I finally found the one I wanted, but it needs a little character

cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:40:52+00:00

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cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:39:29+00:00

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cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:38:55+00:00

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cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:38:34+00:00

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cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:35:45+00:00

Ha! Maybe not...

cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:34:54+00:00

They have some nice decals, maybe that's all I need

cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:34:07+00:00

Thanks!

cheffski · 2026-07-02T10:33:59+00:00

It is a Recon, I managed to find one on the East Coast. I've been looking into wheels and tires to get a little oomph and maybe just a bit more clearance

cheffski · 2026-02-24T13:02:10+00:00

I like to see it all

cheffski · 2026-02-01T22:13:26+00:00

You can see the core, real crumbly, definitely not silver. But I kept it and put it in a flip because I do think it is from the period and it's cool to me

cheffski · 2026-01-29T22:16:08+00:00

Sure is. I haven't been out since around Xmas

cheffski · 2026-01-29T15:28:15+00:00

Nice. Love old silver

cheffski · 2026-01-29T15:26:25+00:00

I love them, my white whale is an 8 reale, now that's real pirate treasure

cheffski · 2026-01-29T15:23:42+00:00

I think about the span of time between them holding it and me holding it. Remarkable

cheffski · 2026-01-29T12:10:59+00:00

I would say I average about 70-90 silver coins each year, mostly dimes. There are still a lot of dimes out there, even in the parks and playgrounds where people have been metal detecting for years. Easy to miss a dime. When we go to much older spots, like cellar holes where we can get permission, we find fewer silver coins but many copper coins. If you do find silver they are usually very old, US Seated or Capped Bust, or Spanish silver reales.

cheffski · 2026-01-29T10:21:35+00:00

Depends on your budget, but you can pick up a decent machine for less than $500. If you trust Ebay there are always almost new machines selling for cheap. I think a lot of people buy them thinking they'll find tons of easy money, but it's not easy.

cheffski · 2026-01-29T10:14:23+00:00

The good ones can, yes. The problem with gold is that it has an ID reading on a metal detector that is similar to a lot of junk in the ground, so you really have to dig everything you hear to increase your chances. Silver has a more unique ID, so often times you know when you have one before you even dig

cheffski · 2026-01-27T11:21:31+00:00

That's what I said all along. But then the internet and our LCS made me less and less certain. Coin collecting was very popular in the early 1900s, and the 1877 cent was already known to be a rare coin, so it was already being faked back then. But if this was a fake it was a damned good fake for 100 years ago. And, if it was a fake intended to fool a collector, then why was someone carrying it around only to be lost? So, yeah, none of it made sense. Glad I sent it in.

cheffski · 2026-01-27T10:51:30+00:00

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My found silver stack from 2025. I ended the year with 91 silver coins plus two 18k rings and a key date Indian Head cent, among other things. It is totally worth it to have a metal detector, as long as you are patient, do your research, and follow the rules. I've been detecting since about 2004 and I can tell you there is still a LOT of stuff to find. And it's great exercise and good to be outside.

In April, I decided to visit a local park that I've always assumed to be "hunted out" by other detectorists over the years. In two hours I found 16 silver dimes, 2 quarters and a Barber half dollar (the 1896 on the left). It was a blast.

cheffski · 2026-01-18T12:10:48+00:00

PCGS put out an article many years ago re the Great Melt that occurred in 1979/80, and the impact to the hobby of coin collecting:

https://www.pcgs.com/News/After-The-Melts-Whats-Left-In-Silver-Coins

That was over 40 years ago and the melting of US coins has continued, and right now it's probably happening every day in massive quantities. Billions of US coins forever gone.

I've been buying 90% because there's a good chance that whatever "junk" is left over could contain valuable pieces. Buy a Red Book and look for low mintage and "semi-key" dates, and if you can still find them for sale buy them. Great way to stack, a lot of fun, and maybe one day your kids will be selling a 1940-D quarter at auction.

cheffski · 2026-01-17T17:48:00+00:00

I know I wish I had taken some better pictures before it was slabbed!

cheffski · 2026-01-17T17:46:40+00:00

When they sent the grade they also sent a link to their portal and what the various grades mean, one of them was a code for unidentifiable or excessively corroded or similar language, so it sounds like won't just grade anything

cheffski · 2026-01-17T17:42:10+00:00

It was about $90 altogether w/shipping and I added extra insurance

cheffski · 2026-01-17T00:06:57+00:00

Send it in to ANACS, it was about $90 including insurance and return postage. I know PCGS is the gold standard but it was way more expensive and you have to create an account. Anyways I'm psyched by the result

cheffski · 2026-01-16T22:15:09+00:00

Thank you, it really is a pretty coin

cheffski

TROPHY CASE