Cal_Cobra

On 11/8/2022 at 7:44 AM, strick said:

Who is next to take the challenge and make the vow    "Never To Use The Equinox Again"  🙂

strick

Good Manticore backup machine 😏

Thanks for the useful help on leveraging the Lidar site/tools, I’m looking forward to checking it out.  

28 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

Out of likes, I'll get back to ya. 🙄

I hunted the last of the small field until about 2, figured I'd go over to the big one to find a foundation I spied on the Lidar maps. It was a long walk to it, so I decided to walk the "track" where I think they were racing horses. Got to the spot where it gets pretty thin, and bam. Made my day.

I was out in this field in early spring, got some buttons and horse tack way out back. Really didn't find much, but they just turbo tilled the farm in 2 directions a few days ago. Turbo tilling doesn't go very deep, but I think it takes a lot of "fluff" out of the soil, making the first 4" a bit tighter. I'm sure more will be found.

With the remnants of Nicole dropping pretty heavy rain today, by Monday it should be "just right". 🙂 

I found the foundation but it may just be a trash dump, have to wait for the foliage to go and the spiders and snakes to hibernate.

You can't beat that 👍  Validation of your research paid off!

Please tell me about the Lidar maps?

I've seen that there's some sources for govt. produced Lidar maps, but you have to use some special mapping software to use them.  After seeing Josh Gates and others show the results of using Lidar to map out the history we cannot see on the ground, it's intrigued me that this could be the "next" research tool to use out west to locate old forgotten stage stops relegated to footnotes in the history books, and other similarly "lost" sites. I'd love to learn how to leverage publicly available Lidar data to use for our research.

We've developed "methods" to deal with overgrowth (small bushes, small sucker trees, etc) 🙂  I'm with you on snakes.  TomCA has no snake caution, but having grown up in rattlesnake country, I certainly do. 

TomCA and I decided to test out our new fat tire ebikes integrated into some detecting earlier this week.  The bikes are awesome, I can see these really being useful in the future for some of our adventures where you simply cannot drive, and may have several miles of ground to traverse before getting to your detecting objectives.

So we have a Fur Trading site and a Gold Rush era encampment that aren't too far apart from each other that we were able to get to.  No doubt that TomCA made the find of the day, but I was (fairly) happy with my take as well.  The Gold Rush era encampment we call the Buckle Village because we're found several Gold Rush era tongue and wreath style buckles that were prevalent to the Gold Rush 49'ers flooding into the west coast to make their fame and fortune.  They simply don't seem to be found at sites from different eras (I'm sure there's exceptions as always).  This encampment has produced several for us, as well as a beautifully decorated powder flask, buttons, TomCA got a nice reale, I got what's considered the first trade token minted in California from 1850, a stunning 1820 United States Militia one piece button, and plenty of other period relics.  At this site, Tom bested me with his prize and I'll let him have the honors of sharing that when he shares his finds.  My best find from this site was an 1840s and 1850s early United States Marines two piece button backmarked "SCOVILLS & CO / [dot] WATERBURY [dot]".  A few buckles, and what appears to be a knife or dagger hilt.  This site has really dried up since our first few visits, but there's still finds there if you work your a$$ off 🤠

The next site has been a fun one, early California fur trading post site that digs deep into early California history.  At this site you just never know what you'll find.  It was my day for green copper, I dug a butt load of it, possibly more then I've ever dug there before.  The larger pieces sound so good, beautiful high tones with high 20's to low 30's TID's on the EQX800, so you dig each and everyone anticipating a reale or bust coin, only to be let down with a green copper whatsit.  Still fun history BUT it's getting stingy with non green copper items.  This trip I managed to get a small, thin copper coin of some sort. I'm sure it's not a button or whatnot, but it's so corroded it's unlikely to ever be ID'd.  I also dug a period bronze wedding ring, which while not as showy as a gold or silver ring, is still fun to me as it was likely a very personal effect that someone wore from the old world to the new world in their great adventure only to leave it behind to be found centuries later.

Also got the obligatory black powder round ball drops and a few fired ones (I actually like finding those) and some later period rim-fire shells.   Dug a bunch of bronze nails/spikes.  I don't mind digging these, their not like square nails that litter most of our relic sites out west, these are hand forged bronze nails/spikes with old world forged rose heads.  Also a couple of interesting bits they made for some special purpose use. 

I'm sure Tom will proudly display his buffalo and war nickles 🤣 so I'll show my wheat cents and fluke clad too 😁

LOVE your Colonial buckle! 

I've NEVER seen one dug on the west coast.  Given our earliest European contact period influence goes back to the Spanish in the 1700's, I suppose it's theoretically possible, although those buckles seem to be more of an English influenced item then Spanish (I could be wrong).

4 hours ago, SeabeeRon said:

Another great hunt by Team Brian/Tom!! 

Thanks Ron!  Have you been tearing up the beach?  Not sure if that big storm that rolled through here Monday night worked to your advantage 🤔

8 hours ago, longbow62 said:

Wow I never had a problem with ML80's! They've always worked and sounded fine to me. Maybe my hearing is better than a lot of folks hearing. I have heard some very deep and faint signals with the stock headphones. I hate to sound like a Minelab fan boy, but if headphones choices are keeping you from buying the Manticore or any other machine I think that's a little silly myself. The audio from a detector is not an orchestra, and I call B.S. if anyone tells me they can tell a vast difference between the quality of a beep between the stock phones and other choices. I'm not saying there is none, I'm saying it won't be much and how much does it matter? I have some Aiwa headphones I used with the Nox from time to time. Yes they sound different and somewhat better, but I don't think they ever improved my finds. I use the stock headphones way more than I do the Aiwa's. 

I'm surprised at so many negative ML80 headphone critiques, but I get that everyone's different.  On wired headphones I always though the Sunray Golds had the best audio, tried other headphones and they just didn't have comparable audio. 

I really gelled with the ML80 audio, but the build quality could be a bit better.  I had to use some black electrical tape wrapped around the plastic bits where the metal extensions protrude as the black plastic bits have cracked.  Aside from that they've worked great.  I did try some ear buds that were suggested here a few years ago. I didn't like the audio, and ear buds just aren't my bag.  Like longbow I've definitely heard some very deep/faint signals with the ML80  headphones that other machines walked right over, so aside form the plastic bits that cracked, I'm good with the ML80's, if the stock headphones on the Manticore sound as good, I'll be a happy camper.

On 11/7/2022 at 6:01 PM, F350Platinum said:

Nice coin! I carry a Hoover Boys "Foo Foo juice" spray bottle full of distilled water for the silvers, happy to say I've never rubbed one with my fingers 😀 probably because I watched their videos before I found any silver 🤣 my first was a 1917, I made a chain out of it.

I do the same with the newbie juice.  My hunt partner is always rubbing his coins, drives me crazy!  My first gold coin I dug was caked with dirt and I had to keep pulling it away from him as he tried to rub the dirt off to see the date.  I'm glad I did as it turned out to be quite a rare date/mint haha

No need to be embarrassed with that find, that's in great shape!

Funny thing, a few years ago we had a killer scrape at a very old San Francisco park.  It was an amazing event that lasted for months and a lot of great finds came from that site.  One trip out I had dug a couple of mercs in one hunt, plus a bunch of other finds.  I didn't even look at the mercs as why waste valuable hunt time (the competition was fierce at this demo) when you can examine them at home, besides when do you ever dig valuable mercs 🤔  The next day I dump out my finds pouch to look at my finds, and as I was looking at the dates, I noticed that one merc was a 1916.  I've dug dozens of 1916 mercs over the years, but they've always turned out to be San Francisco or Philadelphia minted, and I remember thinking to myself before the flip to see the mint mark "come on, for once be a Denver mint mark!" and low and behold it was.  Here's the digs from that days demo hunt with the 1916-D merc:

The other merc in great condition was a 1943, too bad the condition on the mercs wasn't reversed, but we take what we get and I was just grateful to finally dig a 16D 👍

2 hours ago, strick said:

Found this rather lengthy explanation of holed coins and tokens from another site. This is cut and pasted. 

“holes near the rims were for bracelets or charms. Larger rim holed coins were for teething or birth years and ocasionally saw use as watch fobs.Larger round center holes were used as washers for slate roofs when the suppliers tried to jack up the prices from 1/4 cent each to two cents each.Ragged center holes were made by indians so that they could use them for buttons on leather garments. Two knots on a piece of rawhide did the trick.Wartime coins with holes were sometimes for hate money. I've seen them with holes like buttons in them. When it is on a peacetime coin it was for use as buttons so that people with arthritus could dress themselves. On wartime coins it was usually so they could be sewn to the inside of military belts as "hate" money and the coins were taken from the corpses of the enemy. “
 

Strick

Thanks, that's an interesting read.  Given that the example I found online as well as the one I dug are both holed (square holes) I'd assume that they weren't fans of the King or Queen, or the union of them and/or the implications that their union created. 

9 hours ago, NCtoad said:

Congrats on that awesome 18th century token!   I was just getting ready to post my latest find, a 1919 merc in very good shape, when I saw your post.  Compared to what you just found it’s like finding a zincoln!   Lol!

Thanks!  Nothing wrong with mercs!  TomCA just bagged a 1921-D, I've not dug a 1921-D but did get the 1916-D key date merc at a San Francisco park scrape a few years ago.

10 hours ago, Zincoln said:

Ugh.....just a 1700s EU token and a seated half.  Killing me.  Been chasing that seated half for 10 years.  Never considered such a token.  Glad you guys are still pulling the goods from your sites.  As we all know, they are never hunted out.  

Agree w/ you Brian, on the large cents out west.  Finally got one in ID to match my gold coin.   Probably will find another gold before another largy.  Kinda silly.   

Tom - you've had your share of gold.  More large cents or gold coins?

Zincoln (the other Brian)

Thanks Brian!  Congrats on your gold coin and largie.

I'm sure I'll dig a largie one of these days, but I'll gladly take gold coins as a consolation prize in the mean time 🙂

Natural electrolysis on the coin stack eh?  Was it in salt water?

If the Mary Queen of Scotland coin is a fake, and the original was gold, perhaps it was originally gold plated to pass as the real McCoy?

54 minutes ago, Tom_in_CA said:

 

That's what threw me for a loop.  I could feel that it was seemingly dainty and light-weight.  Almost like you could bend it if you wanted.  None of our coins are like that .  Except if it's modern kids play money or modern token or whatever.   So I just assumed :  Modern.  Yet I couldn't deny it looked old.  And the holes are not a modern practice.  So .... it was confusing.

 

We *do* get foreign coins of the world at our colonial exploration Spanish period sites in CA, from time to time.  Go figure, they traveled the oceans to get here, and port-trading went on.   But this is the first of that type storied coin I've ever seen here.  

 

Hey Brian, I'll trade you my seated half for that.  Huh ?  Huh ?   🧐

I'll take a pass on that trade 🤣

If you ever hunt with Tom, heed this warning - when Tom says " Almost like you could bend it if you wanted." never ever let him bend your finds...trust me on this one 🧐

49 minutes ago, CPT_GhostLight said:

Awesome finds Cal & Tom! I love seeing the unusual history unfolding in your relics and coins saves!

Thanks, appreciate it 👍

48 minutes ago, palzynski said:

Hi cal_cobra , yes such Nuremberg tokens are quite frequent over here , they are made of thin copper and they date from the 16 to 17th century . I found 2 nuremberg tokens this summer . They are relatively common but I like to find them ... 

Here an example of a nuremberg token that can be found in France :
ROUYER - X. JETONS DE NUREMBERG Jeton de compte au type du gold gulden n.d. fjt_515659 Jetons (cgb.fr)

In the US I imagine that they are ( very ) rare artefacts , then congrats for your token ... 🙂

Thanks.  I figured they'd be common in Europe, but to find any token/coin in California from the early 1700's is quite rare.  I see these are sometimes called Jetsons, is that just another term for a token?

It's kind of like large cents in the U.S.  They're practically jumping out of everywhere in the Eastern U.S., but in the Western U.S. you have better odds of finding a gold coin.  Heck I've dug two gold coins out here, but never dug a large cent (which personally I'm okay with 🙂

17 hours ago, Bill (S. CA) said:

Great to see you back and glad you are feeling better.  What a cool coin? What detector were you using when you found it?

 

Bill

Thanks Bill!   My trusty EQX800.  To be honest, that darned machine has done so well for me at the kind of sites I enjoy hunting, it's been tough to use anything else.  I used the Legend earlier this year at some of our sites and beach detecting, but most of our sites are shut down during the summer due to overgrowth, cement hard ground, and/or excessive temps, so the fall and winter are our peak detecting times, provided the weather doesn't blow us out. 

1 hour ago, Quick said:

Nice job on the finds guys.. Looking forward to seeing more. 

Thanks, and hopefully there will be more as we're planning another excursion soon to another site that's been productive in the past 👍

3 hours ago, deathray said:

Dude!! That's killer!!!

Thanks!  Super unexpected, heck at first Tom thought it was kids play money, but after I cleaned it up, I could tell it was old but still had no idea what it was until I hit google haha  You have to love this hobby, you just never know what will turn up!

9 hours ago, Valens Legacy said:

Glad to hear that you are doing much better Brian and glad that you had a chance to get out there to do some hunting.

Great finds for both of you and glad that you shared the hunt with us.

Good luck on your next outing.

Thanks!  Kaiser sent me in for a Covid PCR test and a chest X-ray and both were negative, but they didn't give me anything until I was a bit more forceful and told them I'd really like to enjoy Halloween festivities with my four year old daughter, please give me antibiotics 😣  As expected that took care of things

14 hours ago, Elbert said:

As usual great finds Brian and Tom. WTG.

Thanks El, hope you're doing well and getting out!

15 hours ago, schoolofhardNox said:

Awesome hunt for both you guys. 😍That token is in great shape and the seated half is an  "O" mint! You can tell the site has some age to it. Is that a Henry cartridge?

Thanks!  Yep those are Henry rim-fire cartridges.  Except for rim-fire and pin-fires, I really despise digging bullet shells, but rim-fire and pin-fires are great age indicators. 

21 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Until you get your hands on a Manticore?  Nice finds for both of you, and count me as one who would be over the moon finding a 1858-O half in that condition.

This is one of those sites I just don't know if the Manticore would open up from what I've read from Tom Dankowski and Mark Lawrie have discussed, but after I've learned the machine, I'd try it there after a good rain, I think that opens this site up a bit.

16 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

Top notch stuff guys, interesting rare token and that seated half looks like someone tried to fold it. 👍 always interesting to see the cash coins! I've only found one in an unlikely spot.

Congrats to both of you. 🏆 You're right, I'm happy to find a button or two.

Oddly on past trips to this site we've found quite a few buttons and some really good ones at times, but aside from eyeballing the mother of pearl button on the surface, the only other button was a tiny ball button.

Thanks, and HH!

17 hours ago, strick said:

Nice work you guys..The square hole in the token from a square nail I'd guess and wondering why that would be..very interesting and it great shape Brian...then the half seated...something to dream of nice show fellas.

strick 

Chuck what's interesting is that the ID'd example of the token I found on a French website is also holed, and in a lot worse condition.  Kind of amazing the one I dug traveled by ship all the way to the west and is in far better condition.

@palzynski given you're in a country I'd almost expect a token like this to be dug, can you tell us if these are collectable over there?  Would this be considered a good find over there, or something common?