Free Incredible Metal Detecting Discoveries: True Stories of Amazing Treasures Found by Everyday People by Mark D Smith Page B

Finds

    Sooner or later every
person with a metal detector will find a ring. Hopefully it is not a
cursed demon ring like the rings of the Thetford Hoard and hopefully
is not the demonic ring from The Lord of the Rings movies. My
Precious! Although it may be a copy of that infamous ring. I did
find one on a playground once. It fit perfectly on my finger and the
world went dark when I put it on. Then I noticed the gold plating
peeling away from the side and my little daydream was shattered. Oh
well, off to the next target.

    Rings are a somewhat
common find. Beach hunters are lucky enough to dig up hundreds of
them every year. They may be made of platinum, silver or gold and
they may be covered in jewels. They may also be nothing but costume
jewelry. Either way, finding a ring is a great experience. It doesn't
matter if you are waist deep in the water and you get a glint of gold
in the bottom of your beach scoop, or if you remove a freshly cut
plug and spy a hint of silver peeking out from the dirt. Rings are on
the top of the “gotta find” list of almost every single
person wildly swinging a metal detector.

    Rings have been used by
people for over 6000 years. Most rings are used as symbols. The
circle means infinity. It goes on forever and that is why rings are
used as a symbol of marriage. They symbolize one person's never
ending love for another. Cue the romantic music and dim the lights.
Here are some of the most incredible metal detecting ring finds!

    I have been fortunate
enough to find several rings on my metal detecting adventures. It is
something that I never seem to grow tired of. The next two ring
stories are my own personal stories. They are from my book entitled: Metal
Detecting the Beach . Enjoy.

A Big Ring and A UFO
    When Summer rolls around,
I prefer to hunt the beach right before the sun goes down and
continue after the sun has set. It can be exhilarating to be on the
beach on a clear Summer night. A nice breeze to keep things cool, and
plenty of things to dig up in the dark.

    I remember one evening in
the middle of the Summer when two strange things happened to me. I
was walking North along the beach and my plan was to hunt where
everyone had parked on my way up the beach, and then when I turned to
come back, I would work the low tide line. According to the local
weather reports, it was going to be a perfect night.

    By the time I was halfway
through my hunt, I had already found two nice gold rings where people
had been parking their cars. I was in great spirits and the sun was
setting. Soon I would have the beach to myself.

    The sun went down, and the
stars lit the sky. It was beautiful. I was getting tired so I decided
it was time to turn and head back. I could hit the low tide zone and
keep my feet wet.

    I approached the low tide
line eagerly, and that's when I saw it. It was a shooting star. I was
lucky to see such a good one, and then out of the corner of my eye,
it flew back up into the sky. What the heck was that? I had never
seen anything like it. There it was again and this time it fell again
just below the horizon, and a few seconds later it rose back out of
sight. I was baffled, but It looked like I was getting closer to this
mysterious object in the night sky.

    It would fall out of the
sky and then shoot back up like a rocket. It was just barely visible.
I was watching the sky, and suddenly my metal detector made a sound
that I loved to hear. It was a nice tone that 4 out of ten times
meant gold was buried under my coil. I dug a quick scoop and looked
over my shoulder and the UFO was still doing its crazy dance through
the sky.

    I threw the scoop of sand
on the dry beach and moved my coil over the hole I had just dug. No
more target. I had retrieved it in that scoop of sand. It was dark,
and I had to feel my way through the pile of sand. I stuck my hand in
the sand pile and a ring slid right around my finger. I laughed out
loud.

    I pulled my hand out of
the sand pile and reached down