1996 Digs
One years finds using Garrett GTA1000 and Tesoro Piranha detectors
Picture shows quarters (rear), dimes(center), nickles (front), and pennies in the bowl
Amazing discoveries! but a year ago I thought I had everything hunted out already. One thing for sure, I learned a lot this year!
I guess I started out the year a little jealous of all of the great finds that I had seen that others had found, and of course I wanted
to explore several new forms of hunting. I had reached the point that if I heard one more story about someone finding a big gold
ring I would just about give up. Starting this year I hunted mostly parks and school yards with an occasional home site thrown
in. Note I didn't say OLD home site... That is because no one was here but the Indians and they didn't loose anything worthwhile.
Silver was just as impossible to find here as gold rings because metal detecting here has been going great guns for over 30 years,
and these guys are gooooood! I knew that if I was to make a worthwhile treasure hunter "I" was going to have to come up with
an edge over the competition, not that they weren't friendly folk, just not forthcoming with all their good hunting spots.
I was sure that I was jinxed! I never found ANY jewelry! I think it took my wife finding a pair of gold rings that forced
me to think about spending more time looking for jewelry because all the way back home all I heard was "ring", "ring", "ring" and
I was getting sick of it. After all she found them on top of the ground! That wasn't the worst... she was the one who found the
first silver ring with the detector! More "ringing" in my ears. I had enough... I was going to lay aside coin shooting which I loved
to go off on some wild goose chase and look for rings. I spent my days digging trash now... UGGHH! No fun just dirty work.
But one great day I was collecting garbage in the ball park with a picture in my head about how someone might go about losing
a ring when I dug up what I took to be a twist cap. Something funny though, it had a hole in it! Wow! back flips... I did it and
broke the jinx! Now it was my wifes turn to hear ringing in her ears!!
Things were improving now and I enjoyed coin shooting a lot and now and then when a place looked promising I would look for
rings also. Summer arrived and people started migrating to the beach. My learning curve started at the bottom again. I decided
I would learn the beach( a harder task than I imagined!) At first it was just following the crowds and coin shooting because I
really didn't want to dig a washtub of pulltabs and twist tops. I discovered that I was spending too much time bending down
and looking for something in the sand and needed to work on that some. That project took the rest of the year. Coins were
everywhere in June and July but by August it got too hot for the air conditioned babies. During the summer an amazing transformation
occurs as the hot dog stands move down and open up. The portable restrooms appear all along the seawall, and beach umbrellas
with reclining chairs popped up like mushrooms in splendid colors and crowds of families looked for parking space near
the beach and embraced the sun and sea with visible delight. If I had known then what I know now, but then theres always
next summer. I picked up a lot about hunting the dry sand and recovery methods but it was the fall of the year and Labor day
in early September when my new water hunting pulse detector arrived. For all of the landlubbers, let me tell you theres nothing
to compared to swinging the coil up to your chest in water and scooping up something in your basket the glitters like radiant
butter in the sunshine. The thrill is more than I expected and before Labor day was over I had two gold rings and other treasures
to show for my new detector. I am sure that I can't express how different and exciting water hunting was for me. I walked for
a long time along the beach while not finding much and looking out there in the water at the lucky guys who were picking up
gold rings, earrings, watches, and coins with a look of satisfaction on their face. But now, there I was right out there among 'em,
dippin' up glitter just like them and loving it. More than that though was the quiet sea and the gentle sighing of my detector and
I had got more than I bargained for with a water unit and at my age I discovered life fresh and new like a kid again! I didn't think
that was possible anymore. There is more to metal detecting than just a walk in the park and if you haven't tried it yet I suggest
that you waste no time.
The large picture at the top of the page fails to include the many pairs of sunglasses, $40 in bills, a Ugly stick and Garcia
rod and reel, several diving masks, lots of silverware, and many silver and clad coins found in the club hunt.
As you can see I found more than coins this year and have a lot to be thankful for but here is a list of the material finds anyway:
Found in 1996
One Susan B. Anthony dollar
One 1922 Silver dollar | Silver valued at 4 times face
17 Dollar bills
3 Five dollar bills
1 Ten dollar bill
1349 Clad Quarters 12 Silver quarters |
2 clad half dollars 6 Silver half dollars | Silver valued at 4 times face
1555 clad dimes 52 Silver dimes |
406 nickles
2254 pennies
8 wheaties
TOTAL COINS COUNT FOR YEAR 1996 IS:
5646 COINS
YEARLY (coins and bills) $565.44
Plus club hunt figures $62.55
GRAND TOTAL COINS
$627.99
ABOUT 29 RINGS FOR THE YEAR AND MANY GOLD AND SILVER ITEMS OF JEWELRY.
THE ANNUAL TREASURE HUNTERS ASSOCIATION OF PASADENA CLUB TREASURE HUNT
CLUB TREASURE HUNT $13.75 CLAD
CLUB TREASURE HUNT $12.20 SILVER including 1922 silver dollar, several walking halfs, mercury dimes & more.
Figuring about 4 times face for silver plus clad totals equal $62.55
Monthly breakdown to follow:
January 1996
1 DOLLAR COIN SBA $1.00
135 QUARTERS $33.75
183 DIMES $18.30
35 NICKELS $1.75
224 PENNIES $2.24
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $57.04
ONE GOLD BRACELET
4 TOY CARS, 1 TOY TRAIN, 1 TOY BULLDOZER
1 BELT BUCKLE, POSTAL BOX KEY
2 TOKEN, 1 GREEK COIN
METALLIC NODULES
February 1996
68 QUARTERS $17.00
96 DIMES $9.60
15 NICKELS $.75
121 PENNIES $1.21
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $28.57
ONE SILVER RING
5 TOY CARS, 1 TOY FIRETRUCK,
1 MUSTANG 250 CAP PISTOL,
1 SOCCER MEDALLION, 1 BRACELET
1 GOLD AND DIAMOND RING (FAKE), 2 TOY MEN,
1 GALVESTON COIN, 1 TUBA MOUTHPEICE,
1 CANADIAN PENNY, 1 WHEAT CENT,
March 1996
53 QUARTERS $13.25
50 DIMES $5.00
25 NICKELS $1.25
75 PENNIES $0.75
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $20.25
ONE GOLD CHAIN
A THREE INCH REPLICA OF A MERCURY DIME ,
1 TOY MAN, 1 TOY FIRETRUCK,
1 SURGICAL CLAMP,
1 MARTI GRAU COIN, 1 RIFLE SLUG,
1 HARRY TRUMAN MEDAL, 1 BOY SCOUT BUCKLE,
1 EARRING, 1 ZIPPO LIGHTER, 1 PEACE METAL
April 1996
65 QUARTERS $16.25
86 DIMES $8.60
18 NICKELS $0.90
98 PENNIES $0.98
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $26.73
ONE SET OF 14K GOLD EARRINGS,
ONE STERLING SILVER CRUCIFIX,
1 NASA APOLLO MEDAL, 1 TOKEN, 1 WHEAT CENT,
1 TOY PLANE, 2 TOY TRUCK,
1 BASKETBALL METAL, 1 TEXAS KEY RING GIZMO,
1 ARROWHEAD NECKLACE CHARM, 1 EARRING,
May 1996
166 QUARTERS $41.50
221 DIMES $22.10
45 NICKELS $2.25
244 PENNIES $2.44
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $68.29
SILVER TURQUOISE ANTIQUE RING
SILVER MANS WEDDING BAND
SMALL CHILD’S RING
FOUR TOY CARS, 1 CALIFORNIA MEDAL, 1 PAIR GLASSES
FOUR HOUSEKEYS, 1 SKATE KEY, 2 BELT BUCKLES
TWO LARGE ALUMINUM COINS, TWO TOKENS
June 1996
1 HALF DOLLAR $00.50
202 QUARTERS $50.50
245 DIMES $24.50
54 NICKELS $2.70
250 PENNIES $2.50
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $80.69
One solid 14K Gold basketball pendant,
One 14K Gold ring with blue topaz,
One 14K Gold ring with small blue topaz,
One green torquoise silver ring,
One silver mans ring, One silver Mickey mouse ring,
Two earrings One gold? ring with stone missing,
One sterling silver indian charm,One Egyptian amulet,
One Abraham Lincoln medallion, One wheat cent
3 house keys, 1wings pin, 3 fishing sinkers, 4 rifle slugs, 2 toy men,
One pair Ray Ban gold rim sun glasses, One pair sun glasses
July 1996
7 DOLLAR BILLS $7.00
275 QUARTERS $68.75
201 DIMES $20.10
59 NICKELS $2.95
376 PENNIES $3.76
5 WHEATIES $0.05
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $102.61
One antique wedding ring with 19 stones,
One "set" of earrings, One twisted bracelet,
One silver crucifix, One gold? ring,
Ten keys, Ten toy cars, One toy firetruck, One toy plane,
One silver hair clasp, Two famous faces coins,
One Alcholics Anonymous aluminum coin, and much more
August 1996
10 DOLLAR BILL $10.00
5 DOLLAR BILL $5.00
1 DOLLAR BILL $1.00
80 QUARTERS $20.00
91 DIMES $9.10
45 NICKELS $2.25
277 PENNIES $2.77
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $50.12
One 10K Gold ring with birthstone, one silver puzzle ring,
One sterling silver bracelet, one pair silver earrings,
One silver crucifix necklace with turquoise stone,
One digital sports divers watch (in good working order)
One ladies watch, One 5 pfennig coin, One toy car, 5 keys,
One small purse, Several toy men, and much more
September 1996
5 DOLLAR BILL $5.00
3 DOLLAR BILLS $3.00
60 QUARTERS $15.00
84 DIMES $8.40
41 NICKELS $2.05
166 PENNIES $1.66
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $35.11
One large 14k gold mans wedding ring,
One fake ladies gold ring with 2 diamonds and one emerald,
One wristwatch crystal with 12 synthetic diamonds,
One gold earring with 8 synthetic diamonds and large purple stone,
Two gold earrings, 2 silver earrings, 2 cheap earrings,
One pair perscription sunglasses, 3 toy men, 1 toy truck, 2 toy cars
4 slugs, 2 shell casings, 3 keys, 3 sinkers, and much more
October 1996
2 DOLLAR BILLS $2.00
84 QUARTERS $21.00
78 DIMES $7.80
36 NICKELS $1.85
153 PENNIES $1.53
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $34.18
One 18 inch gold chain
One silver ring with turquoise, One mans nugget ring,
One Mexical silver ring, Two cheap rings,
Two matching gold earrings, 4 earrings,
One pendant, one football charm, one (broken) bracelet,
One bead necklace, 43 military slugs (WW2), 3 keys,
Two pair of sunglasses, 10 fishing sinkers
November 1996
2 DOLLAR BILLS $2.00
1 FIVE DOLLAR BILL $5.00
83 QUARTERS $20.75
94 DIMES $9.40
26 NICKELS $1.30
168 PENNIES $1.68
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $40.13
One 18 inch diamond cut silver rope chain
One 11.2 gram 14K gold nugget ring
One 10K ladies ring with initial "N"
One 14K gold and silver ring with heart and dove
One Sterling silver ladies ring with musical clef
One silver ring with flowers around it
One fake gold ring with 12 small chips and one large teardrop diamond
One Saint Christopher medal
One (silver) ankle bracelet with many little bells
Four earrings and two berets, One brass polar bear token
Five toy cars, one key ring, 2 fake doubloons, 1 silver spoon, several fishing sinkers
December 1996
46 QUARTERS $11.50
81 DIMES $8.10
22 NICKELS $1.10
102 PENNIES $1.02
ONE MONTH TOTAL OF $21.72
One 14k Gold ring with unicorn
One 14K Gold ring with 5 chips and 3 black stones
One gold plated ring with 10 chips and synthetic ruby
One gold chain bracelet, One small gold locket with chip
One cutout 1905 Indian head penny dipped in gold
One silver star earring, One top from ring with black stone
One Texas National Guard medal for faithful service
One girl scout pin, One pair of Air Force Sunglasses
One 100 peso brass coin, One 1953 1 peso coin
Two forks and two knives, one token, one toy car
One Junior Olympics medal, One Canadian 5 cent
One Rosevelt dime with face stamped on it
One (cracker jack) play ring
thats all folks....
