Foragist
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I am truly a great detectorist. No, really. I am! I have been doing this for so many years, with so many detectors, there are several MD manufaturers and international MD dealers that frequently call me for advice. Sure, I have mastered them all, but to be truly great, I spent much of my extensive detecting time with a top of the line machine that I had custom modified by a good friend who was a lead engineer for a supercomputing company I used to work for. He upgraded most of the components, and added some phenomenal programming that allowed me to differentiate gold from any other metal; among several other great features. I really loved that machine, and found some of my best gold rings, coins, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, brooches, and artifacts with it. It was so good, I was convinced(after much begging) to loan it to another leading MIT engineer/inventor in the Silicon Valley to study it and hopefully reverse engineer it. Sadly, you see, the original engineer who customized it for me, is no longer with us. Anyway, before any meaningful observations were made, my one-of-a-kind, love-of-my-life metal detector met it's fate in an out of control California wildfire that wholly consumed my MIT friend's home, and all of it's contents...my beloved machine included.
Well, after a long mourning period, I eventually decided to re-enter the world of metal detecting. I was very reluctant to even try it again, with only a mere commercially built detector, but I picked up my Equinox 800, and told myself I can do this. So I made a plan to hunt a WWI battlefield that I had exclusive rights to. I began to dream of all the good things I might find. I decided I would be happy with any decent WWI battle artifact. I wouldn't have to be as good as some of the awesome weaponry I have unearthed in the past. Oh sure, another Howitzer would be fun, but I won't set my goals that high just yet. Maybe another hand grenade, sidearm, or something would be nice. Oh, I know, I thought. I will set my sights on digging another old military medal to add to my collection. I can always find one of those...even with a standard, "factory" machine. I am, after all, a great detectorist!
So, off I went. I was swinging away on my historic landmark permission, but my heart wasn't really in it yet. All I could find were old bullets, a rusty old magazine, bayonet, and part of a bullet-damaged helmet. I was getting a little depressed. Finally, though, after enduring all these types of junk finds, for nearly 20 minutes, I got my coil over a medal. I knew it was a medal, of course, but I was curious to see if it might be one of the few military insignia that still eludes my extensive collection. I dug it up and verified it was indeed a medal, but the dirt was not coming off easily, and I could not positively identify it on the spot. So, having met my goal for the day, I headed for home...victorious. A small victory; considering the many, many great discoveries I have made in all my years, but an important first "comeback" victory, nonetheless.
Later, at home, I got around to cleaning my find. Would it be one of the rare oddballs that I have been waiting for? I could tell it wasn't a silver star, or purple heart, or any of those popular medals, but perhaps an obscure qualification badge to fill one of the empty little spaces on my "War Room" wall? Sadly, it was not. In fact, much to my chagrin, it was not a WWI medal at all! Not even real military! I feel so embarrassed, but you all know the rule: "Pics or it didn't happen" So I am reluctantly submitting this photo of my "victorious" find:
Well, after a long mourning period, I eventually decided to re-enter the world of metal detecting. I was very reluctant to even try it again, with only a mere commercially built detector, but I picked up my Equinox 800, and told myself I can do this. So I made a plan to hunt a WWI battlefield that I had exclusive rights to. I began to dream of all the good things I might find. I decided I would be happy with any decent WWI battle artifact. I wouldn't have to be as good as some of the awesome weaponry I have unearthed in the past. Oh sure, another Howitzer would be fun, but I won't set my goals that high just yet. Maybe another hand grenade, sidearm, or something would be nice. Oh, I know, I thought. I will set my sights on digging another old military medal to add to my collection. I can always find one of those...even with a standard, "factory" machine. I am, after all, a great detectorist!
So, off I went. I was swinging away on my historic landmark permission, but my heart wasn't really in it yet. All I could find were old bullets, a rusty old magazine, bayonet, and part of a bullet-damaged helmet. I was getting a little depressed. Finally, though, after enduring all these types of junk finds, for nearly 20 minutes, I got my coil over a medal. I knew it was a medal, of course, but I was curious to see if it might be one of the few military insignia that still eludes my extensive collection. I dug it up and verified it was indeed a medal, but the dirt was not coming off easily, and I could not positively identify it on the spot. So, having met my goal for the day, I headed for home...victorious. A small victory; considering the many, many great discoveries I have made in all my years, but an important first "comeback" victory, nonetheless.
Later, at home, I got around to cleaning my find. Would it be one of the rare oddballs that I have been waiting for? I could tell it wasn't a silver star, or purple heart, or any of those popular medals, but perhaps an obscure qualification badge to fill one of the empty little spaces on my "War Room" wall? Sadly, it was not. In fact, much to my chagrin, it was not a WWI medal at all! Not even real military! I feel so embarrassed, but you all know the rule: "Pics or it didn't happen" So I am reluctantly submitting this photo of my "victorious" find:
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