Popular Post GB_Amateur Posted January 3, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 3, 2022 For the 3rd time in the last four years Southern Indiana had a mild December and I was able to detect 14 days. Here are the highlights of my last 6 hunts -- bracketing Christmas -- 20-->27 Dec.: I'll start with the coins (but not in the order shown). 1929-plain Merc (never been disappointed finding a Merc!), 1943-P Warnick, 1936-D Buffalo nickel (very common date+MM), well worn Buffie with a -D mintmark, either a 1916 or 1918 (or, is it too much to ask, 1918/17 overdate?). Correction: I got a better magnification on it and it's a 1915-D (not the D/D overmintmark, just the standard die strike). I'll expound on the 1891 Indian Head Penny a little later. (Note: if you don't want to read my long-winded details of the relics, please go to the last couple paragraphs which describe the large token. I need help with that one.) The token with the hole (before I put mineral oil on it) appears to be copper due to its green color, but maybe brass on bronze. I recall its dTID on the ML Equinox was low 20's (between zinc penny and aluminum screwcap), so probably brass. One side says "THIS TOKEN HAS NO CASH OR TRADE VALUE". I've yet to figure out what is printed on the reverse but that is hopefully more revealing of its origin. At this point I think it could have been made anywhere from the 1920's all the way up to the 1960's based both its looks, patina, and depth (~7"). The tiny buckle may be from a child's shoe. It dTID'ed in the USA 5 cent 'Nickel' zone of 12-13. The two pieces of junk jewelry -- ultracheap earring and crushed gold plated copper(?) ring came it 20-21. (I was hoping for IHP's....) The item at the bottom is non-magnetic. On one side it says 'DUCKBILL' and the other side has a patent number. You can see a rusty steel pin near the junk gold-plated ring -- some kind of pivot point I think. It has an opening on the left end but nowhere else. It appears to be a crude piercing or puncturing tool. If I really want to dig into it I will need to clean up the other side so I can read the patent number and then do a patent lookup -- I've done those before. Not sure I care enough to go to that trouble, but it would give me a better idea of its age (and thus more info of the site). On one of my hunts I hit a part of the park I hadn't done any searching, thinking it was barren of old coins. In the first 10 minutes I got a Buffalo nickel (don't remember which one). 3+ hours later with little more to show (maybe a Wheat Cent or two) I was getting ready to wrap up, hoping for one more goodie. About 10 m. from where I found the Buffie I got a signal which just barely gave a 20 dTID (my first high tone bin) but mostly 18 and some 19. It was a weak enough signal that I thought it might be fairly deep and thus not a recent drop. I don't remember the depth but somewhere in the 5-7 inch range and out popped the 1891 IHP. I know others (e.g. F350Platinum) have gotten IHP's with low dTID's but mine are almost always 20-22 (as are most of my oldest Wheat pennies). Since ring tabs (missing the beavertail) tend to show 18 in my experience, I've avoided 14-18 (14 being modern 'racetrack' shape pulltabs). Whenever I get an anomalous dTID like this I wonder how many keepers I've left in the ground.... After that day I lowered my lowest high tone bin to 19 but have yet to dig another IHP (quite of the hated corroded Zincolns, though). The biggest surprise is the large token at the upper left. In the middle it says "ONE PENNY" and the rest of the printing: FRANKLIN CHAPTER NO. 20, R.A.M. CHAPTERED MAY 7TH 1858 OROVILLE, CALIF. (I didn't photo the reverse but here is what it looks like -- this photo from Google Images): A bit of internet searching revealed that 'R.A.M.' stands for 'Royal Arch Masonry' which I think is part of the well known Freemasonry, but a subgroup that has its own meetings, lodges, etc. Here's a Wikipedia writeup. From what I can tell (again from the internet), lots of chapters had these so-called 'pennies' issued with their chapter location and number printed on them as far back as the 2nd half of the 19th Century. There was (and probably still is) a fairly widespread practice of collecting them. So how, why, and when did this one travel 2000+ miles from the heart of the California Motherload to a muni park in Indiana? That I will never know. It dTID'ed in the mid-30's, consistent with a USA large cent or large USA 90% silver coin (half or dollar). Based upon that I think it's pure copper. Given its condition and where it was located -- about 6" deep and maybe 18" from a sidewalk (probably poured in the 60's or 70's, with associated nearby backfill -- I assume it's been in the ground somewhere very roughly around 30 years. I found an obituary of an Oroville R.A.M. chapter member who died recently (2019) at the age of ~90 so it was still in existence after WWII, and is maybe still in existence. Anyone know any more than that? Has anyone of you ever find a Masonic Penny while detecting? 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogodog Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Very nice GB, Great finds!!! Lets start with the most interesting to me, the duckbill item. It looks to me to be a maple syrup tap. The pin like thing could be the bucket hanging bracket that broke off. Very Very nice if it is. As for the IH's, Here is how it goes for me. On the 800 most will hit up in the 18-20 range with an odd 17 from time to time. I have found overall that the year 1864 will give you the most range on the Equinox. Odd Right? Not sure why? I keep odd records and the 1864's will always keep you on your toes. I think 1864 IH's were not super consistent in metallurgy, if that makes sense. Use your Tesoro vs the 800. set it to break just below zinc and you'll pick up to 75% of the IH's. Not all Tesoro machines are created the same so do some testing on your dates to see if that will help you. You'll miss some but you can always hit it again with a different machine and pick up the rest. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F350Platinum Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Nice wrap up, GB. I think Dogodog is right, that does look like a syrup tap, but I can't find it. 🤬 Great assortment! 👍 I noticed you mention skipping 14-18, if I do that I miss old silver (Reales), and many buttons. I will always dig a 16-17-18. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT_GhostLight Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Cool and unusal finds as always, GB! I think I found what your duckbill is... Duckbill 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB_Amateur Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 12 minutes ago, CPT_GhostLight said: I think I found what your duckbill is... That sure looks like it. I still wonder what the hole in the tapered face is meant to do. MIne doesn't have the '88' but likely that's a more recent addition, possibly indiccating size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB_Amateur Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 58 minutes ago, F350Platinum said: I noticed you mention skipping 14-18, if I do that I miss old silver (Reales), and many buttons. I don't use the same restrictions in my older sites -- those which were frequented in the 19th Century. Most of my sites are 20th Century when things like foreign silver coins, small denomination USA silver, and nickel 3 cent pieces were no longer in circulation. For older sites I like to hunt in 2 tones (and the only time I ever notch anything is the very lowest bins to eliminate hot rocks, when necessary). Same thing with gold coins -- from what I know those didn't circulate nearly as much in the Eastern USA as in the West, and even less likely in the 20th Century. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT_GhostLight Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 4 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said: That sure looks like it. I still wonder what the hole in the tapered face is meant to do. MIne doesn't have the '88' but likely that's a more recent addition, possibly indiccating size? Click the "duckbill" link above the photo. It's called an Earth Anchor and is used in construction. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCR Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 They still sell something similar to anchor leg hold animal traps. You drive it into the ground with a bar. when pulled on the duckbill tilts to hold it's position. All very neat finds. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zincoln Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 GB - I too have found one of those large penny tokens. Notice that mine comes from Oregon and has a very close date. Think these are 20th century and issued w/ something to do w/ the masons and when their chapters were started. I'm sure someone on here knows. Here is a link describing the letters on the opposite side and what they mean. http://darkfiber.com/tomb/htwsstks.html Best, Zincoln 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valens Legacy Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Nice finds GB and congrats on the finds. Nobody will ever know how the token found it's way there unless a relative shows up to claim it. Good luck on your next outing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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