40 Years Of Gold Detecting

[Norvic]

This month in 1979 I bought my first metal detector a Bounty Hunter RB7, took me almost 3 years of pure frustration to get my first nugget,(pic below) after many 100s of hours, I know now I sure went over heaps of detectable gold, and still do, but not the heaps I went over then,...…...I hope...……... Below is some photos, I wish to share with DP members to celebrate, unfortunately I did not take many photos, straight into the crusher smelted down and off to the mint, have scanned what I could find from the old "shoe boxes". Plus a couple of recent ones, the specimen last is highly magnified, gold in limestone, and although no weight is probably the most valued by me, not just because it was my first piece (found with that RB7), but because of its uniqueness.

Consider myself very privileged to live in this era, it has enriched my life not just in its monetary value, but given a challenge and still does that I suspect has no equal.  

MN I`ve gone and done it and not even close to the 30th of February.

[vanursepaul]

Thanks for the look looko

Nice history!

 

i had an RB also ....anodized red color

[Glenn in CO]

Thanks! for sharing your finds, nice collection of gold that you found.

I agree with you on last specimen and I would highly prize that one.

[fredmason]

Excellent history and pic's!

thanks

fred

[RickUK]

Outstanding images,really find these types of stories interesting.........would you do it all over again ??

 

[Norvic]

18 minutes ago, RickUK said:

would you do it all over again ??

RU, you can bet I would, tis a magic journey that I am still soaking in it, mind you a wee bit slower.

[mn90403]

Well done Sir Norvic. 

We have now seen with our eyes the stories you have told us with great care.

Thank you.

[strick]

So a guy can actually make money doing this stuff?   I was 16 years old in 1979...that was the year I should have took up metal detecting...but hunting and fishing were the hot stuff back then..not to mention hormones getting in the way every now and then. I was surprised to see that Bounty Hunter has been around that long...I had no idea. Thanks for sharing the pictures as we all know you don't do that for obvious reasons. My favorite is the big lump by the 2nd watch...if only you had the modern cameras of today back then!

strick 

[Norvic]

Right on, MN your mention of stories has got me a wee primed, and Stricks given a wee bit of encouragement too, this one I`m sure I took photos of but I can`t find them, so you`ll have to use your imagination.

Early days of the SD 2100, Mate decided we`d take his brand new Niva (Russian 4WD) for a days prospect. Jokingly before we took off I had a shot at the mates proud new purchase ( as any Toyota Troopy owner would naturally do) "Crikey wont want to get much this thing looks like a 6 pack would overload it." Anyway off we went, got stuck in a dry gully at base of a E/W ridge out in fringe country (mines, diggings miles away). Bit disappointed with the Niva getting stuck so easily, we left it stuck and decided to detect the quartzy ridge and creek at its base. Couple of hours later I`d got a massive signal and kicked a football sized lump of quartz which promptly rolled away a couple of metres downhill, signal gone back down over the quartz, signal back. Picked it up whoa, the weight was there, bugger all gold showing but when crushed she had a wee over 12oz in her. Was there more above, too right plus below there was, but I`m going to find those old photos before I tell. 

Strick that lump by the 2nd watch come from where I first took Nurse Paul in 2017, had been flogged for 30 years by every detector operator in OZ well nearly all of em, but the Z showed its magic and come up with the goods again. If you`ve your ears on Paul, could you please give your version of this story, I`ve told mine in another thread. 

[beatup]

a life well lived, with the gold found and memories made.