angellionel
01-07-2010, 09:50 PM
This is the second of two posts. It covers many of the finds I made August through December of 2009. It was fun meeting up with several of our forum members to detect and chat about our hobby. I look forward to doing more of the same in 2010!
Part One can be viewed here (http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?551-2009-Redux-Part-One).
AUGUST 2009
38 SILVER COINS - 9 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER - 8 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
The first silver coins I found in August. The silver ring and religious pendant made for fun finds too.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_080109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_080209.jpg
I worked two parks this time around. The first one yielded two silver coins and an Indian Head cent. The second park yielded one silver dime, several old wheat cents, two Indian Head cents, the oldest dated 1864, and three V nickels. I can only make out the date on two of them, 1894 and 1905.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_080409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_080409.jpg
I returned to the first park I had hit on August 4th and ended up with five more silver coins. The Barber quarter was a nice surprise. I also dug up three Indian Head cents, dated 1899, 1902, and 1907, several old wheat cents, and a V nickel dated 1899.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_080509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_080509.jpg
The parks are not getting replenished with silver coins so it is a treat to be able to find whatever does remain. The park I hit on August 6th yielded me four more silver coins, as well as old wheat cents, buttons, and a dateless buffalo nickel. I returned to the same park the following day and picked up another four silver dimes.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_080609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_080709.jpg
The August 15th weekend had been a hot one, but not being able to go detecting during the weekdays I was eager to start swinging the coil. I loaded up my cooler with plenty of water and Gatorade and headed to detect at a few Connecticut parks. Saturday I worked two parks, and they yielded two silver coins, a 1920 merc and a 1946 Canadian dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_081509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_081609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_081609.jpg
On Sunday I headed to a different Connecticut park, one that had yielded old coppers as well as silver coins on past hunts. The open fields have been hit very hard over the years so good finds are very scant. I opted instead to work the areas around the park's large trees. The ground around them is quite trashy. It paid off though, as I picked up ten silver coins, two Washington quarters, six mercury dimes, and two Roosevelt dimes.
I also found two silver rings and a corroded large cent.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverrings_081609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_081609.jpg
I ended August with three more silver coins, a wartime and several buffalo nickels, wheat cents, gold and silver rings, and a token.
The gold band is engraved with initials and 6-13-42. The silver ring is hand-crafted and does not have any markings.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/goldring_082209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverring_082209A.jpg
These rings are quite heavy. The one on the left is slightly bent, but it can easily be straightened. The old token is from the Celluloid Starch Co. It's about the size of a large cent.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverrings_082309A.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/token_083009.jpg
SEPTEMBER 2009
61 SILVER COINS - 5 SILVER RINGS - 3 COPPERS - 1 INDIAN HEAD CENT
I drove to a favorite site I have hit on and off over the years, one I have nicknamed 'merc city' because of the many mercury dimes I have pulled from it. Once there I noticed that a small strip of ground that I had not been able to work well in years due to the high grass growing there had been mowed. It was now nice and flat, so of course I took advantage. I began to work it in a grid and very slowly, knowing that the coins at this site tend to be relatively deep. The silver soon showed up - two Barber dimes, dated 1910 and 1912-D, a 1912 Canadian 5 cent silver piece, and a 1908 Barber quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/merccity2_090409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_090409.jpg
I also dug up two old nickels, a dateless buffalo and a 1912 V, as well as an old Masonic Token.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/nickels_090409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/masonictoken_090409.jpg
While detecting at a Connecticut park I dug up three silver dimes as well as the locket and heavy silver ring.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pendant_090509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/ring_090509.jpg
The next day I drove to a popular Connecticut park to work the outer edges. I had a late start, arriving at the park at about 3:00. It was busy with folks playing on the open fields or just taking a siesta under the large trees. Fortunately the areas I wanted to work were away from all the activity. I picked up a total of five silver coins - a 1945 walking liberty half, a dateless standing liberty quarter, a 1935 Washington quarter, and two Roosevelt dimes. Here are the large coins.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1945wlh_090609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_090609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_090709.jpg
I returned to the park the following day to continue detecting a section I did not get to finish the prior day. I picked up from I where I had left off and dug up three more silver coins, two mercury dimes, dated 1943 and 1945, and a 1962 Roosevelt dime. I also found a 1827 large cent, several wheat cents, and a gold filled ring. There was plenty of clad as well.
I had hoped to find more large silver, but the park was not yielding any that day. The large cent had been under some thick roots so it took me a while to dig it up as I did not want to scratch the target.
A few years ago I had often worked a Connecticut State Park with the DFX doing relatively well pulling silver from the trashy campgrounds considering the locals had been hitting the park for years. Eventually, though, driving almost 80 miles to find just one piece of silver was not very motivating, so I stopped detecting at the site. Now, however, I wanted to see what the E-Trac could do at those trashy picnic grounds. I was off from work, so I drove up there on a Wednesday, and then the following day.
I worked several of the picnic grounds and managed to dig up a total of nine silver dimes, four on Wednesday and five on Thursday. I had to work for them though, employing a grid at each campground section. The grounds also yielded plenty of wheat cents, two buffalo nickels, a 1943 wartime silver nickel, and a mess of clad.
The dimes are dated 1935, 1940, 1941 and 1957. Finding the 1943-P wartime nickel was a treat, as was the buffalo nickel, even if dateless.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SP_A_090909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_090909.jpg
Finding these dimes that Thursday took me a while, but they were worth the effort. It had been a beautiful day, making for a pleasant hunt.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SP_B_091009.jpg
I didn't want to leave, but the sun was now setting, telling me it was time to head back home.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SP_C_091009.jpg
I had another good week during September, ending up with a total of eleven silver coins, the best one being a very nice and relatively low mintage 1893-O Barber dime.
A silver dime trifecta and twelve nickels, which include a 1900 V nickel and two buffs.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/nickels_091309.jpg
More old wheat cents and an Indian Head cent to add to my collection. The Roosevelt dimes were dug from two parks.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/wheats_091309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091509.jpg
On my way to one of my usual parks I decided to stop at a small strip of green I had spotted the last time I had been in the area. Parking was limited to two hours, but it would be enough time to work the relatively small site. I dug up three silver coins, a 1915 Barber quarter, and two mercury dimes, dated 1926 and 1945. I found the 1893-O Barber dime the following day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/barberdime_091809.jpg
While using Google Earth to view one of the MA parks I had recently detected I noticed another very small one not far from it. I decided to make a stop there the next day. Once at the park though it became evident that much of it had been redone, but what original ground remained did yield a 1835 large cent, a 1936 silver quarter, and a silver ring. After a while I drove to a second park, where I picked up a 1934 mercury dime before heading back home.
The following day I drove up to a Connecticut park, but the park I had in mind was being actively used. I then drove to another not far from that location. Being my first time at this particular park I walked around quite a bit while detecting as I wanted to get a feel of the place. I did manage to find five silver dimes, as well as a few wheat cents.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_091909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_092009.jpg
Six wheat cents and two silver coins from one park, and three silver dimes from another the next day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_092109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_092209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_092309.jpg
I had planned to detect at a meadow I had worked often a few years ago with the DFX and Sovereign GT, and earlier in the year with the SE. The site had yielded some interesting relics and silver coins, but now I wanted to see what the E-Trac could do there. However, while on my way to the site I talked myself into making a stop at a park located near the meadow.
Though the park has been on my list of parks to hit for several years now, I had not yet been there to detect it. I had intended to be at that site for just an hour or so before continuing on to the meadow, but I ended up remaining at that park for the rest of the day. The meadow would have to wait until another time.
There were plenty of clad coins, which kept me busy digging, but the best targets were the eleven wheat cents and the seven silver coins - a Washington quarter, dated 1942, five mercury dimes, dated 1937, 1941, 1941, 1942, and 1944, and one Roosevelt dime, dated 1964 . They had been scattered throughout the park though, and not concentrated in any one area.
Toward the end of September I was in need of new headphones, so I headed to a local dealer to pick up a new one. On the way there I made a quick stop at a soccer field, and dug up two silver crucifix pendants and a good amount of clad coins. The silver rings are from a trip I made to an old MA park a few days later.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_092709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverrings_093009.jpg
My last silver coins of the month. The dimes are dated 1907-D, 1918-S, 1944, 1948, and 1957.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_092609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_093009.jpg
It's too bad the large cent's date isn't readable. It was fun digging it up anyway.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdime_092409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_093009.jpg
OCTOBER 2009
57 SILVER COINS - 5 SILVER RINGS
October turned out to be another good month for silver. Early in the first week I had been reviewing my list of parks, and decided to try one located in Connecticut. I had not yet detected this particular park so I was looking forward to trying it out. The park isn't very large, but it did yield three silver coins, a dateless standing liberty quarter, a 1898 Barber dime, and a 1945 mercury dime.
Later that week I detected at a local MA park and worked one of the fields as well as a somewhat wooded section. I found two mercury dimes, dated 1916 and 1927, as well as a button, one badly corroded buffalo nickel, and a 1909 Barber quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_100209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_100609.jpg
Except for on two occasions, from the second week of October through the end of December I found myself concentrating my hunts on just one supposedly hunted out park, gridding it section by section, and pulling out a total of 148 silver coins from it during that time.
The first trip to the park had been when the soil was wet, making it messy to cut the plugs and digging the targets. I did find a total of six silver coins on that day though, one being a 1950-D Benjamin Franklin half, my sixth silver half of the year. The other coins were a 1927 standing liberty quarter, two Roosevelt dimes, and two mercury dimes. It was on this day that I reached my goal of finding 300 silver coins for the year. A 1945 mercury dime was my 300th.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_100709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/300th_silver_100709.jpg
The next few finds are from two days of detecting at the same park. I really like the sterling silver ring. The sterling silver crucifix is tiny. It was deep for its size, and was coming up with a Co no higher than 24. The silver coins were sweet finds, of course, as was the old padlock.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/ring_100809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/crucifix_101009.jpg
The start of what would be a silver harvest from the one park. The quarters were scattered, but not far apart, though masked by the trash layering the area I had been working.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_100809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_101009.jpg
An old Corbin padlock and fourteen wheat cents. I do like finding the 'wheaties'.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/corbinpadlock_101009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/wheats_101009.jpg
Silver dimes ruled the day this time around. They are dated 1912, 1929, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, and 1952. I found them by slowly working a section of the park while using a grid pattern. It had been tedious, but certainly worth the effort. The crucifix was embedded in iron, probably the remnant of what was a cheap chain? The target had been hitting somewhat like a wheat cent, so I was expecting one when digging for it. I smiled when I saw the iron clump and part of the small crucifix sticking out from it.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/crucifix_101109.jpg
The park was quiet on this particular day, not like the weekend, when there were several all terrain vehicles being driven all over the park's open fields. What a pain that had been! I did have a relaxing time, and also managed to find a few silver coins - three dimes, 1945, 1903-O and 1916-S. The next day I hit the park again, and pulled another three silver dimes from a trashy area.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101309.jpg
On this hunt I added to my half dollar count, picking up a 1906- O Barber half. The first photo is of the half while it was in the hole. The three silver dimes are dated 1937, 1939, and 1941.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/halfdollar_101409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_101409.jpg
The tokens rounded up the finds for the day. The 1939 New York World's Fair token held up better than the good luck token.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/worldsfairtoken_101409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/goodlucktoken_101409.jpg
The morning had been quite chilly and heavily overcast. I arrived at the park at about noon having several layers to keep me warm, but they weren't quite enough as I found out while out in the field. I had to return to the car to put on the hoodie I had in the trunk.
Back at the field I selected a small area to grid and worked it slowly. After several clad coins, a buffalo nickel and two wheat cents, I picked up my first silver, a 1916 mercury dime. It was lightly drizzling now, adding to the discomfort.
Soon after digging the first silver I came across another, a mercury dime, dated 1941. It was a while before I hit on my next two silver coins, a 1911 barber dime, and a dateless standing liberty quarter. There was a steady light rain by then, so I packed up and headed home, with four more silver coins added to my collection.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_101509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/etrac_101509.jpg
On October 16, a Friday, I picked up four more silver coins, three mercury dimes and a Washington quarter, and on Saturday the park yielded another eight coins, all dimes, dated 1914, 1915, 1937-D, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1951, and 1953-D.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_101609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101709.jpg
When finding the clipped mercury dime I had joked that it was a 1916-D. The 1891-S seated dime made my day. Two days later I picked up the 1939 silver quarter and the fat and heavy silver ring.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_102109.jpg
All the silver coins I had found up to October 25th, a total of 343.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/2009_silver_343.jpg
Once again I had the pleasure of meeting up with Epi-hunter to hit a few Connecticut parks. We had great weather after the more recent rain, and though we ended up getting a bit muddy we had a great time. I didn't have as much success as I had hoped, but it was still much fun to get out and swing the coil.
The following were the only silver coins I picked up, but I was still quite pleased with them. They were the last silver finds of October, a 1937 mercury dime and a 1947 Roosevelt dime. The next photo is of my other finds, including an unrecognizable copper.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_103109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_103009.jpg
The old pocket watch and compact were from a small park where some fill had been brought in.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pocketwatch_103009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/compactcase_103009.jpg
NOVEMBER 2009
64 SILVER COINS - 2 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER
The first silver coins of November, two mercury dimes, dated 1942-S and 1944 D. They were in the same hole. Later in the week I picked up the other two mercury dimes, dated 1917 and 1924. There were many clad coins and a few wheat centss among the finds as well.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_110309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_110709.jpg
On November 8th I met up with Matt (Z118) to detect at the park I had been working the past few weeks. We both had a good day, making some neat finds. I dug up four silver coins, a barber dime, dated 1916, two mercury dimes, dated 1917-S and 1942, and a 1947 Roosevelt. The 1917-S mercury dime made my 350th silver of the year. I also picked up a silver pendant. It's smaller than a dime. The word 'silver' is engraved on the back.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_110809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverpendant_110809.jpg
I headed back to the park Matt (Z118) and I had worked earlier that week, as I wanted to work an area I thought should still yield a few more silver coins. I felt that the amount of trash at this location would tend to discourage others from detecting it well. Once there, I decided to work the area in a grid, though I wasn't really much in the mood for one. It paid off though, as I found a 1944 mercury dime and a 1893 Barber quarter. I detected for a little while longer after that find and dug up two coins that were stuck together. One is a wheat cent, and the other appears to be a 10c token.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_110909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/stuckcoins_110909.jpg
Another trip to the park yielded me six more silver coins. The first silver coin was a 1946 Roosevelt dime, followed by a beautiful 1939 mercury dime and a great looking 1911-D Barber dime. Some time after those finds I picked up a 1903 Barber dime, a 1935 mercury dime, and finally a dateless standing liberty quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SLQ_111109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_111109.jpg
I had an early start on November 15th, as I was meeting up with Scott (catskillcomics) to detect at the Connecticut park I had been working recently. We met at a predetermined location, talked for a bit, and then headed out to detect. I had an area set for us to work, and as we started to walk we decided to swing the coil. We ended up remaining at that location for most of the day since it was yielding silver.
My first silver was a 1941 mercury dime. A short time later I scored with another, dated 1937. Another forty five minutes later I hit on another good target, a 1840 Victoria Halfpenny Token. Then nearly an hour goes by before hitting on another promising tone. The depth gauge estimated a depth of 8 1/2 to 9 inches and it was pinpointing small. I wasted no time cutting a plug and digging up some soil. A few scoops later I had in my hands a beautiful 1903 Barber half!
At about eight feet from where I dug the half I hit on another good tone. I pinpointed, dug up about four inches of soil, and called Scott over. I began to dig again, and after scooping out another three or four inches of soil we saw the glint of silver. We were staring at a 1917 standing liberty quarter! After a while we decided to walk to the site we had originally intended to hit. From there I dug up three more silver dimes, two mercury dimes from the same hole, dated 1940-D and 1944, and a 1946 Roosevelt.
The 1840 Victoria Halfpenny Token and the wheat cents I also dug up.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1840halfpennytoken_111509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/wheats_111509.jpg
I love the design of the older coins, like the standing liberty quarters and Barbers. These two had me smiling for a while.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1917SLQ_111509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1903barberhalf_111509.jpg
The 1940-D mercury dime while in the clump of soil. The second photo is of the dimes I found that day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1940Dmerc_111509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_111509.jpg
The day after meeting up with Scott I took a drive to the park and gridded another section. By the end of the day I had seven more silver coins, two Washington quarters, dated 1942 and 1943, three mercury dimes, dated 1928, 1934, and 1936, and two Roosevelt dimes, dated 1946 and 1956. The clumps of soil held a 1934 mercury dime and a 1946 Roosevelt dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_111609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverinsoil_111609.jpg
I was working a trashy area of the park on this hunt when I hit on a good tone, Fe in the 8 through 11 range, and Co of 47/48. It was pinpointing small too. After cutting a plug and scooping out some soil I spotted the glint of silver. I removed my glove to scrape away some of the soil from the target, and there it was, a Walker! I took a quick photo before retrieving the coin.
Here it is while still in the hole, with the two silver dimes I also found that day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/walkerinhole_111709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_111709.jpg
A return trip to pick up from where I had left off gridding the day before yielded me four more silver coins, three mercury dimes and one Roosevelt dime. I also dug up a 1829 large cent, happy to see it was in fairly good condition. It had not been far from where I dug up the 1917 mercury dime. After digging about nine inches deep I used the probe to help me determine the location of the target as I did not want to clip it with my digger. I noticed the Fe/Co numbers were hitting much like a silver quarter would. I scooped several more inches of soil, expecting (hoping for) a Barber quarter or standing liberty quarter, but then I saw the large cent, which was a very nice surprise too. Up to now all the large cents I have picked up with the E-Trac have hit with a Co no higher than 46. This one was hitting a solid 47 while using the probe.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_111809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1829largecent_111809.jpg
Here is one the dimes while encased in soil. It turned out to be a 1917 mercury dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1917mercinsoil_111809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1917merc_111809.jpg
I had been able to go detecting by the end of the week, this time working another section near a baseball field, and scored with three more silver coins, a 1936 mercury dime, a 1941-S Washington quarter, and a 1900 Barber dime. I had two signals on the cufflink while searching for it with the probe. The left park was hitting as a nickel, Fe 12, Co 13, and the other part, which was a little deeper, was hitting at Co of 39 and 40.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_112009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/cufflink_112009.jpg
November was seeing some mild weather, and as long as it held I would keep taking advantage, as I did on this particular day, when I returned to the park to pry more silver from its grip. We faced off, and by the time I had to leave it had yielded a few more silver coins, three mercury dimes, dated 1925, 1935, 1944-D, and a Roosevelt, dated 1948. I also dug up an old padlock and a good amount of clad.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/padlock_112209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_112209.jpg
I had been hitting the trashier parts of the park throughout most of the times I had been working it and did quite well with the silver coins. Still, I had no expectation of reaching the 400 mark on this particular hunt. But, though it took me the better part of the day, I did meet my goal, picking up the seven silver coins I still needed to reach 400! The 1940-S mercury dime was my first silver of the day. The 1946 dime was my 400th silver coin of the year.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_112609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1940Smercsoil_112609.jpg
Saturday, November 28th, had been a blustery day, with wind gust reaching 28 mph or more. It wasn't all that cold though, so I grabbed my E-Trac, made sure my battery was fully charged, and headed to the park. The park had been deserted when I arrived, the strong wind apparently discouraging the locals from venturing out for their regular walks.
I didn't waste much time and began to detect. The site is quite trashy, and iron presents a challenge as well, especially at an area near the fence circling the park, but the E-Trac still sniffed out three silver coins for me. My first good target was a 1923 mercury dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1923merc_112809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_112809.jpg
When I returned to the park the following day I could see someone in the distance who appeared to be detecting, but it was hard to tell from where I was standing. I grabbed my machine and began walking toward the same area. Closer now, I could see that there were two individuals, so I stopped, turned on my machine, noise canceled, and began detecting while walking in their direction. After three sweeps though, I had a very nice signal. I cut a plug, and there it was, a large silver ring. With ring in hand I began walking toward the two individuals. Now I was able to recognize the familiar faces. It was Scott (catskillcomics) and Bruce (bmattioli). It was nice to meet up with members of our forum. I showed them my find, chatted for a bit, and then we got busy detecting. I selected an area not far from where Scott and Bruce were detecting and about 20 minutes later I had my first silver coin, a very nice 1928 standing liberty quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverring_112909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1928SLQ_112909.jpg
By the end of the day I had six silver coins in my pouch, three quarters, dated 1928, 1939 and 1964, and three dimes, dated 1944, 1952, and 1952.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_112909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_112909.jpg
DECEMBER 2009
38 SILVER COINS - 2 SILVER RINGS - 3 COPPERS
I began December with one of the best silver coin spills of the year, digging up four mercury dimes from the same hole. I had been working a grid and had already found four silver coins by the time I came upon the spill. The dimes were dated 1926, 1939, 1941, and 1944. The dimes still wrapped in soil are dated 1929 and 1920-D.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/dimesinsoil_120109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_120109.jpg
The excitement from the prior day's finds had still not abated. It had been fun digging up four mercury dimes from one hole and walking away from the park with eight silver coins. I had no thoughts of being able to surpass that anytime soon, yet I somehow managed to do just that, finding ten more silver coins.
I returned to the park, picking up from where I had left off on my last grid. What took place next had me smiling like a little boy at a candy store. I turned on my machine, noise canceled, and began my grid. On my fifth or sixth sweep I heard that distinctive silver tone, the type that makes you stop on your tracks. I hovered and slowly swept the coil over the target to determine the approximate depth as well as possible identification. The Fe numbers were hitting between 8 and 10, and the Co number 46/47, that of a half dollar. The depth gauge was indicating a possible 8 or 9 inches. Dare I hope for another half?
I did not waste any time cutting the plug, though I was careful to make it wide enough so as not to clip the target with my digger while removing soil from the hole. I have had too many close calls while digging targets from trashy sites. I scooped out plenty of soil, and after digging eight inches or so I saw my target - a Walker! I picked it up to look at the date - 1943-D. Sweet! It made my 10th silver half of 2009, five Barbers, four Walkers, and one Franklin. Later I dug up the old Chinese coin. It's the size of a large U.S. copper.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1943Dhalf_120209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/chinesecoin_120209.jpg
The large silver I dug up. The quarter was another nice surprise. The silver dimes are dated 1938, 1940-S, 1942, 1945-D, 1945-S, 1946, 1947 and 1964.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largesilver_120209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_120209.jpg
The next few photos are of the finds I made over two days. The two large cents are corroded, but I can just make out the outline on the one to the right - it's a draped bust cent. I found them while working a grid. I also found the 1875 seated dime in the same area. It is in excellent shape.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecents_120309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1875seateddime_120309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_120409.jpg
It was fun finding the other silver dimes as well, and they look great together - 1875 seated, 1910 Barber, 1944 mercury, and 1948 Roosevelt.
I love the rings too. They sure do make one stop on his tracks, since they tend to be on the shallower side and sound off very strongly.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/rings_120409.jpg
What a dreary December day. It had been overcast and cold, not at all appealing, but I headed out to detect anyway. This time I drove up to one of my old sites, 'merc city', since it's just a few minutes away. It has produced old silver over the years, though finds have been slim lately. I passed over the snow covered open field as I have worked it many times on past trips, opting instead to work one of the site's dirt paths. I managed two silver coins from there, a 1947 Roosevelt dime and a 1943 Washington quarter. My toes were begging for warmth by that time, so I packed up and called it a day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/LM_A_120709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_120709.jpg
As I worked a bit of ground facing the road, and while considering heading to one of the fields, a vehicle stopped near me. It was Bruce, itching to swing his E-Trac. I waited for him to park his car and walk onto the field where we chatted for a bit. We then got ready to detect, Bruce remaining where he was, and I heading to area I wanted to hit. There was plenty of trash to deal with there but I worked it slowly and managed to dig up five silver coins, three mercury dimes, dated 1923, 1940-D and 1941, a 1964 Washington quarter, and a 1928 standing liberty quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_120809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_120809.jpg
Deciding to brave the cold temperatures we were having I drove to the park for another go at some silver. I had expected to see the ground covered with remnants of the snow that had fallen earlier in the week, but surprisingly there was none. It sure made digging a less muddy affair. In the end, I walked away from the park with four silver coins and a button. I returned the following day and had a similar take in silver coins, this time digging a standing liberty quarter, two more Roosevelt dimes and another mercury dime. I dug up several wheat cents as well.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_121509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_121609.jpg
The last copper I ended up digging in 2009 was a 1787 Fugio cent. It is in poor condition, but it still made my day. The fields had been covered with snow and ice, but an exposed patch of ground yielded the Fugio and an old silver locket.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/fugiocent_122409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverlocket_122409.jpg
December 27th would end up being the last day I would be able to get out to detect in 2009. I did score with one silver coin, a 1927 mercury dime, my last silver of the year. As I was about to get ready to head back home I picked up a 1914 Georgius V British Penny. It's the size of a half dollar.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdime_122709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1914GBpenny_122709.jpg
I don't expect to even halfway match my 2009 results any time in the future, but it will be fun trying! It was a great year, one I will not soon forget!
Part One can be viewed here (http://www.americandetectorist.com/forum/showthread.php?551-2009-Redux-Part-One).
AUGUST 2009
38 SILVER COINS - 9 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER - 8 INDIAN HEAD CENTS
The first silver coins I found in August. The silver ring and religious pendant made for fun finds too.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_080109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_080209.jpg
I worked two parks this time around. The first one yielded two silver coins and an Indian Head cent. The second park yielded one silver dime, several old wheat cents, two Indian Head cents, the oldest dated 1864, and three V nickels. I can only make out the date on two of them, 1894 and 1905.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_080409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_080409.jpg
I returned to the first park I had hit on August 4th and ended up with five more silver coins. The Barber quarter was a nice surprise. I also dug up three Indian Head cents, dated 1899, 1902, and 1907, several old wheat cents, and a V nickel dated 1899.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_080509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_080509.jpg
The parks are not getting replenished with silver coins so it is a treat to be able to find whatever does remain. The park I hit on August 6th yielded me four more silver coins, as well as old wheat cents, buttons, and a dateless buffalo nickel. I returned to the same park the following day and picked up another four silver dimes.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_080609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_080709.jpg
The August 15th weekend had been a hot one, but not being able to go detecting during the weekdays I was eager to start swinging the coil. I loaded up my cooler with plenty of water and Gatorade and headed to detect at a few Connecticut parks. Saturday I worked two parks, and they yielded two silver coins, a 1920 merc and a 1946 Canadian dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_081509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_081609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_081609.jpg
On Sunday I headed to a different Connecticut park, one that had yielded old coppers as well as silver coins on past hunts. The open fields have been hit very hard over the years so good finds are very scant. I opted instead to work the areas around the park's large trees. The ground around them is quite trashy. It paid off though, as I picked up ten silver coins, two Washington quarters, six mercury dimes, and two Roosevelt dimes.
I also found two silver rings and a corroded large cent.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverrings_081609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_081609.jpg
I ended August with three more silver coins, a wartime and several buffalo nickels, wheat cents, gold and silver rings, and a token.
The gold band is engraved with initials and 6-13-42. The silver ring is hand-crafted and does not have any markings.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/goldring_082209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverring_082209A.jpg
These rings are quite heavy. The one on the left is slightly bent, but it can easily be straightened. The old token is from the Celluloid Starch Co. It's about the size of a large cent.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverrings_082309A.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/token_083009.jpg
SEPTEMBER 2009
61 SILVER COINS - 5 SILVER RINGS - 3 COPPERS - 1 INDIAN HEAD CENT
I drove to a favorite site I have hit on and off over the years, one I have nicknamed 'merc city' because of the many mercury dimes I have pulled from it. Once there I noticed that a small strip of ground that I had not been able to work well in years due to the high grass growing there had been mowed. It was now nice and flat, so of course I took advantage. I began to work it in a grid and very slowly, knowing that the coins at this site tend to be relatively deep. The silver soon showed up - two Barber dimes, dated 1910 and 1912-D, a 1912 Canadian 5 cent silver piece, and a 1908 Barber quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/merccity2_090409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_090409.jpg
I also dug up two old nickels, a dateless buffalo and a 1912 V, as well as an old Masonic Token.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/nickels_090409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/masonictoken_090409.jpg
While detecting at a Connecticut park I dug up three silver dimes as well as the locket and heavy silver ring.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pendant_090509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/ring_090509.jpg
The next day I drove to a popular Connecticut park to work the outer edges. I had a late start, arriving at the park at about 3:00. It was busy with folks playing on the open fields or just taking a siesta under the large trees. Fortunately the areas I wanted to work were away from all the activity. I picked up a total of five silver coins - a 1945 walking liberty half, a dateless standing liberty quarter, a 1935 Washington quarter, and two Roosevelt dimes. Here are the large coins.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1945wlh_090609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_090609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_090709.jpg
I returned to the park the following day to continue detecting a section I did not get to finish the prior day. I picked up from I where I had left off and dug up three more silver coins, two mercury dimes, dated 1943 and 1945, and a 1962 Roosevelt dime. I also found a 1827 large cent, several wheat cents, and a gold filled ring. There was plenty of clad as well.
I had hoped to find more large silver, but the park was not yielding any that day. The large cent had been under some thick roots so it took me a while to dig it up as I did not want to scratch the target.
A few years ago I had often worked a Connecticut State Park with the DFX doing relatively well pulling silver from the trashy campgrounds considering the locals had been hitting the park for years. Eventually, though, driving almost 80 miles to find just one piece of silver was not very motivating, so I stopped detecting at the site. Now, however, I wanted to see what the E-Trac could do at those trashy picnic grounds. I was off from work, so I drove up there on a Wednesday, and then the following day.
I worked several of the picnic grounds and managed to dig up a total of nine silver dimes, four on Wednesday and five on Thursday. I had to work for them though, employing a grid at each campground section. The grounds also yielded plenty of wheat cents, two buffalo nickels, a 1943 wartime silver nickel, and a mess of clad.
The dimes are dated 1935, 1940, 1941 and 1957. Finding the 1943-P wartime nickel was a treat, as was the buffalo nickel, even if dateless.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SP_A_090909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_090909.jpg
Finding these dimes that Thursday took me a while, but they were worth the effort. It had been a beautiful day, making for a pleasant hunt.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SP_B_091009.jpg
I didn't want to leave, but the sun was now setting, telling me it was time to head back home.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SP_C_091009.jpg
I had another good week during September, ending up with a total of eleven silver coins, the best one being a very nice and relatively low mintage 1893-O Barber dime.
A silver dime trifecta and twelve nickels, which include a 1900 V nickel and two buffs.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/nickels_091309.jpg
More old wheat cents and an Indian Head cent to add to my collection. The Roosevelt dimes were dug from two parks.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/wheats_091309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091509.jpg
On my way to one of my usual parks I decided to stop at a small strip of green I had spotted the last time I had been in the area. Parking was limited to two hours, but it would be enough time to work the relatively small site. I dug up three silver coins, a 1915 Barber quarter, and two mercury dimes, dated 1926 and 1945. I found the 1893-O Barber dime the following day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_091709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/barberdime_091809.jpg
While using Google Earth to view one of the MA parks I had recently detected I noticed another very small one not far from it. I decided to make a stop there the next day. Once at the park though it became evident that much of it had been redone, but what original ground remained did yield a 1835 large cent, a 1936 silver quarter, and a silver ring. After a while I drove to a second park, where I picked up a 1934 mercury dime before heading back home.
The following day I drove up to a Connecticut park, but the park I had in mind was being actively used. I then drove to another not far from that location. Being my first time at this particular park I walked around quite a bit while detecting as I wanted to get a feel of the place. I did manage to find five silver dimes, as well as a few wheat cents.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_091909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_092009.jpg
Six wheat cents and two silver coins from one park, and three silver dimes from another the next day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_092109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_092209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_092309.jpg
I had planned to detect at a meadow I had worked often a few years ago with the DFX and Sovereign GT, and earlier in the year with the SE. The site had yielded some interesting relics and silver coins, but now I wanted to see what the E-Trac could do there. However, while on my way to the site I talked myself into making a stop at a park located near the meadow.
Though the park has been on my list of parks to hit for several years now, I had not yet been there to detect it. I had intended to be at that site for just an hour or so before continuing on to the meadow, but I ended up remaining at that park for the rest of the day. The meadow would have to wait until another time.
There were plenty of clad coins, which kept me busy digging, but the best targets were the eleven wheat cents and the seven silver coins - a Washington quarter, dated 1942, five mercury dimes, dated 1937, 1941, 1941, 1942, and 1944, and one Roosevelt dime, dated 1964 . They had been scattered throughout the park though, and not concentrated in any one area.
Toward the end of September I was in need of new headphones, so I headed to a local dealer to pick up a new one. On the way there I made a quick stop at a soccer field, and dug up two silver crucifix pendants and a good amount of clad coins. The silver rings are from a trip I made to an old MA park a few days later.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_092709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverrings_093009.jpg
My last silver coins of the month. The dimes are dated 1907-D, 1918-S, 1944, 1948, and 1957.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_092609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_093009.jpg
It's too bad the large cent's date isn't readable. It was fun digging it up anyway.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdime_092409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecent_093009.jpg
OCTOBER 2009
57 SILVER COINS - 5 SILVER RINGS
October turned out to be another good month for silver. Early in the first week I had been reviewing my list of parks, and decided to try one located in Connecticut. I had not yet detected this particular park so I was looking forward to trying it out. The park isn't very large, but it did yield three silver coins, a dateless standing liberty quarter, a 1898 Barber dime, and a 1945 mercury dime.
Later that week I detected at a local MA park and worked one of the fields as well as a somewhat wooded section. I found two mercury dimes, dated 1916 and 1927, as well as a button, one badly corroded buffalo nickel, and a 1909 Barber quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_100209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_100609.jpg
Except for on two occasions, from the second week of October through the end of December I found myself concentrating my hunts on just one supposedly hunted out park, gridding it section by section, and pulling out a total of 148 silver coins from it during that time.
The first trip to the park had been when the soil was wet, making it messy to cut the plugs and digging the targets. I did find a total of six silver coins on that day though, one being a 1950-D Benjamin Franklin half, my sixth silver half of the year. The other coins were a 1927 standing liberty quarter, two Roosevelt dimes, and two mercury dimes. It was on this day that I reached my goal of finding 300 silver coins for the year. A 1945 mercury dime was my 300th.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_100709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/300th_silver_100709.jpg
The next few finds are from two days of detecting at the same park. I really like the sterling silver ring. The sterling silver crucifix is tiny. It was deep for its size, and was coming up with a Co no higher than 24. The silver coins were sweet finds, of course, as was the old padlock.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/ring_100809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/crucifix_101009.jpg
The start of what would be a silver harvest from the one park. The quarters were scattered, but not far apart, though masked by the trash layering the area I had been working.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_100809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_101009.jpg
An old Corbin padlock and fourteen wheat cents. I do like finding the 'wheaties'.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/corbinpadlock_101009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/wheats_101009.jpg
Silver dimes ruled the day this time around. They are dated 1912, 1929, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, and 1952. I found them by slowly working a section of the park while using a grid pattern. It had been tedious, but certainly worth the effort. The crucifix was embedded in iron, probably the remnant of what was a cheap chain? The target had been hitting somewhat like a wheat cent, so I was expecting one when digging for it. I smiled when I saw the iron clump and part of the small crucifix sticking out from it.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/crucifix_101109.jpg
The park was quiet on this particular day, not like the weekend, when there were several all terrain vehicles being driven all over the park's open fields. What a pain that had been! I did have a relaxing time, and also managed to find a few silver coins - three dimes, 1945, 1903-O and 1916-S. The next day I hit the park again, and pulled another three silver dimes from a trashy area.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101309.jpg
On this hunt I added to my half dollar count, picking up a 1906- O Barber half. The first photo is of the half while it was in the hole. The three silver dimes are dated 1937, 1939, and 1941.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/halfdollar_101409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silvercoins_101409.jpg
The tokens rounded up the finds for the day. The 1939 New York World's Fair token held up better than the good luck token.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/worldsfairtoken_101409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/goodlucktoken_101409.jpg
The morning had been quite chilly and heavily overcast. I arrived at the park at about noon having several layers to keep me warm, but they weren't quite enough as I found out while out in the field. I had to return to the car to put on the hoodie I had in the trunk.
Back at the field I selected a small area to grid and worked it slowly. After several clad coins, a buffalo nickel and two wheat cents, I picked up my first silver, a 1916 mercury dime. It was lightly drizzling now, adding to the discomfort.
Soon after digging the first silver I came across another, a mercury dime, dated 1941. It was a while before I hit on my next two silver coins, a 1911 barber dime, and a dateless standing liberty quarter. There was a steady light rain by then, so I packed up and headed home, with four more silver coins added to my collection.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_101509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/etrac_101509.jpg
On October 16, a Friday, I picked up four more silver coins, three mercury dimes and a Washington quarter, and on Saturday the park yielded another eight coins, all dimes, dated 1914, 1915, 1937-D, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1951, and 1953-D.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_101609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101709.jpg
When finding the clipped mercury dime I had joked that it was a 1916-D. The 1891-S seated dime made my day. Two days later I picked up the 1939 silver quarter and the fat and heavy silver ring.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_101909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_102109.jpg
All the silver coins I had found up to October 25th, a total of 343.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/2009_silver_343.jpg
Once again I had the pleasure of meeting up with Epi-hunter to hit a few Connecticut parks. We had great weather after the more recent rain, and though we ended up getting a bit muddy we had a great time. I didn't have as much success as I had hoped, but it was still much fun to get out and swing the coil.
The following were the only silver coins I picked up, but I was still quite pleased with them. They were the last silver finds of October, a 1937 mercury dime and a 1947 Roosevelt dime. The next photo is of my other finds, including an unrecognizable copper.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_103109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/coins_103009.jpg
The old pocket watch and compact were from a small park where some fill had been brought in.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/pocketwatch_103009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/compactcase_103009.jpg
NOVEMBER 2009
64 SILVER COINS - 2 SILVER RINGS - 1 COPPER
The first silver coins of November, two mercury dimes, dated 1942-S and 1944 D. They were in the same hole. Later in the week I picked up the other two mercury dimes, dated 1917 and 1924. There were many clad coins and a few wheat centss among the finds as well.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_110309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_110709.jpg
On November 8th I met up with Matt (Z118) to detect at the park I had been working the past few weeks. We both had a good day, making some neat finds. I dug up four silver coins, a barber dime, dated 1916, two mercury dimes, dated 1917-S and 1942, and a 1947 Roosevelt. The 1917-S mercury dime made my 350th silver of the year. I also picked up a silver pendant. It's smaller than a dime. The word 'silver' is engraved on the back.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_110809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverpendant_110809.jpg
I headed back to the park Matt (Z118) and I had worked earlier that week, as I wanted to work an area I thought should still yield a few more silver coins. I felt that the amount of trash at this location would tend to discourage others from detecting it well. Once there, I decided to work the area in a grid, though I wasn't really much in the mood for one. It paid off though, as I found a 1944 mercury dime and a 1893 Barber quarter. I detected for a little while longer after that find and dug up two coins that were stuck together. One is a wheat cent, and the other appears to be a 10c token.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_110909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/stuckcoins_110909.jpg
Another trip to the park yielded me six more silver coins. The first silver coin was a 1946 Roosevelt dime, followed by a beautiful 1939 mercury dime and a great looking 1911-D Barber dime. Some time after those finds I picked up a 1903 Barber dime, a 1935 mercury dime, and finally a dateless standing liberty quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/SLQ_111109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_111109.jpg
I had an early start on November 15th, as I was meeting up with Scott (catskillcomics) to detect at the Connecticut park I had been working recently. We met at a predetermined location, talked for a bit, and then headed out to detect. I had an area set for us to work, and as we started to walk we decided to swing the coil. We ended up remaining at that location for most of the day since it was yielding silver.
My first silver was a 1941 mercury dime. A short time later I scored with another, dated 1937. Another forty five minutes later I hit on another good target, a 1840 Victoria Halfpenny Token. Then nearly an hour goes by before hitting on another promising tone. The depth gauge estimated a depth of 8 1/2 to 9 inches and it was pinpointing small. I wasted no time cutting a plug and digging up some soil. A few scoops later I had in my hands a beautiful 1903 Barber half!
At about eight feet from where I dug the half I hit on another good tone. I pinpointed, dug up about four inches of soil, and called Scott over. I began to dig again, and after scooping out another three or four inches of soil we saw the glint of silver. We were staring at a 1917 standing liberty quarter! After a while we decided to walk to the site we had originally intended to hit. From there I dug up three more silver dimes, two mercury dimes from the same hole, dated 1940-D and 1944, and a 1946 Roosevelt.
The 1840 Victoria Halfpenny Token and the wheat cents I also dug up.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1840halfpennytoken_111509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/wheats_111509.jpg
I love the design of the older coins, like the standing liberty quarters and Barbers. These two had me smiling for a while.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1917SLQ_111509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1903barberhalf_111509.jpg
The 1940-D mercury dime while in the clump of soil. The second photo is of the dimes I found that day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1940Dmerc_111509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_111509.jpg
The day after meeting up with Scott I took a drive to the park and gridded another section. By the end of the day I had seven more silver coins, two Washington quarters, dated 1942 and 1943, three mercury dimes, dated 1928, 1934, and 1936, and two Roosevelt dimes, dated 1946 and 1956. The clumps of soil held a 1934 mercury dime and a 1946 Roosevelt dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_111609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverinsoil_111609.jpg
I was working a trashy area of the park on this hunt when I hit on a good tone, Fe in the 8 through 11 range, and Co of 47/48. It was pinpointing small too. After cutting a plug and scooping out some soil I spotted the glint of silver. I removed my glove to scrape away some of the soil from the target, and there it was, a Walker! I took a quick photo before retrieving the coin.
Here it is while still in the hole, with the two silver dimes I also found that day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/walkerinhole_111709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_111709.jpg
A return trip to pick up from where I had left off gridding the day before yielded me four more silver coins, three mercury dimes and one Roosevelt dime. I also dug up a 1829 large cent, happy to see it was in fairly good condition. It had not been far from where I dug up the 1917 mercury dime. After digging about nine inches deep I used the probe to help me determine the location of the target as I did not want to clip it with my digger. I noticed the Fe/Co numbers were hitting much like a silver quarter would. I scooped several more inches of soil, expecting (hoping for) a Barber quarter or standing liberty quarter, but then I saw the large cent, which was a very nice surprise too. Up to now all the large cents I have picked up with the E-Trac have hit with a Co no higher than 46. This one was hitting a solid 47 while using the probe.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_111809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1829largecent_111809.jpg
Here is one the dimes while encased in soil. It turned out to be a 1917 mercury dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1917mercinsoil_111809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1917merc_111809.jpg
I had been able to go detecting by the end of the week, this time working another section near a baseball field, and scored with three more silver coins, a 1936 mercury dime, a 1941-S Washington quarter, and a 1900 Barber dime. I had two signals on the cufflink while searching for it with the probe. The left park was hitting as a nickel, Fe 12, Co 13, and the other part, which was a little deeper, was hitting at Co of 39 and 40.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_112009.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/cufflink_112009.jpg
November was seeing some mild weather, and as long as it held I would keep taking advantage, as I did on this particular day, when I returned to the park to pry more silver from its grip. We faced off, and by the time I had to leave it had yielded a few more silver coins, three mercury dimes, dated 1925, 1935, 1944-D, and a Roosevelt, dated 1948. I also dug up an old padlock and a good amount of clad.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/padlock_112209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_112209.jpg
I had been hitting the trashier parts of the park throughout most of the times I had been working it and did quite well with the silver coins. Still, I had no expectation of reaching the 400 mark on this particular hunt. But, though it took me the better part of the day, I did meet my goal, picking up the seven silver coins I still needed to reach 400! The 1940-S mercury dime was my first silver of the day. The 1946 dime was my 400th silver coin of the year.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_112609.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1940Smercsoil_112609.jpg
Saturday, November 28th, had been a blustery day, with wind gust reaching 28 mph or more. It wasn't all that cold though, so I grabbed my E-Trac, made sure my battery was fully charged, and headed to the park. The park had been deserted when I arrived, the strong wind apparently discouraging the locals from venturing out for their regular walks.
I didn't waste much time and began to detect. The site is quite trashy, and iron presents a challenge as well, especially at an area near the fence circling the park, but the E-Trac still sniffed out three silver coins for me. My first good target was a 1923 mercury dime.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1923merc_112809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_112809.jpg
When I returned to the park the following day I could see someone in the distance who appeared to be detecting, but it was hard to tell from where I was standing. I grabbed my machine and began walking toward the same area. Closer now, I could see that there were two individuals, so I stopped, turned on my machine, noise canceled, and began detecting while walking in their direction. After three sweeps though, I had a very nice signal. I cut a plug, and there it was, a large silver ring. With ring in hand I began walking toward the two individuals. Now I was able to recognize the familiar faces. It was Scott (catskillcomics) and Bruce (bmattioli). It was nice to meet up with members of our forum. I showed them my find, chatted for a bit, and then we got busy detecting. I selected an area not far from where Scott and Bruce were detecting and about 20 minutes later I had my first silver coin, a very nice 1928 standing liberty quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverring_112909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1928SLQ_112909.jpg
By the end of the day I had six silver coins in my pouch, three quarters, dated 1928, 1939 and 1964, and three dimes, dated 1944, 1952, and 1952.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_112909.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_112909.jpg
DECEMBER 2009
38 SILVER COINS - 2 SILVER RINGS - 3 COPPERS
I began December with one of the best silver coin spills of the year, digging up four mercury dimes from the same hole. I had been working a grid and had already found four silver coins by the time I came upon the spill. The dimes were dated 1926, 1939, 1941, and 1944. The dimes still wrapped in soil are dated 1929 and 1920-D.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/dimesinsoil_120109.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_120109.jpg
The excitement from the prior day's finds had still not abated. It had been fun digging up four mercury dimes from one hole and walking away from the park with eight silver coins. I had no thoughts of being able to surpass that anytime soon, yet I somehow managed to do just that, finding ten more silver coins.
I returned to the park, picking up from where I had left off on my last grid. What took place next had me smiling like a little boy at a candy store. I turned on my machine, noise canceled, and began my grid. On my fifth or sixth sweep I heard that distinctive silver tone, the type that makes you stop on your tracks. I hovered and slowly swept the coil over the target to determine the approximate depth as well as possible identification. The Fe numbers were hitting between 8 and 10, and the Co number 46/47, that of a half dollar. The depth gauge was indicating a possible 8 or 9 inches. Dare I hope for another half?
I did not waste any time cutting the plug, though I was careful to make it wide enough so as not to clip the target with my digger while removing soil from the hole. I have had too many close calls while digging targets from trashy sites. I scooped out plenty of soil, and after digging eight inches or so I saw my target - a Walker! I picked it up to look at the date - 1943-D. Sweet! It made my 10th silver half of 2009, five Barbers, four Walkers, and one Franklin. Later I dug up the old Chinese coin. It's the size of a large U.S. copper.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1943Dhalf_120209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/chinesecoin_120209.jpg
The large silver I dug up. The quarter was another nice surprise. The silver dimes are dated 1938, 1940-S, 1942, 1945-D, 1945-S, 1946, 1947 and 1964.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largesilver_120209.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_120209.jpg
The next few photos are of the finds I made over two days. The two large cents are corroded, but I can just make out the outline on the one to the right - it's a draped bust cent. I found them while working a grid. I also found the 1875 seated dime in the same area. It is in excellent shape.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/largecents_120309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1875seateddime_120309.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_120409.jpg
It was fun finding the other silver dimes as well, and they look great together - 1875 seated, 1910 Barber, 1944 mercury, and 1948 Roosevelt.
I love the rings too. They sure do make one stop on his tracks, since they tend to be on the shallower side and sound off very strongly.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/rings_120409.jpg
What a dreary December day. It had been overcast and cold, not at all appealing, but I headed out to detect anyway. This time I drove up to one of my old sites, 'merc city', since it's just a few minutes away. It has produced old silver over the years, though finds have been slim lately. I passed over the snow covered open field as I have worked it many times on past trips, opting instead to work one of the site's dirt paths. I managed two silver coins from there, a 1947 Roosevelt dime and a 1943 Washington quarter. My toes were begging for warmth by that time, so I packed up and called it a day.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/LM_A_120709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_120709.jpg
As I worked a bit of ground facing the road, and while considering heading to one of the fields, a vehicle stopped near me. It was Bruce, itching to swing his E-Trac. I waited for him to park his car and walk onto the field where we chatted for a bit. We then got ready to detect, Bruce remaining where he was, and I heading to area I wanted to hit. There was plenty of trash to deal with there but I worked it slowly and managed to dig up five silver coins, three mercury dimes, dated 1923, 1940-D and 1941, a 1964 Washington quarter, and a 1928 standing liberty quarter.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdimes_120809.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverquarters_120809.jpg
Deciding to brave the cold temperatures we were having I drove to the park for another go at some silver. I had expected to see the ground covered with remnants of the snow that had fallen earlier in the week, but surprisingly there was none. It sure made digging a less muddy affair. In the end, I walked away from the park with four silver coins and a button. I returned the following day and had a similar take in silver coins, this time digging a standing liberty quarter, two more Roosevelt dimes and another mercury dime. I dug up several wheat cents as well.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_121509.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silver_121609.jpg
The last copper I ended up digging in 2009 was a 1787 Fugio cent. It is in poor condition, but it still made my day. The fields had been covered with snow and ice, but an exposed patch of ground yielded the Fugio and an old silver locket.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/fugiocent_122409.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverlocket_122409.jpg
December 27th would end up being the last day I would be able to get out to detect in 2009. I did score with one silver coin, a 1927 mercury dime, my last silver of the year. As I was about to get ready to head back home I picked up a 1914 Georgius V British Penny. It's the size of a half dollar.
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/silverdime_122709.jpg
http://www.angellionel.com/myfinds/2009/YearEndSummary/1914GBpenny_122709.jpg
I don't expect to even halfway match my 2009 results any time in the future, but it will be fun trying! It was a great year, one I will not soon forget!