Unexpected Big Silver

[Dan(NM)]

We finally got a couple of days of decent rain here in Central Texas. It's been dry as a bone for the last few weeks and the ground was getting pretty hard to dig in. The wife gave me her blessings to go hunt all day long, so I headed to one of the parks that has been producing very well. When I arrived I could tell that this place had received a fair share of rain. With hopes riding high I began my hunt. This was my first hunt in some damp soil, I was in for a rude awakening! This dirt is the stickiest gooiest mess I think I've ever dug in. After almost 2 hours all I had to show for my efforts was three or four pieces of clad. My spirits were sinking faster than the Titanic. My plan was the grid off areas until I got into something good. After about an hour and a half of that and only four Wheaties to show for it, I decided to do some freelance and just wander around aimlessly and head to my car and call it a day. I got into an area that I haven't spent much time in and the first signal I got was a big old aluminum token from a chamber of commerce. About 30 ft from there I get another signal hitting in the mid 30s dropping down to 30 but jumping back up to 33-34 on the Equinox. Usually that means sprinkler head or a large piece of aluminum. Cut a plug, took out about six inches of dirt, stuck my pinpointer in the hole expecting to hit the target.  I started scanning the dirt that I had dug out and  almost fell over backwards when I saw some big shiny in the dirt ball :-) This was the very last thing that I expected to find today. Good thing nobody was around cuz all I could do is just sit there and laugh like a madman as I was taking pictures of it. I spent about another hour wandering around the park and decided to call it a day.

[Raphis]

Your scenario (especially with elusive silver halfs) has happened to me numerous occasions over the years.  Just recently, I was detecting a very small park that has produced countless silver dimes, a few silver quarters, and hundreds of wheat pennies over the years.  My buddies and I have zig zagged over the same ground at this small park many dozens of times, and on this one recent hunt, I hadn’t found but a few wheats, until I ended up finding a walker half, which was the first silver half dollar we have found at this little park after hundreds of previous hours of hunts...you just never know!

Congrats on your barber Half!!

[Valens Legacy]

Another great hunt in the books for you again, I believe that you are killing it.

Good luck on your next hunt and may the half dollar fairies help you find some.

[rvpopeye]

I remember that mud  !

Lived in San Antonio for a rainy season...it was way better than dealing with snow though .

(The coins cleaned up way better than my almost all white Dalmatian pooch LOL.

 

 

 

[Joe D.]

Nice saves Dan,

I also think the token is pretty cool! Any idea how old it is??

    We all covet the silver and gold finds! But remember, back in the days of the Washington Monument being built, aluminum was more valuable than gold!! The aluminum pyramid on top of the monument was BIG money back then! 

    I've only found one half (Walking Liberty) in a lake here, and the hydrogen sulfide had done a number on it! Yours popped out fine and dandy, albeit a little mucky!!👍👍

[locator]

Very nice digs. Congratulations & thanks for sharing.👍

[Old Line Paul]

I know I sound like a broken record*, but 5 months into the hobby and I’m still amazed at the quantity of coins people manage to lose in parks!

Especially something like your silver half-dollar. First, it’s a substantial item. Wouldn’t you notice if you dropped it? Second, 50 cents was a significant amount of money 100 years ago. Even 55 years ago, I could have bought 5 ice cream cones for that amount. Wouldn’t you get down on your hands and knees until you found it?

 I suppose it could have fallen out of some young man’s trouser pocket while he was sitting on the grass, pitching the woo to his sweetheart, and he didn’t notice. If those old coins could talk!

* I’m showing my age. How many people today know what a broken record sounds like?

[rvpopeye]

* I’m showing my age. How many people today know what a broken record sounds like?

 

That depends on just how broken the record is....can you still turn it over and start playing it over again, over again , over again.....?