The season was rapidly coming to an end. It seemed like just yesterday that the first forays after winter hibernation were being made, and now it’s time again to prepare the device for a well-deserved winter rest. This is not to say that the season was not successful – on the contrary, there were enough finds, but there was a certain understatement, and therefore, trying to dig up for future use, we spent the whole weekend in the forests and fields, digging the ground like moles. The events that will be discussed below took place at the end of November, and there was no longer enough daylight for long-distance forays, and therefore a small forest, which I personally call the “Forest of Miracles,” came into focus. This forest is notable for the fact that there are practically no single coins in it: if you dig up one, you will certainly pick up at least five more coins nearby. And it’s not to say that there were a lot of finds in the forest – our brother knocked him out a lot lately, but if you find it, it’s a handful at once. Although, in fairness, it must be admitted that there are practically no pre-revolutionary coins there.
On one of my November trips, I came across an old horseshoe there – I still don’t know what iron I suddenly decided to dig up, usually I don’t dig such signals there – it’s a waste of time, but here I dug it up. It lay almost directly on the forest road, close to the surface and was all rusty, but surprisingly intact – even one nail was preserved in it, despite the fact that by type it belonged to the XVI — XVII century. Deciding that the horseshoe was not good for the pocket, he safely took it with him, giving it the title of “bringing good luck.” At that point, I was thinking of closing the season, but the days were fine throughout the next working week, and on the weekend, under the disapproving glances of my wife, assuring her that now I would definitely close the season, I went to the “Forest of Miracles” again.
Some 30 minutes and I’m already in the forest — I scan the soil with a detector. But somehow the day didn’t go well. During 2 hours of walking through the forest, not a single find was found – only traffic jams, mockingly ringing in imitation of coins. The mood dropped, and the belief that the found horseshoe would bring good luck quickly disappeared. After two and a half hours, a strong-willed decision was made: the place needed to be changed. I have one place nearby – postponed for the next season, but I didn’t want to return without any finds at all, so having decided not to wait for spring, I turned towards the car to make a redeployment. Walking to the car, I was still in no hurry, and continued to move the coil above the ground. And so, when the exit from the forest was just a stone’s throw away, a confident, ringing, clear signal was heard. My first thought was: “Another piece of garbage.” But glancing at the hodograph, I saw that he confidently repeated — “Coin!”. Well… a few swings of the shovel, a couple of minutes of searching in the extracted lumps of earth and in my hand I have the first find of the day. Yes, it really was a coin – Denga from 1730 (as it later turned out, it was in quite good condition). “Well, that’s nice” — I thought at that moment – “I will definitely not return home empty-handed.”
Having hidden the find, I passed the coil over the fresh hole and at first did not even believe in the veracity of the device – it again gave a coin signal. Confident, clean, sonorous. And the hodograph kept repeating: “coin!” A few minutes later, in my hands was a tiny silver coin with the name Peter on one side, and the spearman on the other.
What could be more pleasant than finding a scale? Well, perhaps finding a treasure of scales. After admiring the find for a minute, I again passed the reel over the fresh dig. And again the signal, and again the coin! For the next 2 hours (including a break for a snack), I took one penny after another out of the hole. Some lay on top of each other, others in a small radius. The size of the dig grew to a small hole, and not only “old lice” — as Tsar Pyotr Alekseevich called these coins, but also new Russian money: copper half coins, another denga and the large 5 kopecks of Catherine I – the same ones as cross coins. It was a real holiday and a wonderful end to the season. Moreover, this was my first, and so far only treasure (although not a treasure, but a wallet).
This find was not only pleasant, but also served as an impetus for me to decide to collect scales in a collection. And now, in the evenings, stretching out the pleasure, I slowly attribute the found scales according to the catalogue, make stickers and form the beginning of a future collection. And it all started with a simple and fairly common find – a horseshoe. By the way, a new life awaits the lucky horseshoe. Now it is soaking in water, and after cleaning it will be hung in a place of honor above the door. I hope there was more than one charge of luck in it, and the 2018 season will be successful for all of us.
Sent by comrade Svyatoslav A.
