My favorite places to hunt with my metal detector are torn-up sidewalks and old, demolished house sites and with good reason! When I took my favorite find to a coin dealer he looked up and asked "Where did you get THIS?!" I've been metal detecting for about 7 years, all because I got curious one day about what was laying just underneath the surface. I had been using my detector for about a year, and I was hunting alone this particular day with just my detector and a trowel. After about an hour and a half of searching I wandered over to a demolition site where an old home's yard was all shaved down to dirt. The top 8" of ground was completely gone and scraped off, but I got a good signal about 3 to 4" down. That was my best find to date - an 1843 small D $5.00 gold piece. You see, Dahlonega, Georgia was home to a U.S. mint from 1838 to 1861, and only minted gold coins. It was a small mint and ceased operation after the Civil War was over, so these coins are pretty rare. [split]To my knowledge, this is the only Dahlonega coin ever found by a metal detector, and its value is still undetermined. I was on cloud nine when I found it, and the first person I told was my wife. Unfortunately I can't go back to this site for more, but I'll keep my eyes open for those torn-up sidewalks and old, demolition home sites. Pete N. Billings, Montana

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