For nearly five decades, I have searched yards, fields, beaches, parks and elsewhere with my metal detector looking for lost or hidden treasures.
During all of those years, Susie was by my side swinging her detector.
We found coins, jewelry, relics and lots of assorted trash.
The oldest coin I found was an 1803 Large Cent. It was in the yard of an old abandoned farm house near Pendleton.
In an old yard on Adams Street, I found an Indian head penny, dated 1908 with an “S” mint mark. It graded in extra fine condition and book price on it was $150. Not bad for just a penny.
In another farm yard, I found probably a bucket full or trash and seven coins. The newest coin was a 1923 dime and the oldest was an 1852 Large Cent.
About a decade ago, we joined the East Central Indiana Treasure Hunters metal detector club. It is based in Hartford City but has members who attend the meetings from as far away as Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.
We have monthly meetings with assorted speakers, auctions and other activities.
Recently, we had our annual pitch-in lunch and a member’s metal detector hunt. The club plants coins, tokens for prizes and foreign money for the participants to find with their detectors.
That hunt was the first time this year I had used my metal detector. Because of my weak legs and bad back, I wasn’t sure I could bend over (and stand back up!) to find the hidden coins. But, I was sure I could handle myself at the buffet line.
Susie said if we were driving there to eat, I was going to participate in the hunt or we weren’t going. I didn’t want to miss the food. I figured I could bend over a few time before I had to quit.
When the hunt started, I began swinging my detector. It immediately beeped at me and I dug my first target. I continued this for about 30 minutes. I then noticed I was walking slower and was taking longer to stand up between finds.
I wandered slowly off the field and turned off my detector. I was hoping I could last long enough to find eight or 10 targets.
When I made a count, I had 39 coins and one token. The token was good for a Garrett pinpointer valued at $150. Not bad for my first hunt of the season.
Susie beat me (I figured she would) with 47 coins and two tokens. She also won a Garrett pinpointer for one token and a brand new metal detector for the other.
Like most of the members of our club, I watch closely as the beans and corn are picked from the field in the fall. By checking certain sites on my computer, I learned that many of the farm fields had an old farm house back in the 1800s.
We locate the farm owners and ask for permission to detect their fields after the crops are picked (or before they are planted in the spring). These house sites produce old coins, relics, tools, and assorted pieces of farm equipment. Old marbles, arrowheads and other collectibles also are found in the fields.
If I keep going to therapy and working at the gym, I should be able to detect the farm grounds if I go slowly.
I know some of my readers are farmers. If any of you are aware of any old house, school or church sites on your property, and would allow my wife and me to detect your grounds, please contact me at the information below. We would be glad to bring extra machines with us and teach you how to detect also.
Rich Creason is an award-winning outdoors and travel writer whose work has appeared in local, regional, national and international publications for 40 years. Born in Anderson, he is a graduate of Markleville High School. He lives in South Madison County with his wife, Susie. He may be contacted at [email protected].