Uncategorized - Mental Metal Detecting

Metal Detecting Maryland and Mental Metal Detecting would like to congratulate our December 2019 Digger of The Month. John Vice We typically see a lot of silver coins posted on our Facebook page and its not uncommon for many of them to be old silver coins. But in December, John found something extremely rare and very unusual that caught the eye of many of our members. John found an 1892 Barber Dime but it was converted into this a very classy cuff link (see the images below. John's Barber cuff link earned him the votes to lock in Digger of The Month for December 2019. The last one of the decade! Find out more about John Vice below. More About John From His Own Words. How long have you been metal detecting? John: I started detecting 44 years ago, (oh my gosh I'm getting old), however I also did a lot of fossil hunting when I was younger. I wasn't as passionate about detecting until about eight years ago.I then joined a few clubs and everything went into hyper-drive. What was the first machine you ever used?John: The first machine I used was the XR8 Smart Tracker by Techna inc., in El Paso, TX. It was a big clunky box that used a small herd of 9 volt batteries and weighed a ton, by today's standards. I was happy with it though and I found bunches of stuff in friends yards and along curb strips and schools. I was a shy kid and didn't venture out a lot. Source: Metaldetectingforum.com What is your favorite metal detector and what do you like about the machine the most?John: I was using an old Whites machine and realized a few years back that I really needed to upgrade. I had every intention of purchasing the newest and baddest Whites machine available at the time but luckily waited and read a lot of brochures and watched a lot of YouTube videos before making a final decision. I ended up buying the Garrett AT Pro, and have had no regrets at all. It's ability to go in and underwater is what ultimately sold me. There were also a ton of videos highlighting peoples successes using this machine. Later on, I got the Garrett AT Max but have had issues with it and even though it's been fixed I tend to use my AT Pro more because I trust it, especially on civil war sites where it really counts. Who inspired you to get into metal detecting?John: There wasn't any one person who inspired me as a kid. I was a somewhat nerdy kid, kept to myself, but loved getting out into wooded area's near my home and searching around streams for anything. I read a lot and yeah I actually read the readers digest article on oak island and was enthralled by it. I loved science also and I guess metal detecting just fit with who I was. I will say this, in recent years people like Beau Quimette, and Nugget Noggin and even a few of the guys I've met and hunt with now have inspired me and keep me energized, heck even that Scott Lupro guy. LOL John w/Nugget Noggin What do you consider to be your best find metal detecting?John: This is a tough question. There have been things I've found that were small and simple little items that carried great historical value and others that carried great emotional value, some of fair monetary value. I'm gonna go with a group of items I found in Westminster, that had my hands and voice shaking, due to the sheer surprise of the finds where I found them. While practicing using my new AT Pro in a little cut of public property between a housing development and strip mall, I found a civil war trash pit that produced a beautiful breastplate, US buckle, and scabbard tip. Prior to this I had found a set of keys, some modern clad, pop tops and pull-tabs. Complete and utter surprise, I was a wreck. Later on I found a bunch of other civil war relics in the area once I learned the machine better. John w/his Eagle Breast Plate What is your favorite type of detecting (relic, coin shooting, water etc.)?John: I would have to say that relic hunting is my thing. I've hunted beaches and modern parks and yards, but I prefer being out in farm fields and wooded sites, old parks and private lands that have history, especially colonial and civil war history. I've been part of a few paid events in Virginia that produced some fantastic finds. Name 5 items you would like to find in 2020?John: Okay, a gold coin is definitely one of my top five. I have a few US buckles and breastplates but have never found a sword plate yet.I would love to find a civil war pistol or musket. I would love to find another civil war soldiers ID disk. Finally, after all these years I have never found a two cent piece, what the heck is wrong with me. LOL Do you have other social media links, channels etc. that you would like others to know about?John: No I don't have any other social media links, however I do video a lot of my finds and hopefully soon I'll put some together for YouTube and maybe help and inspire some people like I was. Thanks ya'll Gl@HH Check Out Some of John's Favorite Finds Who Were Our Wall of Fame Winners in December? December Wall of Fame Winners In addition to John's Barber cuff link, Gary Persinger dug this Shoulder Scale Epaulet in Fayetteville, West Virginia. A very rare find indeed! Hal Jenkins dug this Patriotic Button up in Athens Pennsylvania (Bradford County). What a cool looking button! John Davidson dug his first Civil War Artillery "A" button in Washington County Maryland with his Minelab GPX 4500. Congrats! Michale McNaney pulled up an 1857 Seated Quarter in Rolla, Missouri. Nice find! John Davidson Sr. (yes he is the father of the John Davidson above) dug this beautiful Eagle Breast Plate in Washington County, Maryland. Travis Chapman Wyant dug a beutiful Eagle Infantry "I" Button in Frostburg, Maryland. Phillip Kemmerlin found his amazing 1806 Half Reale in Worcester County, Maryland. Michael Mancuso dug himself a U.S Box Plate from the American Civil War in Montgomery County, Maryland . Nice find Mike! Frankie Bushong (November Digger of The Month) found part of this really cool Confederate Reunion Metal in Middlesex County, Virginia. Frankie has been on fire lately. Doug Smith unearthed several King George coppers in one day and I was there! But this 1771 KG was by far the best one he found in Newville, Pennsylvania. Elaine and Jeff Anderson uncovered this 1787 New Jersey Copper in Bishopville, Maryland. You never get tired of digging up those coppers! Edward Woods dug himself a nice 1789 Half Reale in York, Pennsylvania. Amy Garrison found this interesting Radiator Badge for a Premium Motor Car dating back between 1915-1922. She found it in Westminster, Maryland. Jason Jones found this 1782 2 Reale. Location unknown. How Do You Get on Our Wall of Fame? Our Facebook group Metal Detecting Maryland has a contest every month called the Wall of Fame Award. Share your photos of anything you find for that month and you could make it on our wall. If you are selected to be on our Wall of Fame, your photo will automatically be put up for a vote by the group members. If your photo receives the most votes you will earn the "Find of The Month" and get a full feature web page on MentalMetalDetecting.com (like the one above). But if you make the Wall of Fame you will also be featured on MentalMetalDetecting.com as we've done with the winners above. To join our group you don't need to be from Maryland click on the following link: Join today! Looking for Garrett Products or Replacement Parts? This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The product links below will take you straight over to Amazon.com. 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