Thanks to UpNorthLive for this:
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — Inch by inch Dan Green and Kyle Banks scan the bottom of Grand Traverse Bay with metal detectors hoping to find unique items left behind.
Banks explains that, “We did find a coin spill, or maybe a hoard of old British large set pennies from the 1800’s. There was a group about 20 to 30 coins all in one area that we found and me and a friend of mine found them all together and I think that was that was pretty interesting find as well. You know that’s kind of a once in a lifetime thing.”
Not all items are treasures but some can be.
Dan Green, “We remove a lot of trash out of here, actually and then all of a sudden, you’re shaking your scoop out and you look in there and you laugh because you watch the YouTube about people finding gold. Then until you actually shake the sand out of your scoop, and you see a big gold ring in there and then you get gold fever.”
When they find items like rings with initials on them, they do return what they can to the owners.
“It’s always good to return something like that, you know, most of the things that we find are usually attached to some sort of sentimental value or there may have been tears or things that came along with losing that item, you know, and we understand that,” said Banks.
And the finders’ keepers law out there that says, “If you find something. You can keep it if it’s on public property but if the owner finds out you have it, you got to turn it in,” said Green.
They both believe that this hobby is more than rewarding for them.
Banks explains, “I think the most rewarding in the end would be the things that I can polish up that are one-of-a-kind items that you can’t find anymore, or you will pay top dollar for things I can pass down to my kids. You know, I have huge jewelry cases and coin cases, silver coins, things of that nature and all of them eventually will make it back to my kids so that’s a big thing for me.”
“You know what the most exciting is coming home to my wife coming home to my wife waiting. She lets me go like a little boy on a treasure hunt,” said Green.
Green and Banks say they treasure hunt all year round but especially like the winter because there are no boats and no crowds.
All items that they find with descriptors are posted to their Facebook page:
Top Pocket Finds Northern Michigan Metal Detectors
