One-Spot Wonders: My Best Find from the Smallest Spot
You know those moments where your gut says, “Just give it a quick swing”? Well, this story is exactly that—and it taught me a lesson I won’t forget.
The Setup
It was a long day out at a rural permission I’d had my eye on for months—an old farmhouse with history stretching back to the early 1900s. Most of the yard had already been combed over. I’d pulled a few relics earlier in the day, a button or two, a rusted spoon, and plenty of old iron junk. The usual.
After hours of detecting in the hot sun and feeling like I’d tapped the place dry, I called it quits and started packing up. But as I walked past the side of the house on my way back to the van, I noticed this little 6x6 foot patch of grass wedged between a crumbling concrete step and the base of a downspout. Honestly, it looked like nothing. Too tight to swing in, trampled flat, and filled with roots.
But that itch hit me. The one that says, “Just swing the coil one time.”
The Surprise
I lengthened the shaft on my Garrett AT Pro, did a quick ground balance, and gave it one sweep.
BAM.
High tone. Clear as a bell.
VDI: 83–85, locked in solid.
I raised an eyebrow. That’s the kind of tone you stop everything for.
I dropped my gear, got down, and popped a shallow plug. Barely two inches deep, tucked in rich black soil, was a 1912 Canadian Large Cent—still with some of the green patina clinging to the details. Beautiful condition, despite the age.
I scanned again.
Another tone.
Another dig. Another coin.
This time, a 1920 silver dime, nestled right beside an old root. The type of signal you’d miss if you weren’t patient or listening closely.
A few more swings later, I’d added:
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A 1920 Small Penny, rotted out
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A decorative suspender clasp, possibly from the 1930s
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And the corner of what looked like a broken pocket knife
All from this one tiny, forgotten square of ground.
What It Taught Me
What struck me wasn’t just the quality of the finds—but how easily they could have been missed. That little “doormat” of ground had likely been stepped on a thousand times by people rushing inside, dragging hoses, or carrying firewood. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t a wide open field or a shady tree. But it had stories.
That spot reminded me of a simple truth:
Treasure isn’t always in the obvious places.
Sometimes it’s tucked right at your feet, waiting for you to slow down, stay curious, and listen closely.
Your Turn
Have you ever found something amazing in a ridiculously small or random spot? A strip beside a sidewalk? Under a clothesline? At the edge of a gravel driveway?
Drop your one-spot wonder stories in the comments or send me a message—I’d love to hear them and maybe even feature them in a future post.
And next time you think, “Nah, that spot’s too small to bother with”—think again.
Happy hunting.
~Windy Digger
Bonus Tip- If you figure you've had enough detecting for the day or want to quit because you didn't find a single thing. Remember, always metal detecting back to the vehicle. 9 times out 10 that's when you will find something good. It's the detecting god's way of sucking you back into to the hobby and making you want to go back out again next time. LOL If you don't believe me just ask other detectorist. I promise they will have stories like this.
Feel free to comment and let us know what you think! We are always trying to come up with ideas and thing to write about. We have many subjects we can do. From how tos, advice, show and tell or just crazy stories that have happened to me.
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