Cal_Cobra MEETS AN INDIAN PRINCESS ON THE SPANISH TRAIL

Saying I had an epic weekend would be an understatement! I loaded the latest Equinox firmware update to try the new FE2/0 iron program, and it did not disappoint!

I've posted about trip reports from this site several times over the years. It's always IMO been a fun site, you just never know what you'll dig, and it dates back to the early 1800's with history into the 20th century. It saw it's share of the Spanish, Mexicans, and Americans. It's getting difficult, lots of flat iron still left, but good finds have been thinning out, easy finds have been gone for years. Tom won't even hunt here any more

This trip turned out to be absolutely EPIC! Unbelievable really, because there have been trips where neither Tom nor I have dug a single coin at this site, so to dig five period coins in one trip was astounding.

Now if these were just five common 1800's coins, I would've left there a happy camper, but two out of the five would turn out to be astounding finds!

An 1865-S Seated Liberty Dime AND a 1856-S INDIAN PRINCESS $1 GOLD PIECE!!! I am absolutely over the moon from this hunt!

I got all the coins on video, if you have a chance, take a look: [youtu.be]

Without further ado:

Right after she was dug and I just ran some bottled water over her in the field:




Rinsed off under the faucet back in my room (no rubbing!!!):




1865-S Seated Liberty Dime:



All the Seated Liberty Dimes together:



1887 IHP:



Thanks for looking!!

GL&HH,
Cal <<<<<<<< THE ORIGINAL CAL

Outstanding hunt.

Awesome! Beautiful gold coin! great hunt.

Dang man big congrats great finds mr!

Yes sir!! Super hunt and big congrats!

That place is loaded. I'd be digging iron like there's no tomorrow, and imagine all the coins that are hiding under all that vegetation. Have you tried using small coils on any of your machines? I'd bring some pruners and heavy gloves to make it easier to dig those hard to reach targets. Sounds like the word for the day is Alright! Just kidding.

Ps - We don't throw pewter spoon parts away here in the east. I have a box full of broken utensils of every type from every period. I keep all that stuff. Also, I never chuck iron into the bushes at a good site because you can come back five or ten years later and those bushes will be dead and gone revealing new unhunted ground.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2020 08:15AM by Badger in NH.

tnsharpshooter Wrote:
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> Outstanding hunt.

Thanks TNSS!

coinspader Wrote:
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> Awesome! Beautiful gold coin! great hunt.

Thanks CS, doubt I'll be topping this hunt anytime soon.

Kickindirt Wrote:
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> Dang man big congrats great finds mr!

Thank you!

Daniel Tn Wrote:
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> Yes sir!! Super hunt and big congrats!

Thanks!

Badger in NH Wrote:
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> That place is loaded. I'd be digging iron like there's no tomorrow, and imagine all the coins that are hiding under all that vegetation.
> Have you tried using small coils on any of your machines? I'd bring some pruners and heavy gloves to make it easier to dig.
> Sounds like the word for the day is Alright! Just kidding.
>
> Ps - We don't throw pewter spoon parts away here in the east. I have a box full of broken utensils of every type from every period. I keep all that st
> uff. Also, I never chuck iron into the bushes at a good site because you can come back five or ten years later and those bushes will be dead and gone revealing new unhunted ground.

The iron that's the most problematic is that flat, rusty tin and soldered can remains, I dig it. There's no doubt that the bushes are hiding some keepers. A few years ago I pulled out some dead bushes and it resulted in a nice Phoenix button and a couple of late 1700's decorative flat buttons. Many of these bushes have ample space near the ground to get your coil in under the branches, but not all of them. I've used small coils there in the past. I have a little 7.5"x4" coil on my Multi Kruzer and found a reale, Phoenix button and some other nice relics using it. I also used a couple of small coils on my F75 there, but I'd have to check my old notes to see what it found.

Yeah I suppose some day I'll be cursing whoever threw all that iron into the bushes, alright, myself It'll be a long time (ever?) until this place is hunted out. In the mean time, I try to get there at least once a year, to continue to unlock it's mysteries.

I figured hard core hunters back east likely kept all the pewter implement bits and pieces, my comment was more tongue and cheek than anything. We keep most of the misc. stuff we find from bits of green copper, to unidentifiable what's its. To most they don't really mean anything, I show these kinds of things to my wife and she thinks they should get pitched, but to me, they tell a story, a record of a forgotten and almost completely unrecorded place and time in history that's only an asterisk in the annals of history, yet at one time it was the edge of the civilized world.

What went on at this site and how many acres does it cover? If there were a lot of people concentrated in one place for a long time, there must have been activity all over the outskirts as well covering a pretty large area. There could easily have been coin spills quite a distance away from all the trash and iron. There must be a lot of ground to cover there.

Yeah, I'd call that hunt epic, too. Outstanding hunt! HH jim tn

Sounds like you are close to being unfaithful to your wife with that Indian Princess. I don't blame you, she's beautiful.
Gold is a special element, especially when it's crafted in coin form. Well done Cal ( the original Cal).

Holy smokes Original Cal that is my dream hunt lol. Congratulations!!! I wonder how Tom is feeling after seeing your finds? I bet he can't that glittering gold reflection out of his eyes LOL sorry Tom

Wow!

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

That is just Awesome, Brian!

Silver and gold, Gold and silver. That dime is no slouch either. Would like to see your trash pile.

Thanks for sharing

HH
Mike

Outstanding find Brian,

Definitely dig all signals type of terrain, Glad you went after this signal.

That’s an ID signal Tom would have probably not dug, Pays to dig everything especially at the older settlements.

Congratulations,
Paul

Nice coins! definitely a day to remember. Love that Indian princess!

OMG! BIG CONGRATS! Especially on that PRETTY yellow one!

Your Princess is very modest. She has a Small Head. (That's a Type-2!!!).
And to think...… your 1865 'S' dime...…. and 1856 'S' Type-2 …. are about the same value/price!!!

Stunning!
Congrat's!!!

Great finds Brian, just out standing.

El

Uhh.... who's this "Tom" fellow you allude to a few times in your video & post ? Who supposedly had put a fork in this site long ago ? Ok, I confess, it's me, haha Yes, as you say yourself, the site was getting stingy as time went on. But for some reason, you seemed to have a fondness for the site. And yes, I will attest that you DID often muse that "there must a gold coin out here somewhere". And that isn't something you'd say about other sites of ours. So it's almost as if you did indeed have a premonition. My coins from this site has been a few reales, a seated quarter, a seated dime, etc.....

Congratz on your 2nd gold coin. Most hunters (even hardcore hunters) are still looking for their first. And not only are you on two gold coins, but .... now it turns out that both of your gold coins are numismatic rarer ones. Be sure to keep us updated after you get this gold coin slabbed. Since that one can take wild swings in price value, with a single grade jump, as you know. Are you also going to get the '65 s dime slabbed too ? Not that you're planning on selling either of them, but .... it will give you some well-deserved room to gloat even more

At most of all our sites, we are dead-even now on target and coin counts. Except for this one site. For some reason, it's always liked you better. I tip my hat to you ! You worked hard for that gold coin. Now you just need (ahem) 13 more gold coins and you'll catch up with me (ahem ahem , haha) . You should get another "banner" on T'net, which will put you at 5 banners now, eh ?

I love the "come to papa" reveal scenes of the video. The passion is catching and fun. Hoping that you'll get a helmet /ball-cap go-pro , so that you can do seemless start-to-finish clips.

Apolonio (CA) Wrote:
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>
>
> That’s an ID signal Tom would have probably not du
> g,

Huh ? How do you figure Paul ? At relicky sites like this, we are in a dig-all mentality. We're not cherry picking.

However, at this site, on a prior time when I was there, I did notice the following phenomenon : Since there is SO much iron in some areas, I reached for my Tesoro Bandito. Which, as you know, is better at target averaging, to help see conductive targets in/around/under nails. And one thing I noticed was that my count of teensy things (like .22 shells) went way up. NOT that I'm purposefully passing teensy things like .22 shells with my Explorer II, but just that a 2-filter Tesoro is much more sensitive to low conductor/small things.

So Brian, do tell : What is the Target ID comparison of a .22 shell to the gold coin ? I've found 2 $1 golds so far, and If I recall, they read a tad higher than .22 shells, right ?

Brian,

What can I say -- that is just absolutely stellar! I'd have been MORE than over the moon, with those old Seateds, and then you add the Princess...BEAUTIFUL!

Depending upon how deep, I'll assume it was a pretty solid "10" in the ground, and "11" in an air test?

CONGRATS, Brian, and way to be persistent, in a site that is obviously worthy of that persistence!

Now, off to watch your video!

Steve

A textbook perfect ID (on the EQX) for a Type-2 or Type-3 U.S. 1-Dollar gold coin is: '11'. In the ground they may bounce between 10, 11 & 12..... in most cases. If other targets or mineralization are 'equation-multipliers' ….. all bets are off.
Many .22 Short and .22 Long/Long Rifle brass shell cases...… can/will ID in this exact same range. Also...… .22 Short & Long Rifle projectiles can ALSO ID in the exact same ID range...….,,,,,,,,, regardless of detector brand.

What a hunt and great job on the video!! Congratulations on some outstanding finds.

Hello Tom,

Based from previous hunts with you, on sites you and I have hunted several times. I remember you notching out certain conductive targets with the Explorer II, assumed you had done the same with this particular site Brian dug the small gold coin.


Tesoro Bandio is great for sites like these, the original Tesoro Lobo is another winner for iron separation. If you ever come across one for a good price, may want to consider getting one. From my experience, it fares better than the Bandio.

Take care,
Paul


Tom_in_CA Wrote:
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> Apolonio (CA) Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> >
> > That’s an ID signal Tom would have probably not
> du
> > g,
>
> Huh ? How do you figure Paul ? At relicky sites
> like this, we are in a dig-all mentality. We're
> not cherry picking.
>
> However, at this site, on a prior time when I was
> there, I did notice the following phenomenon : S
> ince there is SO much iron in some areas, I reache
> d for my Tesoro Bandito. Which, as you know, is
> better at target averaging, to help see conductive
> targets in/around/under nails. And one thing I n
> oticed was that my count of teensy things (like .2
> 2 shells) went way up. NOT that I'm purposefully
> passing teensy things like .22 shells with my Expl
> orer II, but just that a 2-filter Tesoro is much m
> ore sensitive to low conductor/small things.
>
> So Brian, do tell : What is the Target ID compari
> son of a .22 shell to the gold coin ? I've fou
> nd 2 $1 golds so far, and If I recall, they read
> a tad higher than .22 shells, right ?

Now THAT IS a hunt of EPIC PROPORTIONS!!!!----Plus the fact it was made by one of our "good guys"!---Congratulations Brian--I'm really happy for you (even though I am jealous)!--------Del

Thanks everyone, it was a dream hunt, one that I'll never forget and a long needed weekend of relaxation and solitude

Apolonio (CA) Wrote:
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> Outstanding find Brian,
>
> Definitely dig all signals type of terrain, Glad you went after this signal.
>
> That’s an ID signal Tom would have probably not dug, Pays to dig everything especially at the older settlements.
>
> Congratulations,
> Paul

Thanks Paul!

I'll admit that this site in the past has been punishing with .22 shorts, and I've been guilty of skipping a few after digging handfuls of them during a hunt. Now though, in certain parts of the site, even the .22 shells are thinning out, and gold coins aside, there's some good targets in that range, like small buttons, small pieces of jewelry, and other relics, but 95% of the time they will be .22 shells. I have noticed that a TID of 13 on the Equinox is, more oft then not, iron of all shapes and sizes, but I still dig it.

Mike Hillis Wrote:
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> That is just Awesome, Brian!
>
> Silver and gold, Gold and silver. That dime is no slouch either. Would like to see your trash pile.
>
> Thanks for sharing
>
> HH
> Mike

Thanks Mike, and if you're serious about the trash pile, I'd be happy to get a picture of it this weekend and post it, but there's nothing exciting in there I can assure you

GL&HH,
Cal

steveg Wrote:
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> Brian,
>
> What can I say -- that is just absolutely stellar!
> I'd have been MORE than over the moon, with those
> old Seateds, and then you add the Princess...BEAUT
> IFUL!
>
> Depending upon how deep, I'll assume it was a pret
> ty solid "10" in the ground, and "11" in an air te
> st?
>
> CONGRATS, Brian, and way to be persistent, in a si
> te that is obviously worthy of that persistence!
>
> Now, off to watch your video!
>
> Steve

Thanks Steve. Believe it or not the $1 gold coin was a solid "12" from all directions.

Badger in NH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What went on at this site and how many acres does
> it cover? If there were a lot of people concentrat
> ed in one place for a long time, there must have b
> een activity all over the outskirts as well coveri
> ng a pretty large area. There could easily have be
> en coin spills quite a distance away from all the
> trash and iron. There must be a lot of ground to c
> over there.

I don't want to give away too many clues on this site, but lest just say it was a Spanish outpost, and all of these outposts traded with the Indians and were really centers of commerce for locals and travelers alike. It was fairly long lived, and I do believe there are periphery areas that we have yet to tap into or locate. There was definitely a concentration of activity and losses, and once I fan off into the woods so to speak, the detector gets quite fast. I'm sure there are some areas that people camped or other activities occurred, and I think we'll go into research mode again and see if we can uncover any new clues since we researched this site around ten years ago.