Metal Detector’s Blog

On October 22, 2006 I was relic hunting near Fredericksburg, Virginia. I had just dug three Confederate Gardner bullets and received another signal on my Explorer XS that sounded and IDed like another bullet.

After dumpung my second shovelful of dirt I was surprised to see a small silver coin on top of the dirt pile. I thought I had just dug a piece of Spanish silver but when I picked up the coin I knew I was wrong.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was holding a worn 1792 half disme! I knew I had found something special but it wasn’t until I went home and did some research did I realize how special it was. The 1792 half disme was the first coin minted by the United States.

There were 1500 minted of which around 250 are known to exist today. It is reported that the silver used to mint this coin came from George Washington in the form of his silver serving set. Thomas Jefferson hand delivered the freshly minted half dismes to George Washington and he dispersed them to dignitaries and friends. Some found their way into circulation as is evident by the wear on mine and others. Estimated price on my find is $10,000 .

I am thrill to have found this piece of our nations past. In October 2004 I dug a 1916 D mercury dime. I never dreamed I would ever top that find but I did. Thank you Minelab!

Marc Sciance

It was a beautiful day in Paradise, Alaska. Where the sun goes around you 24 hours a day. Mick and Cece Mann, the owners, have 4,000 acres of mining claims for prospectors to go up and have a wonderful time gold hunting and fishing. On the second day of our two week trip, Mick was digging and stockpiling for the prospectors.  Later we would check out his diggings for gold nuggets. My brother and I asked Mick if we could go on top of the mountain by the waterfalls.  Looking for gold nuggets with his Minelab SD-2200D, my brother was going fast and furious and went clear beyond the waterfalls where the stream started.  “Dale you are going to fast you better slow down you need to concentrate” I told him.  I went slow and took my time, checked every crevice and rock.  My brother came down and said it is time to get off the hill.  I can’t find anything and I have looked everywhere. He wanted me to follow him back down the hill but,  I had another reading with my Minelab Explorer XS.  He helped me dig the reading.  He wanted to know what I had found.  “Put your hand out” I said as I dropped an 8 ounce nugget into his hand. “Oh my God, where did you get that?” he asked.  “See, you should look a little closer, it was up by the waterfall.”  I checked all those areas, you have to dig. We dug up another target which ended up being a diver’s lead weight belt.“Show me where and how you found it!” my brother asked. We walked up there and I showed him.  I didn’t get any readings.  I saw all the over burn above me.  I looked down and saw a bedrock, there was a little cavity between two rocks.  If there is a gold nugget anywhere it would be right here.  I dug a foot didn’t get any reading with my metal detector so I kept digging and was getting discouraged.  I dug another foot and got a faint reading, I dug one more foot and lost the reading.  I pulled my metal detector upwards and heard my reading again and dug another foot off to the side.  I ran into another boulder and dug about 6 inches and there it was it was lodged in a groove. I pulled out a gold nugget half as big as my hand from the groove and said “OH MY GOD!” I held it up and thanked God.

We went back down the mountain to show everyone my nugget. Then we checked Mick’s Diggings and pulled off some bedrock boulders from the top of the pile.  Dale checked with his Goldbug II and got some tiny signals.  I went over the top of the pile with my Minelab also picked up some tiny signals.  We found a gold nugget small as a match head.  My Minelab would only pick up gold.  He would always have me check with my Minelab before he would dig for the gold nuggets.

In the next week we found 2 1/2 ounces of small gold.   
Gale H., Paradise, Alaska