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I purchased my DFX from Kelly Co. last month and have been having a great time. The site I'm hunting on is an old stone foundation on a relative's farm in CT. We knew the site had 18th century pottery, nails, pipes and other odds and ends. I was shocked when the first week with my DFX I was getting a 17+ VDI in the stone foundation. I moved a few rocks from the wall and there sitting nicely protected from the elements was this 1777 USA Continental Army General Service enlisted soldier's button. I took it to a military button expert to have it authenticated that following week and was graded as "excellent" condition. From my understanding the only other USA 1777 button's found were near or at Valley Forge. I've attached a picture of the button taken by Don Troiani who wrote the "Militay Buttons of the American Revolution."
Kelly |
Wanted to share my best experience to date metal detecting. Last April, myself and hunting partner Gary, were hunting a freshly plowed field that had yielded a few civil war bullets in the past. On this particular date Gary was hunting about 100 yards ahead of me with his MXT and signaled for me to come see what he had found. Not wanting to waste the 100 yards I continued to swing my DFX while enroute. About half way I picked up a loud and clear signal that stopped me in my tracks. After pinpointing the target and thinking to myself that I had found a smashed soda can discarded by the farmer as he plowed I starting unearthing the signal. About 8 inches down I saw the outline of a rectangular object about 3-4 inches long. Never a plate before, I wasn't sure what it was until I had it in my hand and I could see the CSA on the front. I was amazed as was Gary. Since then this field has given up many bullets, buttons, and 3 more plates but none finer than my rectangular Virgina style CSA plate. I have found many significant finds in my 7 plus years of detecting but I doubt I will ever top this one. Thank you White's for making such a fine detector as the DFX and allowing me to tell my story. Mike in TN |
Dear White's, First, I have to congratulate you on a great piece of technology in the DFX. My family bought one for me on Fathers Day after seeing one of your commercials on TV. I'm glad they bought a DFX!. White's has not only the best performing, but also the best looking, machines on the market. My 10 year old daughter and I started out hunting a couple of the local school yards to practice and see what we could unearth. After finding quite a bit of clad and a few "wheaties", we were hopelessly hooked! The real thrill came when we found this 1920 Illinois Chauffeur badge. It was out in the middle of the schoolyard, at a depth of about 8 inches. I heard a faint tone and thought I should probably dig it, even though I was still learning what I was seeing on the Signagraph. After cleaning it up a bit, we contacted the State of Illinois to research the tag number and received a reply with the former owners name and address (located in the City of Chicago). We were unable to successfully locate any next of kin, but at least we could put a name to the item. The same day we also found the Chicago Motor Club safety award. It was in a different part of the field, at about the same 8 inch depth. Some quick research showed that it is also from the mid to late 1920's. How these made it into the field is a mystery, but I'm glad we found them when we did (the city built a new school on the field this year). Wherever we go, if we see or hear someone talking about an old home or such, my daughter and I turn to each other and whisper "let's go metal detecting!" Thank you, White's, for a healthy hobby that is not only fun, but stimulates the mind and helps make memories!
Sincerely, |
"NEVER LIMIT YOUR EXPECTATIONS" Before going on a recent trip to the Caribbean, I purchased a White's Beachhunter I.D. to use on the Beaches and in the surf. I had purchased White's detectors previously in 1993 and they had accompanied me on 2 previous trips to the Caribbean Islands where I had found many coins and some cheap jewelry items. But this time I wanted to get into the surf. What luck, on my first morning beach hunt with the Beachhunter I.D. I found about 40 coins and one piece of jewelry. It was a 2+ inch 16 ct white gold cross pendent containing 21.6 cts of demantoid garnets that has since been appraised at $22,896.00. Probably my "Find Of A Lifetime!" I have worn it on special occasions. All I can say is, WOW, you never know what the next "BEEP" is going to be. Thanks to Whites for 14 years of exploring and many finds along the way, but this big find was far beyond my wildest expectations.
Jerry K. |
Cape Cod Sparkler I spend most of my time now in the quaint locality of Cape Cod, MA. As I write this article the seasonal harvest of the cranberry crop is taking place right behind my cottage. The normally desolate bog is interrupted with a temporary burst of human activity, as water is flooded in to float the fruit to the surface. It is fun to watch just a little as the berries are herded by hand towards a waiting conveyor and truck. Cranberries are a colorful necessity for our tables at this time of year. I don't languish though when I stop for a minute to snap an opportune picture. I try not to let the beauty of my area distract me from my mission for you see I am a totally dedicated treasure hunter. My true passion is gold nugget hunting. Unfortunately I live on the wrong darn coast to indulge my passion as often as I would like! This is a pretty little chunk of gold I found in Ganes Creek, Alaska this June with 3 other like nuggets while treasure hunting with my mentor Gerry McMullen of Boise, ID. For me, this is living large! I am retired now. The freedom to live this treasure hunter's life is what I worked 35 years in the grueling Information Technology profession to achieve. Sadly, I am located so far east of gold country that my cottage is in fact 25 miles out in the ocean on the sand spit named appropriately Cape Cod. This is very frustrating for a nugget shooter indeed. I try to keep myself sharp for my biannual trips to gold country by beach detecting. It's just not the same! I try to hit a different beach each dawn. My only company is gulls and an occasional beachcomber. We pass with maybe a quick head nod. It is downright gorgeous here. There must be hundreds of beaches within 25 miles of my cottage. It's not the same for you see Gold Fever has truly taken over. Just ask my normally patient and supportive wife, Donna. Her patience does sometimes wane a bit and she exclaims in frustration with me, "You're Obsessed"! From my point of view, when there are no gold nuggets to be had, any other endeavor is just biding time until I can arrange a trip westward. Up until now I have only found mostly pocket change each time I hit the beach. I try very hard. I use my White's MXT 90% of the time and love it. I also own Minelab GP Extreme and a Fisher Gold Bug 2 for my trips out west. I have even taken several detecting classes from buddy Gerry who runs Gerry's Metal Detectors. Gerry has me finding gold now but I often call him up often for extra coaching. He too is patient with me. Gerry says the same thing over and over, "Get into the water, turn your discrimination almost off, gold rings will usually ID around nickels/pulltabs range and use your MXT in Relic Mode". I know most valuable beach finds come from the water and I have tried over and over again to master the salt interference but I always wind up detecting the fluffy sand. I try my luck mostly at low tide figuring that just a couple of hours ago this still moist land WAS actually pretty far out in the water. Two years of pocket change! Nothing seemed to work. Most importantly Gerry always said, "Stick with it, Dan...someday it will be your turn" Gerry was right. My time had come! A second bountiful harvest occurred on November 1st on Cape Cod. More than cranberries were being harvested that day. I believe this harvest originally came from the ocean. With detector in hand, I stumbled onto Barlow's Landing near Falmouth on Buzzard's Bay. It is a tiny little speck of a beach and was very peaceful now during to off- season. It is only about 100 feet in its entirety. I had not ever detected it before. I did not know it even existed! It was simply on my researched hunt route as I was hitting all six little beaches along the way. The previous week I got a little extra help from Mother Nature. Ninety mph winds whipped up into a North Easter while churning up the bay's floor and most surely tossed up this beauty. I named it my Cape Cod Sparkler. According to the Certified Appraisal, the ring's diamonds weighed in at 1.74 total carats and its brilliant 1.30 center diamond has SI1 clarity. It has a color rating of HI. An astonishing retail value was established at over $8,800. It has a 2-tone 14k gold setting with smaller diamond baguettes on each side. I found it in the moist sand after all with my White's MXT and stock 9 1/2" loop. It was just an inch down. I am sure that before the storm this brilliant stone was out cozying up to some clam out in the bay. It had been there for some time since there were minor signs of sand abrasion to the setting. When my Cape Cod Sparkler exploded in brilliance from its hiding place in the sand, I leaped for joy in absolute jubilation and did a poor rendition of an Irish Jig. The gulls could care less. I had found the Holy Grail of beach detecting! The 1 1/4 carat diamond ring is very fulfilling. The find gives me instant vindication against all the naysayers. You know the type well. They're the ones who proclaim your nuggets as, "Fools' Gold". They're the ones who "Don't believe" in our quest. Dan |