine.

Nope, whatever he found, he reports to his host. He's totally in it for the thrill and the enjoyment of people and history. No pocketed goodies.

 

[bakergeol]

For those who do not understand Paul's motives and question his actions.

Do you think that all of us"old timers" who have been in the field detecting for many decades do this just for a profit motive? Ruin our reputation for the price of a mere gold coin?

What would happen to that coin as well as other relics if it was found by another detectorist? Sold for some quick cash? The relics end up in an old forgotten box in an estate sale. Preserving the relics in a display case for the owner means that they will be passed down to future generations. Perhaps they will find their way to a museum for mining camp relics.

Some of this may be hard for young people to understand. Having one's finds preserved and passed on to future generations is a noble gift.

What will you leave behind?
George

 

[ivan salis]

a deal is a deal --my word is my bond and I am honor bound by it==these are the words that a honorible man lives by== I would have thought carefully about the deal to offer BEFORE asking to hunt the land,and doubt I personally would "strike" such a "lop sided" bargin---(my time, research,sweat effort and equiptment cost are worth something after all)--- however it might have been the "only" way to gain the rights to hunt the other mans land ---if so and the deal was made ---you honor it or your just a lying honorless theif, plain and simple ---morals you got them or you don't--having morals means doing the right thing when theres no one but you and god around to know it---I most likely would offered a 50/50 split to the owner BEFORE hunting the land or if I had some clue that a huge cache might be there say 60/40 with the "right to pay the monetery value of his part of the find and keep it"--not out to profit others personally on a freeride by my sweat--otherwise off I go to look elsewhere---if the landowner stated (in writing) that any finds were going to a local muesum and not being sold for "profit" for the monetary benifit of the landowner and I would given credit for the find and 50% tax credit for value the donation my veiw would be a bit differant---just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[outraged]

If that is the deal he made...He did the right thing...

However....Why would anyone waste their time digging up all those finds for nothing. I understand the argument it is the thrill of the find...but i am not in the habit of using my time and resources to benefit other people without any personal gain. I am not in this for the thrill of the find..I am addicted to this hobby for my OWN preservation of history. I would not have made that type of agreement with the owner. I do tell the owner they can see what i found and choose to take something if they like it...However if i find a one in a lifetime find....that is for my collection and i would explain this to the owner....I applaud you for your integrity however I can not say as i would have done the same. I think the land owner is out of line making that deal. If someone had a old gold mine on their property would you go mine it and invest your time and resources in doing so without personal gain? There is something to be said for character....But i personally think if someone is profiting from my hard work and money spent on a decent MD then it will be me. Not some greedy land owner who chose not to detect it himself.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Hey out-raged: You say:

Why would anyone waste their time digging up all those finds for nothing

Since when is a finding a $5 gold piece "nothing"? I've had the thrill of finding ten gold coins in my years of this, and I would gladly welcome the opportunity to find another one, even if it meant I couldn't keep it afterwards. That's why God invented digital cameras for, so you could keep a nice pix of it You still have bragging rights to your friends right? And that's half the fun!