RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

I've been treasure hunting for around 13 years now. I started with panning for gold, then sluicing, and dredging. That gold prospector's show with the Massey's used to get me all fired up. I even built my own backpack dredge using an aluminum backpack frame, a Homelite pump and other stuff I got straight from Keene's Engineering in Chatsworth when I lived in Reseda. I then discovered metal detecting for nuggets in the California desert near Randsburg and found some nice pieces. The largest was the size of my thumb, 26 grams of desert gold! For the past 10 years I've done a ton of coinshooting, and have found my share of interesting silver coins. I find it to be a very relaxing hobby, not to mention that one can get a little exercise while doing it.

Today I drove the Miata down to a spot by the Sacramento River, and my second target produced this little beauty…a 1910 Barber dime. She's a tad beat up but what does one expect for a 102 year old coin?



Anyone else get out with a detector, or do any treasure hunting in general?

Ray

pusha

iTrader: (5)

I never have, but it seems like a lot of fun.

How about some information on the hobby? What would be an affordable way to get started?

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

Seems a tad nerdy, but hey, we drive Miatas.

pusha

iTrader: (5)

I'm sorry, have you ever read some of the tech posts on here?

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

It is a lot of fun, but miata2fast has a point: most people look at you funny when you’re walking around with a metal detector in your hands. Except the kids—they love the idea that someone is searching for treasure, and they’ll even try to help you dig for it, lol.

Now, the easiest way to get into the hobby is to first find a local detecting or treasure club and ask them if you can go with them on an outing to see if it’s something you’d like to do. These guys love to to share their knowledge, and will even help you figure out your first machine.

So if you find it's something that might interest you, then there are a few basic things that are needed for metal detecting:

1. A quality metal detector. Just as there is a vast difference between a Begi or FM kit and an Ebay kit, so also is there a vast difference between a Tesoro (for example) and a Walmart or Radio Shack detector. I am partial to Tesoro detectors for beginners because not only are they quality products but they are the easiest detectors to learn on.

2. A quality set of headphones. Again, avoid Radio Shack or Walmart and get some Black Widows or Gray Ghosts, or some other name brand specific to the hobby. A good set of headphones can actually be the determining factor as to whether or not one goes home with a goodie in his bag.

3. A quality digger. The Lesche digger is a great tool for cutting up grass, small roots and breaking up hard ground. Forget the Home Depot or Lowes diggers. They’ll bend and snap on your first time out. If you're not too concerned about being discreet with your digging, as I am not, then you can always go for something like what I use.

The above is all I take with me. I used to have a pinpointer that cost me $130 but I wound up losing it one day out in the woods. That’s an expensive mistake. They are helpful but not necessary.

As for detectors, here are a couple entry level detectors from Tesoro:

The Compadre

The Silver uMax

Both of these will find you the good stuff. I bought the first one for my son when he was younger, and the first time out we found a silver quarter about five inches deep. I also have the second one as a backup detector, and it’s great for the small gold and silver items that can be found in tot lots and sandboxes. It is also a capable coin, jewelry and relic detector. It would be great little detector on those Florida beaches near where you live.

And like any other worthy hobby, it helps to learn a little about how a metal detector actually works.

Treasure forums are another great place to learn. Treasurenet is the biggest and baddest of them all. There is literally tons of information on that site relative to all different kinds of treasure hunting and where to go to find treasure. I have even met up with some of the members of that site when I lived in Washington state, and just recently someone from that forum contacted me and we've gone out a few times here in Redding. So it's also a great place to meet some nice folks who share an interest in the hobby.

Also, keep in mind that there are various laws governing metal detecting. Some are federal laws and others are state laws, and some are local ordinances. Some of them I swear don't make any sense but good luck trying to get them changed. It's just better and easier to know the laws or ordinances and stay out of trouble.

Ray

pusha

iTrader: (5)

where do you usually search for stuff? trails?

I'm legitimately interested in this. I remember being a little kid and watching the excavation at my grandfather's place. A team of dudes spent like two weeks on the miles and miles of creeks that ran through my grandfather's hollow (he had a little more than 2,000 acres deep in the NC shine country). They came up with all kinds of great stuff.

I must have had a dozen musket *****, arrow heads and random old tools when I was a kid from that operation. I still own some of the more "interesting" sections of that valley so maybe I'll buy some of this gear and spend some time going through the area.

THANKS BRO

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

I like to search vacant lots where I know an old house sat at one time, or the grass/dirt parking strips (which are city owned in most cases, and where I've found more than one old coin or ring) in front of said vacant lots, BLM land is almost always open to metal detecting, city, county or regional parks, old trails, beaches, sometimes you can get permission to detect the yards in front and behind old abandoned (or not) houses. If one does some research he can often come across places where people used to congregate back in the day and drop their coinage and such. There are old pg&e camps, CCC camps, tent camps, mines, ghost towns or towns that just don't exist anymore except a few remnants or foundations...go to your local historical society and they should have tons of information and pictures to help locate some of these old areas. If you come across old pottery shards or old stained pink/blue/purple glass you are generally in a good area for detecting.

From the sound of it, though, you have a perfect starting point--your own land! I wish I could be there to show you the ropes. That place sounds fascinating. If I were you, I'd go for the Silver uMax detector to start off with. It's basic but it can really get the job done, and depending on the soil it can get decent depth. You can easily set the discrimination **** to accept ferrous objects (think relics like old tools, et al) or mask them to find higher conductive metals like gold, nickel, lead, copper and silver, and everything in between. For your purpose I'd get one of those little cub shovels too. It really saves on the knees and back.


Ray

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

Bringing this one back from death.

I've always wanted to **** with one so I decided to order a Garrett ACE 250.

Yesterday was our first stab at trying to find something. Well, it's accurate at finding metal, that's for sure. We dug up probably 20 holes in the yard and found everything you see below.



Yes, we found a hubcap in the backyard.

We most recently found out that this property was a hoarder lot, which is surrounded by stone walls and woods on all sides except one. One of the other reasons I ordered the metal detector.

I plan on taking it around the state once we get more comfortable with the discrimination mode. The last thing I want to do is gallivant around the state for trash in the ground. lol

Atm14

My grandpa was an advid metal detector. He passed away last year and I inherited some of his findings. When I was younger, i got really into it because of him, and my parents bought me my own as a birthday gift. I still have it today. Here are some of his (top picture) and my findings (bottom picture):



This is only a small fraction of what my gandpa found. Most of his findings ended getting sold after his passing. A lot of it sold for several thousands of dollars, im proud to say.



The little toy gun was mine from when I was about 6 years old. I lost it in my front yard. I found it 9 years later under about 3 inches of dirt.

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

Wow, how did I miss these responses?

Joe, those are some great finds with the Ace 250. Maybe nothing valuable now but as inexpensive as that detector is it will find the good stuff if you just take time to learn how to discriminate out a lot of the junk metal. You will always find junk but you can at least minimize how much of it you find. I recall on the treasure forums that people were finding all kinds of good stuff with that detector since it first debuted.

Andy, those are some great finds too. I wish I could detect the house I grew up in as me and my brother buried a box of stuff in the backyard lawn and I bet it's still there today, lol.

As for me my flavor is looking for silver coins. I love finding old silver on old house lots or easements. I've attached just a few of my dozens of silver coin finds for your detecting pleasure. One of my favorites is the 1941 Florin.

Ray

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

And a few more...a 1921 silver dollar I found in Idyllwild, CA where they had demolished many historic homes to build a community center, and a "shield nickel" from the 1800s, very worn, and a very rare find for finding it in Washington state.

pdexta

iTrader: (17)

That's really cool. It has to take some serious patience and dedication though. I'm sure I could sink a ton of money into it, then get bored with it after 5 minutes of not finding anything.

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

That was me until one day I headed out to the desert gold fields in southern California with a $99 Radio Shack metal detector. Spent all day in the hot sun digging rusted junk metal. Ran into an old timer who suggested I run the coil over some old drywash piles. So I did, and two seconds later I get a target. Scrubbed the dirt with my shoe and gleaming back up at me was a 26 gram gold nugget! That was 14 years ago and I've had the bug ever since.

Ray

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

Thought I would update this thread with a few recent finds using a newer, smaller search coil on my detector that works better in trashy areas. These all came either from a school yard, old park, or vacant field. The ankh ring is Mexican silver and is much harder than .925 silver, the green stone is an emerald, the silver coins range from 1924 to 1964, and the bail on the big money bling thing is sterling while the money sign itself is silver plated; the heart is gold plated. I doubt any of the stones are diamonds.

Ray

EO2K

iTrader: (37)

Damn son, that's impressive. Tesoro and uMax eh? I'll have to look into those.

I had a detector back in the day that I enhereted from my Grandfather but never found anything of much value. He was a land surveyor and used it to find property corner markers, hubs, monuments, etc. It was great fun as a kid but I never got into it as an adult. I live in an area of California that's been visited since the beginnings of the 1600s and there's bound to be some decent junk hereabouts.

They say there are still gold coins to be found around the foundation of the 'new' courthouse in Monterey

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

Thanks. But these were found with my main detector...a Minelab Safari. Hard to miss anything with this machine. My deepest coin-like object found was a black powder token found up in Washington state. Sold it for $120! Apparently some tokens can go for quite a pretty penny. I just recently found another token of which I can't find another one like it online. It may very well be super rare. I'll have to post a pic of it.

Yeah, there's actually been some Spanish relics and even a silver reale or two that have been found in certain areas of California. Lots of history for sure. You should take a detector to the beach cut in the sand after a storm. I'm willing to bet you might come away with a treasure or two of some sort.

Ray

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

And the token, which is in pretty good condition, no corrosion, just cleaned up with a little water. Found it in a vacant field in Visalia, CA. It must be old because back in the day 5 cents could buy a lot.

RayinNorCal

iTrader: (6)

I posted the token over on treasurenet to see if anyone could identify it, and interestingly enough some guy must have every resource sitting on his desk because he replied with the following historical information:

Nice find! The 1910, 12, & 14 Visalia City Directories show L. C. Bevins as having a confectionery at 102 W. Main. This is in the classified business sections. In the alphabetical section he is shown as L. Clinton Bevins. His residence during those years was at 703 N. Floral. His 1918 WWI Draft registration form shows his name as LeGrande Clinton Bevins, born 28 May 1883, and with occupation of salesman in a billiard parlor on Main St. in Porterville. The 1920 Census shows him as Clinton Bevins and the 1930 Census shows him as Lee C. Bevins (he is shown as a farmer in both).

At his death 16 Aug 1951, the State of California recorded that his name was LeGrand Clinton Bevins and he was born 29 May 1883 in Missouri.

Your token is not listed in Kappen's CA book or (as you have seen) on TokenCatalog.com but for the good of the hobby, would you be willing to post (or have me do it) your pictures there?

A new listing is "rare" by definition - the first ONE known. But please don't confuse that with value which is based on the law of supply and demand. In this case the supply is low (one) but the demand may not be terribly high.

It's pretty cool to see some of the history behind a token find.