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Hi all, This is my first post here but been lurking for a while.It's not often that you can pin a find to the owner but this is exactly what happened after I unearthed this gold medallion from pasture on a farm near my home.It gave a solid 18 on field 1.I live in south wales u.k..On the front is a name and the reverse gives details of a walk that it was presented for.After getting home I did some research and uncovered this news article from a local paper dated 1903.The last sentence gives the name D.T. Davies and the time of 7Hrs 1 Min as detailed on the medallion.I then searched the 1901 census for Builth Wells and found details of his address and family.He was one of nine children and an apprentice tailor.Now this medallion was found 50 miles away from Builth Wells so how did it get there?I then searched a later census for the village near to the find and discovered that the family had moved here at a later date.Anyway to cut a long story short he got married here,had nine children of his own and died in 1954.I also discovered a nice victorian shilling on the same day.I have had the nox since October and I have found a lot of silver with it including william 3rd shilling,william 3rd sixpence and a george 3rd shilling to name a few.Thanks Minelab for a great machine.I love it!

Buddy mine found these turtles last Dec frozen in a farm field. They were smaller than a quarter. They were hibernating but the farm is active and they would have turned it over before they could make it out of there. Don't know what number they showed up as ? Will be releasing them in june.

By no means am I a top level detectorist at every different kind of hunting. Deep old coins, Gold Rings Beach Hunting, CW, Ancient Coins/Artifacts, Gold Nugget chasing...and more. Heck I have Field Staff members who do certain hunts better than I. But I do consider myself one of the more versified hunters who actually does quite well with a variety of machines in many styles of hunts. Here is one kind of hunt I have to give adulation... my video guy Ryan and his son. This father/son team has taken on a style of detecting most of us dare. He has done a few videos now of some stunner saves, but I feel this one takes the cake. If doing this please be sure to wear the proper protective gear and always have permission. Would you go Down Under for a fistful? Watch and enjoy as they recover find after find after find.

Gold Basin Mining District has a long and colorful history. Starting back around 1861 the road now called Pearce Ferry Road was the trail that took the old timers down to the Colorado River. The River separated Arizona and Nevada. The Ferry was the only way for travelers to cross. Outlaws, Indians, cowboys and settlers heading to California were all part of the local landscape. This is the area where D’artagnon Jackson found an amazing find with his Gold Monster 1000 on January 22, 2019. “Dar” had purchased his Gold Monster 1000 from Doc at Doc’s Detecting in Henderson Nevada almost one year ago in January of 2018. Doc had taken him to Gold Basin for a day of one on one training. Dar lives in the state of Washington, and only gets to Gold Basin twice a year. He joins his brother, J.R. from Utah and they travel to Gold Basin to detect. Dar has been looking for elusive gold nuggets for 15 years with no success. He has owned every low end $200 detector on the market, with no success. However, armed with his Minelab Gold Monster, all of that was about to change. As he was detecting, looking for meteorites , and of course his first gold nugget, if he could be so lucky, he stumbled upon a good target. At three inches he uncovered a pull-tab. Somewhat disappointed, he said, “I remembered what Doc had taught me. Always check your hole before you fill it back in, there might be another target.” Somewhat reluctantly Dar swung the 5 X 10 coil of his Gold Monster over the shallow hole. He got a good target sound, and it was registering as non-ferrous, however the pull tab also had registered as non-ferrous. He started to dig deeper, and the ground started getting more hard packed. Ringing in the back of his head was Doc’s admonition, “When the target is deep and the ground is hard packed, it is less likely to be a trash target.” At 8 inches, Dar saw a glint of gold. Could this be his very first nugget after 15 years? NO! It was something much more impressive that spoke to the unique history of this Gold Basin area. It was an 1852 U.S. Gold dollar with a “D” mint mark. The coin was in amazing condition considering it was 167 years old. Needless to say, Dar, can’t believe that he found such a unique treasure, let alone, it was the very first piece of gold he has ever found. Think of it, this coin is 167 years old and yet this coin was minted only 76 years after the founding of our country via the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Later, after getting back to a computer, Dar found out just how special this coin is. There are only 125, 1852 mint mark “D” $1 gold pieces known to exist today. Valued at around $900 to $1,400 depending on condition and this one looks pretty good. Gold Fever? Yes, Dar has a really bad case of it now. Congratulations D’artagnon!

Wow! ? Ig

Four forum members (that I know of) have all found a gold coin in the last year! That seems kind of amazing to me, and shows that many awesome finds remain to be made out there after decades of metal detecting. Dec 2017 Cal_Cobra Bucket Lister!! March 2018 Cabin Fever First Gold Coin! July 2018 The Seeker A Once In A Lifetime Gold Find Dec 2018 strick Gold Coin Story You guys are amazing - is there anyone I missed?

“A 552-carat yellow diamond was recently unearthed in Canada -- the largest ever found in North America. Mining company Dominion Diamond Mines said in a press release on Thursday the diamond was discovered in October at the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. The "astonishing gemstone" measures 33.74 millimeters by 54.56 millimeters, the company said.” Rest of the story and video here From the press release.... Dominion Diamond Mines announces the recovery of the largest diamond ever found in North America at Diavik DECEMBER 13, 2018 The 552 carat yellow diamond beats a previous record held by a diamond from the same mine Dominion Diamond Mines ULC (“Dominion”), a world leading producer of responsibly mined diamonds, announces the recovery of the largest known gem quality diamond ever found in North America. The 552 carat yellow Canadamark™ diamond was unearthed in October at the Diavik Diamond Mine (“Diavik”), approximately 135 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The find far surpasses the previous record held by the Diavik Foxfire at 187.7 carats, which was also recovered at the same mine in 2015. Dominion owns 40% of Diavik. “This incredible discovery showcases what is truly spectacular about Canadamark diamonds,” states Kyle Washington, Chairman of Dominion Diamond Mines. “The color and texture of the diamond are a unique example of the journey that natural diamonds take from their formation until we unearth them. Our Diavik Mine has produced some of the most beautiful diamonds in the world, and this one certainly tops the list.” The astonishing gemstone was uncovered while passing through the initial screening process at Diavik’s recovery plant. Abrasion markings on the stone’s surface attest to the difficult journey it underwent during recovery, and the fact that it remains intact is remarkable. Measuring 33.74mm x 54.56mm and weighing exactly 552.74 carats, a diamond of this size is completely unexpected for this part of the world and marks a true milestone for diamond mining in North America and Canadamark diamonds overall. Its color, texture and structure are also unique from a geological perspective and may be studied further. The diamond will not be sold in its rough form. Due to the significance of the discovery, Dominion will select a partner in the coming weeks who will cut and polish the stone. The size and highly technical nature of this stone means that only a handful of master cutters in the world are qualified to polish it, ensuring that the stone’s beauty, color and brilliance are maximized. Dominion expects to achieve a significant main stone once the diamond is polished, that will be Canadamark certified. As the diamond is still undergoing evaluation, it is too early to determine the ultimate value of the diamond. However, when polished, the Diavik Foxfire yielded a 37.87 brilliant-cut pear shape and a 36.80 brilliant-cut pear shape that were both recently auctioned as part of Christies Magnificent Jewels and were purchased for $1.3 million.

Enjoy! Ig

There is an auction coming up and they have spent a fair amount of money taking pictures of the nuggets they want to sell. I like looking at them as they are like snowflakes ... all different. Here's a link and a few pictures. https://fineart.ha.com/itm/nature-and-science/gold-on-quartz-mockingbird-mine-talc-andamp-lacy-claim-colorado-area-whitlock-district-bagby-mariposa-mount-bullion-/a/5389-72230.s?ic5=CatalogHome-MostActive-Thumbnail-112917

New Post.....Wow! Go Jay-Gold! ? Enjoy! Ig

https://www.minelab.com/usa/go-minelabbing/success-stories/big-gold-nugget-found-with-the-gpz-7000

I've returned from my second detecting trip to England and what a trip it was!! I was lucky enough to be staying in the same barn as Steve Herschbach!! The first day on the fields are a half day usually. After the 2 hour ride from London to the "barn" where we will be staying for the next seven days. The "barns" are actual barns that have been renovated into vacation rental units. We unload all of our luggage from the van, find our sleeping spot for the week, dig out all of our gear, assemble everything, jump back in the van, and head out to the first field! My best find that afternoon was a hammered copper Rose farthing. They are commonly dated 1636. (Look for the pattern here). And the usual buttons and lead. So that was a good start. Day 2: Our first full day. A cool, slightly foggy, just perfect! The day wasn't real eventful for me. We hunted two different farms. At the end of the day my better finds were 5 farthings and a wiped out copper token, plus some buttons and lead. The farthings were late 1700s-1800s. Here at home in the States, to find those 5 coins would be a day to talk about for months. It was funny for me while I was over there, knowing with so much history the possibilities make my hopes and expectations exhilarating! You truly never know what will pop up next. It could be 10 years old or 2000 years old! There were multiple milled, and hammered silver coins found and some neat relics dug throughout the day by the other team members. Day 3: Things started to pick up for me a little on day 3. We came across a late Georgian/Victorian home site members of the team started popping some milled coins. Coppers and silvers. If I remember correctly one member found 3 or 4 silver 3 pence coins in that same field. A little silver 3 pence was one of the coins I was hoping to get while I was there, but it wasn't meant to be this trip. Shortly before lunch I switched fields and got onto my first bit of English silver for the trip! An 1844 Vicky 4 pence in nice condition. So after lunch I was headed back to the field were I got my 4P and we had to walk past a 1700? mansion to get back to where I wanted to be. So I slowed down and detected in front of the mansion along the way and got my first hammered silver for this trip! A nice "full" penny. Turned out to be a 1279 Edward I ! That was the highlight for my day three. But I did find plenty of buttons and lead too. Day 4: This day was one of those roller coaster type hunting days. The morning was pretty uneventful for me other than some buttons and lead. Until while hunting near a 13th century church and villa when I popped a nice little cut quarter hammered silver and less than 10 mins later another hammered silver coin fragment. Kinda bang bang! We broke for a short lunch break and went our separate ways and as I was walking into a field through a tractor path I got a nice high tone. But real erratic at the same time. One you would figure to be either a coin or part of a beer can. But when I pinpointed the target it was a nice small tight pinpoint I figured I better dig it. Boy am I glad I did! Turned out to be a 1908 Edwardian decorated silver mount! Turns out it was in a place they usually park the van! The rest of my days finds consisted of the usual trash plus some buttons and lead. Day 5: Today was another one of those days that I was digging lots of targets like buttons and lead... But not one coin all morning till around lunch. After lunch I decided to stay on that field determined to find one of my wish coins a "Bullhead". A King George III silver. And with the coins being found in the area one was definitely a possibly. Lo and behold it happened! A melted bulkhead six pence. Even though it was melted almost to the point of unrecognition I could make out a G III and a reeded edge. Mission accomplished! The only other "wishlist" coin I really had on my mind on my way over was a Roman silver coin. Not really expecting to ever find one. We all carried radios every day, and as a good find was made, we would put it out over the radio. Ron gave the 15 min count down to the end of the days hunt over the radio so we all started to swing back towards the van. Walking pretty fast, with 8 minutes left, I got a signal figured I had time to pop one more. Boom! A Roman silver coin! It has a bad "horn crust" on it that needs to be "cooked" off so it can be properly identified. Early id's put it in the 4th century! I'm really looking forward to seeing that coin cleaned up! Day 6: The group split up in the morning between some rougher ground and some land that was nice and smooth. I went to the smoother field with a few other hunters. First hole out of the van 20 feet away I nabbed a hammie fragment! After that the first half of the day was pretty uneventful for me other than some buttons and lead of course. It was a enormous field. It has been hunted a lot over the years from what I understand. The lack of targets for me proved it. But it wasn't a total waste. You just have to walk over the stuff. With a half hour walk back to the van and only about 45 mins left to hunt I spun around and within or 3 or 4 swings later I got a loud high tone! As I was pinpointing I looked down and laying right on top of the ground was a complete silver thimble!! Sweet end to a pretty slow day. Day 7: The day I dread. The last day. You know not only is it your last day of detecting heaven and the inevitable time you'll power down for the last time of your trip, plus the last day is usually cut a little short. That's so we have time to get back to the barn and get all of your finds from the week cleaned, bagged, catalogued, and photographed if you want to see them again before they leave your life for the next few months. To optimize our hunt time we decided to hunt some nearby land. Even though it's also the land that the club has had lasted the longest! Even after all those years there were many great finds found on it this season! The week before we came a gold coin and a beautiful Celtic gold "votive offering" were found on it! I walked across the road from that field to a field that was surrounding a 16th century two story mansion. After a half hour or so of slowly working around the old mansion I dug a small piece of a hammered silver coin. That coin put me in a tie for 1st place for the weekly "Hammy competition". So I slowed down hoping to get another one to take the lead and hopefully win the competition. It was 10:10 a.m. when I got the loudest, jumpiest, most obnoxious signal of my trip. Not being too far from a tractor entrance into that field I figured it was a beer can or a grease tube but I figured I'd dig it up and get it out of there anyways. I missed the target on the first scoop. Moved a shovel blade to the left, stepped it in and kicked the back of the shovel and pushed the dirt forward and a big yellow ..... egg looking thing rolled out to my left. As I looked at it half my brain said to myself " what is that?" And the other half of my brain was saying "HOLY .....!!!!! That looks like gold!!" When I bent over to pick it up and I was lifting it off the ground the weight of it made it fall out of my hand! That's when I knew it was definitely a big piece of gold!!! After Ron came over to shoot some video and take some photos I strapped back on all my gear took 2 steps and 3 swings and got a solid 19 TID on the Equinox 800. I told myself after just finding that thing I don't care what this is, I'm digging it up. One scoop, and I pushed the shovel forward and a 11.2 gram ancient solid gold ring was laying there looking at me!! I about started to hyperventilate!! I quickly got Ron's attention again and he came over to shoot more video and more photos. I can only imagine this will be the most amazing thing I will ever find! It's been over a week since I found it and I still can't stop picturing those two artifacts rolling out of the dirt in my head...... Thanks for lookin' & HH

Silver coins of Rome was found in Crimea

and the link at Minelab for those who can't see the above.

Check this story out. Wish it was me!! https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/09/11/hundreds-of-ancient-gold-coins-discovered-by-workers-building-apartments-in-northern-italy

Yes I did take it in the lake. After all it does have a waterproof coil. My new White's 24K put a smile on that girls face that lasted the week. And her hubby is off the hook for another $10,000 ring set. Besides a few lead sinkers, pull tabs and chilly water, what else cold be down there. Just another Big Bling save and showing other ways the Gold Prospector machine can be used. PS. Steve, I have a 3 minute video clip of it too, but don't know how to post, it is on my FB.

http://www.euronews.com/2018/09/09/hundreds-of-roman-gold-coins-discovered-in-italian-theatre

I found this posted elsewhere I don't know if folks have seen it yet ? if so just remove it. Enjoy. http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-10/rich-gold-seam-half-a-kilometre-deep-in-kambalda/10219576?pfmredir=sm

Here's a video showing the recovery of a hoard of Bronze age axes. they date to around 1000BC. There are 47 axes (17 Palstave and 30 socketed) and 5 fragments of an ingot.Gordon using his Equinox 800 The hoard has been report to PAS, and we hope to return and film any excavations on-site in the future

Not sure which section to post this in so please repost as required. Couldn’t have been a more appropriate vegetable! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-45220825

While on a recent gold hunt at a new site with the up and coming 24K I was not having much luck at finding gold. After 4 hours and no heavy yellow metal, I changed gears and decided to see how I liked the digital readout ID system on the machine. Well I can tell you this. Yes the numbers might move around some, but when it locks on to the right with a high number, you better dig. The site must have had a building, as there was iron, glass and even broken brick scattered about. I used the small 6" coil to get between iron trash and try to sniff out the high conductors and it worked. It actually did better than I expected and I should have saved the other bullets and buttons, but they were nothing special or neat about them. Pocket Watch is certainly a keeper. No it is not gold or even silver for that matter, but at least it was a timely find. The pistol bullet is an oldie for sure. The ceramic tube was odd, as I could not figure out why the detector kept hitting on it? Then I realized there was a copper wire going through it. Still not 100% certain what this find is, but I think it had to do with electrical wiring and or insulator of some kind? If you know, chime in. The coolest discovery to me was a really nice ornate bottle top. It's a screw on type made of lead and looks to be a crown. But it has white glass on the inside of the cap. There again, if you have an idea, please share you knowledge. So if I can be at an old mining camp and pick these treasures among iron, I feel a Relic Hunter could do the same thing. What about Urban Detecting for micro jewelry in a tot lot or volley ball court? I think you could pull a few ear rings, belly studs and toe wraps from those sites as most folks who hunt them find the larger coins and rings. Heck, their machines might even miss a dainty ankle bracelet too. Moral of the story. A gold detector is best at finding gold, but realize it also has other capabilities that can allow for more fun/finds. What are some of your favorite non gold nugget finds with a gold detector, I'd love to see them.

I read this story about a little 'color' in a stream in Greenock. People talking about some flakes but then they talked about seeing them from a distance and then they showed this guy with a colander and he had a hand full of REAL nuggets. What a hoot! http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/16128940.Gold_found_in_stream_at_Cardwell_Garden_Centre/