Relic Hunting In Karelia

Old Mill Site Discovery

Now I had four exciting options: swimming in crystal water, getting stuffed with blueberries, picking up mushrooms that would make a delicacy later, and continuing my journey to a possibly "virgin" treasure hunting site. I chose the latter. But now I had to "park" my bicycle and continue further on foot as I had to overcome the hill with rocky terrain.

Rocky Terrain in Karelia

In no time, I hiked to the hilltop.

On the Hilltop

After I descended to the river on another side, I came to a 50-feet wide strip of grass running along the riverbank for 300 feet, suitable for farming. I thought it was worth of metal detecting there a little and see what could be found.

Metal Detecting the Meadow

I searched for a while but to no avail. I realized that this meadow used to be the riverbed before the river receded in 1857. If there was any farming done on these flats, it was done by the Finnish peasants who moved to the area when the Duchy of Finland acquired it in the 19th century. Suddenly I received a nice coin signal, but not a deep one.

Investigating the Dirt for a Target

Investigating the Dirt for a Target

I noticed a tiny orange disk in dirt.

A Small Coin on the Shovel Blade

It turned out to be a Soviet coin from the 1970s.

1976 1 Kopek

Soviet 1976 1 Kopek Coin