Treasure Hunting

If you consider yourself a metal detectorist of any caliber then you have an extensive collection of pull tabs. If you’re anything like me, you wonder where the heck they all came from. So I did some digging around online to see what I could find about them and got a pretty good history lesson.

In the early 1960’s the Pittsburgh Brewing Company introduced “Iron City Beer” in ‘self-opening cans.’ The concept was pretty novel – just pull up on a tab and you had an open can of beer in your hand! No accessories like a ‘church key’ or bottle opener neccessary - imagine that! These early pull tabs were known as “zip tops” and were disposable. But because of the rough edges of the aluminum, the cans often left people with cuts on their fingers, lips and even noses.

But the revolution had begun! By 1965 the design was changed to the ring style, which I’m sure every metal detectorists has seen his or her share of. The ring style was even easier then the zip top; just put your finger into the ring, yank forward and have your beverage with less potential for physical injury - even better!

Needless to say, the swift evolution of the zip top to the ring tab revolutionized canned beverages. By the mid-60’s over 75% of all cans produced in the U.S. had a pull-tab opening.

But for all their convenience, the pull tabs were an environmental and metal detectorist’s nightmare. For 10 years people opened cans, ripped off the pull-tabs and threw them to the side because they were encouraged to - there was nothing else to do with these removable metal pieces. Pets and wildlife died from ingesting them, as did a few people who dropped them into a can and accidentally choked on them. They wound up everywhere – from beaches and parks, to playgrounds and garbage disposals. People routinely cut themselves in a time when hand sanitizer wasn’t in every woman’s purse.

Ten years after the “ring” version of the pull tab was introduced, an answer to this environmental and safety nightmare finally came. The “stay tab” style was introduced in 1975 by the Falls City Brewing Company, and they were here to stay – literally. These ring-style-stay-tabs are what we can see on every can of coke and beer in the grocery store today. Unfortunately, they don’t stay quite as well as the designers would have liked. But at least this style doesn’t force people to throw the tab aside… they actually have to do a little work to get it off.

Thankfully, metal detectorists like you and me pick these up as we go… cleaning the beaches, parks and playground for the future, all in the name of a healthy hobby. Personally, I think we live in a disposable world now-a-days, and I wonder when we’ll figure out that convenience comes at the price of our environment. But that’s another conversation, meant for another day. In the meantime, keep picking those pull tab’s up, and thank Pittsburgh Brewing Company for the introduction of your most frequent find.

For more history of cans, specifically beer cans, see Brewery Collectibles Club of America. Also look at RustyCans.com for a great history of cans in general.

- Shaun

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Once again our metal detecting friends across the pond have found an ancient relic.

A 2,000 year old Roman coin was found by retired butcher Roy Page, and is believed to be the oldest coin ever found in the country. Page uses a Minelab X-Terra metal detector and says he puts in about 10 hours a week with it. On the way to his car for a drink he heard the high-pitched beep that signals a coin. Then, he “flipped the soil back and it was there, only six inches down.”

Page said he “was thirsty and so he popped it in his pocket with his other finds.” Later he showed it to a Roman coin expert in the Portable Antiquities Scheme who helped him identify it as from the second century BC. “When he told me I nearly fainted, I was over the moon. It is living history. The last person who held the coin was probably a Roman.”

The coin was probably brought over some time after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, or during earlier visits in the first century BC. Page is shocked and awed at his find, not caring how much it’s worth as he doesn’t intend to sell it. “When you look at a map of where old coins have been found in Wales there have not been many found around St. Asaph. I haven’t even bothered to find out its worth.”

Just like a true metal detectorist,… he doesn’t care what it’s worth, just wants to enjoy having it. What’s your favorite find? What’s your oldest find? Heck, who wants to organize a metal detecting trip across the pond?

- Shaun

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No, no massive gold mine has been found. Just a forgotten shipwreck, historical relics and natural iron deposits.

Storms have been lashing Oregon’s scenic coast this winter and an exciting array of debris has made its way to the shore. Old shipwrecks, historic cannons and “strangely shaped iron deposits” have turned up on the beach. One of the first ships to emerge from the sands was identified as the George l. Olson, which ran aground June 23, 1944 and has been buried ever since. Unfortunately it’s drawn so much traffic that site seers are being navigated around it because it is considered an archaeological site. I’m sure I could think of a few amateur archaeologists who wouldn’t mind helping out…

But the shipwreck isn’t the only thing exposed from the washed-away sands. A “ghost forest” of 4,000 year old tree stumps has suddenly popped up and are visible for the first time in 40 years. And a pair of historic cannons were recently discovered by beachcombers. Their origin isn’t known, but they may have come from the USS Shark, a ship that wrecked in 1846 off the Columbia River Bar.

Finally, strangely shaped deposits of iron called “red towers” have also emerged. They’re orange/red lumps, no more than 3 ft. tall and litter the newly shaped coast. They may disappear with the next storm, and I bet they would give the iron discrimination on your metal detector a run for its money…

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I was flabbergasted by an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning about a treasure find of huge proportions - An entire, 160 year old wall with stained glass windows intact.

A contractor working on a 1840’s-era church was removing some dated, 1970’s drywall and wainscotting when he discovered the original interior walls which were thought to be long gone. They even retained their original color paint - pale yellow. Local historians believed that nothing inside the building had been preserved from its original grandure and they were planning on restoring the Methodist church in an effort to recapture the original sense of community that the church provided in its hay-day.

As years passed the church saw updates and was on the verge of being demolished four years ago for a new strip mall. But Janis Hill, the oldest living member of the church, fought to save it. After two years of battling with developers it was agreed that the church would be re-located and full restoration could begin.

The wall that was found features tongue-and-groove boards and are so evenly cut and placed that the separation between them is as fine as a pencil line. Square nails were also discovered in the area, and the walls were made from heart of pine.

Check out the full article at The Atlanta Journal-Constituion, which includes a colorful photo gallery.

And try not to think about the grounds this church sat on being paved over for a strip mall.

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I get a lot of emails from beginners who are searching for “the best places to use a metal detector” or “where to metal detect in (insert your town here).” The only answer I have is this: Research, research, research. Check the local census records, find out if there were any revolutionary or Civil War battles fought in your area, and look for records of old settlements, homesteads, stores and such.

Now, most people try to avoid buying books about possible hunting locations because their theory is “if someone wrote about it, chances are it’s probably hunted out already.” My answer: yes and no.

One that I whole-heartedly recommend (this is the second post I’ve included it in) is “Buried Treasures You Can Find” by Robert F. Marx. It has over 7,500 locations listed around the U.S. that are rich with history, and while it might not have all-original ideas for hunting, it is an excellent jumping off point for research.

Another great book to go hand-in-hand with “Buried Treasures You Can Find” is “Metal Detecting Previously Hunted Sites” published by Whites Electronics Inc.

Also try to snoop around online for hints. Anywhere people lived and traveled to is great for metal detecting. One interesting blog is Travel, Highways and History which focuses on U.S. History and Highway projects. It’s a great place to get ideas.

Furthermore, check out U-S-History.com, which has easy to reference information on the various eras, old maps and informative tables.

And while you’re at it, go to The History Channel Online - You wouldn’t believe how well they’ve organized and cataloged history. I recommend starting off with a search for “Metal Detector” on HistoryChannel.com, you’ll get a lesson in gold mines, civilizations, types of money, and early monetary regulations.

The internet brings millions of facts and tons of data to our fingertips, so it should come as no surprise that it’s hard to dig through. Just keep looking, learning and researching.

- Adam in St. Cloud

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I know a lot of metal detectorists and treasure hunters are interested in American Civil War relics, and rightly so. As the only Civil War fought in our country it was responsible for the death of thousands of men, the reformation of slavery laws, and is a significant part of our countries history.

But the black-powder ammunition that fueled the war over 100 years ago can still pose a danger today. Late Monday afternoon a “fatal explosion” was reported in Chesterfield County, VA., and it is believed that Civil War ammunition was the cause. Local seller of Civil War relics, Samuel White, was killed in the blast that appears to have been the result of “drilling into a shell’s powder cavity, and getting the drill bit too hot.” This caused a deadly blast, spraying shrapnel nearly a quarter of a mile away.

While it is perfectly legal to own Civil War relics, including black-powder ammunition and artillery shells, it is important to handle these items carefully! Just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous!

See the shops website here: Sam White Relics. And remember, when you find any kind of ammunition - even an old, half broken cannon ball - Be careful.

- Shaun

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WARNING: The novel being discussed in this post is slightly absurd, with odd scenarios and sarcastic humor. But it’s about a thrift shop owner and how the items in his store hold souls, so I thought it would be neat to share. End warning.

I picked this novel by Christopher Moore up a few weeks ago and didn’t think to post about it until today. It’s about a man named Charlie who owns a thrift shop. His wife passes away unexpectedly and he becomes involved in a new sideline business of retrieving the souls of the dead or dying to protect them from the forces of the underworld. In other words, he becomes “Death.”

You folks are thinking “So Liz,… why are you telling us about this? It sounds kinda creepy!”

Well, you’re right. That kind of plot does sound a little creepy. But the book is written with enough humility and sarcastic humor to make it a really fun read. And the concept of how souls move about Earth is pretty nifty.

The concept is that a soul goes along with a person until they die. It’s then attached to an object that person really cared for when they lived. The person is then re-born, and goes along life without a soul until they reach the point in their new life where they died in the last one. Then they pick their soul up and do it all over again.

Charlie - the thrift shop owner - is responsible for making sure that the ’soul-items’ get safely from one person to the next. This is an ideal job for him since he owns a thrift shop and sees people’s formally cherished and used possessions come and go. And thus, he is “Death.”

See,… it’s not that creepy.

Can you think of any one object that you’ve loved and would like to see in the after-life?

We’ve all found things we’re proud of… maybe it was more “meant to be” then we know.

Either way, this is a fun book and it makes you appreciate a thrift shop a whole lot more!

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Well folks, we’ve seen gas prices increase and milk prices increase,… it should be no surprise that Fisher F75’s prices are going to increase also.

The good news is that the price isn’t going up for no good reason. This machine will feature better weather proofing and a re-designed handle for better comfort. From what I understand there will be no changes to the circuitry, and anyone who has purchased an F75 recently can contact Fisher for an upgrade. It will be $50.00 plus shipping fees to get your metal detector there and back, and due to the high volume of upgrades, expect to have a back-up machine running full time for a good amount of time after you send it out.

As for the new price, the F75 was right around $900.00, and now will cost as low as $1,029.00 from Kellyco.

Here’s what Kellyco’s website has to say about the Fisher F75: Due to the unusually heavy demand for the F75 the factory is trying it’s very best to produce enough to fill a very large number of back orders. Turns out that the F75 is a great metal detector in all functions and all uses. The F75 is out performing other high end detectors. We strongly recommend you place your order NOW so you will be one of the first to get delivery of our large back order. We will not charge your credit card or process any other payments until we ship the F75 to you. If you wait to order you might have a long time to wait before you get your hands on this outstanding unit.

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I’ve found several common threads that link us Treasure Hunters together, but perhaps my favorite is our sense of adventure. Since it’s Presidents Day I thought I would share the history of one of my favorite and most adventurous presidents - Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.

Historian Thomas Bailey perhaps said it best when he labeled Teddy as “a great personality, a great activist, a great preacher of the moralities, a great controversialists, a great showman.” There is no doubt he was an adventure-seeking man, and us self-confessed ‘history buffs’ can set aside politics and appreciate Teddy’s endless quest for knowledge.

In March 1909, Roosevelt left for a safari in east and central Africa. His party landed in what is now Kenya and traveled to what is now Democratic Republic of the Congo before following the Nile up to Khartoum in modern Sudan. Roosevelt hunted for specimens for the Smithsonian Institution and for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. His party killed or trapped over 11,397 animals, from insects and moles to hippopotamuses and elephants. Roosevelt wrote a detailed account of the adventure in the book “African Game Trails”, where he describes the excitement of the chase, the people he met, and the flora and fauna he collected in the name of science.

In 1913 and 1914 Roosevelt went on another adventure, this time to the Brazilian jungle. His book “Through the Brazilian Wilderness” was quite popular and describes all of the scientific discovery, tropical scenery and exotic flora, fauna and wild life he encountered.

To honor the adventurous spirit of Teddy, here’s a list of some of his “Presidential Firsts” which show his true spirit was that of a Treasure Hunter:

In August, 1902, Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to take a public automobile ride. This occurred during a parade in Hartford, Connecticut

On August 25, 1905 he became the first U.S. President to ride in a military submarine when he boarded the USS Plunger (SS-2) and ran submerged with her for 55 minutes.

In 1906, he made the first trip, by a President, outside the United States, visiting Panama to inspect the construction progress of the Panama Canal on November 9.

In 1906, Roosevelt became the first American to be awarded a Nobel Prize.

In 1910 he became the first U.S. President to ride in an airplane.

In 2001, he became the first and only President up to date to receive a Medal of Honor, making him the only person to date to win the world’s highest peace honor, as well as his nation’s top military honor.

He was the first President to officially refer to the White House as such, on his official stationery. This had been the common name (referring to the color of the building), but until then, the official name was “The Executive Mansion”

He was the first President to wear a necktie for his official Presidential Portrait.

He was the first President to approve a coin, the Lincoln cent, with a man’s face on it, in 1909, just in time for the centennial of Lincoln’s birth. Lincoln was Roosevelt’s presidential hero.

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So who was/is your favorite president? Who would you consider the most adventurous? Which one do you think has the spirit of a treasure hunter?

~ Elizabeth ~

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I was sniffing around online for some good treasure stories (nothing new there, folks) and I found several articles concerning relics. They’re all interesting and I’ll share the stories in a second, but first I want to define the word “relic” because man, o man, this word get tossed around the Internet a LOT.

Princeton University defines a relic as “an antiquity that has survived from the distant past.” Which is a great, generic definition. But who defines how much time constitutes “distant?”

The definitions don’t stop there. According to various online sources, a relic can be defined as “an object associated with a saint, martyr, or Christ which is preserved and seen as worthy of special honor and reverence.” Or “a leftover creation of the Ancients. Most are in very bad shape, but a few are mysteriously preserved.” Or even “an object, especially a piece of the body or a personal item of someone of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial.”

When I think of how many metal detectors are targeted to “relic hunters” or known as “relic hounds,” I get really confused. The only thing that these definitions all have in common is that a relic is something old. Try a simple Google search for the term “Define: Relic” and see what comes up. I was surprised by how many credible websites associate relics with religion.

I shouldn’t be too surprised, however, because all of today’s articles focus on (go ahead, guess), religious relics.

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The International Herald Tribune is reporting a road show of sorts for Vatican art and relics. This is really exciting news as the show features Pope Benedict XVI’s Fisherman’s ring and the Mandylion of Edessa. Both are items that have NEVER left Rome and the latter is deemed by the church as an artifact “not made by human hands.” Other pieces include moasics dating as far back as the eight century, a compass supposedly used by Michaelangelo and over 150 portraits, statues and papal vestments. Check out the entire article at: A ‘Taste’ of Vatican Art, Relics on Display. They’ll only be going to three cities in the U.S.; St. Petersburg, FL, Clevland, OH and St. Paul, MN. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to check out the Florida exhibit before it’s gone.

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Speaking of the Vatican, I found another article that was published on CatholicNewsAgency.com which denounces the sales of religious relics on eBay as “totally unacceptable business.” I think most of us would agree that some things are sacred, but if you dig it up (from the ground, from within a thrift shop or from the back of someone’s garage) isn’t it yours to do with as you please?

Thankfully I think this is more of a warning then a curse as Cardinal Saravia warned that relics offered on eBay may be fake or stolen. BUT - only the objects blessed by the Church are considered authentic.

But wait,… according to our Internet definitions, if it’s old and it miraculously survived several centuries, then it’s a relic - no matter who blessed it.

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The last article I found about relics today seemed much more reasonable and appears to be a true application of the term. The U.K.’s Evening News reports that a large collection of Roman artifacts is going on public display for the first time - 30 years after they were first dug up by an amateur archaeologist!

Ahhh,… now here is an application of the term “relic” that warms my heart!

Almost 50 boxes of artifacts, which includes pots, figurines and leather sandals, were dug up between 1970 and 1980. They’ve been stored in boxes in the “amateur archaeologist’s” house *coughProbablyAMetalDetectoristcough* this whole time and will now go on display with his field notes and excavation photographs of their removal.

The collection apparently represents all aspects of daily Roman life over a period of 350 years. It’s a large collection and includes organic material (a leather sandal, wooden boards from a well) that usually doesn’t tend to survive.

Check out the article in its entirety here: Roman Relics To Go On Show In City.

Have a great weekend everyone, and happy hunting!

- Shaun

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