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It was near dark after a day off detecting a permission site in an alfalfa field which used to be host to the home of an early Oregon settler, Amos Harvey. I got a loud and clear signal on my detector in the silver range. Hardly able to see into the hole I dug I kept detecting the target. At 8" down I saw the rim of an object and was able to remove it from the muddy rain soaked soil. It's round, approximately 4" across, and weighed about 8-10 ounces. I could just make out some markings. As I began to clean the object I saw figures, a wreath of leaves and printed engraving. Now working by video light I cleaned it more and saw Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition engraved around the top. Around the the lower rim of the medal was Portland Oregon 1905. I was ecstatic! Was I holding a large silver medal from 1905? In awe I raced home to examine my find. The cleaned the remainder of the soil off. The medal is made of bronze by the Butterfield Company and presented to various individuals and businesses at the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Expo in Portland Oregon. At auction they command between $150 - $300 usd depending on condition. How this ended up 8" down is beyond me but is one of my greatest finds to date. By: Mick B.
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Unbelievable Historic Find in an Alfalfa Field
