Headed back to the cellar today for some swingin. Decided to dig pretty much every signal to see what comes up. I been running the Ace350 with everything below a nickel shut off but turned it all on today and got to diggin. It's nice not diggin pull tabs and beer caps like at the parks and ball fields but whoever lived at this site was growing a nail garden lol. Heres a pic of the finds...
I found the little door knob and key about a foot from where I got the lock plate the other day. I bet they all go together. I got a weird jumpy signal and after finding 3 nails in the same hole I rechecked and found this old trade token.
After diggin a few more nails I got the weird jumpy signal again and found what I thought was a pin or something. Then rechecked the hole and got another one identical to the first. Here's what it looked like coming out of the ground...
Here's one cleaned up a bit. There's no pin or clasp or loop so not sure what they went to. Maybe on a piece of furniture or something.
After digging another door knob more nails and a couple hinges I got a signal that I could easily tell was a long thin target. About 7-8" down I saw round metal and knew it was a rifle barrel. Well I couldnt be more wrong lol. It's a big chisel! Or I should say....my new ice chipper lol. It's 51" long and weighs about 20 pounds.
No old coins today just the token but had a blast getting what I got. From there I went across town to try and find another cellar but didnt find it. Was a great day but at the same time it could very well be the last time until spring. Fingers crossed for some warm weather and 1 more day swingin but wont be to upset if it doesn't happen. Gotta start working on pics for a "best of 2014" write up now. It's been a great year!
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Actually have thought about doing some screening DH. This site is town property and when I contacted them about detecting on it, the town manager had no problem with it. He was VERY clear that this was the first time he's been asked for this kind of permission and as long as I leave no trace of me being there it's ok. He said if he has to send public works out to patch my damage that he'd put a stop to detecting on town property. It's a tight-knit small town of 1500 people and news spreads fast...especially bad news so I'm being extra careful not to blow it. But here's my plan...I am going to take some of my finds from this area and make a small display case for them an attend one of their historical society meetings in the spring and show them what i'm finding (musket balls, buttons, coins, tools, locks and keys). With hopes of gaining permission to some private properties. I would be more than willing to donate my finds from that town to the historical society to be displayed for all to enjoy. Not all cool relics are metal and the only way to find them is to screen. Like marbles, figurines,bottles,toys,clay pipes,the list goes on and on. I got a feeling if I can get the historical society members on my side, that gaining permission to do other methods of recovering history may be easier. We'll see what happens in the spring. 1800's trash is 2000's treasures and I find it absolutely fascinating.
Bob if you can find the old out house if there was one don't pass it up. I know sounds icky, but shouldn't be anymore and there's been many great things that come out of that place.
Hey just a idea of what I did one time.We were metal detecting old mining house/shack/store that was burnt to the ground.I know what you mean about nails and such.What we ended up doing was making a 4ft x 3ft screen out of 1/4 inch chicken wire and 2x2's.We would shovel onto screen and it caught a lot ,but it was dry digging not muddy.Just a thought is all Cool finds.The mind just races what a guy could find huh?