I purchased the EQUINOX 800 late December 2018, having previously owned a Garett AT Max which I used for about 1.5 years. Others’-success stories and recoveries made me reconsider in trading in my AT Max and so I made the plunge. Hunting a farm site that was part of the Gettysburg campaign during June 1863, I have recovered a Block I, Virginia coat and my first Confederate Georgia Frame Buckle in heavy mineralized ground for PA. If I never dug another relic I am satisfied having achieved one relic hunters bucket lister-a Confederate belt buckle, Georgia frame. This was my thinking until yesterday, April 4, 2019. A digging friend invited me back to hunt the site once again before the farmer plants for the growing season. I tried a section near the front of the property where I had dug my block 1 button and Brest plate that I dug 2 years ago. After about 20 minutes I got a good target hit which was a solid “12” on my EQUINOX 800. I have dug two other nickels a buffalo and a Jefferson with this new machine that locked on the Nox800 with a solid “12”, so I was prepared to dig at the worst foil, and the best another nickel. After careful pinpointing at about 4-5 inches I dug a nice plug and was staring at the very discernible “1” Dollar on the reverse of a “gold” looking coin. Not until I picked up the coin did my brain tell me what I had just dug; my first ever gold coin-1852 1 dollar gold coin. It has taken me 20 years of digging to dig my first gold coin and hopefully Lord willing not my last. A lesson learned you have to be willing to dig low VDIs and low tones, had I not dug 2 previous nickels with this machine I would have passed over the solid “12” beep and would have left the 1852 gold dollar in the ground for another digger to find. Happy Hunting and dig those low tones!
Wayne - Virginia, USA