Lose Something? Scan your Dog!

"When a distressed woman couldn’t find her diamond ring, she decided to scan her puppy with a metal detector and discovered the pooch had swallowed it.

Karen Woolley, from Thrumpton, Nottinghamshire, panicked when she noticed the priceless family heirloom had gone missing from behind her bedside table.

Karen, 40, and husband Steve, hunted high and low for the diamond-encrusted ring - before suspicion fell on their three-month-old puppy, Barney."

Read more HERE.
Another article HERE.

Image Credits: Caters News Agency

Waterhawks?

I'm coining a new term... Waterhawks. In the UK they refer to illegal MD activities as nighthawking. Now, learning that at night, underwater sites are also being vandalzied by treasure hunters arms with underwater detectors... I think they need a name too.

"An illegal dive on a protected South Devon wreck site has been highlighted in news of a new crackdown on heritage crime.

English Heritage has brought in a top cop to lead the fight against the growing number of heritage crimes ranging from vandal attacks on historic buildings to damaging illegal excavations by treasure hunters local for historic valuable.

Illegal diving on wreck and illegal metal detector expeditions on protected sites are part of what is believed to be a growing problem."

Read more HERE.

Note: Image above is a view of Prawle Point, near the Salcombe Harbour.

Troy Lands Some Goodies

Tomorrow morning was supposed to be the morning that I was gonna be picking Troy up at his place and get out for my first hunt of 2011. Unfortunately, the powers that be at work decided they needed to change my flights and made it so I am flying out to work tomorrow instead of Thursday.

But that didn't keep my buddy Troy from landing some goodies today at a park he frequented as a young boy. I met up with him tonight at the bowling alley and talked hobby for a good few hours while we both shared a few pitchers and I bowled four games (257, 224, 200 and 220, not bad if I do say so myself).

Anyhow, I got to see the goodies first hand. The little 10K gold ring he found was pretty nice, but just remarkably light when you held it... looks beefier than it is at only 4.4g.


He also found a nice sterling St. Mike's... and of course the obligatory clad. A real nice hunt, glad he was able to get out, and a shame I couldn't join him.

Coins at the Gun Show

I headed out this morning to the February 2011 edition of the Tanner Gun Show up in Denver. I had a great day walking around checking out all the guns, swords, knives, militaria... and yes, even coins!

I spied quite a few vendors there selling coins and many were also looking to buy gold and silver at the mornings opening spot price, forseeing the impending rise in the metal markets.

I'm not a coin collector, or collector of currency really at all (though I do have my stash of foreign and domestic coins I've gathered), but I can appreciate the artistry and the historical significance of the coins and just overall really love looking at them.

Lastly... who goes to a gun show and doesn't buy... a gun!? I had one in mind before going. The local gun shop down the street from my house wanted nearly the $900 MSRP for this beauty. The first vendor at the show I saw ith it wouldnt go lower than $650 + tax. I ended up finding it for $599 out the door from another vendor. Gotta love it. I took the pic above myself. It's a Taurus PT-1911 AR .45 ACP. The military patches are my unit patch from the up in CT, the 94th RRC (Regional Readiness Command), and then my "war" patch, the 377th TSC (Theater Support Command).

Looting the Scottish Countryside

"Scotland's rich archaeological heritage is being plundered by treasure hunters who fail to declare their finds in the national interest, authorities have warned.

A new report by Crown officials raises concerns over “serious under-reporting” by the lucky few who stumble across buried artifacts."

Read more HERE.

Treasure Mapmaking

"Dr. E. Lee Spence, a marine archaeologist and modern pioneer of underwater exploration, has had a lifetime fascination with treasures and maps. He describes his maps as the “natural byproduct” of his research to locate sunken ships.

In 1970, Spence discovered the submarine H. L. Hunley, which sank on Feb. 17, 1864. His maps proved to be more than a natural byproduct. They were a necessary tool for preserving his discovery before souvenir hunters could destroy it."

Read more HERE.

Image Credits: Myriam Moran

Scottish Enthusiasts Search for Treasure

"Thirty or so people move slowly across a muddy field in the pouring rain - and they think it's fun.

They've each got a metal detector, a small spade and - the most optimistic among them - a bag for treasure.

They don't like to be labelled treasure hunters though. They prefer to call their hobby - quietly searching these bleak, rain-soaked slopes - metal detecting."

Read more HERE.

Bottlecap Jewelry

Today I accompanied the girlfriend, her sister-in-law and her children to tour the production factory for Celestial Seasonings in Boulder, CO. I'm really not a tea guy, but I have a fascination for TV shows like Unwrapped, or How'd They Do That, or How It's Made?... so seeing a factory operation peaked my interest.

Anyhow, in the gift shop I came across the items pictured above. Bottlecap jewelry... who knew!? All those freshly dropped bottlecaps we find could go to bringing in some hard earned income if we just spruced them up a bit and tied some string around them!

Have any bottlecap art or jewelry comments? Please feel free to leave them, I'd love to hear from you!

UK Heritage Police

"Heritage chiefs will this week launch a national crackdown on thieves and vandals targeting Britain's national treasures. Growing numbers of attacks are being recorded on heritage sites ranging from the vandalism of prehistoric burial mounds to thefts from churches. Experts warn that it is resulting in the disappearance of priceless historical artifacts as well as multimillion-pound repair bills.

More than 40 organizations in Britain, including the National Trust, National Parks, British Waterways and other heritage bodies, have joined with police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in a bid to curb the mounting threat."

Read more HERE.

Wyoming Police Search for Evidence

"Jackson Police Department officer Jamie Colvin uses a metal detector Wednesday to search an area where a Jackson man was shot the day before in the Cottonwood Park neighborhood.

Police officers and deputies from the Teton County Sheriff’s Department combed the area for a weapon or other evidence, but came up empty-handed."

Read more HERE.

Image Credits: BRADLY J. BONER/JACKSON HOLE DAILY