Glenn in CO

Here is a great reference for tokens by state:

https://tokencatalog.com/index.php

1 hour ago, Rick N. MI said:

That is a cool token. Do you think the token is good for a blasting cap? Or a hat.

They were for a blasting cap, apparently they made the coal miners pay for everything related to their job.

What's Your Most Unusual Token Find?

Recently Calabash had posted a unusual token find for one loaf which I thought was pretty cool token find. Going through some of my token finds from past years I believe this is my most unusual token find to date. The token is from the Delagua Mine which is located in southern Colorado and is good for one cap, 22mm in size and made of brass. The V.A.F. Co. stands for the Victor-American Fuel Company.

Here is some history on the Delagua Mine:

Delagua developed around the Delagua bituminous coal mine, opened in 1903 and operated by the Victor American Fuel Company. As of 1922, it was the largest mine in Colorado,and at its peak employed at least 900 men. In October 1917, the Delagua Mine was considered one of the "largest and finest 'mining camps' in the state". By 1916 the saloon and dance hall had been converted into the Delagua Social Club, complete with "three first class pool tables and one billiard table", a soda fountain, , bowling alleys, a stage that featured a motion picture show twice weekly and at least 250 members in 1917. At the Delagua Mine on November 8, 1910, an explosion (loud enough to be heard three miles away in Hastings) killed 76 miners. Safety inspectors later determined that the blast was an explosion of gas and dust, caused by the open flame of a head lamp.

19 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Small objects are sensed by an internal small coil and larger objects are sensed by the larger outside coil, and the overall depth of target sensing remains similar to that of a single coil construction.

Whoops! I guess I was reading that statement as the smaller coil would achieve the same depth as outside larger coil.

19 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I decided to go to the source - the Dual Field patent.

"A new dual field search coil for pulse induction metal detectors has multiple coplanar wire coils of different diameters connected in series with the output of a pulse source, overcoming the loss of target size resolution associated with a single coil search loop. Small objects are sensed by an internal small coil and larger objects are sensed by the larger outside coil, and the overall depth of target sensing remains similar to that of a single coil construction. The smaller coil is isolated from the pulse source by the inductance of the larger coil and will ring at a frequency determined by its own parameters. To prevent the smaller coil from ringing, a second damping resistor is connected across the terminals of the smaller coil at the junction of the large and small coils making up the modified search loop."

So my question is if I'm reading this information right, does the smaller coil achieve the same depth as larger outside coil?

If that is true would the 7.5" Dual Field coil have the same depth as the 12" Dual Field coil? I'm basing these questions on coin size targets.

Outstanding specimen! Nice before and after pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Mitchel!  That lady is hilarious I couldn't stop laughing.

17 hours ago, Bashin said:

Relics

A creepy cool stamped metal doll head!  Just found this morning at a local park not three blocks from the house! Found the face first, and the back of the head a little deeper.

I found one last year in the mountains in Colorado near a ghost town, but the front and back was smashed flat. It took a while to figure out what it was. My was stamped with the name Minerva on the back portion. Like you said they are creepy looking.

Here's a link to metal doll heads:

https://www.dollreference.com/metal_head_dolls.html

Does anyone have information on these silver boulders that were found in Arizona? They were on display at the Tucson Show this past February.

Here is another link  for post office buttons:

https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/letter-carrier-buttons.pdf

Some of the new metal detectors claim to work wonders in iron infested sites. There is one site that I wish to go back to and try and see if those claims are valid. I don't have any high hopes though at this particular site because of the amount of iron on the surface and below. This site was at the end of the railroad track for a period of about six months while the construction of new track was being laid. During those six months the site was a temporary camp and staging area for the railroad, stage and freighting companies to a booming mining town thirty miles away. According to history accounts this site had a "floating population" of several thousand. One can imagine the amount of chaos that went on and amount of coins and relics that were lost. As you will see in the photographs there is not much revealing as to where the site is. At first look other than the old railroad grade, there are no visible signs as to where was. As you begin to wander around the site you become amazed of the amount of iron, wire, tin cans etc. that covers the entire ground. The amount of oyster cans lying on top of the ground is incredible. Many years ago at this site we used a "roofers magnet" and had some success finding coins and relics. In one small area of 10ft x 10ft we raked and used the roofers magnet before searching the area with a detector. Even after using a rake and roofers magnet there was some iron targets remaining below the surface. The outcome of all that work we were rewarded with a 1853 Half Dime.

The site:

Using the roofers magnet:

Our reward:

5 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Time to shine your nozzle.  I know there are many ways to do it.  I used to like to buff the crap out one with my hands, but that took to long and my hands would get tired.  So know I use a tumbler and they come out shiny...but sometimes takes more attempts.  This collection has taken me a few years of detecting old yards.  Most houses had one in the front and one in the back.

When I saw your collection of brass nozzles it reminded me of the collection that Betty Weeks found detecting (she use to be a contributor to Western & Eastern Treasure magazine many years ago) and had on display at one of the Texas Treasure Shows. You almost needed sunglasses to look at them.😃

What ever type digging tool you use make sure you have a powerful magnet attached. This is what I use in the tailing piles I dig in.

Nice specimens, looks like your close to the source. Congrats!

2 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

One was the blue sapphire with diamonds

Very nice ring, that one alone would be worth the trip. Congrats to all and thanks for sharing!

Congrats to MH on some very nice specimens. Bet there's a lot more to be found where those specimens were dug up. Thanks! for sharing!

Hard to beat that kinda of day, nice finds. Congrats!

Lunk you are very impressive with that GPZ on finding that small gold. WTG Thanks for sharing!

Wow that's a whopper! Thanks for sharing!

Nice gold! Great information and technique, thanks for sharing!

Very nice specimen and finding it at almost 2 feet is impressive. WTG! Lunk.

24 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

This website has been on a tear rapidly increasing in popularity for some time, and I thank you, the good forum members, for making that happen! 

Thanks for providing such a great forum for all to participate in.  Members wise I think you gathered the best of the best. Seems like new members signing up everyday. Thanks again for all you do.