Multicultural Pocket Spill

While I was doing some shallow detecting the other day I got a reading of that was bouncing around a bit between 12:35 and 12:41 and 99% of the time I would put money on it being a cursed aluminium twist top. I decided to dig it because I have been trying a few new settings with the CTX 3030 paired to the CTX 17 coil with some remarkably good results. To my surprise a coin from Singapore emerged but the Profind was still indicating another target in the hole. Then coin after coin from different countries started to surface, America, South Africa, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Israel and Ireland were all represented. I thought that they must have been from a traveller that was passing through Adelaide, if only these coins could talk, oh the stories they would tell. I will post a link soon to the Minelab Treasure Talk page as soon as they post my latest blog discussing the advantages of using the CTX 17 Coil. I have to say that is what is great about this hobby you just never know what is coming next, so until next time keep swinging and happy hunting.

CTX 3030 Silver,Relic & Coin Settings

Due to the long hot dry summer turning the ground into concrete, I decided to stick to parks and only hunt surface or shallow decimal coins. February has been a great month for me and with a few days to go I have already found over $740 with every chance of cracking over $800. I believe my success recently is due to some new settings that I am running on the CTX 3030 from Minelab and have had great success since just before Christmas. My best day was while visiting a friend of mine in another capital city and again due to the heat we decided that we would target Goldies all day to see how much we could find, after hitting a honey hole I amassed a crazy $250 plus in a little over 5 hours. Well enough bragging and back to the settings, I run the CTX 3030 with the standard 11” coil in the silver mode, while using the Tone ID profile in combined, Audio Response normal and Fast Recovery on. I believe the key is in to you turn the volume gain down to around 7 or 8 (you will have to experiment a bit) what happens is the deeper the target the quieter it will be. This does two things, firstly it creates less distraction from deep targets making the shallow sounds stand out, secondly the CTX 3030 then has to process less which makes it run a bit faster giving clearer crisper tones. In effect you will be concentrating on only the loudest, clearest and shallowest targets and I normally use audio response long for deep targets but it is a must to change this to normal because this also gives the shallower targets a really crisp signal. I have given this a good test over the last few weeks and found it to be ever so lethal on shallow targets; this in itself has opened up so many possibilities for areas that may have a layer of rubbish targets down deep. I am currently experimenting to see if it is possible to hunt a trashy area layer by layer to see how effective it is but I’ll leave that for another post. Below is a picture showing how I set up my combined pattern and the kHz that my CTX 3030 is set at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the E-TRAC you were able to use the variability to make the silvers and coppers really scream at you but on the CTX 3030 you need to change your Hz within your pattern. Running at 1200 Hz will make the good targets scream like having the variability cranked up on the E-TRAC and the 80 Hz makes the iron grunt out a really low tones. The iron grunting is great for determining if it is haloing or a target, by opening your screen right up (no discrimination) it will soon let you know if it is iron with deep grunts. Try this and if you have any further questions feel free to post a question in the comments and I will answer it, happy hunting and stay positive.

Not All That Glitters Is Gold Or Diamonds

Unfortunately after having the ring tested it turns out to be a very good gold plated fake. Damn, oh well I went back to the park today for another $75 in goldies. Happy Hunting all.

Mother Of A Ring

I had to pick my niece up and as I was running a bit early I decided to spend about half an hour at a park that was close by. I had been cleaning up on the goldies lately ($1 & $2 coins) with a total this week of over $300.00 and thought that I may as well try to add a few more to the tally. My first coin was a clear 12:37 on the CTX 3030 which turned up another $2 coin, I never grow weary of the tell-tale sharp double tone of these coins on the surface. I then moved towards an area in the shade only to be bombarded with a multitude of signals because the area was littered with screw caps ring pulls and many other bits and pieces of discarded trash. Often people get discouraged in these areas but you need to realise that lots of trash equals many people in the area with the potential of dropping something good. My first five targets were the cursed screw caps that can sound just like a Goldy, then I had a solid reading of 12:39 but there was also a couple of other close targets. The first was a $1 coin then I ran the coil over again and there was another 12:39, another $1 surfaced then over with the coil again and a solid 12:24 which is usually a 20 cent piece. As I poked around with the screwdriver to locate the target I hit something but it certainly didn’t feel like a coin, I popped the target and saw what looked like a big Junker ring so I tossed it in the finds bag and swung the coil again. There was still something in the hole, I dug around until I located an old pull top from a stubby in the same hole. My imagination started to run away as I wondered what if the ring was real, what could it be worth, so I pulled it out of my bag and started to wipe the dirt away half expecting to see Avon or something like that stamped inside but there were just 2 small hallmarks either side. Wow, my eyes were getting flashed as the sun reflected off of the facets of these big stones, could this possibly be the best ring I have found. This time it wasn’t thrown into the finds bag but found its way into my zip up safe pocket just in case it was the real McCoy. I detected for about another 10 mins amongst the trash and scored a second ring a couple of meters away but this one was only a silver albeit a nice one before heading off to pick up my niece. Happy hunting all and stay positive.

George III In Adelaide Again

Coins are where you find them, it is sometimes hard to explain how and why certain coins turn up where they do. I recently had a bit of a hunt in Adelaide and for those who may not know, was only settled in 1836 and therefore often leaves one scratching their head as to how George III coins end up here. My recent finds included a 1797 George III cartwheel penny and an 1806 – 07 George III half penny from an inner suburban park. It is an area that I have hunted with great success in the past and my recent finds are no exception with an 1890 threepence amongst the treasure unearthed. A friend was in town so we met up for a couple of hunts where he scored some early English silvers but the best find was an 1858 Harold Brothers ironmonger Hindley Street Adelaide traders token.

http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/58990/token-1-penny-harrold-bros-ironmongers-adelaide-south-australia-australia-1858

This site has produced some great finds and it still never ceases to amaze me as to what is still in the ground and from amongst these old coppers there were still a few nice silvers to be had, the oldest being an 1890 Victoria threepence. Spots like this are becoming harder to find but with some dedicated research and thinking outside of the square sooner or later it pays off. I found an interesting button with AUR, a crown and a book on it, made by Stokes Melbourne which stands for the Adelaide University Regiment formed in 1948 under the command of Major Rex J. Lipman.

The below is from the following web page

http://regimental-books.com.au/the-history-of-adelaide-university-regiment-p-498.html

Adelaide Universities Regiment was originally called Adelaide University Regiment. Concerns during the post war period spurred the Australian Government to reform the old ‘Militia’ (renamed CMF). Approval to raise Adelaide University Regiment was given on 17 September 1947 following the many good leaders trained from Sydney and Melbourne University Regiments for the 2nd AIF for World War Two. The rationale of having AUR on the Order of Battle was that in war, many university graduates would become officers in the Army and by having had a sound infantry training they would be better officers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_Universities_Regiment

and make sure you put your whole heart into what you are doing because this will open you up to what is truly possible and achievable.

New Swinging Sites

I had the chance to try a couple of new sites today and they both produced quite well indeed. I was only going to try for decimal coinage today with the ground being hard and dry but after leaving about twenty deep targets, that I presumed would more than likely be brown buggers with tone ID’s around 12:42 – 12:43 the CTX 3030 locked on to a 4:43 – 4:45. Now for all you lovers of big silver coins any ID around this is usually enough to get my excitement levels up, I only had to dig down about 5 inches and sure enough out came a nice 1917 Florin. So it was a quick change of plans and a few adjustments to my settings and it was time to see what else was around. I always make sure I have my audio response in long, deep on and my volume gain cranked right up to 30. I didn’t have to walk far and the signature ID 12:35 – 12:36 of a sixpence came up but I got a nice surprise as I retrieved the sixpence when a threepence came out with it. Well the coins just kept flowing with a total of eight silvers with three of these being florins accompanied by some pennies and half pennies. I decided to leave this spot until we get some substantial rain again so that it will be easier to cut a good plug without the ground crumbling to pieces.

I had a couple of other sites to try on the way home but the first one only produced about ten dollars in goldies before I went to the last spot. I hopped out the car cranked up the 3030 and almost the first swing came alive with that sweet sound of a shallow two dollar coin. This was followed up with a fifty cent piece and from then on it was a steady flow of goldies (1 & 2 dollar coins) for the next hour which netted me another thirty dollars. So with a handful of silver, fifty dollars and a couple of new sites to hunt I headed for home.

So until my next blog stay safe, happy hunting and remember, take time to appreciate all of your finds from the last year as with each one came a lesson learned.

Findem Then Arghhhh, Cleanem

It is one thing to go out and find a big heap of coins but I liken it to fishing when it comes to cleaning them, it is a pain in the proverbial sometimes. One of my favorite sayings is ”find the laziest man and give him the hardest job and he will find the easiest way to do it”. So now that you know that I am lazy, I will show you the best way I believe to clean up those really nasty corroded looking one and two dollar coins. This method can also be used on 50% silver coins but don’t hit them with the Dremel afterwards, just give them a rub with bicarbonate soda. It doesn’t work that well on the 925 silver but you can use the method of spitting in some foil and wrap it up tight after about a minute take it out and rub with bicarbonate. Don’t clean your coins unless you want them shiny for yourself, as you will decrease their value once cleaned. There is a link below that will take you to my You Tube channel that shows how I do it.

http://youtu.be/QHtA8hNJYS4

Below is a picture of the coins that were in the video and how they cleaned up. Note the one at the bottom with some corrosion still on it, this would have cleaned up better if I had left it longer or given it a second dip in the hydrochloric acid solution.

Hope this helps, happy hunting, stay positive and be aware that life is always lived in the present and getting there really means being there.

George V & Queen Mary Caught Hiding In The Pit

I just love it when my wife says that she would like to catch up with our daughter at her favourite shop, which just happens to be 5 mins from the Bottomless Pit. It was a nice 22 degrees yesterday and my head was in the right place to be going slow and steady while listening intensely for those wonderful high tones that I love. I have been wanting to try a few different settings and the pit has been the best place for testing as it has highly mineralised ground that wreaks havoc when trying to lock onto difficult targets. Also because I have hunted the area heavily most of the targets that are left prove to be a challenge given that most of the easier targets have been removed. A bit of background for those who don’t know the history of the pit and its never-ending supply of coins which now stands at 3160 after yesterdays 48 from an area not much bigger than a soccer pitch. A friend of mine found a sixpence on the oval while he was looking for decimal currency but it wasn’t until I purchased my E-TRAC and realised how good it was that I decided to see what else may be hidden below and so the enigma began. I later upgraded to the CTX 3030 which has made a big difference after hammering the pit with the E-TRAC for about 8 months.

As you can see from the picture above the bulk of the coins were 1 & 2 cent pieces, most were iffy signals but repeatable. The main change I made to my CTX 3030 was running it in Ground Ferrous instead of High Trash to see if it would cope better with the highly reactive soil, straight away there was a noticeable difference in the stability of the tones when locking onto targets. I changed between Ferrous Ground, Ferrous Coin and High Trash a few times after locating targets to see how much difference if any there was and although the targets were much more noticeable in F/G and F/C the big difference was using audio response long as with normal some of the targets were not reading very well at all and could have been easily mistaken for trash. After about twenty rubbish coins the silvers started to flow with the first being a nice 1959 ram shilling followed by another six silvers with the best for the day being a tidy looking 1938 sixpence. I would hazard a guess at how many silvers have come from this site but it must be somewhere in excess of 300 over the last eighteen months, what a site.

My best for the day was a strange signal that came in around 12:43 which would normally have been another 1 cent piece but to my delight from about 7 inches down came a great looking Coronation George V and Mary 1911, Commonwealth Celebrations June 1911 medallion. Another great find from my bottomless pit! These were issued to school children with 400,000 being minted by Stokes of Melbourne to celebrate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911.

http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/52622/medal-coronation-of-king-george-v-queen-mary-commemorative-australia-1911

Well I left yet again shaking my head while marvelling to myself at how aptly named the Bottomless Pit is. Until next time happy hunting, stay positive and go out SWINGING because your in box will still be full even when your on your death-bed.

Tram Cars & Paper Clips

I just want to make mention of my mates wife who passed away last week after her battle with cancer, rest in peace Kirsty and you will ever be in our memories.

Born  in Australia on 16 April 1974
Passed away  on 6 November 2012
Aged 38 years.

After the funeral on Tuesday everything was kind of surreal, when I woke on Wednesday morning it really didn’t feel too much like my birthday but I decided the best thing for me would be to get my work out-of-the-way quickly and go for a nice quiet Adelaide parklands hunt. I was enjoying the sunshine as my thoughts ebbed and flowed and to be honest I really didn’t care if I found anything or not, it was just so peaceful. The targets did start to flow and although there weren’t many they were certainly quite interesting. I found a small square plate that was too dirty to read, but considering that it had two small fastening holes there was a good chance that there would be something written on it. I found the usual coins and bits then an interesting plate surfaced with a jockey’s cap at the top and a horseshoe around the edge, with the words Perry & Co written on it. Turns out this is what was left of a A good luck brass paperclip by Perry & Co London.   

The second picture is what it should look like on the back but unfortunately the back was missing and I didn’t find it. My favorite find for the day was the small plate which after cleaning revealed the words John Stephenson Co, Patent Oct 17 18??, New York and after a bit of Google magic and a brief but interesting history lesson it really shed some light on the area that I was detecting. When I had researched this area it often made obscure references to a tram line and also I did know of an area only a few hundred metres away where the first horse-drawn trams used to run through the Adelaide Parklands. You see John Stephenson was a coach builder in New York and it was decided around 1876 that Adelaide’s first 20 horse-drawn trams were to be imported from John Stephenson instead of continuing to allow a couple of local coachbuilder Duncan & Fraser carriage builders the opportunity to continue building Adelaide’s coaches, this proved to be a costly mistake. The link below has the full story.

http://www.duncanandfraser.com/brief%20company%20history.html

http://www.midcontinent.org/rollingstock/builders/stephenson1.htm

This was another great piece of South Australia’s early history unearthed, so I am now wondering if a plate I found a couple of weeks back was part of a tram as well, I have had no luck identifying it as yet.

Happy hunting all and until my next blog stay positive, swing low and always be hopeful that your next target is something amazing. Here’s a thought for when you are wrong next time (because there’s always a next time), blaming is a recipe for disaster as it is a vote for things to stay the same, so stop blaming others and allow yourself to grow.

1887 Adelaide Exhibition & 1890′s Religious Medal

Back to the spot I hunted where we found the gothic florin and the Adelaide J Howell token for a few more oldies. First target was an 1805 -1806 George III half penny not far from where I pulled the 1897 threepence a couple of days ago, it seems there are a lot of George III in South Australia. It was one of those hunts that just kept getting better and better as I locked onto another solid tone around 12:40 - 12:41. My thoughts were maybe it was a penny or shilling so I got to digging or should I say chipping away at the rock hard ground to reveal a really nice looking 1917 threepence. The day was starting to heat up with a forecast high of 29 degrees and I could really feel the sting of the sun every time I came out of the shade so I tried hard to work the areas underneath some big old gum trees but there was little there. As I moved from this group of trees towards another I hit a patch in between and pulled a nice 1900 Britannia half penny, then an 1877 followed by an 1886 Britannia penny.

I decided to give this area a thorough going over as it was spitting out some great early coins. My next signal was a 12:37 but it was a little flutey on one side but when you are on sites like these you have to dig every thing that is repeatable, another chip away at the ever hardening ground soon had the target out and according to my Profind hidden somewhere in the loose dirt. I brushed away some dirt and revealed a really odd-shaped object which looked very much like silver, it was a cross-shaped medallion with Christ on it and the words “He Was Despised And Rejected Of Men”. I had found these religious medals before but never a silver one, as I turned it over I seen that it had the complete Lord’s prayer on the back, what a great find. I stood up and ran the CTX back over the hole and there was still another target but this time it was a solid 12:37, as I flicked the dirt out another small silver disc came to the surface. I picked it up thinking it was a threepence but then read the words Adelaide exhibition 1887, another medallion that must have come from the same necklace, what a great couple of finds. As much as I love finding old coins I really do appreciate and love these type of finds as the have so much historical reference to South Australia and always take me on a historical journey into our past. Adelaide’s 1887 Exhibition celebrated 50 years of settlement in South Australia, and showcased produce and manufactured goods from Australian colonies and selected overseas countries and it was also the celebration of the jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign. The Adelaide Exhibition was modelled on the Great Exhibition of 1851, staged in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London.

http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1068&c=8717

http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/280578/medal-australian-religious-victoria-australia-circa-1890

I kept hunting for a while but it wasn’t going to be easy to top these finds so I called it a day and knew that it would not be long before I was back to see what else was hidden in the dirt. There is something special about spots like this that are literally minutes from the CBD that have cars only meters away going back and forth past all day while you are finding such amazing coins and relics. I often wonder what they are thinking as they stop at the lights and watch with curiosity for a few minutes, possibly thinking to themselves, what the heck could he be looking for. Happy hunting all and keep the coil to the coil because if you don’t you just simply wont find anything. A thought, people who are chronic complainers are simply afraid that they can’t make a difference, so stop complaining and start to think outside the square.