Florin day

[Kenleyboy]

Back out again today with the Kindly loaned Deus Lite , this time the Hot programme so a new ball game to throw into the mix . A good chat with our very own Oxgirl who has the patience of a saint briefed me on the dos and donts in the best idiot proof instructions on offer , a quick fiddle about with the headphones , press a few buttons and all set . Then of course the rain came so the rest of the week was filled with a relentless downpour which saw me thigh deep with waders in the brook which runs along the side of our house trying to unblock the relief pipe which had gathered up a forest of bracken and branches and ever rising water was threatening to breach the banks . It was hard to believe while shivering away and soaking wet that only a few days previous we were basking in glorious sunshine and T shirts , at least the dry fields will at last be fully quenched .

A break in the weather today , a quick call to check all was ok and I was on my way to the farm for a few snatched hours before the rain came back and eager to put the new programme to test . Despite the heavy rain the land was still fairly fluffed up so walking was more like sinking , each step compressed the soft soil down at least three or four inches and it was even worse on the lower slopes where it was more like half a welly down , best keep away from that area in case I lose a boot .

Once on more stable ground I could then get a steady footing and finally get going , the machine on , headphones nicely seated and away I went with the busy chirping emitting through the speakers , it sounded like Sooty and Sweep having a row ! By comparison , I always notch a couple of bars out on my Q40 so I can just about hear the iron grunts , this new set up really opened up the field picking out all the iron , I was surprised how much there was in there and they sounded really diggable so I did just to double check and of course they were lumps of iron . It was a good learning curve and very soon I got used to the varying pitches even though I still dug a couple to confirm just in case but for sure it was iron and then the unmistakable pitch of a very different target . This was silver foil , there seems to be a smattering of this treacherous stuff spread here and there and can be very disappointing as they sound so promising , high pitch double dingers which scream to be dug , its the only way .

The set up was really nice and sensitive and even managed to pick out a couple of random airgun pellets 6 inches or so down which gave the tiniest of squeaks but were a very steady signal , buggers to find in the sticky mud but I was impressed and would think it would have no trouble in finding a tiny cut quarter with ease. My next signal was a belter and proved to be my best find of the few hours I had spare , another high pitched screamer , nice and steady and a very pleasant surprise when this little gem lay in the black soil .

florin head.jpg (54.65 KiB) Viewed 261 times

florin tail.jpg (44.63 KiB) Viewed 261 times

Not the full silver but welcomed any day of the week and a first for me , never found a florin ever so was well chuffed and with about an hour left at my disposal I was keen to make the most of it and just stay within this area . Being Sunday in rural Norfolk it was deathly quiet , the landscape as per usual never fails to disappoint despite the grey sky and misty horizon , it looked like rain was once again on its way and the mid afternoon felt like early evening as the dark clouds grew ever closer and the light of the day was beginning to fade . I carried on but not much else came up other than the usual buttons and odd fragments , it is amazing what the plough brings up and the rain washes away the soil to reveal the tip of a thimble poking out , that was two out although the other wash completely squashed flat .
Another good few hours out with the borrowed toy

[Oxgirl]

Oh wow sounds like you are already getting into it. Noisy but the background gurgle becomes your friend after a bit and very quiet fields will leave you looking at the machine feeling it has deserted you in no time at all. Particularly with the HF coil it’ll pick up everything. If I was nearer I’d swap coils with you so you could try the 11” X35. It’s slightly different and has pros and cons compared to the HF but I think you’d enjoy the comparison.

Anyway glad you got out and are progressing well

[Littleboot]

Lovely write up as ever KB.....and a very successful outing with a new program on a machine you are still getting used to. The florin is a handsome coin....not at all common either compared with shillings and half-crowns.
I am having the same experience with my best field....even after a reasonable downpour or two it is still as you say, has lots of air in it and feels spongey to walk on. Signals are not deep at the present as a result. It really does take a while for ground to compress after cultivation.....in fact it gets to the optimum when the crop is harvested. I always keep my fingers crossed that I get some rain just after harvest and before cultivation because those are the absolute ideal from a signal perspective.

[Dave The Slave]

Good write up, Paul.
Would have been happy with a threepenny bit and Florin.
Yet to find a pre 1948 Florin.
Cheers,
Dave.