Well, the year is over.  I dug 209 silver coins this year, down from 380 last year, and my personal record of 516 two years ago.  They don’t regenerate, after all. Too bad.

I found 4 coins that made My Best Finds list: an 1821 2 reale, 1875 Indian head, 1803 half reale, and 1830 bust half.  The latter is certainly a highlight of my career, and I still relive the experience of digging it. Here are the pics —

I’m also fairly confident that I dug an 1918/& S SLQ this year, but it is to hard to see with the date worn down, that I doubt the grading services will go for it, so it has to be scored as the really big one that got away.  Too bad.

I dug 13 coppers this year, down from 29 last year.  I’m not big on coppers, and last year was a blowout year in that department.  13 is more or less consistent with where I usually end up.

I dug about 3500 coins this year, compared with 5500 last year, so total activity is down as well.  I get a new digger each year, and the less wear on this year’s digger shows that.  I’d provide a pic, but I just don’t have the time.

One stat that is up is silver blings.  I dug 36 this year, compared to 35 last year.  Go figure.

One stat that is hideous is the wheatie to silver ratio, coming it at 2.91 this year.  Well above historical norms, and driving my career ratio from 2.35 to 2.45.  Not sure what’s going on here with that.  Bad luck?  Economists don’t believe in luck.  More likely aggressive reaching in the face of the decline.

So, that’s that.  It was a good year.  I hope everyone reading this had a good year, and has an even better year next year.