Monday, January 9, 2012

The Rewards of Diggin' in The Dirt


"There's an old adage that says 'gold is where you find it,' and that's certainly an apropos sentiment for a guy like Mick Burney.

Gold, silver, bronze or brass, Burney is apt to find it as he runs his trusty metal detector over the grounds at places like Greencastle's Robe-Ann Park.


On Friday afternoon, a sunny, almost 60-degree January day, Burney was out enjoying his hobby, getting some fresh air and pocketing some loose change.


Stopping along the old sidewalk that borders the bandshell area to the north, Burney's metal detector beeped and he dropped to his knees with a handheld detection gadget and hand trowel. Digging about eight inches deep right next to the sidewalk, Burney finally pulled a rusty six-inch piece of wire out of the dirt."


Read more HERE.


Image Credit: Banner Graphic

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Under the Sand of St. Augustine



"Bob Spratley has a lot of secrets.

He knows where to find 20 shipwrecks around St. Augustine, he can find gold and silver buried beneath the sands of local beaches, and he discovered one of the sites of the nation’s most notorious slaughters.


'He found the Matanzas site, the massacre site,' said John Powell, living history interpreter at the Fountain of Youth. 'Bob is beyond a metal detectorist. Bob is touched by God.'"

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Daron Dean / The St. Augustine Record

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Roman "Cathouse" Token


"An amateur archeologist out walking along the River Thames with his metal detector discovered a rare and unique coin believed to be about 2,000 years old.

Regis Cursan, 37, discovered the long-hidden bronze token (described as 'spintria') in the mud near Putney Bridge, West London, at low tide. The spintria, believed by experts to be a token used in ancient Roman brothels, depicts two people in a sex act.

According to the Daily Mail, historians believe it is the first token of its type to be found in Britain."

Read more HERE.

Image Credit: Museum of London