Autumn, (which normally lasts about 2 weeks here in Northeast Ohio), was already a couple of days old. The leaves had changed color and, were starting to fall. The air was starting to get a chill and, my detecting partner, Mike Marsh and I, were feeling the pressure of the imminent end of the detecting season for 2015. The problem was that we didn't have any special properties lined up to hunt. Out of desperation, we decided to hunt the local park, which has been hunted out. Or so we have been told. It's not an old park (1960's) but, as I mentioned, we were desperate! I have been detecting for 35+ years and, Mike has been detecting for about 5. He has become very proficient with his Garrett 2500 and, I was using my White's MXT. Both machines have paid for themselves many times over in coins, relics and, jewelry found. It was early afternoon and, the sun was out, providing just enough heat to keep me from abandoning the whole project. With low expectations, we decided to hunt the little league baseball field that we had always avoided, out of respect for the young players. The baseball season was over and, we always fill our holes so, we went ahead. Right away, we started to find clad coins. A lot of clad coins! The hunt was on! Coin after coin popped out of the ground and, while they aren't valuable, it's better than no coins at all! We had been hunting for about half an hour when I got a strong 50 cent/dollar signal. I've come across these signals before and, they usually turn out to be the cast aluminum finial tops off of the chain link fences. This time, it wasn't a finial. I dug down about 4" and saw the reeded edge of a shiny coin. A large, shiny, coin! At this point, my brain froze up! I just looked at that edge sticking out of the dirt in disbelief. Finally, I delicately brushed the dirt away to reveal something that I had never seen before and, I doubt that anyone else has ever dug this exact coin. I walked, ahh skipped, over to where Mike was digging, on the other side of the ball diamond. He smiled and held out a heavy silver ring that he had just dug. He's getting very good at finding rings! BUT this time, I couldn't admire it for too long. I dropped the coin in his hand and watched his reaction. It was priceless! He had never seen a coin this beautiful before and, he was duly impressed. So was I! This 7/8 ounce Sterling Silver Masonic coin honoring James Madison, was struck by the Franklin Mint in 1967. There were only 1293 minted and, the issue number stamped on this one was very low. It is believed that somewhere between 600 and 800 of these were melted down when silver prices spiked in the late 70's and early 80's. Which, of course, makes this commemorative coin, very rare and,......I FOUND ONE! Jesse