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Who Are The All Time Greats In Jewelry Hunting?


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I asked Joe how many gold rings he has found and he told me near 800!  That is an incredible number in my book.  It gave me pause to think about some of my local 'legendary'  local beach detectorists.  I have not met one.  His name is Walker.  I have met another one Tim Tidd and he told me about other local legends.  

Over on the nugget forum we have several 'legends' contribute to the discussions there.  One is Reg Wilson among several others.  Here is a link to a project Reg is working on to preserve the memories.

So, who are the LEGENDS of the Beach?  What are some stories you can share about them?  I know some are still hard at work at enhancing their legends but I don't go to other forums.  Are you a LEGEND and want to share a bit of your lifetime successes with us?  There are legends that hide and many who would never visit a website I would imagine but let's try to change that.

Mitchel

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55 minutes ago, mn90403 said:

There are legends that hide....

I see metal detecting as having similarities to sports betting.  There are disadvantages of being well known as successful.  Now if people think you know how to pick stocks (even if you don't!) then there are few downsides.  Everything you own you recommend and your followers drive up the price/value -- TYVM!  A kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.

But back to your request, if someone wants to be known I see no problem with that, either.  Anyone who comes here to share knowledge, legend or not, is an asset in my book.  Legends presumably have more to share, and Joe (one of several here) has done an excellent job of that.

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3 hours ago, Joe Beechnut OBN said:

Here are a few locals, Bob and Frank...

Thanks for that, Joe (or whatever you name really is 😄).  Brings back a lot of memories and I'm not even talking about the detecting.  Do you know if that was a PBS documentary or something by a local TV station?  The narrator sounds familiar but I've never lived on the East coast.

I did a little math, memorization.  It starts by saying "$300k in 6 years, between them".  That's $25k/yr apiece.  (Later the narrator says $40k/yr each so I assume that just means they got more productive with time.)  Presumably that is gross so they still had to pay for equipment, travel (gasoline and auto depreciation).  I recall in 1980 I took a job for $22k as a programmer-analyst w/4 years experience.  Nothing special about that salary but it was decent at the time.  And it wasn't nearly as much fun as they were having.

Having to go to the library to search newspapers, magazines, books,... just to identify your finds back then.  And without Ebay, etc. it was much more difficult to advertise to the collectors of the specialty items -- e.g. toys and tokens.  But of course, less competition in the water and many decades of lost jewelry and coins in undetected waters.  For sure, though, they earned it.

Had to laugh at the size of their coffees.  I bet back then that was the largest size you could buy.  Today it's the smallest.

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5 hours ago, Joe Beechnut OBN said:

Here are a few locals, Bob and Frank.......who hunted the same beach's I do now. Back then it was not uncommon for a hunter to find 7 or more gold rings a hunt. For me to find that many gold rings in a hunt is tough..my best was 8 this year, in one hunt..Rare for sure.

 I do have one more guy who hunted even before detectors, diving...and by sight. (Harry)...He would find 30 or more gold rings a hunt..more later on him.

Hide....I guess I do in a way .......for Joe Beechnut is ... not my real name...As far as a legend, I don't see myself as...I'm just Blessed to be in the right spot at the right time...it's that simple.

 

! use to see them hunting Bay Beaches when the Orange Whites PI was being used. Long time ago.

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9 hours ago, Joe Beechnut OBN said:

Here are a few locals, Bob and Frank.......who hunted the same beach's I do now. Back then it was not uncommon for a hunter to find 7 or more gold rings a hunt. For me to find that many gold rings in a hunt is tough..my best was 8 this year, in one hunt..Rare for sure.

 I do have one more guy who hunted even before detectors, diving...and by sight. (Harry)...He would find 30 or more gold rings a hunt..more later on him.

Hide....I guess I do in a way .......for Joe Beechnut is ... not my real name...As far as a legend, I don't see myself as...I'm just Blessed to be in the right spot at the right time...it's that simple.

 

Thanks for posting this video Joe. Best thing I have watched in quite some time.

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Man Joe, your a regular Library of Congress.  They didn't even lock their car door or roll the windows up.  Great video.  GaryC/Oregon Coast

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I agree about the video.  It reminds me of stories I heard while growing up near Jacksonville Beach, Florida about how some guys would go out to the old fishing piers there and dig around the pilings and found coins and chains in the 50s and 60s.  I didn't see it done but was told about it.

To have an area like the Chesapeake with its couple hundred years of history it has to be a bit exciting to go out hunting that way with a efficient detector.  Now think of the Mediterranean!  Then the early metal detecting days of the Caribbean and ...

Stimulates the brain 

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 Awesome Chesapeake Bay Video! Now that was the heyday of water detecting!

  Plentiful finds, few regulations, few Mcmansions clogging the shore!  And no taxpayer funded renurishment sand to bury everything, and suffocate the natural environment!

Now I'm sad!😞      👍👍

 

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