Once again, I found myself standing at the entrance of the 1860s property in Yarker, Ontario. The sun shone brightly overhead, casting a warm glow on the lush green landscape. It had been a few weeks since my last metal detecting adventure here, where I unearthed a plethora of intriguing artifacts that hinted at the rich history of this place. Eager to explore further, I tightened the straps of my metal detector, adjusted my hat, and set off on my quest for hidden treasures.

As I walked across the property, my heart brimmed with anticipation. The previous hunt had unearthed some remarkable finds, including the supposed wristwatch of the old Yarker train station master, and a Victorian aged Military cuff button from the late 1860’s. Curiosity gnawed at me, urging me to discover more tales hidden beneath the soil.

With each swing of the metal detector, I listened intently for the telltale beep that signaled a potential discovery. The device hummed with a rhythmic pulse as I wandered around the property, methodically scanning the ground. Time seemed to stand still as I moved from one spot to another, lost in the rhythm of the search.

After several hours of searching, the monotony of the beeping had started to lull me into a trance. But just as I was about to take a break, a sharp, high-pitched sound pierced through the air. My heart skipped a beat, and a surge of excitement came over me. This was it—a potential treasure that awaited me beneath the earth. It was my favourite numbers to dig on my Nokta Legend! A higher pitched tone with the numbers 52 on the VDI.

With renewed vigor, I knelt down and began to dig. The soil parted beneath my shovel, revealing a small, silver coin. As I gently brushed away the dirt, the numbers “1923” and the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” became visible.

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I realized what I held in my hand—an old 1923 MERC Dime from the United States.

War dimes like these are among my favorite finds. They served as a tangible reminders of the bygone era, a connection to the past that I cherished. This dime, minted just a few years after the end of World War I, held stories within its worn edges.

As I continued my search, the day wore on, and the sun began its descent towards the horizon. Regrettably, the dime turned out to be the highlight of my second visit to the Yarker property. The ground remained stubborn, unwilling to divulge any further secrets. The metal detector’s beeps grew fainter, and the landscape seemed to grow quieter, as if it had nothing more to offer.

With a mix of gratitude and a tinge of disappointment, I packed up my gear. Even though I hadn’t discovered as many artifacts as I had hoped, I knew that each hunt was a unique experience. The treasure lay not only in the items themselves but also in the journey, the exploration, and the connection formed with the past.

The next day there was a new member to our social media group site that had just joined by the name of Zachary John, Zack asked within our members if anyone could help a newbie out with setting up his new detector?

Of course I piped up and asked Zack if he could make it to Yarker and if so I would be happy to help him out. I did not tell him of my plan to take him onto an old 1800’s property which would end up being his first hunt lol.

Even if I did tell him, I do not believe he would truly understand the opportunity he was about to be give. Until years later after he figures out for himself that acquiring permission on an old property like that or getting invited to hunt one is a special moment. They simply do not come along very often. Still wether Zack understood or not. It was still fun to take a new detectorist out onto a property like this with such amazing history.

a surprising discovery during our visit. not expecting to uncover anything significant. However, as I helped Zack adjusted the settings on his new machine, we began scanning the property, we were astounded by the treasures it still held.

Although Zachary was new to the hobby, his enthusiasm and eagerness to learn were evident. Despite my limited experience with the Nokta Simplex Ultra myself, I did my best to impart my knowledge and offer guidance to him.

To my regret, I had not taken any videos during our outing for my social media , assuming it would be uneventful. Nevertheless, I am delighted to share two photographs of our findings tonight.

First and foremost, I am thrilled to report that Zachary made his first-ever discoveries. He unearthed a couple of small cent coins and a button, all of which remained uncleaned at the time. I hope he will share images of his findings later, as they mark the beginning of his metal detecting journey. Additionally, among his discoveries was an old piano reed, adding a touch of musical history to our collection and ever growing mystery that I seem to continually unravel to this old property. Of course, we also encountered some trash items along the way, a common occurrence in this hobby.

However, my own find was the most intriguing of them all. 1st was and old bracelet waiting for us to stumble upon it. My heart stopped as I uncovered it from the sidewall of the plug I just dug. Approximately 4 to 5 inches beneath the surface, this was not just a modern piece of jewelry. Clenching a Mother Of Pearl pendant in the centre of the bracelet and a shimmer of gold I thought this could be one of the best finds of the season. Unfortunately I did not see any markings on this particular piece so I believe it to be a fake or costume jewelry. Still got the blood pumping tho.

The property seemed to come alive, revealing fragments of its rich history. We unearthed a weathered piano Reed, a few modern day clad coins , and even a tattered button, each item adding to the tapestry of the land’s past.

With each new discovery, Zachary’s passion for metal detecting grew. He quickly grasped the techniques required to operate his Nokta Ultra and became more confident in his abilities to dig holes and fill them back in properly. Witnessing his enthusiasm was a true pleasure. After only a couple holes dug I could see the hobby taking hold of young Zack as it had done the same to me just a couple years ago.

As I watched Zack intently watching the VDI#’S on his machine as he swept across the property. I wasn’t even paying attention to mine as it seem to hit a very strange sound indeed. One that caught my attention anyway.

I called Zack over to explain to home that sometimes there will be sounds that intrigue him and that maybe sometimes he would feel like passing over and sometimes you get an urge, you just have to know what is making your machine sound that way? So you dig it, it’s the only way to figure it out.

So I dig out the sound to find a dirty mud ball in my hand. My pinpointer telling me this mud all had the item in it somewhere!

As I slowed picked apart this mid ball. I uncovered what looked to me like bent copper wiring of some kind. Whoever just as I was thinking this item was probably some trash. Zachary noticed what looked to be a gem stone on the reverse side. Turns out there were 3 gem stones and the entire piece was missing about 11 other stones and was Infact an old piece of jewellery. And old broach to be exact.

I knew this broach was old for a few reasons. 1st – all the decent items I have found on this site seems to have come from Victorian time period,

And secondly, the item came from the hard packed ground on the property. There have been 2 types of soils on this property. Soft Sandy loam or (fill) where when item come out of this soil, they tend to be more modern aged, anywhere from the 60’s to present day. However almost any item that has come out of the hard packed ground seems to either come from 1840”S to around the 1940’s ish.

So here is the pic of the one I dug (top pic), next to one I found online (bottom) that was similar to my piece. Several similar pics of this style dictate it is most likely Victorian/ Edwardian. And is likely to predate back to late 1800’s to early 1900’s

As I walked away from the property once again, my mind buzzed with thoughts of the Yarker station master’s watch I may have found the other day, or the 1923 MERC Dime, and the countless untold stories that still lay hidden beneath the surface. I couldn’t help but look forward to my next visit here, fueled by the hope of unearthing more remnants of the last and the thrill of discovering the unknown.