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WINNER #1
My U.S. Favorite Find for March 2019 is the 14K Gold Ring with 4 Carat Blue Sapphire, found by Chip K. from Florida with his AT Pro.
Chips's story (edited): ONE FOR YOU. ONE FOR ME!
It leads back to my many years in the Cub and Boy Scouts, but the idea of "Do a good deed daily" is an integral part of both my life and my metal detecting activities. My business cards proclaim FREE METAL DETECTING SERVICES. I have over 20 returns. Now the story I'm telling today was about a lost ring. Or two.
I received a call asking me to search a yard for a lost ring. It was a 90 year old house and the bank was about to take it back and time was essential. Now when people ask me to find lost items I explain I do not charge for my services but do ask for permission to hunt the whole property with the understanding that I can keep whatever else I find. So far everybody has agreed it's a fair exchange. Then I also insist on a complete description of what I'm looking for. If it's a ring I want to know what metal it's made of, color, stones, inscriptions or whatever will help me identify it and prove ownership. That proved to be invaluable this time. The ring I was looking for was a simple 14K gold wedding band. On the third trip I found the gold band. I called the owner and informed him I would be dropping his ring off shortly. He was ecstatic.
I decided to quickly scan the rest of the yard and soon I picked up a mid tone that had to be aluminum foil. I was tired and wanted to leave but I turned around and proceeded to dig that wad of foil. But it wasn't foil. It turned out to be a thin ring with a whopper of a stone mounted on it. Fake. Had to be. I have found a number of rings but never one with a gem anywhere close to this one. Plus the "fake diamonds" on one side were missing. I dropped it in my trash pouch.
I headed to the owner's House. He thanked me profusely and offered me money which I refused. I told him about some coins I had found and then I asked if they had lost another ring. They said no but the wife was curious about it so I produced it. I hadn't even punched the dirt from inside the band. They did not recognize it and agreed it probably was fake but congratulated me in case it turned out to be real. I laughed and said goodbye.
At home I informed my wife I had a present for her. She examined it and then punched the sand from the band. She rinsed it in the sink and examined it again. She then said it is stamped 14K and the stone is a blue sapphire!! It needed to be cleaned and sized so we headed to the jewelers. They oohed and ahhed over it proclaiming somebody was sad to have lost it. They said it is a 4 carat emerald cut blue sapphire and is probably at least 60 years old. They are sizing and cleaning it and replacing the diamonds on one side. My wife can't wait to wear it. Happy Mother's Day a bit early!
So a good deed for someone else turned out to also be a good deed for me too.
Chip K. WINS a Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk™ and Garrett® MS-3 Wireless Kit!
Chips's story (edited): ONE FOR YOU. ONE FOR ME!
It leads back to my many years in the Cub and Boy Scouts, but the idea of "Do a good deed daily" is an integral part of both my life and my metal detecting activities. My business cards proclaim FREE METAL DETECTING SERVICES. I have over 20 returns. Now the story I'm telling today was about a lost ring. Or two.
I received a call asking me to search a yard for a lost ring. It was a 90 year old house and the bank was about to take it back and time was essential. Now when people ask me to find lost items I explain I do not charge for my services but do ask for permission to hunt the whole property with the understanding that I can keep whatever else I find. So far everybody has agreed it's a fair exchange. Then I also insist on a complete description of what I'm looking for. If it's a ring I want to know what metal it's made of, color, stones, inscriptions or whatever will help me identify it and prove ownership. That proved to be invaluable this time. The ring I was looking for was a simple 14K gold wedding band. On the third trip I found the gold band. I called the owner and informed him I would be dropping his ring off shortly. He was ecstatic.
I decided to quickly scan the rest of the yard and soon I picked up a mid tone that had to be aluminum foil. I was tired and wanted to leave but I turned around and proceeded to dig that wad of foil. But it wasn't foil. It turned out to be a thin ring with a whopper of a stone mounted on it. Fake. Had to be. I have found a number of rings but never one with a gem anywhere close to this one. Plus the "fake diamonds" on one side were missing. I dropped it in my trash pouch.
I headed to the owner's House. He thanked me profusely and offered me money which I refused. I told him about some coins I had found and then I asked if they had lost another ring. They said no but the wife was curious about it so I produced it. I hadn't even punched the dirt from inside the band. They did not recognize it and agreed it probably was fake but congratulated me in case it turned out to be real. I laughed and said goodbye.
At home I informed my wife I had a present for her. She examined it and then punched the sand from the band. She rinsed it in the sink and examined it again. She then said it is stamped 14K and the stone is a blue sapphire!! It needed to be cleaned and sized so we headed to the jewelers. They oohed and ahhed over it proclaiming somebody was sad to have lost it. They said it is a 4 carat emerald cut blue sapphire and is probably at least 60 years old. They are sizing and cleaning it and replacing the diamonds on one side. My wife can't wait to wear it. Happy Mother's Day a bit early!
So a good deed for someone else turned out to also be a good deed for me too.
Chip K. WINS a Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk™ and Garrett® MS-3 Wireless Kit!
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WINNER #2
My second U.S. Favorite Find is the Cartridge Box Belt Plate, bearing the State Seal of Ohio, found by Mark O. from West Virginia with his AT MAX.
Mark's story: On February 24th, 2019 in Falling Waters WV, I found the find of a lifetime with my Garrett AT MAX metal detector. While metal detecting in an rocky open field I found this rare Civil War Cartridge box belt plate with the Ohio State Seal seven inches in the ground between 2 rocks. It was amazing how the detector picked it up between those rocks. I have found numerous items, but this one tops them all. I'm a very proud owner of several Garrett detectors, but the AT MAX is now my favorite.
Mark O. WINS a Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk™ and Garrett® MS-3 Wireless Kit!
Mark's story: On February 24th, 2019 in Falling Waters WV, I found the find of a lifetime with my Garrett AT MAX metal detector. While metal detecting in an rocky open field I found this rare Civil War Cartridge box belt plate with the Ohio State Seal seven inches in the ground between 2 rocks. It was amazing how the detector picked it up between those rocks. I have found numerous items, but this one tops them all. I'm a very proud owner of several Garrett detectors, but the AT MAX is now my favorite.
Mark O. WINS a Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk™ and Garrett® MS-3 Wireless Kit!
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WINNER #3
My third U.S. favorite find for March 2019 is the 1867s $10 Gold Piece, found by Robert W. from Arizona with his AT Pro.
Robert's story: Three months ago I was given permission to metal detect an excavation site in Yuma, AZ. After the workers were done, I would search the newly dug soil and holes which, during this time span, have yielded quite a few coins, rings, buttons, bottles, and more. I had talked with the owner of the property the day before, and knew they would be digging a new hole the next day. That next day, I arrived to the lot to see a massive hole dug. I immediately got down to business and broke out my Garrett AT Pro. About an hour into my search, I had yet to hear a good signal. The owner of the property and I continued to walk around the hole and swing my coil. I began to check a freshly dug pile of dirt from the hole, when suddenly there I heard that magical, solid sound of something good screaming from my headphones, and when I uncovered it, we both couldn't believe our eyes. The second I had plucked it from the soil the sheen of gold was clear as day, and I realized immediately that I had found an 1867s $10 gold piece. I was shaking and excited so bad that I had to quit for the day and go home. I have been lucky in my 20 plus years to discover many amazing finds, but none can compare to this one!
Robert W. WINS a Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk™ and Garrett® MS-3 Wireless Kit!
Robert's story: Three months ago I was given permission to metal detect an excavation site in Yuma, AZ. After the workers were done, I would search the newly dug soil and holes which, during this time span, have yielded quite a few coins, rings, buttons, bottles, and more. I had talked with the owner of the property the day before, and knew they would be digging a new hole the next day. That next day, I arrived to the lot to see a massive hole dug. I immediately got down to business and broke out my Garrett AT Pro. About an hour into my search, I had yet to hear a good signal. The owner of the property and I continued to walk around the hole and swing my coil. I began to check a freshly dug pile of dirt from the hole, when suddenly there I heard that magical, solid sound of something good screaming from my headphones, and when I uncovered it, we both couldn't believe our eyes. The second I had plucked it from the soil the sheen of gold was clear as day, and I realized immediately that I had found an 1867s $10 gold piece. I was shaking and excited so bad that I had to quit for the day and go home. I have been lucky in my 20 plus years to discover many amazing finds, but none can compare to this one!
Robert W. WINS a Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk™ and Garrett® MS-3 Wireless Kit!
