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Minelab Explorer finds 1882 Carson City Silver Dollar!

You all have helped me get started in a great hobby. I continue to lose weight and have great fun. The main factor in this hobby is ambition; you’ve got to keep active, both in the field and in research. Great finds come from the old adage for businesses “only three things are needed to be a success, location, location, location.” The same is true for successful finds.

Since I found the Carson City Silver Dollar, I have found several 1921 Mercs (mercury dimes), many wheaties, and lots of fun. You really should call this a metal scanner not a metal detector. A detector implies that you can only detect when metal is present (the old days,) but with the new Explorer II you are really scanning for metal, just like a radio wave scanner. You set the signal you want to receive then get it.

Last night I programmed S1 – 4 for Gold, Silver, Clad, and Copper. Then selected S1-4, and went hunting in my driveway. My son has wired stereos for his friends for the last 4-5 years, lots of scrap wire thrown on the gravel driveway, very much trash. Well, I spend about 2-3 minutes and found a 1959 Roosevelt Dime, exactly what I had told it to scan for, very nice condition. Almost too easy. This has got to be the trick set up when time is limited, and you want a quick and dirty hunt for the good stuff.

Well about the Carson City Silver Dollar, I had been looking for a way to get out of the house for exercise. I had joined a detector club in Cleveland about one year ago, my dad had tried his hand at it and had left an old White Gold Master. I had heard of the ability of the Minelab during their meetings. I had seen the results if you spent time learning how to use it.

I ordered the Explorer II on April 17th and it was delivered on the 22nd, a “birthday” gift. I spent the next week reading the book, planting a “garden” in the backyard. I spend a short time practicing in the garden, but nothing extraordinary.

On the 26th of April, I went to my wife’s grandparent’s farm to test the machine. I used the factory set up, since I really had no experience in the field. I went to the back of the house to a sidewalk going to the barn. I had been there 15 minutes when I got a reading on the digital screen of 00 ferrous and about 25 conduct.

Well, I really didn’t know what this meant since it was my first dig in the field. Luckily I missed the coin with my trowel while I was digging. I was surprised when I saw the large coin, and then very surprised when I pulled it out and it was a 1882 silver dollar. I went to my brother-in-law, who lived there and had been watching, and ask how long I had been there. His answer was “15 minutes, 20 tops.” Well I called my wife since she had encouraged (and helped) me to get it. She was very happy for me.

About a week later I went to a local coin dealer to purchase some of the small cardboard and cellophane displays for the dollar. Since I was new to this I ask for help, the owner ask what size of display I was seeking and I showed him the dollar. He examined it closely under the light and looked straight at me and asks if I realized this was a rare silver dollar. Of course I told him I had no idea since I was new to the business. So, he shows me where to look just above the word “Dollar” on the back for the two small letters “CC” which stand for Carson City Mint. Then he takes me to this spiral book called the “Red Book” for coins and shows me that there were only about 1 million of these made compared to 12 million of the other 1882 silver dollars. I’ll tell you he made my day!

As a side story, since I don’t know if this has anything to do with the dollar I found. My wife told me that when she was a small child there was an Indian “signal’ tree located exactly where I found the dollar. A “signal” tree was a tree which had been bent during growth to develop growth in a particular direction. The direction this tree pointed to was a local large (1and ½ mile) lake, called Chippewa Lake. The farm house was built in the early 20th century about 1910. So, it certainly adds to the mystery of the history of the coin.

So far I have lost over 14 pounds after starting this hobby for exercise. And, what a perfect hobby for an accountant; Finding Money! Perfect match.

Found by David D.
Fairlawn, OH

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