Old Line Paul

And I took you seriously! 🤔 I’ve found a couple of clad coins with similar parallel scratches. I wondered if they happened before or after the coin was dropped. I guess I should start examining my pocket change more closely. As a kid, I remember someone showing me a quarter with the ridges on the edge worn off. He said this meant the quarter had been used in a slot machine.

I kept a diary of my first year detecting. I plan to do a similar summary when I’m bored some snowy day. But, trust me, I won’t be posting it! My year probably won’t amount to what some of you guys call an average day😊😊😊

That was my initial guess when I dug it up. But it seems over-engineered for a keychain. One thing I noticed is that when you lay it down, it automatically rolls logo-side up. That’s why I had to hold it for the side and back pix. But I can’t for the life of me figure out what purpose that would serve.

I dug this on the edge of a basketball court this afternoon: It is half solid green acrylic, and half a very dense, non-magnetic metal. Too hard to be lead. There are two holes in the back which appear to contain tiny, rusted Phillips-head screws PS: The penny in the first photo was found in the parking lot on my way home. As was approved by this group’s consensus several weeks ago, I get to add it to my day’s tally.

Another such sport is shooting. Too many people think the key to winning matches is having the latest/greatest sub-MOA rifle and all the other hi-priced gear that goes with it. The more they suck, the more they buy. My hi-power sensei told me, “Grasshopper, until you can put all your shots somewhere in the black, don’t spend money on better stuff.” He was right. Not only does learning to wring the best performance out of average gear sharpen your skills, but it takes the pressure off. The noob who shows up at a match with multi-$K of new gear is more likely to be frustrated and quit after a bad score. The noob who is using basic gear is more likely to keep trying.

Thank you so much for this post! As a beginner, I really appreciate learning how you go about finding and evaluating potential sites.

That stinks! Does the prohibition include detecting on private land, too?

She was a CCP spy, and the SIM card on the phone contains sensitive information about Australia’s anti-submarine capabilities. She snuck off to NZ for a bit of skiing during her mission, but lost the phone (hence her desperate attempt to detect it), and has since been terminated with severe prejudice. Chinese Ministry of State Security bots are currently scraping the internet for clues as to the whereabouts of the missing phone. PLA SpecOp teams are on standby as soon as the latest COVID travel restrictions are lifted.

All my life I’ve been a “finders-keepers” kind of guy. Mostly because I’m constantly losing things myself. Plenty of people are walking around with pocket knives, tools, umbrellas, gloves, jackets and other items that were once mine. I figured it was just karma if I found something nice. But after reading the lengths some folks on this forum go to get finds back to their rightful owners, I didn’t feel right just driving off without making an effort. Who knew metal detecting could make me a better person? 😇 (Of course, if it had been a winning Power Ball ticket…😈)

OK, now you’re making me sad…🙄

Aha! Brothers from different mothers!

Wow! There are two of us? Imagine a Venn diagram of the number of people who detect and the number of people who find jewelry in parking lots. The overlap can’t be very big.

Yesterday, I went to a park in an older community 20-minutes north of where I live. I found 2 quarters, 6 dimes, 2 pennies and a Hot Wheels. For me, this is a respectable haul. On my way home, I spotted a grocery store and stopped to pick up a few items. When I returned to my car, I saw this lying on the asphalt a few inches from my front wheel: It’s marked.925, is 20” long, and weighs a smidge under 25 grams. My question is, does the International Brotherhood of Metal Detectorists’ Code of Conduct allow me to claim bragging rights for this as a legitimate “find”? After all, I hadn’t yet returned home, and wouldn’t have been in that particular parking lot on that day and time if not for going detecting. But my detector was in the trunk. Part of me wants credit for travel time, like any plumber or electrician. But part of me feels like this is cheating! (BTW, inspired by all the Good Samaritans on this forum, I left a “Did You Lose Something?” note on the grocery store bulletin board instead of just pocketing it.)

I’ll bite! Is the 5th picture that of a coin purse clasp?

How was it laid out in the ground? Strung out or in a ball?

As a newbie, my big question always was, “How do people lose so many coins?” You have just replaced that question with, “How do people lose so many SPOONS?” Does that make me a veteran?

Have you Googled “ANDY Awards” yet? Looks like they’re still being awarded, and winning one is a big deal.

Could it have been in a beach house that fell into the ocean during a big storm? Did you find it in California? A NY award in CA adds to the mystery, doesn’t it? In the Outer Banks of NC, big hurricanes can sweep away entire beach homes with little warning. One very stormy day in NC I watched a big wave deposit a slab of concrete the size and shape of a mattress on the beach. It still had green linoleum tiles on one side. Next morning it was gone.

Welcome! I’m very new to the hobby (about 6 months) and have found the people on this forum invaluable in upping my skills. I envy you European detectorists - you have so much more history to dig up.

At first glance, I thought you found a cammo ring. Special Forces graduation ring? Guess I need new glasses!

I think when a squirrel comes across a freshly filled hole, it figures some other squirrel must have buried something tasty and wants a look. I once planted a row of bulbs. Came back an hour later and every single one had been dug up. They were in a neat line, with a little bite taken out of each.

If I bury a couple of silver dimes in my yard next summer, will you come mow it?

Nice find! I’m jealous.

A gold dog tag?

Truly inspirational story! You’re obviously a cut above the “average” Joe. Question: How do you feel now that you’ve found your HolyGrail/Great White Whale/One-Armed Man?