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Full Version: Crazy Long Story - but happy in the end! Ring Return
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I had put off detecting with Geoff a few times due to the dry conditions. He contacted me again this past week and I said yes lets go how about Saturday morning for a few hours. He said cool, Saturday will be beautiful weather, We made arrangements to meet at 9 am in the first parking lot of this park he has wanted to detect but for whatever reason only spent about thirty minutes there detecting and only found memorials. I said well we can start there and see what develops if it's a dud. Then you can scratch that one off of your list. Well, I get funny when I have to wake up to an alarm, probably left over from my working days.....I always don't sleep well...toss and turn and get up too early, then I get tired to early. Today was no different, I was up early and checked TC and emails before I left. I arrive at the parking lot and no Geoff, who is always early. I wait twenty minutes and finally call him, he said he is just leaving the house and will be there in thirty minutes. Ok, I said I hope you don't mind I start detecting, he said no problem save some silver for him, oh yeah, cool high hopes.
He finally arrives after I pull up a few memorials at 6, 7 and 8 inches. Geoff this place has been landscaped, it seems they really piled on the top soil. He said well lets try this area by the road that he wanted to try. It looks cool, railroad nearby, river and highway too. Good area for a cross road. A guy pulls up who says he detects and lives nearby so his advice was to go elsewhere because the area has been loaded with top soil, the only thing deep are cans. So we thank him and off we go to another spot about two or three blocks away. Then a guy goes by pushing his son in a baby carriage, I say hello and he smiles. Two minutes later he comes back to ask us if we would help find his wife's engagement ring in his back yard of a 200 year old house. Man were we happy, sounds great. I told you this is a long story.
We get to his house and he explains the details of his property and the lost ring. Geoff continues to talk but I start a grid pattern. I soon realize that his property has been back filled also, at least 8 to 10 inches of soil and brand new seeded grass. Oh well, here we go again. I finally get a 1940 wheat cent (bad numbers but tone gave it away) it was about 6 inches down and on an angle. Geoff turns up a 1974 Kennedy half, wow, I thought they said 11894 so I run over to Geoff and see this dirty coin and I said what the heck, the owner said sorry I said the wrong date.....crap. I go back to the grid and get a nice nickel sound but the numbers were off and the display screen shows quarter.....I almost pass it by then it dawns on me - there is no junk here - no can slaw - no pull tabs - I dig down and find a terrific looking ring - man we were all excited. It was about 1 and 1/2 inches down. He said she lost it about seven months ago and he has used the lawn mower several times since then. We didn't take his lunch money reward but he offered to possibly get us onto a construction site next year and yes we exchanged information for that one.
Overall I have to say - tone was the key and no junk at all in this yard, cause I wouldn't have dug those crappy numbers in a park. Again no brag about this - it was a confusing day - hoping for silver in a new spot - not getting many take home coins but did make a new friend and that really is enough.
PS: that is Geoff hand holding the ring and his machine in the background.
Wow, 2 rings in 2 hunts, that's fantastic. That engagement ring looks pricey, but you specifically mentioned his "lunch money reward." What did he offer you, if you don't mind I ask? I'm sure you would've turned it down anyways, but I'm hoping he didn't try to insult you by slipping you a $5 bill or something. I wouldn't take a reward either, and would've simply asked to hunt the rest of his yard in exchange, but it's still the THOUGHT that counts. A $20 or $50 should've been OFFERED, but again, we wouldn't accept it. It's the thought, though, on behalf of the property loser.

Good job on the find, and, more importantly, on showing good form for our hobby, and doing the right thing Happy
Nice story Tony. I applaud you for agreeing to help the man and his wife, and then for actually finding the ring for them. You must have been really excited when you saw the ring and pulled it out of the dirt. You are on a roll now so maybe you can get another one on the next hunt. Well done.
Yes
Joe, and Shade, yes I was so excited when I saw it! I started to shake a bit - my first photo was blurry.
He only said lunch money; no cash was shown to us. He did allow us to hunt his entire property and we only found two wheat cents and the half, and one 1982 dime.

Yeah, I was happy to make the recovery for him. Hopefully he will contact us next year and give up a good site or two. He is in construction.....so I have to wait and see.
Don't apologize for a long story , it is a great story. I am sitting here with the snow flying and having my heart warmed by a great ring return story.
   I hope that karma rewards you for a good deed well done.
Pat
Gratz on finding the ring for them sometimes wierd days work my last gold ring I was doing a big field noticed pennypops sitting at a picnic table so headed across it straight at him bingo randomly spot in a field with a solid 41 signal Happy Its the oddball days it seems when you least expect things that makes this hobby so fun.
Thanks Digsit, glad I could help warm you up a bit. Weather women hear in NJ say the snow and cold is coming tonight or tomorrow. I heard about three states out west that had the snow. I hope you don't get much because Turkey Day is almost here and that is too early for white stuff in my opinion.

Clad dude, thanks. Yeah I love those days when you just happen to pick a spot and walk right up to a very cool target. It puts a big smile on my face when it happens.
Nice story and congrats on finding the ring. That's 2 in a row so you're beginning to notice the variations in gold signals. I have to say I've never been approached by anyone who lost a ring and am glad you were able to help him. Stories like this are what makes the ethics of metal detecting solid as the gold you find! Congrats on the return!!
Hope the permission source works out for you too!

Ed
Wow, thanks Ed that was cool.
You said "variations in gold" - now that is interesting for sure,I want to remember that one. Different sizes and weight must play a roll in not just gold but good targets as well. Could be why I don't find Halve dollars or two cent pieces.
In the last case (clean backyard, no pull tabs or foil) I was hoping for a good tone and dug them all and got lucky. I was focused/determined while my buddy went about willy nilly and scored the Kennedy half.

The day before - I stopped hunting for silver or deep iffy signals and concentrated on nickels/foil/tabs and can slaw, because that field is littered with those but luck hit me - So I made a good decision to switch modes and move very slowly. I believe that is called luck.
Good luck out there - enjoy
Nice story, I enjoyed it. Sucks about all the fill dirt. Ran into that a few times myself st colonial houses. Urgh. There's treasure there, but deeeeep! Cute little ring. Nice return!
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