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View Full Version : Awesome week of detecting!! First ever half cent and more!!!



RIdirtdigger
04-11-2015, 08:02 PM
I guess my story will begin last Saturday. On Saturday I headed up to Northern RI to see if I could hit some cellars that had been snow covered since January. If I couldn't I would get...GASP... Permission. Well there was still a little too much snow there so after driving past a bunch of colonial houses I finally got over my fear and stopped at a house I knew was old. Well, I said my little blurb and BINGO I got permission to a 1720 house!:happydance01: I couldn't believe it. I had finally gotten over my fear. Its not really that hard at all. So, I took out my detector and started swinging. :detecting:. I pulled out two large horse tact buckles, a ton of junk, and a wheat penny. Yard was filled in :bummer: but I still had a lot of fun. Nearing the end of the hunt I pulled out part to a possible civil war navy two piece button??? I'm not sure but its cool nevertheless. My next hunt was on Monday. I headed into Northern RI to try and find a possible old home site near a river. There were tons of stone walls back there including a cemetery on the RI database that has not been located. (The area was on land where I had deer hunted with my father many times before). Anyways, I got a 70's signal near the end of a stone wall and popped out a nice colonial button. That was basically all I got but there was tons of stone walls and I had a feeling that the home site might be just across the river. On the way home I stopped at the site where I found the barber dime a few weeks ago and recovered a nice bell. That was the best find of the day. Tuesday morning I woke up early to head to a site I had found over the winter using Aerials. It had ton's of stone walls but I wasn't sure if it was a cellar or not. I was eager to find out. I had class at 2 pm so I wanted to get a much hunting time in as possible. I walked across a river, climbed up a massive hill and walked even further before I saw my prize. A beautiful cellar hole with a center chimney in the middle. I was pumped. I started detecting and well... didn't get a whole lot of signals at first. I finally got a signal and out pops a colonial flat button. About two feet away I pull out a massive dandy button with the shank still intact. This site was definitely old!! I move around the cellar and get a solid 80 signal one inch down right next to a tree. I am thinking shoe buckle all the way. Bam! I pull out a complete shoe buckle frame. I was stoked!!! I love finding shoe buckle parts. A little while later I got a mid tone and found a beautiful relic with a design and chain on it. What is it?? Any ideas?? A few buttons later I got a solid 77-78 signal about 4 inches deep. I dig down and pull out a small copper disk a little bigger than a quarter. I couldn't see anything on it but I hoped it was something great. A few moments later I got a 80's signal with some iron mixing in. I dig down about 6-7 inches deep and pull out a copper. This one is large cent sized. I didn't wanna mess with it so I put it away and continued digging. Got a few more relics and then headed out. It was gonna be a long walk and I wanted to have time to shower and clean up my finds before I went to class. The small copper turns out to be first ever half cent!!!!! :yahoo: Draped bust half cent. Not sure of the date as its pretty corroded but I am happy nonetheless. Large copper was an 1816 matron head I believe. Looks like nice detail but again its corroded. Also got a button with all of the gilt left on the front. It scared me for a moment when I pulled it out cause I thought I had a gold coin Lol. I'd say I had a pretty good day. I headed back there after class on Wednesday and picked up part to a shoe buckle and a button with a nice design. No coins. Oh well. Thursday I decided to go back to the area I went to on Monday and this time cross the river. I cross the river follow a stone wall going up a hill and bam, two cellar holes!!!!! I was so excited. I turn on the detector and hear... erratic signals. The batteries I had put in were duds. I was angry and happy at the same time. I headed back home. On Friday I left the college as fast I could and headed to the cellah. I walked a long way in the woods (I made sure my batteries were all set beforehand) and arrived at my location. I turned the detector on and started detecting away. Of course its been hit before :hairpulling:. I couldn't believe it, in the middle of the woods and not on any maps. There is so much iron in the ground around the cellar too it was unbelievable. I finally get a smashing 80 signal next to a tree one inch deep (sound familiar?) and pull out a beautiful old buckle. Age anyone????. I found one very similar to it at the cabin site in Massachusetts where I got my oldest coin (this buckle is bigger though). I then move close to one of the cellars and pull out a nice dandy button. I've been getting a lot of big buttons lately. A while later after moving back into where the farmfields would have been I get a classic copper signal 75-83 bouncing but also over 7 inches deep. About 9 inches down I see a copper disk. I was thinking colonial copper, but it was a nice matron head. Good shape too, 1838. I got a few more buttons including one with the threads still in it. I'm pretty disappointed some one had detected it before but still I did ok. I had a great week of detecting and hope more weeks go this way!!!!! 46660466614666246664466654666346666466674666846669 4667046671

kpmoose
04-11-2015, 09:18 PM
You had an awesome week. Congrats. Draped Bust is high on my bucket list.

Isaac
04-11-2015, 09:35 PM
Excellent finds Jim, shoe buckle looks early.

Pacivilwarluke
04-11-2015, 10:20 PM
Looking real good! It's amazing you found a half cent, that's a bucket listed for me. Love the buckle too! I think your navy button isn't civil war though, looks like a fashion button from here. Great finds, HH!

Lodge Scent
04-12-2015, 07:06 PM
Nice! Some great finds! Half cents are hard to find :congrats:

RIdirtdigger
04-12-2015, 08:08 PM
thanks for all the replies guys!!!!

Tony Two-Cent
04-12-2015, 08:17 PM
What an amazing bunch of finds, especially the Draped Bust Half Cent! :shocked04: :notworthy:

Hard to tell the date, but it almost looks like 17__ to me. I would love to see some closeup photos of it. It belongs on the banner!

:perfect10:

RIdirtdigger
04-12-2015, 08:33 PM
here's some close ups Tony. Best I could do, coins very corroded. Glad I saved it before it was to late :) 467274672846729

MangoAve
04-13-2015, 07:09 AM
Hard to tell the date, but it almost looks like 17__ to me.

You saw what I saw, Tony. It does look like 179_.

The buckle is nice too.

OxShoeDrew
04-13-2015, 11:07 AM
Nice going Jim! You've been busy! Those half cents sure don't come easy or in good shape.

RIdirtdigger
04-13-2015, 06:31 PM
Nice going Jim! You've been busy! Those half cents sure don't come easy or in good shape.
I've been out as much as I can, before school, after school etc... it just feels good to be out in the woods after such a terrible winter. The half cent rang up a 78 on the AT Pro. I was worried it was going to be a worn clad quarter for a few but then the draped bust appeared out of the corrosion and saved the day!

The Rebel
04-13-2015, 06:33 PM
WTG on all of those goodies!

del
04-13-2015, 09:43 PM
great looking relics nice era (1770's to about 1800) congrats on the shoe buckle and the silver plated slide buckle too! you definitely don't see many draped bust half cents showing up, :smitten:big congrats !!

Bell-Two
04-15-2015, 05:46 AM
Fantastic finds, love the coppers especially the half cent like others said still on a wish list. Nice buckles and buttons....can't wait to see more!

aloldstuff
04-15-2015, 04:37 PM
Huge congrats on that half cent, a hard coin to come by. Some nice relics, really like that bell and buckles.