The first thing to Remember is what you are looking for. Its a known quantity. 3700 silver coins, 2" across, like really big silver dollars, total weight of 500 pounds. Buried 376 years ago most likely in a wooden and metal container by tough rough woodsman who spent a lifetime moving dirt and wood. Its a safe bet they buried it more than a foot down. Running around with your standard metal detector is a total waste of time. They only see 9 inches down. The entire getup to find this sort of item runs about $5000.00 (and rising). I have and will loan the entire set of tools to any landowner who wants to search his property in exchange for an agreement that most of the proceeds go to the general welfare somehow (How many millions does one need ?). I will also be happy to provide instruction on its use. It is a somewhat skilled activity. (call 605-777-0491 for arrangments) I am developing access to skilled labor required to be able to provide it when requested. This is a semi skilled activity. Marsh areas and shallow waters are best investigated in winter.
An XP-Xtreme Hunter will see up to 12 feet down, tell if its ferrous or not, and provide a rough image of its shape (See Ammo Box below). No running around digging iritating holes. The system is good but not perfect. In the event of say some mangled aluminum (non ferrous) 10 feet Down (rare but possible) that seems worth investigating a 2" hole is dug with a drill and bulb planter bit, then vaccumed out, and investigated with a video probe, magnet, grabber etc. The less dirt you disturb the easier and quicker it is !
The XP-Xtreme Hunter "sees" down in an 18 inch wide path. Searching requires walking back and forth in straight lines every 18 inches and listening for a signal to investigate (It will be loud). It will only detect metal objects bigger than a coke can which will be very very rare. Detected signals which are non-ferrous (silver, gold, aluminum, copper, or zinc) are then run with a Icon Data Logger for general shape, depth etc and producing a rough image of the shape (see below). In months of work if a half dozen two inch holes get dug it would be very exciting stuff !!
Location Speculation - Go back in your mind to 1600s. There would likely have been two camps for the masting effort, one at the river and the other at the Lake where the big trees were and a woods road/path between, todays 302. Its a large area. A fugitive, arriving several years later, would never camp on a river where everybody passes buy. When Joseph the son returns in the 1700's, the river would have been an advantage not a threat. The only evidence we have is the coins that were found were found on Suckfish Brook, much closer to what would have been the worksite camp. The areas first legal documents occurr in 1860s, two hundred years, and likely a fire or two later and are thus totally irrelevant.
Ammo Box scan 4' down
