Few hours at the beach.

My metal detecting beach finds today.

Some say that the XP Deus is not very good at the beach on the wet sand, some say it is. Really it boils down to individual beaches as all beaches are different. Take my local beach its a fine sandy beach that's very flat. On this beach my Deus is not very good on the wet compact sand. Yet I visited Slapton Sands yesterday for a few hours, about an hours drive from me and the Deus works excellent there on the wet sand right down on the low water mark. Slapton Sands is a completely different beach from my local one as its a very steep beach, also its a shingle beach. My theory is because of the steepness and larger sand grains Slapton beach drains more easily thus enabling a metal detector to perform without problems. Yesterday I was detecting right down at the low water mark in the Deus-Fast program as I would on land.

Okay I didn't find much, whats needed is a good storm to churn this beach up. Most of the finds above came out of the top dry shingle where people sunbathed. The coins are all modern decimal apart from a ship halfpenny. I did find a very tiny coin that stumped me until I returned home, where I discovered it was a Polish 1 Grosz, dated 2006.

I suppose I can claim a 'first' for me. A Pigeon Ring, first one I have ever found on a beach.

I'm seriously thinking about getting a PI machine for beach detecting, the C.Scope CS4PI. I bought a second hand one before but damaged it. Me thinks I better do some overtime in work and get another one.

Thursday 21 May 2015.

Metal Detecting Rally.

Detectorists gather for a chat before the off.

Yesterday I attended a metal detecting rally organized by our club the SHMDC. It was lovely detecting weather with some glorious scenery and a great bunch of fellow enthusiasts. I just love these gatherings before the start of a dig as everyone is excited and full of anticipation of what they might find. It was also great to put some faces to names I often see on the internet.

Once we had paid and all booked in we had a briefing on what fields we could detect in. There was a good choice of ploughed and pasture. My first choice after the briefing was to head straight for the ploughed. After an hour or so on the ploughed and not finding anything that usual niggling  thought jump in my head. The thought that says 'that next field looks more promising'. And so that's how it went on for me, it was always the next field. During my field hopping I was bumping into fellow detectorists and asking them if they found anything. The finds coming up seemed to be mostly buttons and grot copper coins, I had found a few myself, but I was shown a lovely George VI half crown from one, and a Vikky shilling from another. So some decent stuff was being found and that always keeps my motivation going.

A pic of my finds for the day.

As you can see from the above pic I didn't find anything mind blowing, but I made finds and I'm always happy just finding anything. A few buttons there, a musket ball, three grot copper coins, £1.10 in decimal, and a very worn unrecognisable silver coin. So in the end I did find a silver, just wish it had some detail on.

At 3pm I had to call it a day as I had work early evening and back at the carpark I learn't of all the good stuff that had been found. About five hammered were found as well as other interesting coins, some milled silver , some lovely buckles, a silver ring and bracelet. So great finds were made around me it was just the case of I didn't walk over any of it.                                      

On the day permission was granted on a neighbouring farm for another rally in the near future. So will be looking forward to that.

Monday 18 May 2015.

Gold Ring from the beach today.

Gold ring with some decimal coins.

9ct gold ring

At last I managed to get out for a spot of metal detecting today, and as it was such fine weather where better than down on the beach. The tide was out but on the turn by the time I got there. The first couple of hours I spent on the wet sand but wasn't having any luck. All I was finding were broken bullet shells and trashy bits. It was up on the dry that I had more luck where I found £1.42 in spends, an old copper penny and my best find a 9 caret gold ring. Its marked on the inside of the band with the number 375.

Wednesday 13 May 2015.

Managed a silver today, but a grotty one.

George II silver sixpence dated 1743.

Today I was out on our club dig. The finds came slow for everyone as far as I know. But one member did find a silver hammered coin very early into the dig so that encouraged us. I did manage a silver milled coin of George II dated 1743, a silver sixpence. Okay it is pretty worn and a bit bent with a hole in it, but a nice find, silver is silver. My rest of finds were just four grot copper coins, five buttons and a plain shield.
Not a great day findwise, but enjoyable.

Total decent finds.

Sunday 3 May 2015.

Gawd I need some land.

A penknife, two decimal 1ps, a George V penny, a George VI farthing, and a hawking bell.

A lovely day today so I thought to myself its a shame to waste it, so off detecting I went. Looking at what I found I would have been better off working in the garden or doing something else productive.
I know the saying a bad day's detecting is better than a good day in work, Also I know about all the fresh air and good exercise I've just had. But at the end of the day we go detecting hoping to find something good. Something we can really look at and think all those hours was worth it. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at, just that one good find that puts you in a really good mood for the rest of the day.

With the tides being wrong for me today I only had one option and that was to visit an old haunt of mine which I have done to death. Hoping that there was still something decent there to find, something I may have missed. As it turned out if there is still something decent to find there then I've missed it again. Its no good, I have to hold my hand up and admit I do get frustrated on these 'not much turned up' days like today.

Still, that's metal detecting for you. Does it put me off...does it 'eckers like. Already looking forward to my next detecting outing where ever that might be.

Thursday 30 April 2015.