On the morning of February 17, 2021 my friend Dean and I set out to do some much anticipated detecting in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. This area is filled with 1800’s mining history and is rich with gold. Scattered throughout this area are many hydraulic mines, tailings, stone fences, and stacked stone foundations left behind from California’s iconic gold rush. We started early at dawn and hiked out about 2.5 miles to a site which I had detected several times before. The site is an old 1800’s stone foundation with a built in fire place located along a seasonal creek. The creek runs between several hydraulic gold mines. An ideal spot for a 49er to strike it rich. The weather was excellent and the soil was moist and easy to dig through. We had been detecting and hour or so and had already found many classic turn of the century finds. We found square nails, buttons, a few pieces of old bottles and china, and even a couple of opium tins. After digging all of those targets within the first hour, I was ready for some water and a quick bathroom break. I walked about 50 yards up a nearby hill to a dead oak tree for some bathroom privacy. While answering nature’s call and enjoying the peace and tranquillity of it all; I noticed another small stone foundation at the base of the tree. The foundation was not obviously visible and was covered in dead tree limbs. I had walked past this oak tree on previous hunts but had never noticed the foundation at its base. I walked over to tell my friend what I had found and we both decided to give it a try with our detectors. Dean went around the side of the house about 15 yards away and I started detecting around the front entrance. I dug several trash targets and mostly iron junk. I was just about ready to move to another section of the house when my detector caught a decent signal. I figured it would be a brass button or possibly another rim fire cartridge. What came out of the ground next took me for complete surprise. As I was uncovering the little last bit of dirt off the target using my bare hand and a pin-pointer, I saw that unmistakable flash of gold shine out from the hole. I thought maybe a miner had dropped a big gold nugget, but as I nervously shuffled more dirt out of the hole I saw that it was definitely a gold coin. I was so excited and nervous I couldn’t even pick it up out of the hole and examine it for myself. I had to call my buddy Dean over to the hole and ask him to please make sure I was not dreaming. Dean ran over to the hole and picked up the coin. He let out a loud cry and said “nice one, gold coin”. We were both shaking and I felt like I could hardly catch my breath I was so happy. Dean assured me it was real and we both examined it. It was a 1938 2 1/2 dollar U.S. gold coin. It was about the size of a penny but almost four times the weight. Up until that day, I always thought gold coin finds in California were a hoax. I’m happy to report I am now a believer!
