YEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWWW! I'ma Gonna Be Rich!

[Photoz]

Well, I had a VERY good week of holidays . . . found a great carp spot, within a $6.00 drive from home (I'm learnin' to watch my gas guage these days) landed about 2 dozen carp in 6 days, biggest 24+ pounds, and most in the 12 to 15 pound range . . . met a few new friends, and just had a very relaxin' week. But . . . . I was lucky enough to run into a fellow fisherman who not only was familiar with metal detectors . . . . he actually had one with him. I was amazed at how simple these 'entry level' toys were . . . . and also even more amazed at how sensitive they are. He found a #14 hook, under 3" of sand on the riverbank!! He bought this nifty little device from Crappy Tire for $150.00. So o o o . . . . . upon arriving home Friday afternoon, I looked it up on the CTC site, pinpointed a store that showed it in stock. Upon arrival, I couldn't find ANY of the THREE models . . . spent 10 minutes hunting down somebody on the floor, only to be told they were sold out. He called a store about 15 minutes away . . was assured THEY had one . . . after 20 minutes finding help there, it was ascertained THEY DID NOT have it . . . they made a mistake . . . . but after a few choice words with the manager I was given the $200.00 model for the cheaper price. So o o o o this morning I hit the soccer field in the park down the street, and got started. First 10' . . . . . . BEEEEEEEEP!! PAYDIRT?? A pop can tab . . . oh well. In the next 15 minutes, ONE ear ring . . a toonie . . . some pennies . . several screw nails . . . then . . . . a strong signal down in the roots of the grass . . . after probing a bit with my only digging tool (a screwdriver) I hit SOMETHING hard . . . and out comes a ring!! after cleaning it a bit, it had some typa birthstone . . . blue? To make a long story short(er), I spent over an hour poking around an area about 200' X 200' . . . total haul, 5 (single) cheap looking ear rings, assorted nails, pop can tabs, $6.06 in change, a cheap birthstone ring, but . . . . . a VERY impressive (to me) looking 'pinkie' ring. Although it LOOKS like diamonds mounted in it, the ring is not as heavy as I'd imagine something like this SHOULD be? But . . . . NOW i got something to do while waiting along some riverbank or lake shore while waiting for Mr. Carp!! Can hardly wait to hit some beaches in the early morning, AFTER a hot crowded day. And there are DOZENS of parks locally. I think I'ma gonna LOVE my new 'TOY!'

 

See pics below . . . . is THAT what a diamond 'pinkie' ring should look like? GEEZE . . ... I HOPE!! It also was buried in the dead 'undergrass,' had to have been there a year or 2?

 

[Joey]

Well that is just awesome, I'd love one of those things.

 

They both look real to me, and antique. Do either have a stamp of 10k or 14k on the inside? Generally if the gold is real, the gems are real. Also, hold the diamond one up to the sun and if the diamonds are real, they will sparkle different colours (I know, no sun has been out nor is it forcasted )

 

Joey

[Tarzan's Jane]

LOL...too funny Photoz. Hope you do get rich But...a word of caution, do not put those rings on your fingers or wear them on a chain. I speak from experience...won't give the details, just heed my warning. No...this is not the twilight zone. haha

[Photoz]

The 'pinkie' ring has no stamp, but the 'birthstone' ring is 14 carat? Is THAT good? I'm not a jewellry typa guy, so I know little about the value of this stuff . . . but I'm sure gonna check it out. I don't know if I've just hit some 'beginner's luck,' but this just seemes TOO EASY? And, let's just suppose this 'pinkie' ring IS the real McCoy . .. . HOW DOES A PERSON LOSE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

[Clampet]

That's really exciting!

It's kinda like fishing - in a way, except you may actually make a profit.

Have a look at this movie link, I rented it 2 weeks ago and it is about finding hidden treasure - in more ways than one.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388182/

 

Edited May 19, 2008 by Clamp-It

[Joey]

Yes, 14k is very good. You could pawn it or get the money for the weight in gold, just ask Russell Oliver I think its worth like $1,000 a lb now or something.

 

Joey

[Photoz]

They let me out on the weekends, eh? That movie does look interesting . . . I'm just looking for sites now for tips on what to do IF ya do get lucky and find something of value?

[glirw]

That does look like fun! Just don't go snooping for treasures in the G. Ross Lord Park , eh ?

[drunksmurf]

I used to have a Tesoro metal detector in my younger days... You'll have that little unit paid off in weeks just with loose change alone and I'd suggest buying a higher quality unit if you're really into it. In the past I've found countless rings, charms, musket balls, old coins, enough Hotwheels to start an auction house, and surely over a hundred pounds of loose coin, etc etc... I'd suggest finding a local club that goes on organized digs and certainly try one of the Canadian treasure hunting websites if you haven't already. One of my favourite venues used to be abandoned farms and homesteads. Amazing the stuff you'd find there. And they're all over the place with just a little searching around. Do your best to ask permission and not trespass.

 

Have fun doing it and fill yer holes back in!

 

DS

[Guest gbfisher]

I guess now seeing as how you have a machine you won't be interested in the one Vans is coming out with.

[Rich Clemens]

I had a couple Gerritt models some years back and really enjoyed getting out once in a while. I found a number of silver coins with the oldest being a dime from the 1890's. Oldest coin found was an 1864 2 cent piece from the states. Found quite a lot of coins, few cheap rings, and loads of trash. I haven't used them in years, but keep thinking about getting a newer model and picking it up again.

 

You'll have a lot of fun with those things. Just fill in the holes and dispose of all the trash you dig properly. Remember, no place is totally "hunted" out.

[Big Cliff]

That is really neat Steve, I have wanted one of those things for years and always thought it would be a lot of fun on the beaches down South. I almost bought one a couple of years ago when we were in Myrtle Beach but then a friend reminded me that they go over the beaches with a machine that filters the sand and removes any thing that might be in it.

 

I would think that any socer field or park would yield lots of coins and things. Oh, and gold is worth about $910.00/ Troy oz. A troy oz is about 31.103 grams and 14K means that that ring is about 58% pure gold the remander is alloy. A typical pinkey ring would weigh about 3 grams so that ring you found would probably be worth ball park about $58.00 just for the scrap gold in it. I have no idea what the value of the stone is but it looks like you have just recovered about 30% of your investnent already. Pure gold is 24k so if you find any more and it is stamped, 18/24 = 75% pure, 10k= about 42% just devide the number by 24 and you will have the gold purity.

[HTHM]

I was talking to fellow who was using one in the water at a beach. He said that if you work the bottom where the water is waist height that is where the most rings are lost due to the water lubricating the rings and allowing them to fall off peoples fingers.

Just a thought

[Photoz]

THEEEEEE big letdown . . . . I went down to Bluffers this morning for about 4 hours, thought of takin' a couple white buckets to carry all the stuff I wuzz gonna find . . . didn't even find enough coin to pay my parking . . . just another 3 cheap ear rings . . . . geeze . . . seems to be lots of those lost, lotsa those l'il fireworks wires stickin' up, ALMOST outta the sand . . . great for the barefoot season . . . 'nudder reason firewrks on public property should be banned, I was quite surprised at the meager pickin's there wuzz down there? Bottle caps, rusty nails, pull tabs, an ol' coin I've never heard of . . . Ontario 1867 on one side with the provincial coat of arms & says 'WHITE TRILLIUM' with a white trillium on the other? It was only about 2" into the loose sand . . couldn't have been there long? I guess I'll have to stick to parks with picnic area & playing fields . . . . . where ya got tough diggin' in the grass! I guess I musta had a classic case of beginner's luck . . . . maybe I'll have to cancel plans for fly-in salmon fishin' up in Labrador this summer . . . I'm thinkin' maybe this l'il venture ain't gonna be quite as lucrative as it first appeared . . . but . . . . it IS interesting! I'm not quite ready to get into it full time yet though!!

 

Anybody ever seen or heard of this coin? No denomination / value on it . . . might NOT even be an 'official' coin?

 

 

[Tarzan's Jane]

Just stay out of the graveyards.....don't wanna be digging there.

[steverowbotham]

Ballin

[blaque]

Found your coin by googling

 

The White Trillium piece is from a set of medallions made in 1967, and distributed through gas stations as a promotional item for Canada's Centennial (the date refers to the date the particular province enter Confederation, and this fools a lot of people). Unfortunately they remain very common, and complete sets of 13 medals can be had for $5 or $10. also found it on e-bay below

 

 

White Trillium

[maybe]

a cheap birthstone ring, but . . . . . a VERY impressive (to me) looking 'pinkie' ring. Although it LOOKS like diamonds mounted in it, the ring is not as heavy as I'd imagine something like this SHOULD be?

 

Joey's right...that sapphire ring does look antique. Reminds me of my late grandmother's engagement ring ca. 1927. If it's stamped 14k, it's higher end - likely a very nice quality stone in it.

 

You'll find cheapy 10k jewelry that looks like a huge hulking impressive thing until you pick it up and it weighs nothing. They cut corners skimping on gold in low-end stuff. The band on this ring is oddly thin and narrow, so I'm guessing if you look up underneath where the stones are, you'll likely see a big empty space. Leaning toward "cheapy 10k piece with real but poor quality stones" as my guess for the pinky ring. Your local goldsmith will be able to tell you by looking at it.

 

I lost my engagement & wedding rings years ago. My hand had gotten sore while I was out, so I'd put the rings on my watch band, and tossed the watch in the cup holder of my car. Got to the restaurant, put the watch on my lap while I rummaged for toonies for the tip...and then got out of the car without remembering to put the watch back in the cupholder. Got them back (YAY!!) once the woman who picked them up saw "REWARD!" in big letters in the local papers. Still paranoid about them. If I know I'm going to have them off for a long time while I'm out (working inside machines, getting covered in stinkbait, whatever), I usually leave them at home.

 

That coin you found seems to be part of a 1967 gas station promotion set. Couldn't find much on them other than eBay examples for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada.

 

There's a set of geocaches around Cavan with a "treasures" theme...the owner fills them with costume jewelry, coins, etc he finds while metal detecting.

[Photoz]

Ah h h h h shot down again!! My 'rare' coin is about as rare as road kill skonk! And you're right about the rings . . the birthstone one I thought was 14 carat . . . cheapo 10 carat, same with the 'pinkie' ring. Guess I'm not quite gonna retire yet? Hm m m m m . . . . graveyards . . . . gold fillings in teeth . . . . . . I wonder how far into the ground this thing will detect gold . . . . . ? T'anks for another good lead Twi . . . . ?

[Terry]

not far about 8"

[Fisherman]

Ah h h h h shot down again!! My 'rare' coin is about as rare as road kill skonk! And you're right about the rings . . the birthstone one I thought was 14 carat . . . cheapo 10 carat, same with the 'pinkie' ring. Guess I'm not quite gonna retire yet? Hm m m m m . . . . graveyards . . . . gold fillings in teeth . . . . . . I wonder how far into the ground this thing will detect gold . . . . . ? T'anks for another good lead Twi . . . . ?

Ya, I've got one of those coins somewhere, they were also given out in the Centennial year at schools, got mine at Highland Creek PS.

[Canuck2fan]

Yeah it is all fun and games till you dig up a ring with the finger still in it..... LOL That would be my luck.... ummm no officer I didn't put the body here I swear.

 

Cool hobby though and remember you only have to strike 5 or 6 good finds to pay for your detector

[Stoty]

CT......what a joke.

Same thing happened to me...says in stock...go to the store...not there.

Pathetic for such a big company.

 

Man oh man, I should get me one of those findin tools!

Good job!