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Replies: 16 / Views: 5,017 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
787 Posts |
I am thinking about asking our pastor if I can scan the large yards we have at church. I was thinking about all the homecomings, and other events, that have taken place there over the years.
I think it was established in 1929, and I have easily attended there most of my life since the 1970s.
Something tells me this could be interesting. Have any of you scanned church yards?
Kenscott
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
just guessing  since money and coins aren't used daily at churches (other than offering plates), coins on the ground or in the ground may be rare. If they have or had a children play area, that may be your best area to search. 
Edited by Fuzzy317 01/21/2012 03:09 am
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
There is a huge empty church yard right down the street from my parents house that had a church on when I was growing up. Now, all that remains are the 5 or 6 original palm trees and the lot. It is tempting but it is still private property and I would not know who to ask now.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
I would ask Kenscott, you just never know what you will find until you start swinging the coil. Vermontensium, I would try and use this data to find out who owns the property of which you speak. I use it here in N.C. and it is great. Although I find the CA. version to not be as user friendly. It can tell who owns the property and their mailing address so you can send them a letter asking permission. http://www.coordinatedlegal.com/gis.htmlAll others, if you wish to use the mapping data like the link I posted above, just do a search for your state and GIS. IE: n.c.gis (GIS stands for Geological Information Survey).
Edited by Tim Stroud 01/21/2012 07:23 am
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
787 Posts |
Tim Stroud,
The large, open yard beside the church has had decent activity on it. Also, there were a lot of homecomings until they quit that a few years ago.
I think the church has been there since 1929 and has had it's share of activity on it. I will have to check the cornerstone tomorrow and get the exact date.
BTW, I am also in N.C. in the "mountains."
Kenscott
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
Thanks Tim! California is not exactly the "detectorists friend". I usually detect the beaches with member mmorgan22. We find a lot of clad but are still waiting to see who hits gold first! I had an aluminum size 10 ring a few weeks back.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4333 Posts |
I have detected several church yards, with varying degrees of success. One yard in particular has a nice large area behind that has been used for picnics for about 100 years. I asked the priest there for permission, and he gave me the ok. He even volunteered the cemetary across the street, respectfully I declined, of course. He told me the picnic area had been detected heavily over the last 30-40 years, but I went in and dug a half dozen silvers including mercs, Barber dime, silver ring, quarter, and my first Morgan dollar, 1887.
When I listen to LED ZEPPELIN...so do my neighbors... Roll hunting since '77 Dirt fishing since '72
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
787 Posts |
I would love to find a Morgan!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
570 Posts |
I have dug silver jewelry before, but no silver coins. That would be awesome to find a Morgan dollar out here in California. Vermontensium and I are trying to go detect older parks, but the laws are kinda weird out here.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
I have detected in a church yard and parsonage before. Church has been there for over 100 years. The entrace to the building used to be on another side though. Also I think that the ground had been built up a little over the years. In my area they used to have picnics at the church all the time. I found some coins but nothing very old. Found a plate ring too. But I did not want to dig very deep because the church is still in use. There were a lot of nice signals down at the 9-12 inch range. Were ever people congragate there are bound to be lost items. I've found dropped things out in the middle of fields. Turned out there were houses there people had forgot about, or that they used to have small carnivals out in a field.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
787 Posts |
Yes, that would make sense. I want to go down on the river (The French Broad river) and do some detecting.
It turns out the early version of Fort Know was right here in the area I live in. It held the majority of the US gold reserve for quite a long time during the early years of the country. I now understand it is just an old broken down, brick building complex. Also, if I know about it you can be sure that old timers from this area know about it as well and that it has probably been picked many times.
It may have been picked, but I think there are some other nice areas which have not.
Kenscott
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
787 Posts |
Has anyone thought of doing research to find places where old churches might have one been but have long been gone?
This could go back hundreds of years depending on one's patience. I am thinking on trying to do such myself via old newspaper articles and local accounts from old timers.
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
Quote: I would love to find a Morgan!
Wouldn't that be cool. I have one I bought from a gentleman that did find it in the vicinity of the ghost town Bodie,California many years ago. I had to have it knowing Bodie's past history of gunfights, saloon mayhem, prostitution, etc...He decided to let it go  It's actually an "O". Cool it made it way all the way over here. 
swcoin.ecrater.com
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New Member
United States
29 Posts |
Hi all. One of the areas I've detected with varying levels of success, mostly for the better, is under a large tree.
Think about it. On a hot summer day, where is the best place to go sit? Underneath a large tree. If the tree has been there for a hundred years, a lot of different people might have sat under it. Coins tend to fall out of pockets, sometimes without people knowing.
Also, back a hundred years ago, there weren't many jungle gyms for kids to climb on. So they used to climb trees. Chances are stuff fell out of their pockets then too.
Whenever I go to a new area, I always detect around the big trees first, before I set up mental grids and work smaller areas, this is especially true for churches where people gather on a weekly basis for several generations. The older the church, the older the coins are (though that's not fool proof).
Josh
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
787 Posts |
Agreed, I would concur that under trees is a likely place to find coins.
Also, if you are in a flood plain fallen trees tend to catch heavier objects as the water recedes. So, in general, I think trees are one of the key places to look for coins.
Now, in church yard I plan to scan, there are not a lot of large trees so I will have to rely on lots of years and the fact that lots of people have been there.
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New Member
18 Posts |
I got a 18k gold necklace. (Sold for $3500 scrap) from my church yard. Other than that a few pennies and junk.
I Donated $750 to my church! For letting me detect and just from the good of my heart :)
All in All@
I made $$$ and donated!
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Replies: 16 / Views: 5,017 |