Rainy Night Out, Hunt Cut Short

So I went out tonight will full intention of putting the new Blue Max Shooter Coil to a good test. It had been raining off and on all day, so I knew it was gonna be hit or miss.

On the drive over to the church playground I had in mind, having never hit it before, the rain all but stopped... I was happy.

The first 15 minutes or so weren't bad. A few misquitos were out, and it was lightly drizzling. Having never used a small coil like this, it just felt awkward. But I got used to it and starting picking up a few coins here and there. And by a few, I mean only a few. Either this lot has been hit before, or kids just don't drop stuff here. The coil had no problem finding lots of trashy items in the +20 - +40 range though.

Pinpointing with the small coil was spot on, I was surprised at that. Not being concentric I though I'd have a hard time with that, but it was a breeze. However, the depth readings it gave while pinpointing were FAR off. A lot of 4-6" deep targets that were really 1-3" deep. No big deal, but something to take note of.

Sadly, maybe half an hour in, with only maybe $0.30 to speak of, the rain really started coming down. I had prepared the machine at home with plastic wrap and duct tape to keep water out, but even I wasn't gonna stand for the downpour.

Greenbrier Church Tot Lot

Around 930p or so last night... sounds right, it was after Reaper came on the TV. Anyway, it was that time to head out for some more diggin'. There are two tot lots on Volvo Pkwy in Chesapeake, VA I've been wanting to hit. And tonight was going to be the night I finally got around to it.

I show up to the spot, pull in, and get geared up. The area the tot lot is in is fenced in. So like, you enter a gate, and there is a large grassy area, and then the play area is sort of in the middle of it all, woodchipped.

I started swinging in the woodchips to start off. I was delighted to start hitting targets all over the place, but bummed they all seemed to be memorials. After a good 45 minutes slowing making my way around, I scored a couple Mickey Mouse Disney pressed pennies, and a bunch of quarters.

I was done there, and started the grassy area. The dimes were really poppin' here. I was landing quite a bit of targets, so much so that to keep the hunt relatively short, I left at least what I believe to be $1 or so in clad still in the ground.

It was a great night to be out hunting. Very comfortable temperature, and making this the maiden voyage of my new knee pads, my knees were feeling great. Sadly, it had been about an hour and a half, time to get back home... so I skipped out on the second tot lot a little further away. Next time though.

Another interesting find for the night was a neat 1997 Philippines 1 Piso coin. Rang up like a nickel.

Kempsville Elementary: First MERC!!!

Around 10p the itch hit me again tonight. In the past week or so I've driven past Kempsville Elementary quite a few times, noticing the nice tot lot and large field with tons of kids running around. I always thought to myself, that should be a great spot to hunt.

So naturally, it was my first stop tonight. I hit up the tot lot first thing and was thrown back at how much NOTHING was there. I only landed a nickel and a memorial penny out of the entire thing. Not even any trash.

Things weren't looking so well, but I stuck with it and started aimlessly walking towards the back, all throughout the field. Thankfully, I started landing some dime hits, as well as some memorials. I wasn't expecting too much, the school has only been around since 1961, but the potential for silver exists.

I saw a worn down area of grass that lead to a door on the back of the school and decided along it's edge would be a good spot. And what do you know, first signal is a sharp +36, which to me yells dime... but. It bounced up to +40 now and then, which to me and my detector hints at silver.

Not 3.5 inches down there she was shining back at me in the flashlight illumination, the beautiful Winged Liberty "Mercury" Dime. It's dated 1942, no mintmark, but still has some good detail on the torch on the reverse, which is nice.

It started to drizzle a bit so I left, but the night was a success overall. Scored over a dollar in clad, which always makes it feel worthwhile, and landed the sweet Merc. When I cleaned up my finds I also noticed this tag. It's stamped OKLAHOMA and on one side has a jar in a rose and says, "Tops in Ros..." The other side mentions tea. I know the state flower of Oklahoma is the Rose, and they have Rose Tea... maybe someone can ID it?

Wood's Corner & Grace Lutheran

Around 9pm or so tonight I headed out. On FMDF a user make a comment about trying out grassy areas near grocery stores. The idea made perfect sense. And it just so happens I have a grocery store basically across the street with a large grassy lot next to it!

I popped on over to Wood's Corner and started scanning. My first three targets were all quarters, I was feeling good about this place. But as the hour drug on, it was more apparent there was more can slaw and trash than anything good there.

I packed up and decided I'd head out to a spot I haven't hit in nearly a year, the tot lot at Grace Lutheran off of Providence. They also have a large field surrounding two sides of the church where tons of activities and sports take place throughout the year.

The tot lot (highlighted in yellow above) proved fruitful, lots of dimes. I scanned the whole thing, rounded up another dollar or so, and then headed out into the field. There was no rhyme or reason to my swingin'. Just walked and swung. Didn't find much other than trash out there, which surprised me a bit.

Anyhow, here is the goods. $2.49 over 29 coins, and some random other objects.

10/5 South Norfolk, Last Hunt for a Month

Anywho, the other day while driving on I-464 here in Hampton roads towards Chesapeake, I spied a large play area that to me seemed like would be an offshoot of Freeman Ave in South Norfolk *cough* ghetto *cough*

I had almost gone over there during the night to swing, but decided against it, and went during the day today, and brought my buddy Matt just in case. I didn't have my GPS with me, so finding it was rough. I went down Freeman, but none of the roads led over there... using my iPhone locator, I found taking Rosemont would get me there... which it did.

So we roll up to the South Hill play area and my buddy Matt, who was beside himself for unsaid reasons, was feeling really nervous about being here. Let's just say anyone from Compton, CA wouldn't be stranger here. But we get out, and detect away.

Had plenty of targets, and a decent clad haul. Found tons of plastic hair clips and beer tops. Almost my all time high in one outing with regards to pull tabs. Also found my first Chuck E Cheese token, yay! And a small bullet, maybe a .25 ACP?



The whole time there was a house with what looked like Craig, Day-Day and Smokey sitting out front eyeing us the whole time. If you don't know the movie reference, just Google, it, haha.

So yeah, it was a good day to be out, and glad I satisfied the urge before leaving land again.

9/29 Glad Tidings Church

Around 8pm tonight I made it over to a church off of S. Newtown in Norfolk. It's one that can be seen from I-64 right before the I-264 exit. On the weekends this place is ridiculously packed with kids... both in the TLs and the surrounding field. SO naturally, it seemed like the place to be.

When I showed up it was dark, but within 15 minutes, the street lamp looking things came on, illuminating the area. I started with the much larger tot lot. And besides the craptacular amount of trash, I was getting nothing. As I was finishing up that area, three teenagers showed up. Two guys and a girl. One of the guys and the girl ascended into the large TL structure, probably sinning their pants off (haha) while the other guys just sat on the curb. Apparently three was a crowd.

While they did their thing I hovered over to the smaller tot lot, and started pulling some clad. This play area I knew had been here much longer than that new fangled large one. After a quarter and a few memorials I got a very solid penny reading, down 8". Well at 6" I found the target, and was pretty surprised. It was a metal beetle, or scarab if you will. The back had the tell tale stainless disc that always means a watch. In the dark I could tell this thing had hinges, so I was sure it opened. After a minute of examining, the two front "legs" act as levers to open the wings and display the time. Rather ingenious. Unfortunately the silver backing is the other precious part of it. It seems copper in color, but the outside flakes off leaving kind of a rusted mess under. It seems as though it was once very gold in color, as the area surrounding the clock and underneath the wings are very brilliantly gold. The face of the watch appears to have the name, "Collezio" and is stopped in the classic Simpson time of 3 o' clock.

A Google search shows that Collezio has been a watch mfg since 1983 and has many other styles than the classic wrist watch, including necklace and pocket watches. I would reckon this is one of those types. I haven't found this exact one anywhere as of yet... maybe some help?

After that find, and a couple of nickels later, I was at the swings... when a large white van with a trailer drove up on to the grass and around to a storage area. A guy came out and walked over. He just simple said, "Hey, finding anything?" I told him other than some pocket change, no. He said he didn't figure I'd find much in a children's playground, of which I told him he would be very surprised what one might find in these areas. He wished me a good night and went on his way.



Shortly after I packed up and left, with the sinners finally rejoining their buddy on the curb and leaving as well. I walked away with $0.65 across 9 coins and the pretty rad scarab watch.

9/25 City View Park

So as my local Virginians know, most of the day Thursday we spent with high winds and tons of rain. I was inside all day playing GTA 4, and all the mindless killing of authority figures on the behalf of Irish gangsters was getting to me.

So around 930p tonight there was a lull in the downpour, I strapped on my GorTex Matterhorn boots (watertight the whole 11" up AND made for sub freezing temps), a big puffy jacket, my X-Terra 30 got plastic wrap around the box, and my backpack o' goodies which included my new Lesche Digger I received on White's tab.

I decided to hit up the far end tot lot that is surrounded by softball fields on the backside of City View Park right behind my place. I've never had any luck at this park, the tot lots are always slim on the pickins... but I had never hit this one, so I figured maybe I'll get lucky.

I searched through the TL and found 99% of what you see pictured. And five of those memorials were in the same hole. I was getting ready to leave when I decided I'll swing behind a few of the bleachers. The bleachers are set on concrete, so I figured the grass behind them would be good. The first set, zilch. The next set nothing... until... I got a 40-44 hit and the X-Terra was reading between 6 and 8 inches. I wasn't gonna pass up a hit like that, even though it was deeper than I usually dig.

So I cut a plug the depth of the blade on the Lesche, and stick the VBP 570 in... it's close at the bottom. I take out another inch or so and I see kind something... but not what I expected. I pick it up and I'm like, "WTF? A penny? At this reading?" So it's really caked with dirt and I field clean it the best I can and it feels really different in my hand. Almost, lighter? I got enough off the face to determine it was Lincoln... but the coin is very badly deteriorated, and the date I can't make out, but I swear it's 194? On the back side, I started rubbing with some spit, and then I realize there is no memorial in the middle. I can't see wheat stocks, but no memorial. I then feel I can read what looks like UNITED STATES in the MIDDLE of the coin and I'm like, WOOOOOHHOOOOO!!!

I come home, run it under the tap, take a paper towel to it, and sure enough, on the left side of the back of the coin you can make out the wheat! MY FIRST WHEATIE!!!! I'm super psyched and once I half realized it at the fields, I just left to come back and verify.

Super sweet! Bout time I found one! Now I don't feel so bad having 2400 posts and no straw!

UPDATE: Turns out to be a 1946 Wheat Penny.

9/24 Laurel Cove Parks

Yesterday evening around 615p I called my buddy Matt (the one who I introduced to detecting this past weekend) and told him I was on my way over to his place, about a 17 mile drive. I knew there was this community park near him that I just realized had a big tot lot wayyyy in the back.

So I show up just shy of 7p, loaded down with backpack 'o goodies, 64oz eXtreme Big Gulp cup full of Dr. Pepper with a twist of Mountain Dew, and two detectors, the ACE 250 and the X-Terra 30. He says, oh, there is another park in the neighborhood and directs me to it. It turns out to be Laurel Cove Neighborhood Park. It was small, but had a TL and seemed promising.


Now Matt is still in the learning stage, and I try and coach him as much as possible. It also didn't help I only had one digger with me and we had one flash light So though we covered the area, I wouldn't doubt there is still a bit more than may have been missed. I'm pretty methodical about my search routine, slow walk, overlapping swings, really try and make the most out of it. Matt was pretty much everywhere I gave it to him though, he was not of clear mind if you smell what I'm smokin’...errr, what he was smokin' I got bored with that park and then we drove off to try and find the entrance to this other park I knew of, and could see from Great Neck.


This park turned out to be Colonial Oaks Neighborhood Park. The TL was MUCH larger, and this place also has a very large recreation field. It was very dark by now, so we just did the TL. Same errant swingin' by Matt, but what are you gonna do So in the last image you'll see our finds for the night. Trash and clad... a decent amount of clad that I'll take any day.

This outing was more of a getting Matt used to detecting, so we can take the two beach machines out this weekend to the resort area and hopefully find something worth our time.

BTW... the two park pics were taken with Google Maps StreetView, haha. I had my camera last night but soooo didn't take any pics. So that was the best I could do.

Swingin' With a Friend

Only in metal detecting can one post something with a title like that and it not be taken the wrong way, haha.

Anyway, last night my buddy Matt came over for a bit. He has expressed a little bit of interest in wanting to go out with me, so last night, with about 30 minutes of light left, we went out.

I had mt ACE 250, and Matt had the X-Terra 30. We just walked right behind the apartment to my frequent grounds of Tallwood Elementary. I took him right over to where I knew some memorial pennies where, and after a little coaching, Matt was pulling a few pennies out.

Just as it was getting dark we hit up the playground and found the nickel, the jewelry items, and the trash.



The two flowery pendants are necklace pendant from Lucy Lu Designs. I think they have since gone under, as their online presence has not been updated since 2006.

9/13 Trantwood Elementary

Last night around 8p I left the house with my X-Terra and BHID. I had a plan to hit up an elementary school that I know has been around at least since the 50s, and then scoot over to the beach.

When I got to the school, I noticed there were two newer tot lots built alongside the two older ones that had been there. All of my finds you see below are from these TLs, as they are all I hunted. I really want to hunt the actual fields, because I feel it's a safe bet I can find some wheaties or mercs here.



I never did venture out to the beach, but might hit it up this afternoon. All in all, $1.27 in clad, a bullet charm, a charm bracelet, and a neat button.

INFO ON THE BUTTON:
"The belt surrounding the shield bears the motto of the Order of the Garter, "Hon Y Soit Qui Mal Y Pense" or "Shame to him who evil thinks." The motto below, "Dieu et Mon Droit," means "God and My Right."

The middle shield would represent post Victoria, so 1837 to present... and appears to be the coat of arms for the British Royal Family.

From The Archive: Summertime Award 8-9-08

After finding that WWII pin earlier in the day, I was pretty psyched about getting out and hunting again. While out driving to a cookout being hosted to a co-worker of the g/f, I noticed a good sized tot-lot at a church visible from I-64 that happens to be on S. Newtown, which I believe is technically Norfolk.

I had all intentions on heading over there when I left my apartment at 10p for what would be my last hunt during this 5 week period home. But as I left, I remembered right around the corner from me, there are two churches, with a daycare in between them that has a pretty good sized playground covered in chips.

So that's where I went, to THE SHED at Atlantic Shores Baptist.

This was a wood chip tot lot, but under the chips was hard rock solid ground and/or sand with tons of pebbles in it. And the chips were only maybe an inch deep. But I tell you what, this place sure did a number on these coins. They are all stained orange pretty much. This place seemed pretty virgin, as I was hitting all over the place. I know I left a bunch there, so it'll be primed when I'm able to get back to it, and preferably after a rain so the ground is softer.

$3.18 in clad total, as well as this neat Boy Scout National Summertime Award.

From The Archive: After Dinner 8-5-08

So it was a late night for me. It was warm out too, a little too warm. I decided to give my X-Terra 30 a rest and give the ACE 250 with the YF-1 probe a go.

I headed out to new territory, for myself at least. It was Indian Lakes Elementary off of Ferrel Pkwy in Virginia Beach.

When I drive places at night, I like to keep my truck within visible range, and it was tough at this place, since the playground I wanted to hunt was around the back of the school, but I Managed.

I was there for roughly an hour, and though I had roughly 30 digs, the place seemed as though it was not virgin, so most of the stuff I found was more than likely recent drops, and nothing was too deep. I did manage $0.16, haha, and a few pieces of crap jewelry, though the skull and crossbones with the pink stones is pretty cool if you ask me!