General metal detecting article: Treasure in the grass

Just a general article about metal detecting from a local newspaper.  The papers around here don't have any articles about the hobby very often at all so it was nice to see an article about the hobby and very nice indeed to see that the media had put it in a good light in a sense rather than painting the hobby as a bunch of "Night Hawkers" or "Grave Robbers" as some media likes to do to us at times.  I must say as well that the gentleman in the article must have a pretty nice setup at about $3,000 worth of equipment.

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login



Treasure in the grass


KAY LOUTH
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS ?  It's not the treasure of the Sierra Madre or pirate's buried loot, but backyard treasure hunter Anthony Toler has dug up some real finds as he travels about in search of buried treasure with his metal detector.

From an 1835 half dime to a modern day gold chain worth several hundred dollars,  Toler's treasures keep adding up both in terms of dollars and historical interest.
While nowadays his equipment is expensive, his interest in treasure hunting got an early start when he mom bought him an inexpensive metal detector sometime before his 10th birthday.
"It kind of hung with me," Toler said.
And now that his kids are grown and moved away, he has more time and money to spend on the hobby.  He's taken it up seriously just in the last two years.
Toler said there's a vast array of books and information out there for people who are interested in metal detecting. There are also clubs all across the United States and he's hunted with folks across the nation. This summer, Toler is heading to Myrtle Beach, S.C. to do some beach hunting, which Toler says is fun to do.
Being an informed treasure hunter is important, and Toler does extensive research. It helps to know the history of a place, to learn what went on at a site in order to understand what he's looking for or finds.
"I'm fixing to go hunt Fort Adams, a fort built by Mad Anthony Wayne at the junction of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers. 
"The fort's been hunt to death," Toler said, but he's going to hunt where the soldiers and crew camped while the fort was under construction. There's the potential too, to find lots of musket balls and possibly uniform buttons and other relics.
Good places to hunt include old colonial home sites, with the owner's permission, public lands, places where buildings have been demolished such as at the old Glass Block building, churches and other sites of historical intersect.
Toler has found lots of old coins including large cents and Indian Head pennies, old Canadian and English coins and he's found what's left of a "pocket pistol," or Derringer. Add antique jewelry to  his list of treasures too, along with old metal gambling chips.
The equipment he uses costs around $3,000, but Toler says it's worth it in saved time because one of the things he turns up on a very regular basis are  pop and beer can tabs.  The metal detector he uses "tells" him what he's found before he goes to dig it up.
On top of the treasures he brings home, Toler has also learned a lot about local history and that's another perk of being a backyard treasure hunter.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

Stringfrenzy

		Quote:			Posted by Sweet Sue
	Enjoyed the article, Stringfrenzy. Nice to have a positive story in the paper as most everyone is really just uncovering local history that would be remain lost otherwise. Sue

Great way to sum it up Sue.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,2100.msg17819.html#msg17819

Stringfrenzy

Yeah I agree that was a nice article and it was written in a favourable light.
This kind of story won't do us any harm.
Enjoyed that string.

Ian & Eileen

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,2100.msg17908.html#msg17908

With friendly greetings, Ian and Eileen

NICE ARTICLE

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,2100.msg17962.html#msg17962