About a month ago I decided it was time to take some of my tax refund money and buy a metal detector. I've always wanted one and thought it would be a fun, interesting and great way to get some exercise and YES to find some TREASURE that I might be able to sell on eBay!
I almost bought one about two years ago and spent some time researching different models. I called a local guy, Donnie Bagwell, who sells them and is very active in the local metal detecting club. Check out his site www.treasuredigger.net . We discussed models, differences, features and my treasure hunting preferences and honed in on a couple of options.
Well, things happened and I didn't make the purchase that year or the next. I've thought about it time and time again and this year (Because Uncle Sam was very generous to me.) I decided that I would go for it and add a real treasure hunting tool to my arsenal.
I called Donnie and headed out to meet with him so I could check out the detectors that he sells and spend some time getting the feel and a little training from an expert.
Metal detectors vary in price and sophistication. Some are cheap, don't last, aren't durable and don't function very well and others are expensive, reliable, pretty stable and have very elaborate electronics that can tell you if you are picking up the signal of a pull tab, ring or viable target. I'm still learning and would welcome some helpful hints! Please send them to me!!!
After meeting with him, we determined based on our conversation, that a White's metal detector would be the best solution for me. There were two White's models that fit my needs - the MXT and the DFX. The MXT is a great overall detector that will work in the water, has plenty of power and it picks up and isolates a great deal of trash from trinkets. The DFX is more expensive, has a rechargeable battery pack and more options on the display and some additional features.
Still being a little unsure, I asked if I could borrow a unit and spend some time trying it out.
I left with an MXT and went straight over to some property that I own to try it out around an old cabin foundation.
First, let me tell you about the cabin site. I purchased some property last year at the base of the mountains in Upstate South Carolina that has an interesting history. I've asked a lot of questions and was told by a couple of old timers that a man named Clyde Howard used to live on this land and his father Jack Howard farmed the bottoms across from this property.
The cabin is long gone, the rock chimney has fallen over and trees that are at the end of their life cycle are growing up through the middle of what was the foundation. From what I can tell, the cabin's been gone for about 75 or 80 years. Jim Plumley, who was raised on the mountain and is in his eighties, told me that he remembers going up there with his Dad to see Clyde as a young boy.
I started my search on the old road bed and immediately had a strong pull tab signal. Yep, it was a pull tab. Obviously left there by someone who was recently logging or hunting on the site.
It wasn't long before I had another strong signal. The detector registered that the item in question was about 6 inches deep so I dug a wide circle and sifted through the dirt. Much to my amazement, I found a small OLD lead bullet that had two rings around the bottom and I'm hoping it is civil war era. It was encrusted in dirt and had some oxidation on it. I put it in my collection bucket and moved up toward the old cabin site.
The next item that I found was an old mule/horse shoe that still had a couple of square headed nails in it. It was in perfect shape so I saved it, was thankful for the good luck token, and thought about hanging it up over my doorway at home.
I walked over to the big wide oval rock that was used as a stoop step and the detector displayed an immediate loud target.
After digging for a minute or two, I unearthed a very interesting item! It was about three inches across and three inches high and was horseshoe shaped. I guessed that the metal was brass or something similar because it wasn't rusty. The little piece of metal was a very emotional find.
What I held in my hand touched my heart. There in the center was a cut out heart. There were three little holes in the top that were pretty worn and two in the bottom that looked like places where nails had been.
At that moment, the cabin and the people who had lived there became personal and very real. There was an instant tie for me to someone who lived there long ago that I didn't know. It was clear that I had found something dear to someone that was special. The little token was a representation of love or affection to or from someone to someone else. It was personal.
I wondered who it belonged to and if it was a woman, man or child. What did it mean, and what was it nailed to? In it's day, times were hard and money did not come easy.
To me, the little scrap of metal was priceless. It tied me to the land. It made me appreciate those who came before me and reaffirmed that life goes on and will continue to do so.
It was a wonderful gift. I stopped digging, took my treasure, and headed home.
I almost bought one about two years ago and spent some time researching different models. I called a local guy, Donnie Bagwell, who sells them and is very active in the local metal detecting club. Check out his site www.treasuredigger.net . We discussed models, differences, features and my treasure hunting preferences and honed in on a couple of options.
Well, things happened and I didn't make the purchase that year or the next. I've thought about it time and time again and this year (Because Uncle Sam was very generous to me.) I decided that I would go for it and add a real treasure hunting tool to my arsenal.
I called Donnie and headed out to meet with him so I could check out the detectors that he sells and spend some time getting the feel and a little training from an expert.
Metal detectors vary in price and sophistication. Some are cheap, don't last, aren't durable and don't function very well and others are expensive, reliable, pretty stable and have very elaborate electronics that can tell you if you are picking up the signal of a pull tab, ring or viable target. I'm still learning and would welcome some helpful hints! Please send them to me!!!
After meeting with him, we determined based on our conversation, that a White's metal detector would be the best solution for me. There were two White's models that fit my needs - the MXT and the DFX. The MXT is a great overall detector that will work in the water, has plenty of power and it picks up and isolates a great deal of trash from trinkets. The DFX is more expensive, has a rechargeable battery pack and more options on the display and some additional features.
Still being a little unsure, I asked if I could borrow a unit and spend some time trying it out.
I left with an MXT and went straight over to some property that I own to try it out around an old cabin foundation.
First, let me tell you about the cabin site. I purchased some property last year at the base of the mountains in Upstate South Carolina that has an interesting history. I've asked a lot of questions and was told by a couple of old timers that a man named Clyde Howard used to live on this land and his father Jack Howard farmed the bottoms across from this property.
The cabin is long gone, the rock chimney has fallen over and trees that are at the end of their life cycle are growing up through the middle of what was the foundation. From what I can tell, the cabin's been gone for about 75 or 80 years. Jim Plumley, who was raised on the mountain and is in his eighties, told me that he remembers going up there with his Dad to see Clyde as a young boy.
I started my search on the old road bed and immediately had a strong pull tab signal. Yep, it was a pull tab. Obviously left there by someone who was recently logging or hunting on the site.
It wasn't long before I had another strong signal. The detector registered that the item in question was about 6 inches deep so I dug a wide circle and sifted through the dirt. Much to my amazement, I found a small OLD lead bullet that had two rings around the bottom and I'm hoping it is civil war era. It was encrusted in dirt and had some oxidation on it. I put it in my collection bucket and moved up toward the old cabin site.
The next item that I found was an old mule/horse shoe that still had a couple of square headed nails in it. It was in perfect shape so I saved it, was thankful for the good luck token, and thought about hanging it up over my doorway at home.
I walked over to the big wide oval rock that was used as a stoop step and the detector displayed an immediate loud target.
After digging for a minute or two, I unearthed a very interesting item! It was about three inches across and three inches high and was horseshoe shaped. I guessed that the metal was brass or something similar because it wasn't rusty. The little piece of metal was a very emotional find.
What I held in my hand touched my heart. There in the center was a cut out heart. There were three little holes in the top that were pretty worn and two in the bottom that looked like places where nails had been.
At that moment, the cabin and the people who had lived there became personal and very real. There was an instant tie for me to someone who lived there long ago that I didn't know. It was clear that I had found something dear to someone that was special. The little token was a representation of love or affection to or from someone to someone else. It was personal.
I wondered who it belonged to and if it was a woman, man or child. What did it mean, and what was it nailed to? In it's day, times were hard and money did not come easy.
To me, the little scrap of metal was priceless. It tied me to the land. It made me appreciate those who came before me and reaffirmed that life goes on and will continue to do so.
It was a wonderful gift. I stopped digging, took my treasure, and headed home.
Calling all treasure hunters!!! If you know what this item is, can you please let me know? I have no clue and would really appreciate it if someone had some insight! Please email me @ treasureholic@gmail.com Thanks!
2 comments:
Hi Dana,
What serendipity!
I have just ordered a Whites MXT300 and should get it tomorrow (I hope) in time for an outing in Wiliams, AZ. This is my first detector and I wanted a good one. I hope my research was divinely inspired. :-)
I have been living in AZ and hope to also do some gold prospecting before I leave here. I am moving back to SC in October. My family (Mom) lives in Marietta; I assume close to where you are. I have planned to visit the old family homesites an treasure hunt. Maybe we can meet an swap stories.
Have you identified the object with a heart yet. My first impresion was a heel plate. People used to put custom metal plates on the heels of their shoes to make them wear longer. I don't remember what size you wrote. Is it a possible size for that?
Nice to read about you.
randolph@edwardrandolph.com
Ooops!
Sorry for the typos. I need to proofread before posting. My own blogs let me edit. :-)
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