From the Webmaster's Desk...

Today was my lucky day.  It started out great and just got better!  I was visiting my parents the day before and as we were pulling up the driveway I noticed that the canal water was very low.  Well, I didn't have my detector with me but decided to come back the next day and give it another try.

It has been a few years since I have hunted the canal banks.  One treasure hunter out in Wisconsin saw the article about the canal published in Western and Eastern Treasure magazine and came for a visit.  He and his family did pretty good.  He found his first large cent, in bad condition, but still a pretty good find.  They also found a sapphire ring worth around $800.00, a few Indian head pennies and Mercury dimes.

I arrived around ten o'clock and walked down to the waters edge.  I was going to hunt the same area again, the area where the grass stops, and then down to the new water line which in this case, there was hardly any water in the canal.  Within five feet of swinging the coil I received an "iffy" signal.  On my White's, that translates to a 58 on the VDI scale.  Seventy (70) and above is the coin zone.  The depth meter indicated 2 1/2".  I dug down in the mud but couldn't see anything.  Running the coil back over the exposed mud told me something was there.  After a few minutes I saw a very small disc shaped object.  At first I thought it was a small brass washer.  Washing it off in the water revealed my first silver three cent piece.  What a way to start a day out metal detecting...wait...it gets better!

A memorial penny soon brought me back to reality.  Next a fishing sinker and a couple of .22 bullets.  The fishing sinkers are the older type.  Some still have the black braided line on them.  I have found them made out of a variety of materials and some very odd shapes.  About 100 feet from the bridge I received another penny/dime reading.  This time it turned out to be a silver Roosevelt dime.  A wheat penny turned up next with a date of 1911 or 1916.  It was hard to make out the date.

Another "iffy" signal around 62 popped up to what I first thought was an Indian head penny.  Washing it off in the water I could see the wreath with One Cent on the reverse.  When I turned it over there was no portrait of an Indian.  It read "For" in the center with "Ever Constitution" around the outer edge.  I think it is a Civil War token as it is patterned after an Indian head penny.  It is in terrible shape but still an interesting find.

Under the bridge I received a rather loud penny/dime reading.  Just 2" down I found a brass bell stamped "India" on the inside.  The clapper had long since rusted.  Another 50 feet past the bridge I received yet another "iffy" signal, this one around 50.  GOLD!  There is gold in them thar canal banks.  Up popped a shiny 1956 Flemington High School 10K class ring.  The initials are still on the inside.  This would make the owner's age around 62.  I will soon be contacting the high school to find the former owner if he is still in the area.  Seeing the look on the owners face when returning a ring is just as rewarding as digging it up!

Well, after about three hours on a 30 degree slope I decided to call it a day.  I was tired, muddy and hot.  The temperature wasn't too bad...around 85° but the humidity was 97%.  Yeah, three hours were enough!

I have always dug these "iffy" signals when hunting the canal banks.  I have no explanation as to why a silver three cent piece would not hit in the coin range (size?) or why some (most) Indian head pennies hit in the pull-tab range.  I do know from experience that when hunting old areas such as the canal or old churches, it pays to dig the signals that are not a solid coin reading.  I will also add that depth means nothing when hunting the canal.  I found some coins right on top of the ground but none today were deeper than 3".
 

See you in the field!

J.R. Hoff

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