AMERICAN DIGGER MAGAZINE

January-February 2023 American Digger® 49

CASH in the TRASH!

By Chip Kirkpatrick

50 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

ike all of you (I hope), I follow the rule about remov- But as I am re-examining my trash, I am sorting each item
ing dug trash and hauling it away. However, I suspect by the composition and tossing them into separate barrels, gar-
most of you deposit the numerous pull tabs, bottle bage cans or buckets. You want to keep the iron away from the
brass, aluminum away from copper, etc. The reason is some
Lcaps, rusty nails and other useless, valueless, items in metals are more valuable than others and doing this allows you

the nearest trash receptacle or in your personal trash can. to be paid the maximum amount. If you deliver everything
You are tossing away a small fortune. Okay, a very small mixed together, then you will be paid the rock-bottom
price for everything. As an example, this morn-
fortune. As one who will dig frantically into a pile of rusty ing, iron paid $.07 a pound while brass paid $.85 a
nails and razor blades to retrieve a lost Memorial penny, I am pound. Mixed together they would have brought in
appalled by this attitude. After all, free money is free money. just $.07 a pound.
Most recycling centers have certain rules to
About once a year, I hook my trailer to my Jeep and empty be followed. They may require aluminum cans to
my garage of all of the scrap metal I harvested while metal be flattened. Liquids will likely have to be drained.
detecting. Then I head to my local recycling center to sell my Gas cylinders and containers need a visible hole.
rusty “gold.” Some items are prohibited.
Small, wall-mounted electrical
Whenever I return home after untold hours of swinging heaters are not allowed. Appar-
my coil, the first thing I do is empty my trash bucket and give ently there are radioactive parts
everything I found a second look. If you don’t routinely re- inside. Railroad spikes and track
view your finds, it’s likely you have tossed away a really good mounting hardware are refused.
find or two. A second look, maybe in better light, from a dif- I learned they are considered to
ferent angle, or after a bit of dried mud has broken off, may be the property of the U.S. Gov-
amaze you. ernment.

Once I tossed a lump of rusty metal into a recycling bar-
rel. Moments later I retrieved it for another look. It turned out
to be a pistol. A sliver of copper was actually my oldest coin, a
Spanish copper maravedis from the reign of Felipe III
(1598-1621). I also found what appeared to be a
folded bit of aluminum foil but looking more
closely I saw an embossed American flag. I
carefully unfolded it and saw a second flag
on the opposite edge and between them
was a bust of President Harding with a
wreath around his figure. I sent pictures
to the Harding museum and they re-
sponded they had never seen such an item
before, but the wreath signified it was a com-
memorative after his death
in 1921. The metal was
actually silver foil, as well.
My personal best find ap-
peared to be a mud-coated
can lid but was actually a
silver Scottish medallion
that has direct ties to my
family!

A word of caution before you assume everything in your 51
junk buckets is actually junk. These were rescued from
the scrapyard by the author giving everything a sec-
ond look. (L-R) A copper Spanish maravedis from the
1598-1621 reign of Felipe III; a thin silver commemora-
tive piece of President William Harding after his death
in 1921; and a small revolver. His best find ever, a very
early silver pendant with his family name, featured in
Volume 18, Issue 1 and shown in the center of this page,
was almost discarded as a piece of scrap aluminum.

January-February 2023 American Digger®

Above, copper, brass and stainless plumbing fixtures and parts often pay well when sold to a scrapyard. Although most iron and steel is
accepted, there are limits. For instance, railroad spikes and railway hardware (including the actual rails) are prohibited to sell as scrap
except by authorized railroad or government representatives. Below is a pile ready for the scrapyard. Although most facilities will sort
the various items, they charge accordingly for this service, deducting their labor from the actual value.
_______________________________
Wh e n
you accept car batteries
ar- and tires.
rive,
The value of
your recyclables will
you will drive your vary as the buying
vehicle and trailer (if price fluctuates. To-
any) onto a huge scale day I received $87.
to be weighed. Then Last year it was $45
you drive to a general and previous years
drop-off area where paid $90+. While not
you unload the iron the price of a night
and steel contents. Gi- on the town, it will
ant magnets, attached buy some batteries
to cranes, collect all of and a few gallons of
the ferrous materials. gas. And it’s easier
Then you return to the than rolling pennies.
scale to determine how much you dropped off.
Next you go to a smaller collection point where aluminum
cans and the brass, copper, bronze and stainless steel are reviewed
by employees who further sort and weigh what you brought. Be Chip Kirkpatrick began metal detecting in
advised, these items are labeled and paid on a “clean” or “dirty” 2012 and is a three-time winner of Garrett’s
basis. If you have a brass plumbing fixture that is attached to a Favorite Find of the Month. In addition to
piece of galvanized pipe, the galvanized metal lowers the value, his passion for metal detecting, he is also an
because it must be removed before being shredded. So remove accomplished author.
inferior metals to maximize your payout! Many places also

52 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

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Reader’s Contest:
Try as he might, our publisher has never
found a gold coin. In honor of this non-
accomplishment, we again invite our readers to find
the gold coin hidden in this issue. Not just any gold
coin; it will be the photo shown here, although likely
a different size. Butch isn’t as picky, and once he
finds any gold coin, the contest will change. If you
find the coin in this issue, contact us via email or
USPS before midnight, Jan. 25, 2023. Please include
your full name and address. The winner will be
drawn from the correct entries emailed to anita@
americandigger.com, or sent to Box 126, Acworth,
GA, 30101. The winner will receive a Minelab hat

and finds box.
_______________

Last issue’s winner was Randy Schuh of Morristown,
TN, who found the hidden coin on page 2. Randy
wins a copy of the book, How to Find Treasure from
Space, by Geoffrey Notkin, signed by the author and

courtesy of Aerolite Meteorites

January-February 2023 American Digger® 53

Gold on
the 7th
Fairway! 

Is is there a correlation between golf and metal
detecting? In this case, yes.

By Ron Offerman

Most of us have hobbies or sports we Members of the WCHRRA (Will County Historical
enjoy, and sometimes they can even Research and Recovery Association) located in
intertwine with one other. For example; Joliet, Illinois get ready to hunt the site of the old
there is a correlation between sport Joliet country club golf course, in operation from
fishing and magnet fishing, and metal detecting and 1905-2019. At the top of this page, Judge Raymond
arrowhead and bottle hunting. However, is there a Nash’s coveted 1983 Valparaiso class ring is shown
correlation between golf and metal detecting?  right out of the hole it was found in on the 7th
fairway. The judge is shown at left being presented
Possibly. Golfers swing their clubs, while treasure the ring by Dennis during a WCHRRA meeting.
hunters swing their metal detectors. But in this case
there is more. Golf image courtesy Shutterstock

I know many people like being on their own, ______________________
and hunting solo. I, however, like to see
what others are finding on their outings.
I especially like hearing about my fellow
club members’ finds when I am not find-
ing anything myself. Belonging to a met-
al detecting club can have its advantages.
Beyond just finding treasures, sometimes
you gain things that are far more precious
(friendships, fellowship, experiences, and
amazing stories to share). The socialization
alone is worth the price of membership.

I am a 22-year member of the WCHRRA
(Will County Historical Research and
Recovery Association) in Joliet, Illinois.
Our club currently boasts over 100 paid
members. One of the original founding
54 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

Some of the finds made during the detecting club outing

were from the grounds’ days as a country club and golf

course. In addition to the golf balls shown (over 100 were

found by hunt participants), finds made by the author

members of our club is Jan included a John F. Kennedy token, a maple tree tag, two hunt to find out what treasures
Nahorski. Jan is employed by the vintage buttons, and three Wheat pennies. Over 20 silver the old course might hold. We
City of Joliet and has some pretty coins were found at the hunt, by all members combined. were scheduled to meet back
nice connections. He has been up for lunch, and during that
______________________

able to set up some very successful break, all the members shared, talk-
hunts for our club, at places solo ed about, and compared finds. We
hunters would probably never have Everyone was in awe when found silver coins, tokens, watch

he pulled out a beautiful 1983

the opportunity to search on their gold class ring (from Valparaiso fobs, cut coins (most likely used for
own. University) from his pouch and ball markers), and one club member
even found gold!
Our club once even had the rinsed it with water. As luck
privilege of searching the old Joliet would have it, there was a full The lucky guy who found gold
Prison, which was built in 1858 and name inscribed on the inner was Dennis Gretencord. Dennis has

band of the ring...

closed down in 2002. Joliet Prison been a member and detecting since
was built using local limestone 2017. Everyone was in awe when he
by prisoners who were housed in pulled out a beautiful 1983 gold class
other prisons. (I‘ll save that story ring (from Valparaiso University)
for another day!) For those who saw from his pouch and rinsed it with
the 1980 movie Blues Brothers, Joliet water. As luck would have it, there
Prison was featured in the opening was a full name inscribed on the
scene when Jake (John Belushi), inner band of the ring; this would
is released and reunited with his greatly cut back on the time needed
brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd). to locate the owner. At first, none of
During our club hunt we entered us could make out the name. (Yes,
and exited the same door shown in some of us are old, and the eyes just
the movie.   don’t focus as they used to!) It was
Jan also set up a club hunt at a only after Dennis returned home
local country club and golf course and enlisted the help of his trusty
during the summer of 2021. Club magnifying glass that he was able to
members arrived at the golf course In addition to “keeper” finds, the club also helped read the name “Raymond Nash.”
for the scheduled 8:00 am start clean the area by gathering and disposing of trash
time. We were excited and had long Here is the story as told by
anticipated our hunt of the 18-hole they found on the former golf course. Anyone Dennis:
golf course and its surrounding who thinks treasure hunting is all silver and
grounds. The country club was gold might want to think again. This box of   “I had just finished detecting on

trash is a reality of the hobby.

established in 1905 and shut down ______________________ the 8th fairway. My hip started to get

sore, so I decided to head towards the
in 2019. We had our usual briefing by our club president 7th fairway, which was closer to the parking lot. Heading
Chester Kiernicki, and our hunt organizer Jan Nahorski.   south down the fairway from the green, I only walked a
 Then we were off!
few yards, and hit a good solid 13 on my Minelab Equinox
Club members set off in all different directions on the 800 with the 11-inch coil. Thinking it might be a nickel, I

January-February 2023 American Digger® 55

decided to dig the target, which was about eight inches In 1979 Judge Nash
was issued an appoint-
down, and when I rolled the plug out, I had just missed ment to the Naval Acad-

it. I could see the color of gold in the sidewall towards the emy, and was also going

bottom and carefully used my hand digger to extract it. to play football for them.

Immediately after seeing the ring, I took out my phone After completing a phys-

and sent a picture to my wife, as I am under strict stand- ical and other tests, the

ing orders to let her know if I find ‘anything good!’ I told doctors informed him

her it was a class ring from Valparaiso University, class of his 20/40 vision would

1983. Returning to the designated lunch area, I showed prevent him from ever

the ring to club members who marveled at its beauty. Af- having a career in the

ter deciphering the name, I Navy. A younger Ray-

hopped on the internet and mond was devastated at

went to Valparaiso Univer- this news and knew he

sity’s website and looked up had to opt for another

the 1983 yearbook. Lo and career.

behold, there it was, the Exploring his other

name ‘Raymond Nash.’ Af- options, he and his father

ter finding the name, I dis- Above, WCHRRA President took a trip to Valparaiso
Chester Kiernicki (left) and hunt University to tour the
covered Mr. Nash was alive organizer Jan Nahorski (right) campus. Valparaiso has
and well. He is known these prepare to give members the an excellent law depart-
days as Judge Nash, associ- details of the hunt. In the photo ment, and Raymond
ate judge with the circuit at left, club member Dennis decided to become an
court. To make the research Gretencord, who found the class attorney. While at the
even easier (as if finding the ring, continues his hunt for more campus, they also visited
name wasn’t easy enough), treasure at the country club. with the football coach.
I contacted my nephew Ty-

ler Daymen, an attorney ______________ The coach told them

with the State’s Attorney’s
Office in Joliet. With the help of Tyler and one of his cowork- there was no more scholarship money; however, Ray-
ers, I was able to get a note to Judge Nash, asking if he had mond could try out as a “walk-on,” which he successfully
lost his class ring. The note was delivered in the middle of did.
Upon graduating from Valparaiso, Judge Nash’s father
a court case, no less! Can you imagine the look on his face John honored his promise to get him a class ring that

when he received that note?”  looked as close as possible to the

Dennis’s contact information Imagine being a judge one he had admired so much as a
was included on the note and and receiving a note in young boy. This was no small feat for
they made contact that very the middle of a court case a family in 1983 when the price of
same evening. During the asking if you lost your class gold went from roughly $200 to $800
conversation, Judge Nash described the ring... it was all he could do per ounce, but they were still able to
ring to a tee. (Yes, that is a golf pun!) to keep his composure for afford the ring.

Luckily, the WCHRRA was having the rest of the case! Fast forward to 2008, Judge Nash
our monthly meeting the very next was on the golf course on a hot sunny
night. Judge Nash agreed to attend the
meeting, where the ring was presented back to him. He
told us an inspiring story about the ring and why he
admired it so much.
Judge Nash has always held his father in high esteem.
When he was a young boy, he used to admire his father’s
ring, topped with a black onyx stone, from the Naval
Academy. After graduating from the Academy, his father
would ultimately achieve the rank of Lt. Commander and
was second in command of a warship during the Vietnam
War. He admired the ring so much that his father said he
would get one for him just like his after he graduated from
the Academy.

56 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

day, and he could feel his ring getting a little loose on his
finger. He thought to himself, “I should take this off and
put it in my pocket, so I don’t lose it.” However, he left
it on.

When he returned home, he realized it was missing
and ran to check his golf bag, hoping it had fallen in there.
It was not in the bag, but for years Raymond would turn
that bag upside down, hoping it would fall out. It never
happened. Judge Nash is a God-respecting man, and for
years he prayed for his ring to return. He said he had
prayed for its return just one week before Dennis found
it! He believes in divine intervention.

As mentioned earlier, imagine being a judge and
receiving a note in the middle of a court case asking if
you lost your class ring. He said it was all he could do
to keep his composure for the rest of the case! After
making contact with Dennis, Judge Nash went home and
immediately called his father to tell him the good news,
as Judge Nash had been heartbroken to have to tell his
father 14 years earlier that he had lost the cherished ring
purchased for him. They were both ecstatic by the ring’s
recovery and return.

 When Judge Nash attended our club meeting for the
emotional return of his class ring, as he told us his story
you could have heard a pin drop in the room. He is an
excellent speaker, and we listened intently to his every
word.

 A big thank-you goes out to Dennis Gretencord, and
all others who do take the time to return lost rings and
other items to their rightful owners. It is the right thing
to do.

Ron Offerman has been treasure hunting for over 30 years, The Easiest Way
and has been a member of the WCHRRA for 22 of those years. To Archive Your
He considers himself both a coin shooter and relic hunter
who enjoys searching in farm fields, wooded areas, and pri- Collection
vate yards. His detector of choice is a Minelab Equinox 800.
First Month: Save 50%

Visit: RelicRecord.com/AmericanDigger

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from the Revolutionary War, Civil War to World War II.

January-February 2023 American Digger® 57

Five Days to
Remember

By Dave Wise

When three diggers set out to find a
cellar hole in upstate New York, they
instead found an untouched War of
1812 camp. What followed was five
days of amazing finds.

58 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

n late 2022, Brian D’aust, Charlie Grimshaw and I secured
permission on private property in upstate New York to look
for a cellar hole on a piece of land. One of the guys said we

Ishould walk down the road rather than bushwhacking from

our parking spot. I mentioned, “Do we really want to advertise to
passing cars (even though we had permission) that we are go-
ing metal detecting somewhere nearby and pique people’s in-
terest that there may be a site in these woods?” I reiterated that
we should bushwhack our way in to avoid the very possibility I
had stated. All it would take would be an unscrupulous detector-
ist seeing us and then trespassing on the site, which might risk
our own access. We all agreed to just beeline it straight through
the woods to the site we planned to detect. 

As we were getting close to a depression, about 100 yards
away from what we thought was an old homesite, we fired up
our machines. Brian immediately got a button signal and dug it
to find a plain one-piece civilian button. He took five more steps
and got another button signal. He knelt down to dig the target and out popped a War of 1812 “script I” infantry button. This
got us all pretty excited!  

We looked at each other with wide eyes and grins. We set our machines down and slipped off our backpacks, as it was
obvious that we were going to be hunting here for awhile. We started fanning out away from each other and the signals just
started coming with every step. Button signals seemed to be heard with every swing! It wasn’t uncommon to have multiple
buttons and even a musket ball in the same hole.  I heard Brian shout, “Script infantry button!” Then Charlie would exclaim, 
“Hey, I got a script I, too!” Then it was my turn: “Hey, I just dug a script RR (Regiment of Riflemen) button!” The whole day
was like this. We were constantly communicating with each other in the forested cedar grove as we dug button after button
after button. 

This brass cufflink is held together in an unusual fashion, utilizing a
twisted wire to connect the two halves.

______________

Dave Wise’s better finds at the site included this War of
1812 belt plate, as well as numerous buttons and an 1812
large cent in amazing condition. It is shown below in detail
and was probably lost not long after being minted, as it
shows almost no wear from being in circulation.

Just a few of the various
military buttons found at the
War of 1812 campsite. From
top left, a 9th Regiment of
Infantry, a U.S. general
service, and a Light Artillery
button; at left, three buttons,
including a 13th Infantry
Regiment, fresh from the
ground. Good soil conditions
preserved the otherwise
fragile pewter buttons.
January-February 2023 American Digger® 59

ut there were more than buttons here. Soon I dug a nice mus-
ket ball mold and, an hour later, I dug another one! Musket
balls were popping out of the ground just as often as the but-

Btons, and occasionally someone would shout, “I got a copper
coin!” 

Like earlier mentioned, it wasn’t uncommon to dig multiple buttons

all in the same hole. This made us wonder how they could have lost

so many buttons in such a rather small, concentrated area. The condi-

tion of these pewter buttons and coins was just incredible. Perfect soil

conditions helped preserve these. Normally, pewter buttons, when dug,

start to flake and crumble when they hit the air. But beneath the ce-

dars the soil was very sandy and didn’t retain a lot of water when it

rained, which I feel is the reason these buttons, coins and even iron The linked wire shown
relics were so well preserved.  in the above photo was
part of a War of 1812-era
Among the many items we dug in those five days were script “I” musket tool. A brush hung
infantry buttons (some with regimental numbers), script regimental

riflemen’s buttons, U.S. general service coat buttons, script regimen- from one end, and a vent

tal artillery buttons, eagle “R” buttons, convex eagle buttons (some pick on the other. The
with regiment numbers), musket balls, bullet molds, flash pan picks, tubes were used to cover
chain links  and brush tubes from musket tools, a shoulder belt plate, the brush when not in use.
copper coins, a musket thimble or ramrod guide, cufflinks, and lead At left, two connecting
flint patches.   links for a musket tool.

Sites like this come along once in a lifetime and it was just fate ______________

that we stumbled onto this previously unhunted War of 1812 camp.

The depression in the ground that we thought was a cellar hole end-

ed up not being a homesite at all. If the stars had not been aligned and we had walked down the road and cut straight into

this depression we never would have found this camp. I feel the way it all happened was just meant to be. I will never forget

this site, digging with great friends who share the same passion for saving history as me. The connection we all felt with this

site is hard to describe and while I was detecting I often found

myself praying to the soldiers who camped here, and I feel

deeply in my heart that some higher power guided us here and

wanted us to save

what they had so

valiantly lost de-

fending our nation’s

freedom. I would

like to give those

long gone soldiers

my thanks to them

for letting us find all

the amazing relics

and coins so that

future generations

can cherish and en-

joy them!

The musket balls found appear to have been made
on site, and are a perfect match for the molds that
were recovered.

______________

Dave Wise resides in Waterbury, Connecticut. When he was 18, his father bought him a metal detector for his birthday,
and he was hooked. Since that day over 40 years ago, he has found over a thousand silver coins and large cents/colonial
coppers, numerous rare buttons, and jewelry, including numerous class rings and even a Rolex watch his landlord lost and
that Dave returned. He says, “Words can’t describe that feeling of placing that long-lost item in the owner’s palm, plus I
have  learned so much about history due to researching some of my older finds. I have also met many good friends through
this hobby. What is not to love about metal detecting?”

60 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

I ALTERNATE AIR FOR SCUBA DIVERS release mounting clip and can be attached to the BCD with the
n the beginning days of scuba diving, there was no such mouthpiece pointing down to prevent free flow.
thing as alternate air. Divers had only a single regulator
(early on, these were double-hose regulators) and if you ALTERNATE INFLATION REGULATOR
or your buddy encountered an out-of-air situation, they simply This type of alternate air setup combines an octopus into the
shared the one working regulator. This was called buddy breathing. power inflator hose on the BCD. In this case, the primary second
Today, modern scuba divers are trained to have at least one stage regulator will be what an out-of-air buddy will use, and the
alternate air option: a secondary regulator (also known as an main diver will switch to the power inflator regulator. If you decide
octopus, octo, or safe second; an alternate inflation regulator (an to use this source of alternate air, the primary second stage regulator
octopus combined with the power inflator connected to the BCD); should have a longer hose (36 inches) for the purposes mentioned
or redundant air (a separate pony tank with its own regulator). above. An example of this type of alternate air is the Oceanic Air XS
We will look at each of these options and talk about the differences. 2 which can be attached to the stock BCD inflator tube.

SECONDARY REGULATOR REDUNDANT AIR
The secondary regulator is simply an additional regulator This type of alternate air system consists of a separate, stand-
which is attached to the first stage. There is basically no difference alone air tank with regulator or mouthpiece. These are commonly
in the mechanics of the main regulator and the octopus, but there known as pony tanks which are small tanks of air with just enough
are differences otherwise. Two main differences are color and hose air volume to get the diver out of an emergency. A good example
length. Most safe second regulators have a bright-yellow faceplate of this type of alternate air is the SMACO S500 0.7L Mini Tank.
and hose for easy recognition. The hose on the octo is also longer (at This tank will provide 10-13 minutes of breathing time (plenty
least 36 inches) to give a buddy diver in need of air enough room to enough air to get you back to the surface), and it comes with an
breathe from your tank, but not be crowded. Secondary regulators attachment so the diver can refill it from a standard full-size diving
should also be tuned to avoid free flowing. Many modern safe tank. This model has the small tank, with attached breathing
seconds have a pre-dive and dive setting to help accomplish this. I mouthpiece, and a harness to attach it to the BCD.
prefer the Aqua Lung ABS regulator because it comes with a quick- FINAL THOUGHTS
If you are using a safe second regulator, it is important to
From left: The Aqua Lung ABS is an example of a attach it in what is commonly known as the Golden Triangle.
secondary regulator, or octopus; The Oceanic Air XS 2 This is an imaginary triangle at the front of the diver that extends
is an example of an alternate inflator regulator which is from hip to hip on the lower portion, then comes to a point at
integrated into the power inflator on the BCD; The the diver’s mouth. This allows for the regulator to be visible and
SMACO S500 0.7L Mini Tank is an example of a accessible to either diver. Make sure when mounting it to the BCD
separate redundant air supply, or pony tank. that you do so with some sort of quick-release system. Never allow
the regulator to just swing free; it makes it hard to find and could
damage either the regulator or the aquatic environment.
Be sure and test your alternate air source before entering the
water, just as you would your primary regulator. Even though you
will probably not be breathing from alternate air during the dive,
clean it properly after every dive.
Make sure you educate your dive buddy, before entering the
water, the location and procedure that should be used to obtain

your alternate air if an emergency arises.

DISCLAIMER: All diving can be dangerous
if you are uninformed, therefore you should get
SCUBA certified before you dive.
Loy Milam is a PADI certified SCUBA div-
er, podcast producer for “American Dig-
ger’s® Relic Roundup” and “Relics Radio,”
and a detectorist since 1975. You can
check out his Youtube videos at www.
youtube.com/digginwithseven

Opinions and research expressed in this column are those of the
author and not necessarily those of American Digger®.

January-February 2023 American Digger® 61

...Current Events... Current Events... Current Events...

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Event! Militaria & Americana Show & Sale, 176 Patriots Pt. Rd, Mt. Maryland S Fairgrounds, Cow Palace, 2200 York Rd, Timonium, MD www.
Pleasant, SC. Info: (716) 574-0465; email anita@americandigger. baltimoreshow.com, email [email protected]
com or [email protected]. See ad on page 65.
March 24-25, 2023: 14th Annual Corinth Militaria Show, Crossroads
Featured February 4-5, 2023: Chickamauga Civil War & Military Show, Arena, 2800 S. Harper Rd, Corinth, MS. Info: Buddy Ellis (662) 665-1419,
Event! NW Georgia Trade & Convention Ctr, Dalton, GA. (770) 630- [email protected], or Dwight Johnson (662) 284-6125.
7296, email [email protected] or visit www.mkshows.com.
See ad on page 62. April 14-16, 2023: Charles Garrett Memorial Hunt/Digging Texas 2023,
in conjunction with Texas Association of Metal Detecting Clubs; 800 First
February 18, 2023: DeLeon Indian Artifact Show, DeLeon City Hall, 125 Monday Lane, Canton, TX. https://garrett.com/sport/garrett-memorial-hunt
South Texas Street, De Leon, TX. Info: Jerry Morgan, (254) 842-4945,
email [email protected] April 22, 2023: Laclede County Treasure Trackers Spring Seeded Hunt,
17245 Kansas Rd., Eldridge, Missouri. For info, call (417) 664-4023 or
March 3-4, 2023: 56th Mid-South Military History & Civil War Show, Landers email [email protected]
Ctr, 4560 Venture Dr, Southaven, MS Info: Donald Harrison, (901) 832-4708,
[email protected] or visit www.mid-southmilitaryhistory.com April 29, 2023: 2nd Annual Mike Race Memorial open hunt, sponsored by
Lancaster Research & Recovery club, Lancaster County Central Park, Lancast-
Featured March 9-12, 2023: Digstock 2023 Natural Relic Hunt, North er, PA Info, Ted Baker, (717) 413-4371, email [email protected]
Event! Carolina. Over 7,000 acres of hunt property. For information,
email [email protected] or visit www.digstockevents. April 29-30, 2023: East Coast Research & DiscoveryAssociation 40thAnniversary
com/the-event See ad on page 53. Open Hunt, W. Stanley Conover Pavilion, Phillips Avenue, Deal, NJ Info: Andrew
Ciffer (973) 202-6642, [email protected] or visit Ecrda.org
March 11, 2023: Northwest Missouri Insulator & Bottle Show, Platte
County Fairgrounds, 15730 Fairgrounds Rd, Platte City, MO. For info email April 30, 2023: 7th Garrett Rally Metal Detecting Competition, Piazza
[email protected] Andrea Costa, 47042 Cesenatico, Province of Forlì-Cesena, Italy. Info: +39
0547 71271 or visit www.garrettcontest.it/en/
March 18, 2023: 11th Annual Piney Woods Relic Hunt, Longview. Texas.
For info, contact Terry Smith, (903) 238-3020, email [email protected], or May 6-7, 2023: Ohio Civil War Show, Richland County Fairgrounds,
visit https://ettha.org/future-events 750 Home Road, Mansfield, Ohio. Info: Wayne Williams, info@
ohiocivilwarshow.com or call (419) 884-2194.

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62 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

American Digger® Mart

No...I Won’t Shut Up! By Butch Holcombe Civil War Relics of the Western Campaigns
& Beyond: 1861-1865 By Charles Harris &
Get ready to laugh: the first 16 years of the “Hole
Truth” as regularly seen in American Digger®. Butch Holcombe. Full color relics divided by SE
208 pgs. Softcover, $19.95 (+$3 Shipping) states. 245 pgs. Hardcover $60 (plus $5 shipping)

How To Find Treasure From Space The Lost Insignia of the First Texas Navy &
Marines: 1836-1837 by Bobby J. McKinney
by Geoffrey Notkin. Definitive guide to locating
and recovering meteorites, signed by the meteor- Texas Republic insignia discovered by relic
ite man himself! Softcover $16.95 (+$3 shipping) hunters. 85 pgs. Hardcover, $25 (+$3 shipping)

U.S. Army & Militia Canteens 1775-1910 XP Deus Handbook by Andy Sabisch

By Mike O’Donnell. This comprehensive book Learn all about using this detector; one of
is truly the encyclopedia of U.S. canteens. Sabisch’s popular detector handbook series.
Hardcover, $38.50 (+ $5 shipping)
188 pgs. Softcover, $19.95 (+ $3 shipping)
The Coca-Cola Trail
Minelab Equinox Handbook by Andy
By Larry Jorgensen. A journey through
the history and growth of Coca-Cola. Sabisch. Learn all about using this detector; one
210 pgs. Softcover $22 (+$4 shipping) of Sabisch’s popular detector handbook series.

Interpreting History From Relics 188 pgs. Softcover, $19.95 (+ $3 shipping)
Found in Civil War Campsites
Nokta/Makro Simplex+ Handbook
By Dave Poche Associates. Learn what artifacts
tell us! Softcover, $13.95 (+$3 shipping) by Andy Sabisch. Learn all about using this detector;
one of Sabisch’s popular detector handbook series.
Finding Civil War Camps in Rural Areas
112 pgs. Softcover, $16.95 (+ $3 shipping)
By Dave Poche Associates. Updated edition
with many tips for locating Civil War camps. Snake Buckles by John Turner & Charles Harris.
A must-have for those wanting more information
Softcover, $12.95 (+$3 shipping) on these often misunderstood buckles.
157 pgs. Hardcover, $30 (+$4 shipping)
American Military Headgear Insignia
Relic Quest By Stephen L. Moore
By J. Duncan Campbell and Michael
O’Donnell. A must-have for identifying insignia Full color, 532 pages, over 1,000 photos. Covers
of the 1800s. Hardcover, $39.95 (+$5 shipping) almost every facet of relic hunting, relics, &
equipment. Softcover, $22.95 (+ $4 shipping)
Never Mace A Skunk II
The World’s Richest Wrecks:AWreck Diver’s
By Butch Holcombe & Charlie Harris. Guide to Gold & Silver Treasures of the Seas
More hilarious tales from the world of relic by Robert Marx. Maps, finds, and more. 420
hunting! Softcover, $22.50 (+$5 shipping)
pgs. Softcover, $19.95 (+$4 shipping)
Lookout Mtn. Civil War Musket Cave Guns
Turf to Surf by Terry Shannon
By Charlie Harris. The amazing story of a group
of muskets found in a Lookout Mtn. cave. Metal detecting adventures along Florida’s
Softcover, $20 (+$3 shipping) Treasure Coast, with a foray into Iowa and
Minnesota. 183 pgs. Softcover, $15 (+$4 shipping)
Paleoindian Mammoth & Mastodon Kill
Four Easy Ways To Place Your Order!
Sites of North America By Jason Pentrail. Phone in your order at 770-362-8671

A study of America's first humans through arti- Email [email protected]
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Join Butch & Anita Sept. 25th - 28th for a special
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64 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

American Digger® Magazine now has TWO great shows each year!

LOWCOUNTRY CHATTANOOGA
ANTIQUE MILITARIA ANTIQUE MILITARIA
& AMERICANA SHOW & AMERICANA SHOW

January 7-8, 2023 July 22-23, 2023

Omar Shrine Temple Both shows feature all Camp Jordan Arena
176 Patriots Point Rd. this and more: 323 Camp Jordan Pkwy.

Mt Pleasant, SC • Swords & Knives East Ridge, TN
• Antique Firearms
Both shows • Dug & Non-dug Relics For information:
• Civilian Items & Jewelry Call (770) 362-8671
Open to Public: • Bottles & Stone Artifacts or (716) 574-0465
Saturday: 9-5 • Art, Photos, & Books
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Dealer Setup: • Metal Detectors
Friday 1-7 PM SellB!uy! • Awards & Prizes TrDaidsep!lay!
Sat 7-9 AM

americandigger.com/american-digger-events/

Civil War Relics of the Western
Campaigns & Beyond: 1861-1865
.406 .625 .406 8.25 By Charles Harris & Butch Holcombe.406 .625 .406
joint spine joint .625
8.25 joint spine joint 8.25

The long-awaited follow-up study of Civil
Civil War Relics War artifacts of the Western Campaigns and
Civil War Relics of the Western Campaigns & Beyond of the Western hScooalurodtrhcpoehvaeosrtteowrgnorCraoskpti.afhvtsetiashln. OdWev2e4Wra51rp,e0aRg0se0tseaeillnlri-tncnhesiws epic
1861-1865 Campaigns & A follow-up to Charlie Harris’s highly Civil War Relics of the Western Campaigns & Beyond
Beyond: 1861-1865 acclaimed Civil War Relics of the Western 1861-1865
Campaigns, this book shows American
Civil War artifacts found in the states
involved in the Western Campaigns and
reaches into the fringe areas of those
campaigns. The perfect book for Civil War
collectors, relic hunters, and historians.

C_a__m___p_a__i_gns &
Like its pCrBeadmeepcyaeoisgsnnosrd,,tCh:iivs1il8fWir6asrt1R-eed1liict8sioo6nf 5thies
Western
By Charles S. Harris expected to sell out fast! Books are now in
& Butch Holcombe stock, so place yourB&oy rCBhudatecrhlreHstoSlo.cHodmaarbryeis.

Harris Harris $60 + $ 4 shipping ACllolor!
& Holcombe & Holcombe
__________

New!All
To order:
Greybird Call (770) 362-8671
Publishers [email protected]

Greybird
Publishers

or (423) 313-8935
[email protected]

January-February 2023 American Digger® 65

News-n-Views across the field you better do it again and retune it! Now
that is all done automatically. Detectors have become super
Reports and Commentaries on easy to operate, and this has taken some of the challenge and
Issues That Affect the Hobby expertise out of using one. Back then you had to make the
detector work. Now for the most part it just works by itself.
By Mark Schuessler
I must also mention that there was only one tone. You either
T Blast from the Past heard it or not. No multi-tone, no numbers. You dug a lot more
his month we take a venture into the lighter side of trash as a result. In general, however, I feel that a lot more good
things with a look back at earlier times in the hobby. targets were uncovered, as there was really no cherry picking; no
Many reading this, including our publisher, will be able deciding if you wanted to dig it. It was either good or bad and
to personally relate to this. that was the extent of it. The meter just gave you signal intensity
and battery check, and most people just used it for the latter
When I entered the hobby the term discrimination was a reason. That’s probably the reason that meters were removed
new one. A lot of units were still “all metal” mode only. My first from many models. As ID units came out the meter was used
real detector was the original Garrett Groundhog. It was a new for the ID. Later on it also became a depth indicator.
model at the time, a straight TR (transmitter receiver) machine
and among the first discriminators. There were still BFOs (beat The variety of models and brands was plentiful. Today you
frequency oscillator) in the lineup at that time. One of my first can count the number of manufacturers on one hand, as we
“mistake” detectors was a BFO. VLF (very low frequency) had have lost two in the last few years. When I started in the hobby
not been invented yet. there were at least a dozen manufacturers, and many more that
had already passed to history.
Top-of-the-line detectors were selling in the $400 range.
Quite a difference from today! Of course they were all old style The dealer networks have undergone big changes. The
electronics with circuit boards holding resistors and capacitors. listings for detector dealers in old magazines were quite large.
They were very heavy by today’s standards. I chuckle when I see The ease and availability of “Internet-order” has replaced the
people putting carbon fiber rods on today’s detectors that only old “mail-order” along with most of local dealers’ sales. I have
weigh a pound or two to start with, and have built-in armrests. witnessed a considerable number of so-called ”big” dealers over
They have no idea what a heavy detector is. As best I can the years go by the wayside. Some came in like gangbusters
remember, the first ones with built-in armrests, which are more and faded away. A few of them were promoting themselves
of the style of today, was the Fisher 1200 series. Prior to that with lavish claims in pursuit of making money off the hobby.
there were a few models with various other types of armrests. In the long run they fell to their own devices as their customer
In fact, our own Charlie Harris designed an armrest long before service and ethics did not live up to their self-promotion. Others
the maunfacturers begain using them. Some detectors were succumbed financially or the owners retired or passed away,
unusually large. When you looked inside you wondered why, allowing their brands to die with them.
because there was a lot of unused room in the control box. I
believe that many times the larger size was to accommodate all There were many more magazines B.I. (Before Internet).
the controls. Very early detectors had just one or two but later on I can recall six from my early years and that does not count a
there were many. Knobs, knobs and knobs. One Whites’ model number of subscription newsletters that were mini-magazines
even had two meters! in their own right. Today you are reading one of a very few that
are still in print. Many print publications of all types are going
Next came the VLFs, which was a big leap ahead, although downhill, or have already gone under. I myself prefer the hard
VLF discrimination came years later. Usually the VLF was mated copy, but I guess I am one of the old guys now.
with the TR discriminator. The VLF side gave you more depth
and the TR side gave you the trash rejection. There was no such Seeded hunts have changed, also. In looking through
thing as automatic tuning in the early days. It’s a lot different now! publications from the ‘60s, which was a little before my time
Now virtually every detector has automatic tuning. But years ago in the hobby, I can see that seeded hunts were big events. They
you had to tune it yourself to a slight hum. And then retune it have been referred to by many names, including open hunts,
and retune it again and again. Simply walking from the sun to competition hunts, and originally were called “metal detector
the shade caused a retune. A useful function that came along was field trials.” Just like today, they were a big social gathering.
push-button retune. Once you set your tune level a push of the One big difference between then and now is that most of them
button would bring it back. attracted large numbers by today’s standards, with two to three
hundred people in attendance not being unusual. The entry fees
The same goes for ground balance (early detectors had were as little as $5 for the weekend!
none). You would raise the coil up and down while turning
the knob to achieve zero change in tone. When you walked Compared to what we are generally hunting on today, the
66 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1 fields were extremely large, and were counted by the acres. The
average seeded hunts I’ve attended will see the targets whittled
down to very few before 10 minutes have passed. I personally
prefer an extra-large field. Fortunately there are some of those,
and the hunts on them last a lot longer. With large fields everyone

is still digging targets when the time expires. You have to cover at them. It’s an art to not simply find the targets, but also to get
a lot more ground but you also have a lot more room to hunt. them into the pouch fast and move on.
At other events the fields are so small that you have a tough time
maneuvering, and detector interference becomes an issue. A Paid hunts, both natural and seeded, have come and gone
large field will generally even out the competition somewhat, and will continue to do so. Some have lasted decades and others
and handicap the fast hunters. were one-shot events. Some were top notch but the organizer
stepped down or for whatever reason ceased putting on the hunt,
The targets, “disks” as they were referred to in the early days, with no one then picking it up. Some did not last long because of
were different sizes and buried at different depths. Sometimes a less-than-honorable event. Others were put on by clubs which
they were the size of coins, but could also be as large as cans have since ceased to exist. Other clubs had a hunt chairman step
and were buried from one inch to as much as 20 inches. There down and afterwards no one took over the responsibility for the
were a lot of “dummy” targets such as slugs, pennies, washers hunts. To be fair, putting on a respectable hunt can be a time-
and other items to slow everyone down. The disks were the consuming proposition. Clubs themselves have gone the same
good targets, but sometimes not many were planted. The fields route. Some declined due to internal struggles or apathy, and
were not always nice and flat and grassy, either. Bare spots, tall others due to an aging membership.
grass and weeds, overgrown, hilly and wooded areas were all
characteristics of early hunt locations. And the events lasted More clubs will rise and others will fall. More hunts will rise
hours, not minutes. Hunting fast was not an option, as the and fall also, along with detector dealers and manufacturers.
detector technology did not allow it. Today’s detector models will seem obsolete and antique 25 years
from now. Maybe I will be swinging one of those new models
The standard “competition hunt” seems to have fallen in a quarter century or maybe I will be one of those buried
by the wayside. For those wondering what that was, it’s quite relics! Either way, I have had a great time in this hobby and will
simple. It was usually a separate hunt where the total number of continue to enjoy it in some form as long as I am able.
targets determined the winner. Painted pennies or some type of
tokens would be buried. Sometimes there were several rounds Opinions and research expressed in this column are those of the
with a combined total. Treasure Week used to host a five-day author and not necessarily those of American Digger®.
competition, with a hunt each morning. These hunts saw cash
prizes paid in different divisions. Many people got really good

January-February 2023 American Digger® 67

68 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

It’s kind of unusual to call it a shoulder because it seems
that it’s really just where the blade tapers to the base. The
point seems to have a spoon-like appearance. Fairly heavy
grinding, denoting what would indicate the hafting area,
alking is most commonly found at where the blade begins to
taper. The workmanship can be percussion flaked, with
T Points amounts of fine pressure flaking sometimes forming par-
allel to horizontal transverse patterns. Heat treating was
commonly practiced in the making of these point types,
which explains the beauty of my example.

The Hell Gap type is commonly mistaken for the Ag-
ate Basin and the Angustura types, but both of these pre-
date the Hell Gap by 500 years or so. The type dates from
10,500 to 9,550 BP and the Agate Basin/Angustura...well,
do the math. There may also be confusion because, at a
A look into American Indian artifacts glance, the Hell Gap, when resharpened, loses its spoon-
and the cultures that used them. like appearance at the upper blade and becomes slender
like the Agate Basin type. That note begs the question of
By Pete Schichtel

how many point types are just resharpened versions of
other point types; please don’t get me going in that direc-
tion, because I might unintentionaly make
Hell Gap enemies of a few collectors out there.
Although the distribution of the Hell
Many of my artifact displays are set
up in such places that I pass them Gap is wide, basically the length of the
a couple of times a day as I’m western great plains extending to the
dashing about the house either following my eastern Rockies east to west and from the
north in Canada to the south to northern
wife’s orders or hiding from them. Whenev- Mexico, the type is fairly rare.
er I pass my displays I always steal a glance Well, we did it. We finally got to pay a
—it makes me happy. bit of a tribute to this under-credited point
There is one particular frame of Tran- type. As far as I’m concerned, the Hell Gap
sitional Paleo points and blades that always gets a gold star—not just for showing up,
catches my attention. It’s not the frame in but for being a really noted attribute to the
general that snags me, or the many great archaeological record.
pieces, mind you. It’s the centered item.
It’s the beautiful Hell Gap with its per-
fect form and reddish color that stops me
dead in my tracks and eventually gets me This Hell Gap blade in the author’s
in trouble, every time. It’s that brief pause, collection is among his favorites.
that fraction of a second, the slight lolly-
_____________

gag that causes me to get caught. Yup, nabbed by my wife Opinions and research expressed in this column are those of the
author and not necessarily those of American Digger®.

drooling over the Hell Gap. It’s funny that I never wrote
about it before, because it’s clearly one of the top 20 pieces
I own.
Clovis, Agate Basin, Scottsbluff, the Daltons are all
the “stars” that get all the attention but the Hell Gap?
Well, it deserves at least an Academy Award nomination.
So, let’s take a look at this unsung hero. The type was
named after the Hell Gap site located in the western Great
Plains of Wyoming. The site is noted for its huge quan-
tity of Paleo and Archaic period artifacts it has yielded all
dating between 13,550-7,600 BP (before present).
The Hell Gap type tends to be medium to large and
Tom Hays

lanceolate in shape, and the widest part of the blade tends 4209 Rustic Way
to be just above what could be considered the shoulder. Kingsport, TN 37664

January-February 2023 American Digger® 69

Diggin’ It

by April Pedersan

1/4” WELDED SS MESH

“At last, a job I love!”

CALL FOR MORE INFO! 808-696-0531

ALSO BUYING UNUSUAL
& RARE SINGLE ITEMS OR

WHOLE COLLECTIONS

70 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1

The Trading
Post

For Sale & Wanted

For Sale: White’s M6 Detector, with factory 950 coil detachable OH Saving History of Greater Cincinnati, 2nd Thurs/month, 7
7-inch DD coil. Used 50 hours, clean, like new. $650 Contact:
[email protected] [J-F 23] p.m., Ready Line Shooting Complex, 3761 Round Bottom Rd.,
Newtown, OH Info: [email protected] or see Facebook. [[MP]-A 22]
Wanted, Police Badges, Antique only, Dug Badges welcome. Top $
Paid. 732-873-2230. (Ret. PD. LT.) [J-F 23] Tri-state Hist. Research & Recovery Assoc. 2nd Thurs/month 7 p.m,
Norwood Christian Ch., 4400 Ashland Ave., Norwood, OH tristatemet-
Gold, Treasures, Jewels located remotely or on site. Robert aldetecting.com or [email protected] (513) 290-5294 [J-A-23]
Thomason. 205-566-9988. [email protected] [M-A 27]
Ohio Detectorists Assoc. 1st Weds./month 6 p.m. Camp Lebanon, 4464
Clubs Emmons Rd, Oregonia, Ohio Info: email odavicepresidentgf@gmail.
CO Eureka! Treasure Hunters Club meets the 2nd Friday of each com, call (513) 607-4603 or visit odametaldetecting.com [M[P-]J 22]

month at 7:30 p.m. at the Clement Community Center in Lakewood, PA Bucks County Treasure & Relic Club meets last Wed of the
Colorado. Visit www.EurekaTHC.org for more information. [[SP-O] 22]
month, 7 pm at Sellersville, PA VFW 2118 Old Bethlehem Pike.
GA Coastal Empire History Hunters’Association. Meets 7:30 p.m Contact Roger [email protected] or (267) 377-0359 [M-J 23]

every 4th Thurs. Western Sizzlin’ restaurant, U.S. Hwy. 80, Pool- TN Memphis Metal Detecting Club meets 3rd Thursday of month
er, GA. For more information, visit http://www.cehha.org/ [E]
at 7 p.m. at OLPH Church, Germantown, TN.  Phone (901) 752-
North Georgia Relic Hunters Association meets the 1st and 3rd 6704 or email [email protected] for more info. [N[P-D] 21]
Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m. Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 287
Mt. Calvary Rd., Marietta, GA. www.ngrha.com [N-D 23] Middle Tennessee Metal Detecting Club meets in Nashville the 1st Fri-
day of every month. See our website for information about the club and
Tri-State Relic Recovery Club meets 7 p.m., 2nd Thursday of each meetings, www.mtmdc.com [J-A 23]
month, Lawrence Center, 71 Edison Circle, Menlo, GA. Phone
(256) 254-8860 or email [email protected] [J-A 24] TX Cowtown Treasure Hunter Club,7 PM, 3rd Thurs/mo., UNT

KY Northern Kentucky Treasure Hunters meets at 6:30 p.m., the Health Science Ctr, Ft. Worth,TX. Visit cowtowntreasurehuntersclub.
org, or (817) 992-7891, [email protected] [S[P-O] 22]
last Monday of the month at Boone Co Library on KY 18. Email
atprohunter@gmail for more info. [M-J 23] VA Central VA Civil War Collectors Assoc. 4th Tuesday of each month

LA Pelican Relic & Recovery Assoc. meets 3rd Tues. each month, (except December) 7:15 p.m., Glen Allen American Legion Hall, 2522
Indale Rd, Richmond, VA. Visit www.cvcwca.com for info. [M-J 24]
7 p.m., King Buffet Chinese Grill, 6230 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton
Rouge, LA. Info, Gary Guidry, (985) 320-5472 [J-F 24] Hanover Metal Detectors Club meets the 1st Wednesday each
month at the Ashland Volunteer Rescue Squad Building, Ashland,
MA Silver City Treasure Seekers, Taunton, MA, 1st Fri. ea. month ex- VA. Contact D. Yates at (804) 241-9541. [M-J 23]

cept July/August, 6:30, Bristol Plymouth Reg HS cafeteria, 940 Co. St. Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association, meets at 7:30 the first
(Rt. 140), Taunton, MA. www.silvercitytreasureseekers.net [E] Tuesday of each month at the Arlington-Fairfax Elks Lodge in Fair-
fax, Va. For info, visit www.nvrha.com [E]
MS Tri-State Coin & Relic Hunter’s Club serves MS, AL, and TN. Iuka
Tidewater Coin and Relic Club serving the entire Hampton Roads area of
MS Public Library. Meetings rotate monthly 2nd Sat.(9 a.m.) & 2nd Thurs. Virginia. Check our website for details on meetings, activities and contact
(7 p.m.). Email Charles Emmons, [email protected] [J-A 24] information.www.tc-rc.com [M-A 23]

NJ Deep Search Metal Detecting Club, Minnie B. Veal Cmty. Ctr.,

1070 GroveAve, Edison, NJ, 7 PM, Jan. & Feb., 4th Mon.; March-Dec.,
3rd Mon. [email protected], www.DSMDC.org [J-A23]

Mid Jersey Research & Recovery Club, meets 6 p.m./second Get the word out about your club here! Join our club listing, three lines for
Sunday of each month, Switlik Pk. Community Ctr., Hamilton, $35 year or $55/ two years. For other classified ads, contact us for rates.
NJ. For more info visit midjerseymetaldetecting.com [E]

NY EARTH Metal Detecting Club (Central NY) Meets last Mon/

every month (except Dec & Jan), Dunham Pub. Library, Whitesboro,
NY. Hunts, speakers, & more! Visit earthmetaldetecting.com [S[P-O] 22]

January-February 2023 American Digger® 71

The Hole Truth...

The Publisher speaks... but will he ever shut up?

We have a refreshing cross section of people in our Decent folks sometimes leave
hobby, although anyone who sees us after a day of their detectors unattended at crowd-
digging in the mud during a 106° heat index fac- ed events, knowing that most of
tor might not think of the word “refreshing” when they first those in our hobby are honest peo-
encounter us. No matter. Counted among the ranks of diggers ple. And we are, except for that guy/
and collectors of history are doctors, lawyers, congressmen, that girl. That guy will pick up a
tradesmen, longshoremen, factory workers, office workers and high-dollar detector left unattended
engineers. There are clerks and laborers and I imagine even a and have it safely out of site before
few rocket scientists and brain surgeons, and who knows, there the real owner even knows it’s miss-
might even be a rocket surgeon or brain scientist in the mix. ing. Sometimes at a detecting event
Collectively we are from a lot of different backgrounds, and that guy/girl will go so far as to “dig” items that mysteriously
overall we are good, decent people when it comes to the hobby were for sale online just a short time prior. If called out, that
we all love. And then, there is that guy. guy will blame others, accusing them of “planting relics” that
oddly, only that guy or that girl finds. On at least one occasion,
That guy (or that girl, as it may be; we shy away from any that guy forgot he had “dug” a questionable find at an organized
conversations concerning gender identity) is in the hobby only natural hunt and a few years later “dug” the same item again
for themself and their personal gain. Even worse, to advance at the same hunt—that guy/that girl is not always the sharpest
their agenda, they will enmesh themselves with other diggers crayon in the box.
and collectors, willing to help only when it benefits them and Decent folks on social media are quick to give a thumbs-up
always with some unspoken strings attached, such as choosing to finds made by others, or willing to help identify mystery rel-
sides in their own personal battles. I’m not talking about strings ics, no matter how mundane or common. Decent folks remem-
like taking a person into your site and then expecting a return of ber a time when we knew a lot less about our finds and, thus,
the favor. Or not returning to a site you were invited to unless are gentle when a misidentification is made by others.
the person sharing the site gives their approval; these are acts of That guy (or that girl) will respond in a public post decry-
common respect that we all should adhere to. ing the blatant ignorance of those who might ask about a com-
mon relic, or even mistakenly identify it. That guy (or that girl)
That guy, however, will sneak back into a site that he’d will also declare themselves the king of finds, belittling anyone
been taken to by a person with permission. That girl, if caught else’s digs as unworthy to even post on social media.
by the property owner, will swear the person with permission Speaking of social media, most of us try to get along with
said it was fine to return without asking. those we can; those we can’t get along with, we just ignore.
That guy/girl will publicly trash their proclaimed enemies and,
Decent folks take great pains to leave the area they have not content with that, also belittle and even threaten those who
dug as pristine as possible. They dig neat plugs in lawns, cover dare to be associated with those same “enemies.”
all their holes, and remove not only their trash but sometimes By the way, that guy is nothing new. When I found a CSA
others’ trash as well. They want to show the landowner that buckle once upon a time, my friends with me all high-fived
they respect what is his and are happy to be given the opportu- me and gave congratulations. But back in the 1970s that guy,
nity to detect it. Then, there’s that guy. according to some old timers, pulled a gun on the digger of a
similar buckle and took it for himself.
That guy (or that girl) hacks away at dry lawns, fills in Being the decent people that most diggers are, we can
plugs upside down if at all, and leaves thick layers of dirt over work well with either sex in our pursuit of the hobby without
what was once living grass. They also leave a record of their innuendos or improper conduct. But not that guy, who was ac-
success or lack of it: any undesirable junk they dig is left fully cused of misconduct so many times that the law was notified.
exposed beside the dig hole. By the way, this is one column in which I have not made
up any facts. Every one of these instances has happened in our
Decent folks can be trusted not to steal sites or artifacts hobby. It is sad, but thankfully 99.99% of us are decent people
from others. It is a mutual respect among diggers and collectors, and do the right thing. But if you don’t fall into that 99.99%?
a kind of code we live by. Treat others as you want to be treated, That guy, or that girl, is much closer than you may think.
and that includes not stealing. But then, there’s that guy. Happy Huntin’ y’all!

That guy has had numerous suspicions cast towards him by
those whose prized items disappear shortly after that guy is shown
the collection. If accused of such thievery, that guy (or that girl)
will cry innocence, foul, or frame-up, and loudly announce to all
that he/she was falsely accused. If threatened in a legal manner or
worse, some missing finds mysteriously show back up, with that
guy often taking the credit for helping “find” the stolen pieces.

72 American Digger® Vol. 19, Issue 1



ULTRA-PULSE™ Technology

Swing past the competition

Michael “Nugget Noggin” Bennett shows off his Civil War general service
button found with the Garrett Axiom. The Axiom’s advanced system provides
independent dual-channel ground balance that covers the full range of
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everything in between.