Like Son, Like Father

My father's first official trip out with his metal detector turned out to be quite impressive and worthy of a post on my blog. A short trip to Keystone ski resort netted him a handsome $3.05 in modern coinage! As they say, Like Son, Like Father.

Unique find photos

Here are some photos of some of the more unique finds over the last weekend. 50 points to anyone who can make out the cursive / script text at the bottom of the token. 200 points for anyone who can find out history on its era and usage. 100 points for anyone who can identify what the trigger like object and peg / nut combination are.

Total coin count for the weekend:

41 Copper Pennies
2 Wheat Pennies
1 Canadian Penny
1 Modern Nickel
14 Modern Dimes
4 Modern Quarters

Sucky MDing

While the weather was gorgeous this weekend with a high near 80 on Saturday, the metal detecting adventures were far from thrilling. Both days I hit up West Seattle and Marymoor Park and both days turned up little more than decent amount of copper pennies and some other modern quarters and dimes. During both days, I only found one wheat pennie - a record low for me. I did find the usual sort of interesting items, but I haven't had the chance to photograph them, so I'll post those later.

The coin roll hunting side of my adventures was quite a bit more lucrative. I began my Saturday hitting up a bunch of banks on the west side and pulled in about $250 in half rolls, two boxes of pennies, and a box of nickels. The half rolls yielded 16 40% silver halves (1965 - 1970) - more than doubling my previous amount and one roll in particular was more than half full of the silver goodness. The first of my penny boxes was equally rewarding, yielding a record 29 Wheaties - my previous record for a box having been 6! All of them were between '40 and '59, so no key dates, but nice none-the-less.

Not much else on my end outside of hunting. Perhaps Erin will bless us with her presence on here again at some point, but until then, I'm afraid you're stuck with boring ol' me.

Everyone be sure to wish a Happy Birthday to Erin's Dad, Bob Siek!

MD Coin Totals To-Date

Got around to logging all my metal detecting finds over the past two months so it's time to update my totals. Not quite as many finds as my first two months, but missing almost all of March didn't help. Luckily I think I made up for less finds, with more quality finds.

Totals through 4/5/2008:

(95) Modern Quarters
(1) Silver Quarter
(226) Modern Dimes
(9) Silver Dimes
(2) Mercury Dimes
(1) Barber Dime
(39) Modern Nickels
(273) Modern Pennies
(369) Copper Pennies
(78) Wheat Pennies
(2) Indian Head Pennies

Total Face Value: $56.97

We're Back Post 3 of 3

...and finally as indicated previously in my blog I've started the side hobby of Coin Roll Hunting to placate my coin collecting desires during the times I can't metal detect. I've done quite a bit of it since my last posting and I estimate I've probably looked through around $150 in pennies, $300 in nickels, $100 in dimes, and $1500 in halves. I've been able to find a decent amount of XF (extra-fine) and AU (about-uncirculated) grade coins to start filling in collection books and quite a few rare keepers including:

(13) 40% Silver Halves (9 pictured below). As of today are worth $2.62 in silver metal value.
(1) 1998 Wide AM Error Penny (reverse minted with proof strike instead of business strike) valued at $5.00
(1) Circulated Proof 1968S Nickel (someone took it out of a proof set and put it into circulation) valued at $0.50
(1) 1893 Indian Head penny in VG (very good) grade condition valued at $2.50.
(53) Ike Dollars (little premium over face value now, but hard to find and worth keeping)

We're Back - Post 2 of 3

Ok, now that I've got the trip stuff out of the way, onto the REAL good stuff - today's hunt. Well maybe not THAT good of stuff, but a decent day none the less. Today saw my first silver quarter, and nice 1943s and a sterling silver pendant. Wheaties were slim pickings - only three. I also found my usual share of odd items including a Zippo type lighter, a key, and a old handgun type bullet (unfired) which I somehow misplaced between West Seattle and home (pissed about that - gonna search again tomorrow). And of course I can't forget the regular clad, though I left a bunch from a few previous smaller local hunts prior to the trip in my satchel, so that total listed below includes a few other days of detecting.

Clad Totals:

17 Modern Pennies
69 Copper Pennies
4 Wheat Pennies
8 Modern Nickels
34 Modern Dimes
10 Modern Quarters
1 Silver Quarter
4 Canadian Pennies

We're Back - Post 1 of 3

Finally back from our trip to Ecuador and Peru, with visits to the famed Macchu Pichu and Galapagos Island. Our entire trip was most excellent and beyond both Erin and I's expectation. So much so in fact that I was afraid Erin was going to leave me for our yacht's captain and spend the rest of her life sailing and visiting the Galapagos Islands!

Luckily she soon came to her senses after realizing what a stud I was and how she couldn't live without me and so she sadly bid the islands, Adieu!

Though we have hundreds (perhaps over a thousand?) photos and some videos, I've selected only a few of the more interesting ones to post on the blog.

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right:

1. Erin and Jason dining for lunch at a hacienda in Ecuador.
2. Ted and Jason standing in front of some of the larger stones at Sacsay Huaman ("Sexy Woman") Incan Ruins just outside of Cusco, Peru. Note how well the stones are made to fit together without mortar.
3. One of the homes we stopped at in the Sacred Valley had their meals, wheeling around the floor of their home. Yes, they're Guinea Pigs - a traditional Peruvian dish!
4. Outside in the garden of the hacienda from photo 1.
5. A Galapagos seal lion flirting with Erin underwater.
6. Our yacht, the Sagitta ("Sa - Gee - Ta").
7. Erin hanging with her friends.
8. The famous Galapagos reptiliphibian swimming iguanas - and plenty of em'!
9. The famous Galapagos blue-footed Boobie (I said boobie!) and its youngin'.
10. A Galapagos land iguana attempting to mate with Erin.
11. Dried and preserved Alpaca fetuses (fetii?) being sold for witch doctor / shaman usage.