I’m SPEECHLESS! Metal Detecting A VIRGIN COLONIAL Site With The Minelab MANTICORE | Stef Digs

This week’s episode is a VERY special one... anyone who loves metal detecting knows that the BEST thing we can possibly find is VIRGIN GROUND! Well, I managed to find a virgin cellar from the 1700s, and this video is just the tip of the iceberg! Honestly, I’m speechless - I was beginning to think I’d never find one. The Minelab Manticore sniffed out countless buttons, so many coins, and plenty of fascinating relics from our earliest settlers in New England. MUCH MORE to come from this site in upcoming videos. Enjoy!
I now sell metal detecting equipment through The Diggers Den! Be sure to reach out to me on Facebook Messenger (Stef Tanguay) or email ([e-mail]) for assistance on selecting the most appropriate gear for you, as well as the best deals we have available!
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#MetalDetecting #StefDigs #MinelabManticore #MinelabDetexpert

[@StefDigs]

I now sell metal detecting equipment through The Diggers Den! Be sure to reach out to me on Facebook Messenger (Stef Tanguay) or email ([e-mail]) for assistance on selecting the most appropriate gear for you, as well as the best deals we have available!

[@elisabethcole2571]

I can't imagine what it must be like to go to a site and find multiple buttons (let alone coins!) in one hunt. My last hunt at a 1900 house that had never been detected was nothing but small pieces of aluminum - the ground must have all been moved around and someone in the 1970's was drinking pop, tossing the cans into the yard and then running them over with the lawn mower. It was so discouraging! For as much work as you put into this channel you definitely deserve all the goodies you find so I'm happy for you Stef! Thanks for a wonderful video!! ❤

[@StefDigs]

Thank you so much, Elisabeth! It was really rewarding to map out a site precisely, and other detectorists have missed it because it’s nearly invisible. Yards can be so discouraging! They’re truly hit and miss - here’s hoping you find a better one soon! 🤞🏻

[@elisabethcole2571]

Thank you! @@StefDigs

[@jillianfortuna2348]

I loved your unicorn analogy 😂

[@StefDigs]

Haha, thanks! It’s truer than you know. 😂

[@spectrumbill6775]

What a friggin' AWESOME day Stef!!! Thanks - SB

[@StefDigs]

Thanks Bill! It only gets better from here! 😊

[@TheCoffeeBushKid]

Good hunt Stef. Giving me a run for the button crown. You find way older ones than I do. Congrats on the coins. Hope the snow doesn’t slow you down in getting out. Take care mate 🦘🦘😁👍

[@StefDigs]

Thanks Andrew! I’m so fortunate to live in New England - Connecticut was the 5th colony and was settled in the early 1600s. So much more to come from this site!

[@kimetherington2252]

Definitely virgin ground! Don'tcha love it when you're the only one who has touched a cion that has been lost for over 300 yrs? I can hardly wait to see what you find next! Keep on digging, Stef.✌️😊

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Absolutely virgin, I can’t believe the amount of relics and coins I’ve found here! 😁

[@jillianfortuna2348]

I can't wait for the videos in the bank!

[@StefDigs]

There’s one especially eerie find I’m excited to share… and of course, plenty more coins. 😊

[@jillianfortuna2348]

@@StefDigs oooooooww can't wait

[@jillianfortuna2348]

Woohoo I'm excited!

[@StefDigs]

This place just gets better every time I go there, it's insane!

[@digginhistoryoncapecod7506]

Living up here in the Northeast certainly does have its advantages, like finding that many old buttons, coins and relics. Well done Stef- Congrats!!

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Love living up here for that reason!

[@shanemillertime]

OMG I LOVE that Wood's Hibernia!

[@StefDigs]

Thanks! Has a lot of relief, but it was definitely in a fire. Wasn’t worth showing any cleanup. 😂 Thankfully not all of the coins from this site were burnt! In fact I dug a few of my most gorgeous halfpennies ever from here - coming soon!

[@brianmaloney45]

That's a crazy number of buttons...and it's only the first video. Looking forward to the return trips Stef.

[@StefDigs]

Thanks Brian! So much more was hiding in the ground… and I’m STILL nowhere near done after half a dozen visits!

[@OhioMetalMaven]

Awesome hunt, Stef! So many different buttons. Congrats on the KG, such a beauty. Love the rat tail spoon bowl. Can’t wait for the next video (I’m catching up) ✌🏼❤️😊🍀

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! 😊 That site has been amazing, I’ve got at least 3-4 more videos coming from there!

[@OhioMetalMaven]

@@StefDigs heck yeah!! Can’t wait to see 😊😊

[@EZDiggin]

Gotta love a good button day with a couple of coppers

[@StefDigs]

Always! 😁

[@tracybranham8648]

Awesome finds. And Ace of Base little sign funny. Looking forward to more. Take care.

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Much more to come!

[@scottshawwoodworking1752]

Great video Stef. Can’t wait to see all your detecting from this site

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! So much more comes out of this site… I’m not even close to done with my visits there yet!

[@brianburnette6799]

The unknown item is a chain hook from the singletree from a wagon harness.

[@StefDigs]

I actually got that suggestion in another comment but thought it was too delicate for horse tack. Unless you’re referring to the iron piece, in which case that makes sense. I’ll take a look, thanks!

[@ronsdigginthemidwest5502]

Awesome finds Stef!!! Congrats!!!!

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! This site has been awesome!

[@kennylowery-fi6my]

I have found half a dozen of these at my early 1800s farm and believe them to be a tool to aid in hitching reins on working horses, they would attach to wooden shaft and allow reins to be laced through guides from the ground,

[@StefDigs]

That makes a lot of sense! Thanks so much!

[@dwightpickens2895]

Awesome coins and relics, love your channel and enthusiasm

[@StefDigs]

Thanks so much, Dwight! 😊

[@granddad-mv5ef]

And I am excited to see it! Happy New Year and of course, I can't wait for the next one.

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Definitely a lot more to come from here!

[@granddad-mv5ef]

@@StefDigs several weeks ago, I randomly watched a video on a a channel called "The Signal New England". These two men found an obviously untouched area and scored large. You may want to check it out, it is their episode #5. You may even know them.

[@MUDSWAT]

4:04 We call those "Cookie Coins..." 9:09 Could be a lid to a snuff box? Happy Hunting!

[@StefDigs]

Haha, I call them slicks. 😆 Hmm, hadn’t even thought of a snuff box. 🤷🏼

[@silver-assassin508]

Another awesome hunt Stef! Congrats🤘🤘

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! I love this site! 😊

[@tonydowns8705]

Awesome hunt Stef, sites like that are rare you hit the jackpot :)

[@StefDigs]

Thanks Tony! Definitely a rare gem, and a lot more was hiding!

[@show-metreasure3438]

Wow, what an amazing bunch of finds!!

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Been an awesome site!

[@craziedigging4590]

Great Hunt Stef. Love all the Buttons. Congrats on the Coppers. Especially the one with all the detail. Hope your still able to go out. 0 to -0 temperatures here where I'm at. Ground is sadly frozen. Take Care Stef

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Ground isn’t frozen here yet, but it’s under 8” of snow, hah! I’ve had a great start to 2024 though, once again thanks to this site. More to come!

[@craziedigging4590]

Looking forward to it

[@pattygrawzis4336]

I also love that thimble❤ I've only found a couple so far. I still have to find a silver one someday.

[@StefDigs]

Isn’t it cute! 😆 I have a few tiny thimbles like that now, oddly enough. I’ve been fortunate enough to find 3.5 (yes, 3.5) silver thimbles - those are SO exciting to dig, hope you find one soon!

[@pastmasters9591]

Another entertaining episode 😊❤

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Site’s made it fun! 😊

[@earlmenefee3421]

Awsome Steff !!!

[@StefDigs]

Thank you!

[@brooklyntreasurehunter]

So many awesome buttons and coins on that hunt. Such a great site.

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! This site was one of my “best finds” of 2023. There is SO much stuff to come from here, it’s an incredible site! 😊

[@mgguygardening]

They must have been walking around naked after losing all those buttons LOL! Awesome site, great video.

[@StefDigs]

Haha, thank you! I’ve truly lost count of how many buttons have come out of this site… but I am keeping track of the coin count! 😁 Many more of those to come!

[@martyvrstalsdigginwithmart3064]

Hey Stef...Great spot! Could your mystery piece be the end off a Singletree...for hitching up a horse?

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! Hmm, I doubt it, just because it’s so delicate. Actually, I take it back! Thought you were referring to the brass piece. 😆

[@wildmandigging3486]

Great finds awesome hunt hope ya had happy holidays as well God Bless and happy dirt fishin…Virgil

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! It’s been a great site - hope you had a nice holiday season, too!

[@tomlauck5530]

Great recoveries!!!

[@StefDigs]

Thanks Tom!

[@marcgendron6745]

Nice work keep it going. 👍👍

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! That’s always the plan! 😊

[@steveshepherd2712]

Another good hunt Stef, you are blessed with good permissions and sharp mind 😉🇨🇦

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! This site has been absolutely incredible!

[@billbeard4740]

Nice finds wish we could dig older relics here in Tennessee

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! I do feel fortunate to live in New England! 😊

[@jaydigshistory36]

The Oval Ring… Scissor handle?

[@StefDigs]

Dunno? 🤷🏼 That hinge on the side has me leaning spectacles after all now, lol. One of my thoughts was a monocle. 🧐

[@RichVanWinkle37]

Awesome hibernia!!

[@StefDigs]

Thanks Rich! Enjoyed watching the annual best finds countdown on Jason’s channel! You guys had an awesome year - hope to make a pilgrimage down your way at some point! 👊🏻

[@RichVanWinkle37]

@@StefDigs was certainly a great year! That would be great! Id love to come out your way too. Lets start talkin and planning!

[@StefDigs]

@@RichVanWinkle37 agreed! Whenever Nic and I are in the car, we keep saying “we need to get one of these big a$$ farms so Jason and crew have a reason to come visit!” 😂

[@kurt11110]

day of the buttons, huh stef 😂

[@StefDigs]

And coins, as you probably noticed. 😉😁 Sooooo much more to come!

[@howarddenney5331]

Monopoly thimble. Lol

[@StefDigs]

Hahaha, come to think of it, I’ll bet the Monopoly thimble is bigger! 😂 Can’t remember off the top of my head.

[@juliuscaesar2792]

Cool

[@StefDigs]

Thank you!

[@erickmischke38]

If it hasn’t been answered, one end of a “whiffle tree”, or horse “fifth wheel”! Lol!

[@StefDigs]

Lol, yup, it has been answered! Kind of a cool relic, I’m going to restore it since it’s the first one I’ve found!

[@velialombardi2164]

Oval with broken hinge could be half of a lorniette.

[@StefDigs]

That’s the best ID so far, I think you might be right! Thanks so much! 😊

[@olivei2484]

15:06 is a trace end off a buggy single tree

[@StefDigs]

Thank you! I’ve had a few people ID it now, appreciate the help! 😊

[@olivei2484]

@@StefDigs i lke the good ol' plain NE buttons. Simple and stoic.

[@StefDigs]

@@olivei2484 they’re a good standby! If nothing else, you’ll always find buttons almost anywhere you go in New England.

[@CajunRed]

Wish I had the strength to walk around & metal detect. The only thing I'd recognize is jewelry & coins! Everything else, I'd be like, WTF is this crap!! Right now the Mississippi R is low because of the drought. I'd love to go over there & look around. Just a couple problems, alligators & moccasins!!!

[@StefDigs]

Oooof, doesn’t sound fun! Always wanted to do some mudlarking - I’d be tempted to do it even with the critters hanging around, lol. I like finding the oddball relics - always learn something new that way! 😊

[@CajunRed]

@@StefDigs I can deal with the alligators & coyotes, just not poisonous snakes!!

[@StefDigs]

@@CajunRed I don’t blame you - I went to SC for a rally a few years ago and it was unseasonably warm, so I bought some snake chaps and hoped for the best. 😆

[@waynelutwiniak797]

I wish I was there, digging with you. Parks are fun, but I need to go someplace with age. Stay dirty 👍

[@StefDigs]

Thanks Wayne! Always after the old stuff - very rewarding!

[@pattygrawzis4336]

Hey Stef, in the spring, I'm hoping to get a new machine that's waterproof so that I can maybe swim and detect someday. You know I love my T2, but it would be nice to swim and detect, and if I get caught in the rain, I'm always worried it will kick the bucket. Hahaha. Which do you recommend the Manticore or minelab 800. I know everyone loves the 800, but that manticore sounds and looks interesting. Is it light weight like the 800? How do both machines fair at the beach? My T2 wiggs out at the beach, and every time we have hurricanes and flooding, I'd love to go detect.

[@StefDigs]

Hey Patty! A new toy is always exciting, woohoo! 😁 I’d say that it really depends on how often you go detecting as to whether you want to get an Equinox series machine (you’ve got options like the 700/900 now as well, which are great) which is more budget-friendly, or if you want to spring for a more advanced but consequently more expensive machine. I love my Manticore - best detector I’ve ever used! Having said that though, I swung a 600 for 5 years and absolutely loved it, had awesome success. The Manticore is certainly more sensitive and definitely deeper, not to mention the 2D screen is a great help (especially if you are one to cherry pick - I’m not, but if I HAD to, I could do so with more confidence than I could with an Equinox). Both the Manticore and Equinox models (especially the 700/900 when it comes to that line-up) are very light and pleasant to swing for hours. I never used the Equinox at the beach, but I have used the Manticore and it employs the same Multi IQ technology which is much quieter and more effective at the beach than single-frequency detectors. In any case, you can’t go wrong! Hit me up on FB messenger any time with additional questions - I’m happy to get you a new machine at a great price this Spring! 😊

[@AmeriFanPicker]

Man….they had some lousy thread.

[@StefDigs]

Hahaha, they sure did! I lost count of how many buttons I’ve found here after the first couple of visits. 😂

[@julianamuirhead]

Could that oval be part of a pince nez?

[@StefDigs]

I think so! Someone else IDed it with a different name, but the same idea. 😊

[@julianamuirhead]

@@StefDigs Great video as I sit here lamenting the snow!

[@StefDigs]

@@julianamuirhead thank you! Yeah, we’ve still got around 6” on the ground after the storm. 🤦 Thankfully I managed a very productive first week of 2024 before the snow came down! It’ll dull the itch for a few more days. 😂

[@jonpatterson7211]

Educate me, Stef. What is "Tombac"? Is it a style, or a material?

[@StefDigs]

Great question! “Tombac” refers to the alloy, which is a brass alloy with high copper content and a low percentage of zinc. In my speculation, the tombac buttons that come out of the ground in poor condition likely have a higher percentage of zinc. Tombac was often called “the poor man’s silver” since they were a silvery color (and often still see when they’re in good condition).

[@jonpatterson7211]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Best wishes.@@StefDigs

[@StefDigs]

@@jonpatterson7211 any time! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@billdelaney4222]

Great work coming from a non virgin

[@StefDigs]

Haha, thank you! So much more was hiding at this site!