Treasure Hunting

First things first: I know we took some time off, but it’s spring time. Can you blame us? After researching all fall and winter it’s finally nice to be outside again and we’ve been hard-pressed to sit at a computer for very long.

Second: With the current economic news/trends/status, we’re pretty happy to have a hobby that pays us instead of drains us. Which leads me to the article I stumbled on this morning.

It would seem that the price of making pennies ain’t cheap.

MSNBC is reporting that “it now costs more than a penny to make a penny. And the cost of a nickel is more than 7½ cents. Surging prices for copper, zinc and nickel have some in Congress trying to bring back the steel-made pennies of World War II, and maybe using steel for nickels, as well.

“Copper and nickel prices have tripled since 2003 and the price of zinc has quadrupled, said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., whose subcommittee oversees the U.S. Mint.”

This shouldn’t be any surprise to those of us who have been watching gold creep higher and higher… it looks like other commodities and precious metals are slowly but surely doing the same.

But steel pennies? Really?

During World War II, there were Massive shortages of Copper. Copper was the main ingredient for Shell Casings, Bullets, Bombs and Guns for the war. The US Government was forced to forgo the copper they typically used for coins until they could find more elsewhere.

When first introduced, the steel pennies were completely shunned by the general population.

When brand new, the 1943 cents looked like, and were often mistaken for, dimes. And in 1943, making a 9 cent mistake was a big deal. When these cents corroded, they looked like slugs, hence the nick name, “lead pennies.”

In 1945 the mint began to withdraw steel cents from circulation. Over the next 20 years the mint retrieved almost 15% of the steel pennies that were minted and destroyed them.

But it looks like these unpopular pennies will be making a comeback if the economy continues down the path it’s on. So metal detectorists beware - that coppa collection might be looking a little funny in the future.

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I know, I know… we took almost a whole week off from blogging. But it’s almost Spring time here in Florida and it was worth it!

Adam and I stopped by Kellyco Metal Detectors (one of our great sponsors) earlier this week, spoke with some of our favorite folks there and got some good news we wanted to share. Whites is offering a limited edition version of the DFX and MXT metal detectors. They’re called the DFX-300 and MXT-300, and feature the 300 LTD 12 inch Spider Loop coil. Also, they come with the Whites Bullseye II pin pointer and a whole slue of other accessories.

I’m sorry this post is short, but this year is flying by and Spring is just around the corner. As soon as March is over and all the Spring Breakers are off the beaches, we’ll be there ready to go! Check out these packages on some of Whites best machines if you’re looking to upgrade. Happy hunting and good luck!

- 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 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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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 think that between the four of us working on this blog we’ve posted plenty of articles about the price of gold, but let’s talk about the effects this is having on America for a change.

Gold is now over $900.00 an ounce, which is the highest it’s been in decades. A drastic rise in gold’s value usually happens when the economy is slumping, as investors typically turn to gold during times of political and economic instability. The falling dollar, threat of a recession, political troubles in the Middle East and rising oil costs have raised the metal’s appeal as a safe investment. I don’t think it matters which side of the political fence you’re on - it’s clear as day that the economy ain’t what it used to be.

The result? Prospectors are heading north, and by north I mean Alaska. Right now the snow is still knee-high, but that doesn’t stop men from getting into river’s chest-deep of nearly freezing water to pan for gold.

Gold prospecting clubs have seen memberships spike, along with sales of pans, dredges, metal detectors and other small-scale mining equipment. This means that our favorite hobby has turned into more then a hobby for some - it will soon become a way to make a living.

This is a particularly sobering thought, especially for those of us that just want to get out there, have fun and enjoy the great out doors - making money just happens to be a side-effect, not a goal. In fact, most hobbyist treasure hunters keep their finds.

What are your thoughts on this news? Would you pick up and leave to start prospecting gold in the undeveloped and cold country that is Alaska? How do you feel about people taking our hobby and turning it into a career? Is finding gold for a living worth the toll it will take on your body?

Currently there are about 150 families in Alaska that live off of the gold they find - despite the unpredictable and taxing way of life this is. And while the current interest in gold prospecting hasn’t reached the level of the famous 19th-century gold rushes in California, Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory, there is still a significant amount of people trying their hand at finding gold.

Here’s the link to Gold Prospectors Association of America’s website which as a lot of useful information on it for gold prospectors. I also dug up the Wikipedia page on Gold Mining in Alaska, which is a great history lesson.

Happy Hunting Everyone,

Adam in St. Cloud, Florida

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Well folks, this isn’t just a rumor any more. Fisher is going to release the F5 and F70 sometime in March. More importantly: JUST in time for Spring. I dug up some spec sheets on them and they look well-planned and thought out, as most of Fisher’s products do. But it appears that the F70 will be a less-pricey answer to their F75. Either way, we can’t wait until these come out.

Kellyco Metal Detectors is taking pre-orders for both of them now. Check out the F70 here for $649.00 and the F5 here for $499.00.

Enjoy these spec sheets - Just click to enlarge!

Shaun

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I got a kick out of an article I read this morning about a nurse, Vicki Armstrong, from Shreveport, LA who is planning to FINALLY cash in her collection of pennies - All 55,000 of them!

Apparently Vicki has been saving her pennies for almost 19 years! And while she’s definitely no treasure hunter, I couldn’t help but be impressed by her appreciation for the value of a penny. How many times have you been out there, swingin’ the coil, and you find perfectly good pennies sitting right on top of the ground, thrown away and completely ignored as real currency?

Well Vicki might not have a metal detector, but she has certainly bent down and picked up every penny she’s seen in the last 19 years. She “knows the $55.00 won’t make her rich, but says the symbolism reinforced frugal spending habits and helped be a little bit more conservative in her lifestyle.”

If you’re wondering where she kept all those pennies - apparently she stored them anywhere she could! Vases, bowls, even shoeboxes were fair game! I wonder what this woman could do if she had a metal detector!

Remember folks - A penny saved is a penny earned. And if people laugh at you for stoppin’ to pick one up, just laugh right back… on your way to the bank!

Check out the original article at The Baltimore Sun.

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I promised myself I wouldn’t post about our friends across the pond and their mega-finds for awhile, but the story of bus driver Tom Peirce was just too good to resist sharing.

Amateur treasure hunter and self-confessed “metal detector fanatic” was combing a field he had stumbled upon after taking a group of school kids out for a day at a farm near Swanage, Dorset. After asking the farmer/land-owner for permission to search the two-acre field, Peirce returned with his friend Les Keith and within a few minutes his metal detector started sounding off.

Buried 10 inches under the farm land was a partial axe head. Digging even deeper revealed even more. Over the next two days Peirce and Keith uncovered nearly 500 bronze age artifacts, each one over 3,000 years old and one of the biggest hoards found in Britain!

In total, the loot is worth over 80,000 pounds (over $150,000.00), and the 60 year old bus driver will be splitting the proceeds with the farmer/land-owner, Alfie O’Connell.

What really drew me to share this story was Peirce’s quote “You do it as a hobby - you don’t do it for the money but if you strike it lucky then so be it” - and that is so true. This is a hobby; it’s fun, invigorating, exciting. It give history buff’s an excuse to research another time and era. It gives environmentalists an excuse to clean up the earth. It gives the rest of us something to do! Getting rich is just a bonus.

Happy hunting everyone! Spring is on the way!
- Elizabeth

Check out the full story at www.DailyMail.co.uk.

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If you inherited a unique and significant relic from a dying culture and no one knew you had it, would you give it back?

Marilyn Lewis of Port Townsend, Washington had the opportunity to answer that question last year when she inherited a Shaman’s mask with the faint inscription “Taken from a medicine man’s grave on King Island.” Her answer to the question: “yes.”

The story goes like this: In 1898 Lewis’ great uncle Nate traveled by steamship from Seattle to Alaska to try his luck in the Gold Rush. After spending three years there, working as a bartender and apparently not finding any gold, Nate went back home. He kept notes from his time in Alaska but no mention was ever made of King Island. In 1927 Nate gave the mask to Lewis’ father, Bill. For the next four decades the mask remained in the Lewis family. Until last year when Bill passed the mask on to Marilyn, asking if she would find where it came from.

Online research led Lewis to an abandoned Inupiat Eskimo village, littered with crumbling homes perched high on stilts. The people of King Island have long since re-located 80 miles southeast of the Bering Sea island to Alaska’s western coast, and all that remains of their culture is struggling to survive in the city of Nome. Lewis personally took the wooden mask with red-ochre face, beaked nose and black painted hair, to Alaska and delivered it to Tribal Coordinator of the King Island Native Community, Charlene Saclamana.

Saclamana said: “It gives me and my family something tangible from our past. We’ve lost so much of the culture. We were eager to have the mask back in our possession. We never had anything that well preserved from the island.”

Currently, the mask resides in an Alaskan museum and will be included in an exhibit featuring the style and ingenuity of ancient Bering Sea Eskimos. It serves as a significant piece of history and stands as a symbol of hope for King Island culture.

Would you have put as much effort into returning a relic you inherited? And where would you have started your research? Check out the original article and learn more about the King Island culture at Anchorage Daily News Online.

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