<p><strong>Ever since I had started using detectors when I was 19 in the Military I wanted to get my own for hobby use to find some shipwreck coins or treasure on one of the beaches or fields near home in Cornwall England after all I have heard of so many stories of the old wreckers here and such treasures lost here that dreams are made of.</strong> I sometimes found coins using my military detector to my great delight. I bought series of detectors over my 7 years in the Army and searched my local beaches finding mostly modern and Victorian coins. When I left the military I bought a Minelab Explorer. My finds drastically improved and I started to find deeper finds most too crusty or corroded too recognize from the beach sites and to be honest I have only ever found one gold modern ring on the beach.</p> [split] <p>My dreams of finding a real shipwreck coin was seeming so distant too me now and it was like a kids dream had been crushed surly the sea didn't eat all the coins and treasure out there. I had been getting dreams of my adventures in Scotland when panning and one dream merged into the next and I found myself digging in a hole and shouting to my girl "quick come over here I’ve found a pirate coin" to my supreme joy.</p> <p>I had been thinking of upgrading to a more professional detector of late and decided it’s time to see if I can make my ideas and dreams come true so I bought the new GPX 5000. I had been watching a few of the clips on here and reading about the detectors salt timings. After this I kept dreaming about using one and travelling to the far reaches of the globe to prospect as I have had some great luck last week already searching my local hill finding a Celtic Romano sword and many roman coins when I missed all this with previous detectors used! So all excited and with the warm weather here I packed the jeep with my GPX, camping gear, fishing gear and set off to a beach just a few miles away on the Cornish coast here to spend the night camping and enjoying the munched welcome warm weather after such a long cold spell. Last Sunday was my 36th birthday and my choice was to spend it at the beach detecting and fishing. Beers later in outside the tent next to BBQ!</p> <p>Reading my notes taken from the Treasure Talk forum on salt timings I set off to have a fish and later detect when the beach when had calmed down with people started to home, leaving the beach for me to search. I caught one small fish so not so good on the fishing front but better than others present. I kept willing the tide to go out as I sat there waiting for a bite that was a long time waiting.</p> <p>By this time the wind had picked up and the tide had gone out, I looked down from the pier where I had been sitting and noticed a long strip of black sand near the surface. I remember this spot being too difficult to search with one of my old detectors still rated as one of the best and thought I could start just above here and see what I get and gradually move down closer to the dark sand. Knowing this area is heavy in mineralization I prayed the GPX in salt timing would be ok and that I would not need to reduce my gain and settings if it got too loud or unstable as other detectors I used did.</p> <p>I set off in Fixed after doing a GB and she was silent running to my relief, as I went down I picked my first signal a small 5p coin at 16" using my 11" Double-D coil. Wow I thought after my partners detector tried and got nothing! The next signal an old coin encrusted sat within the black layers and it was Roman! After I got home to electrolysis the crust off. This was a surprise I had not found a Roman on the beach before. This again was deep with the black thick sand! at about 12" I was almost at the water’s edge when I got a loud signal clear and clean so fighting with the sand as it collapsed into the hole I was digging frantically I pulled out a coin shaped encrustation again very deep I put this in my pocket not then knowing what I had within that encrustation and then a wave got me or my rear end just as I was standing up! Oh nice I thought feeling that Atlantic breeze between my shorts lol.</p> <p>I found many more old coins some I am still carefully removing the encrustations off. To my extreme surprise my new GPX has rewarded me with my first PIRATE coin a 1740 Hispanic silver coin most likely from a Cornish wreck. This is the coin details.1740 Mexico city minted, 4 Reales (piece of four), Phillip V (Spain 1740-46 Felipe V). Obverse : Crowned Arms, MF at left and 8 at right Reverse : Crowned globes flanked by crowned and bannered pillars with royal crowns over water ( bigger ); "VTRA QUE VNUM"; (date) below, between roses, Mint Mark o over M at left and right</p> <p>Thus my dreams of finding real pirate treasure all these years has come true finally and on my birthday to boot. I can’t express how happy I felt by this. This machine is worth more than my car and was my largest single spend, I can’t part with this coin to get the coil I have had my eye on as my girl said I should sell it as it’s like a magic coin and sign for me, a boys now man's dream come true I know now these things are really there for me to find now as I show it off to my work colleges and friends exclaiming I knew the old tales were true I knew it! This birthday will be one I remember for sure!</p> <p>After this last weekend I have planned many more such to such beaches all my old notes and stories I have collected up seem worth while following up now and not leaving in my old folder of pirate ships and stories. My girl is now saying, "I'm buying one! Teach me how to use yours" ha ha so now we have to save all over again. Before it was slightly different knowing I already had a good Minelab and how she was complaining about costs etc especially in this time of economic doom. But I said well I don't smoke and drink rarely and it’s now my only hobby apart from gold panning love etc so she thankfully gave in and now I'm happy knowing I have the technology to find and make my dreams come true. I'm Chris from Cornwall in the UK telling my story. Good luck everyone in realizing your dreams too!</p>

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