Beaches and history draw searchers with metal detectors
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - From Yorktown Beach alone, Ina Finn has filled a long tray with silver and gold. A 10-carat white gold ring with 10 small diamonds lies next to a small button dating back to the Civil War era. Big hoop earrings rest under a bright yellow butterfly pin and a silver heart pendant. There's a tag for a dog named Oliver who apparently once frolicked on the beach.
Finn found all of it buried in the sand. And with her metal detector, the Suffolk, Va., woman never knows what she'll add to her collection next.
"It's all about the hunt," she said. "You don't know what's under there. It's also very solitary, very peaceful. You're out in the fresh air and in your own little world."
Most beach lovers wouldn't trade sunbathing and swimming for swinging a metal detector as they walk the shore. But a growing number of locals are trying the hobby, according to Finn and other members of the Tidewater Coin & Relic Club. The club holds monthly meetings - about 30 people might attend at a time - and two organized treasure hunts a year.