This past weekend was very muddy but I had an itch to do some metal detecting. I decided to hunt what we metal detectors call "totlots". "Totlots" are essentially the areas around playgrounds or swing sets or any other structure that has gravel, sand, or woodchips on the ground. Hunting these areas make for easier digging and item recovery after heavy rains. While you may not get many old items, you recover items faster and holes are a gazillion times easier to fill neatly.
This is an aerial view of Ridgetop Elementary in Austin. Ridgetop was built in the 1930s and is about five minutes from my house.
The grounds themselves are likely to produce older items, but for the most part I focused on the "totlots" due to all the mud.
Let me tell you, this was the first time I ever hunted a gravel playground, and it was EASY. I didn't have to worry about making a mess, cutting through roots, or making it look like I was never there. I dig as much as I want, then I just push the gravel back in the hole. It was just too simple.
I did manage to get off of the playground and onto some of the sidewalks, so all of these finds are either from the gravel or from some of the sidewalk areas.
This toy NFL ring about made me have a heart attack. When I dug it out of the playground, for a split second I thought it was a gold class ring. Unfortunately, it is likely brass or pot metal. The gold colored finish is already tarnished on the other side.
This cool little copper colored crown pin still has the backing on it. Kinda weird, since it means it was not being worn when it was dropped.
These little religious charms were found about two feet apart from each other in the gravel. They are tiny - about half the size of a dime. I was surprised that my F2 with the stock coil pinpointed them so well.
Here are my finds:
This was a day of many highs and firsts: Not only was this the most dimes I had ever found in one hunt, but this was also the most jewelry I had ever found. Lastly, the 1992 50 Centavo piece from Mexico is the first foreign coin I have found.
I am very happy with my trip to the "totlots" at Ridgeview Elementary and plan on revisiting the grounds as soon as the ground is drier! Still hunting those silver coins!
Don't Stop Digging!
Krakken
:) Now you know why I like hunting the totlots so much. Like you mentioned, you're excluding yourself from finding older items. BUT I think you're upping your chance on finding jewelery. It's also nice if you have a crappy detector like I do because there's no question on what signals to dig. You dig them all.
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