An Ethical Dilemma (resolved?)

[F350Platinum]

Hey y'all,

It's been a hot summer, haven't been posting much because most of my hunts have been run-of-the-mill, I'm just not finding a heck of a lot, and when I do it's kinda the same old stuff. Sadly all my current permissions are covered with crops, and I really haven't got round to finding any new ones. I do get out at least one day a week detecting anyway. 🙂

I went to my little beach one day and ran into the couple that owns a bit of adjoining beach, asked them if I could detect it. Turned out they were moving, and they said "since you've been so nice asking, have at it!"

It's the 2 spaces beyond the chain. The next 2 are county property.

Didn't find anything except this coin:

It's solid brass with a plate attached, it's been in the river for a couple years, should last a long time. It has a plain mirror reverse:

I got home and did a ton of research, it turns out it's a coin. This young man's father had 1200 made to memorialize him, he was a high school boy who went to a quarry, and was killed jumping in the water. It was all over the news here in 2019. You have to follow the hashtag as the web address is no longer valid.

My dilemma was whether to return it to the family or who? Make a big deal of it or not? Someone tossed it in the Potomac, they have left them everywhere and all over the world. Great showing of respect for this young man whose life ended all too soon, 3 days before he graduated from high school.

I thought about it for a couple of days, and finally returned it to the spot I found it. I think the person who put it there would have wanted that for their friend. 🙂 It is a beautiful spot.

[CPT_GhostLight]

I'm out of likes for the day, but 👍 to you, F350! That is a tough decision, not because you didn't do what you believed was the right thing to do. You absolutely did.

But I have to wonder, if those coins were made to commemorate Henry's life, I would guess that the coins were meant to be shared to keep Henry's memory alive. If it's buried in the sand, who will see it to remember him? Maybe if it was permanently displayed somehow in a public place that beach goers would see and at least think of him and wonder who Henry Morin was, maybe that would better serve his memory.

I'm not casting any dispersions on reburying the coin at all. It was a nice thing to do. As I read your story, that's just what popped into my head and I'm not suggesting that you are under any responsibilty to do any of that.

 

[F350Platinum]

4 minutes ago, CPT_GhostLight said:

I'm out of likes for the day, but 👍 to you, F350! That is a tough decision, not because you didn't do what you believed was the right thing to do. You absolutely did.

But I have to wonder, if those coins were made to commemorate Henry's life, I would guess that the coins were meant to be shared to keep Henry's memory alive. If it's buried in the sand, who will see it to remember him? Maybe if it was permanently displayed somehow in a public place that beach goers would see and at least think of him and wonder who Henry Morin was, maybe that would better serve his memory.

I'm not casting any dispersions on reburying the coin at all. It was a nice thing to do. As I read your story, that's just what popped into my head and I'm not suggesting that you are under any responsibilty to do any of that.

 

Thanks Cap'n, exactly the kind of great feedback I was hoping for. 🙂

If you follow the hashtag it takes you to a very sad but noble Facebook thread where they leave them on mountains, toss them in fountains and lakes and rivers. I had to scoop pretty deep to get it, it was a banging 93, at least 6 inches or more under the sand.

I tossed it in the river about the same water depth in the spot I found it, so it has sort of a new lease at the top of the sandy bottom. I just figured the person who deposited it there had a specific reason for it, the area I live is a popular vacation/cottage spot. It was more respecting the bereft than the named.

[CPT_GhostLight]

👍! Understood. You did the right thing and your story was a moving tribute to Henry and his family.

 

[Valens Legacy]

I wonder if the school that he went to has one of those on display with his story.

Should you ever find out and they want it, you know exactly where to look for it.

Thanks for sharing and good luck on your next outing.

I also heard that a little bit of fuel across a field on a windy day takes care of the crops real quick. I know that you would never do such a thing like that, because you like the waiting game on detecting a nice spot.

If you need to know which fuels I can ask some of the local farmers I live near, just for reference of.

[Badger-NH]

I generally take the summer off from detecting and don't start again until the fall after the crops are cut and the beaches become less crowded. Summer hay fields are often too dry to dig. Cooler weather is preferable as well.

The disc isn't interesting enough for me to keep. I would have set it somewhere for others to see. Obviously the person who had them made didn't intend for them to be buried or thrown away, but I understand about respecting the bereft. If they were to see it, it might remind them of the tragedy.

[Rick N. MI]

Yes, you did the right thing.

My buddy and I were hunting a spot near a fort that the British, French and Indians were there. He found a hand made copper jewelry he thought was made by an Indian. He put it back in the ground and he showed me where he buried it and I said I'll take it and I did. We went back again detecting and some strange things were happening as we hunted. My buddy thought it was sacred Indian ground. We went back and buried the copper jewelry again and put tobacco and cross with it. My buddy won't detect there anymore. Also heard about another guy that hunted there who took something and strange things were happening to him. He took it back and will never hunt there again. I did find a 1700's British 10th Regiment of the Foot button in excellent condition. I did keep that.

Sometimes you have to put it back to make it right.