The Lost Gold Coin

I was told a story a few years ago about my great grandfather losing a gold coin. It's somewhere in the backyard of his old home place. I believe he was working in the garden or chicken coop when he lost the coin. I don't know what denomination it was. It was probably a small coin. My family, like most in this area, were farmers who didn't have much. It must have been a terrible day when he lost it. I assume he thought the coin was safer being in his pocket than tucked away in a drawer. My family member who told me this had lived with my great grandfather for a period of time. It's been a few years ago when I was told the story. I didn't feel I had a detector that had much of a chance to find this coin back then. My family member was going to show me the location and mow it for me. He just passed away this year at the young age of 61 yrs. old. I just didn't think I had a shot at finding it until now. There are some powerful metal detectors out there now. I might be able to get permission to hunt the location. I believe a cousin still owns the property but it may be a needle in a haystack trying to find it. Reading the more recent thread about how scarce gold coins are in this area has motivated me to look in to this more. I guess the odds of finding it are somewhat better just because I know a general area of where it's at. I also realize the size of the coin is probably very small and would not be easy to detect. I have a Los Banos series CZ3D I just aquired, a Nasa Tom approved F75 LTD, and the newer Whites V3i. Any thoughts would be appreciated...

My main suggestion would be to borrow a gold coin from a friend or relative and test it with all of your machines. You already know that it is a small target. Approach it to have some fun. You can pretty well dismiss the huge signals. Concentrate on the signals closest to your research and remember junk in the ground can force the signals lower than you might expect or produce a bouncing signal. Don't get in a hurry. Your odds of finding a gold coin are a lot better than the average guys, because you know one was lost. Please let us know if you test the different machines ahead of time and what you find out. Move slowly and concentrate. I hope you are successful.

Don
HH

Although it sounds easy, unless you know the general area it was lost or the signals are sparse it's going to be very difficult to find it.

I also know of two places that a double eagle was lost, and have hunted there to find them without much luck. The iron is too abundant in one place(old homestead), and the other is a swimming area with a ton of trash. It's safe to say the coins are both masked.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but finding the coin is going to be very difficult, and after a while it gets frustrating. The only reason I havent given up is that its double eagles we are talking about. Otherwise if it was just a piece of gold jewerly, you can find some much faster without less work in football/soccer fields.

qwk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Although it sounds easy, unless you know the
> general area it was lost or the signals are sparse
> it's going to be very difficult to find it.
>
> I also know of two places that a double eagle was
> lost, and have hunted there to find them without
> much luck. The iron is too abundant in one
> place(old homestead), and the other is a swimming
> area with a ton of trash. It's safe to say the
> coins are both masked.
>
> I'm not trying to discourage you, but finding the
> coin is going to be very difficult, and after a
> while it gets frustrating. The only reason I
> havent given up is that its double eagles we are
> talking about. Otherwise if it was just a piece of
> gold jewerly, you can find some much faster
> without less work in football/soccer fields.


I agree completely. I have no illusions that it would be anything but difficult. The sad thing is Wayne who told the story is no longer with us. He was very much in to family history and had traced our ancesty back to Ireland. My family came over about 1812 time period. Wayne also new the actual narrowed down area of where it was lost. I may drop by and talk to the family member that lives there now.

The main reason I shared this story is because there are so many incidents like this that come and go. They are locked in time until someone stumbles on to them or comes along and digs them up...

Thanks for sharing. I do hope you find it.

Approximately...... what year/era was the coin lost? If it was in the 1890's.... 1900's............. it was most probably a $5.00 Half Eagle....... and NOT a $1 gold coin. The $1 gold coin nearly ceased to circulate after the 1870's. And if a $1 gold coin was lost.......... it would hurt....... but NOT to the extent of becoming a life-long nightmare. There's 'clues' in the 'details'. I can help..... with more data.

What a fantastic opportunity.
Hope you find it.
Remember to have an agreement with the owner of the property.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Approximately...... what year/era was the coin
> lost? If it was in the 1890's....
> 1900's............. it was most probably a $5.00
> Half Eagle....... and NOT a $1 gold coin. The $1
> gold coin nearly ceased to circulate after the
> 1870's. And if a $1 gold coin was lost..........
> it would hurt....... but NOT to the extent of
> becoming a life-long nightmare. There's 'clues' in
> the 'details'. I can help..... with more data.


I would say early 1900's. My grandfather was born in 1904...

Good story ..Hope you can find it...

I have a similar Story told to me about 10 year's ago...It was told to me by a very alert 95 year old man..I was looking for a property stake for him in his yard and when I found it he actually dug it up...He was in excellent shape for his age...Did not look like he was much older than 75 or so...He told me a story abut when he was in his late teen's which would of put it about 1925 or so he was squirrel hunting on a piece of property in the fall of the year with an older gentleman...He said they broke for lunch and had they're meal what ever that might of been? He said after eating his buddy pulled out his folded bandana and unfolded it and went to wipe his face when he heard the thud and that's when his buddy realized that he had put 2 $5 Dollar gold pieces inside the bandana for safe keeping encase he had a hole or something in his pocket! Well he said they searched all around in the fallen leaves and could not locate them..He said the ground was matted thick with golden fall leaves.. He said they never locate them even checking the spot ever so often in the next few year's to no avail..

Here's the Kicker in the 40's they built a huge Military base on this piece of land and the base is still there today...He showed me on a topo map where the spot they were lost because of a natural feature the spot is still there and it's in an area of the base that remains completely untouched..I have looked at it on google earth also and the spot is 100% huntable...But it's on a military installation and no metal detecting allowed..I can say this they were setting on a large rock at a fork of a small creek..

I have heard the base is up for being dismantled and closed ...If it ever is in my life I believe I have a very good shot at recovering 2 $5 dollar gold pieces!

That old gentleman finally passed away at 98 year's old...But he was as sharp as a tack..I remember showing him how the detector worked and thats how he told me the story stating that if he had of had one of those before the 1940's he could of found gold!!

Keith

Hmmmmm. But if I understand you correctly.......... it was not your Grandfather that lost the gold coin. It was your Great Grandfather. So......... if the coin was lost approx 1900 to 1910............... it would NOT be a $1 gold coin. It would (80%) be a Half Eagle $5.00 gold coin. It could be a Quarter Eagle....... ((or even a Eagle))....... but I doubt that big.

Soooooo.......... What am I getting at. FORTUNATELY....... you are looking for a LARGE gold coin! (at least.... to a F75) If it's a Half Eagle.... it'll ID as a Zinc penny tone (3rd highest tone)..... but ONLY if you have 4-tones invoked. On the CZ-3D...... it'll ID as a high tone. This is assuming that it is not masked/partially masked. On any other unit...... you would be looking for a pull-tab. If........... by chance............. it was a Quarter Eagle................ it will ID as a mid-tone on both the F75 and the CZ-3D. A Quarter Eagle is exactly the size of a dime. Easily large enough to detect to fairly good depths. F75 ID's:

Quarter Eagle = '42'
Half Eagle = '53'

Once again...... assuming no masking.

FINISH THE FINAL CHAPTER.......... CLOSE THE BOOK......... AND LET US KNOW!!!!!!!!!!

Dig all the trash tones

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

[www.youtube.com]

If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat!

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hmmmmm. But if I understand you
> correctly.......... it was not your Grandfather
> that lost the gold coin. It was your Great
> Grandfather. So......... if the coin was lost
> approx 1900 to 1910............... it would NOT be
> a $1 gold coin. It would (80%) be a Half Eagle
> $5.00 gold coin. It could be a Quarter
> Eagle....... ((or even a Eagle))....... but I
> doubt that big.
>
> Soooooo.......... What am I getting at.
> FORTUNATELY....... you are looking for a LARGE
> gold coin! (at least.... to a F75) If it's a Half
> Eagle.... it'll ID as a Zinc penny tone (3rd
> highest tone)..... but ONLY if you have 4-tones
> invoked. On the CZ-3D...... it'll ID as a high
> tone. This is assuming that it is not
> masked/partially masked. On any other unit......
> you would be looking for a pull-tab. If...........
> by chance............. it was a Quarter
> Eagle................ it will ID as a mid-tone on
> both the F75 and the CZ-3D. A Quarter Eagle is
> exactly the size of a dime. Easily large enough to
> detect to fairly good depths. F75 ID's:
>
> Quarter Eagle = '42'
> Half Eagle = '53'
>
> Once again...... assuming no masking.
>
> FINISH THE FINAL CHAPTER.......... CLOSE THE
> BOOK......... AND LET US KNOW!!!!!!!!!!


Yes, it was my great grandfather. I spoke to my cousin this evening to look further in to the story. He is going to speak to his older brother to verify story and possible location.

This sounds like a really neat opportunity. It'll have major (priceless) sentimental significance.... should you locate the gold coin. I can only hope the area it is in...... is somewhat trash-free.

Quite a lot of variables to consider but surely an adventure I would undertake myself as lots of plus variables and good luck. Personally I hope its a small yard and not trashy and over the years has gone up and down and not too deep...The possibilities of a gold coin in a specific area surely increase your chances of finding and certainly worth a trip or two as I sure would welcome the challenge...