World's Fair Pin

[George Kinsey]

19 hours ago, Tom_in_CA said:

I'm not George, but I'll take a crack at this :   It depended on who you were , and how hard-core you were.  There were a LOT of hunters back in those days that were strictly doing park turf, beach, etc...    And did not have the "presence of mind" to do exotic things like stage stops, forts, old-town demolition, etc.....    Not sure how true this is of back-east (and CW areas, etc...) .  But it's true of where I'm at in CA.   We were content to ply the parks for silver .   Didn't know any better.   Doh !

 

And the machines had no disc. up to the mid 1970s, in the era of 77b, 66TR, etc... (aside from ignoring small iron).  And the early TR discriminators (mid to late 1970s) were wimpy.  And didn't tackle minerals.   And were a bear to keep balanced.  Even when the original motion discrimination came out (1978 -ish with the Red Baron and the 6000d), they were slow to catch on.  News traveled slower in those days.    And these early motion machines were wimpy compared to today's depth.   Nonetheless, silver was "easy" for a few years in the late 1970s to early 1980s, for turf hunters.  Albeit just mercs and roosies type-stuff.

 

To be honest with you, we'd have thought 3 or 4 silver from park hunt day was good.  And , heck, I can still do that today at-will.  

 

I'm sure there were pioneers who got the better tech. earlier.  And who went to virgin sites first (virgin fairgrounds, etc....).  And I'm sure there were guys that wised up to relic-mindset earlier than others.   But for others of us, it was all about turf and tame beach stuff in the earlier years.  So there was still virgin stage stop stuff into the 1990s and 2000s (heck, even to this day if you're a researcher and ballsy-type).

 

[Ridge Runner]

GB_Amateur

 I remember the Heathkits and almost got one but got something else. Son you walk softly when you bring up the subject of age .haha I have found out if you live long enough you will get old .

 I got a joke for you that my mother told me I believe when she was in her 80’s .

 This guy came across a friend on the street and his friend ask where did you get that black eye ?The guy replied would you believe in church. Then he ask what happen ?

 Well I was sitting in church and the song leader ask us to stand up and we did . But here was this lady standing in front of me with her dress in the crack of her rear. So I just reached over crabbing the bottom of her dress and popped it out . You can see how I got paid for my good deed.

 Time had past and here again was that same friend. The friend ask don’t you have another black eye ? He answered yes and would you believe bye the same woman. The friend ask what happen this time? Well here I was in church again and again the song leader ask us to stand up. When we did here was the same lady in front of me with her dress stuck in the crack of her rear again. The guy next to bend’s over and pops it out like I did before. Well I knew she didn’t want it out so I stuck it back in.

 GB I named my oldest son Heath . I guess you could say my wife and I put that Heathkit together. 

 Chuck 

[George Kinsey]

On 1/2/2023 at 12:49 PM, NCtoad said:

George

for those of us who are fairly new to detecting, can you tell us what it was like detecting back in the 70s?   I’m sure there was more silver coins and more virgin sites that had never been detected.  How well did the detectors from that era work?   

It was fun. Silver coins and Civil War Relics were in most D.C. and Baltimore Parks. I first used a Metrotech 220A. Looked Alien but worked well on shallow targets. After Military Service I got really hooked and starting buying Whites from a local guy in his basement. First Whites was a CM4. Reverse discrimination was the way I would find deep signals. This worked well with the 4000d and so on until the 6DB came out with motion discrimination. You had to whip it fast to get the most out of it. People who left holes got us run out of many old parks, and in Baltimore a club certified you to receive the permit. Unlike what I see on you tube, you were not allowed to dig in the summer months so you could not kill the grass. Relic Hunting required alot of research, and your ability to travel the old civil war era roads was a must. We used an 1865 Map of Montgomery County to find many Civil War Camps. When in Rome Dress as the Romans. I would carry John Deere Hats to give to the Farmers who gave us permission.Hell we even got invited in for breakfast at a Farmers table. Many hundred detectors later, from all over the planet, I can still take my trusty old Whites 4900 and find coins and relics.Don't be afraid to go to the door and ask permission. Wether it's yes or no say thank you for your consideration. Oh and leave the Ugly Guy in the car!

 

[Ridge Runner]

Hey George  
 I too had a 4900 and like you said it was a great machine. I’m thinking I sold it to my father in law and that’s when I bought the Eagle two. It still works great and find them coins.

 If you had the Eagle you could send it to White’s and for 125.00 they would update it to a Eagle two . That’s the only time I know of Whites doing that.

 The Best!

 Chuck 

[George Kinsey]

Yep. Had all the Eagles.