Detecting at The Foundation Church – Holland, Michigan

Recently, I had the chance to do some detecting at The Foundation Church here in Holland, Michigan. I reached out to Pastor Dave, who was kind enough to let me dig a few plugs around the church grounds. He’s a genuinely great guy — the kind that makes you feel welcome right from the start.

The church was built in the 1950s, and I’ve always thought churches make great places to detect. They’re full of history and memories — weddings, gatherings, and generations of people walking the same ground. I like to imagine the stories behind what might be lost there. Maybe one day I’ll pull a wedding ring from the soil that’s been missing since the day it was dropped at the wedding, and be able to hand it back to the couple who lost it.

The highlights of the day were a 1937 Mercury dime and a 1944 War nickel — two coins that definitely got my attention. I also found three shotgun-shell heads dating between 1884 and 1929. One of them came out of the ground while Pastor Dave was watching from his office window. When I looked up, he was waving. Later, I gave that shell head to him for his man-cave collection in his office — a small piece of history from right outside his window.

Other finds included an old Mountain Dew pin, a metal button, a tie clip, a key, and two Canadian pennies — a 1952 King George VI and a 1962 Queen Elizabeth II. Both were fun surprises mixed in with the U.S. coins. By the end of the day, my pouch was full:

1 Mercury Dime (1937)
1 War Nickel (1944)
2 Canadian Pennies (1952 King George VI, 1962 Queen Elizabeth II)
5 Wheat Pennies
17 Copper Pennies
12 rough Zinc Pennies
5 Silver Roosevelt Dimes
7 Quarters
4 Nickels
6 Dimes
…and the usual pile of rusty odds and ends.

The best part wasn’t just what I found, though. It was seeing Pastor Dave’s interest in the history beneath the church lawn. He’d walked across that same ground for years without knowing what was hiding just under the surface. That kind of reaction never gets old — it’s a reminder of why I do this.

I had a great time detecting at The Foundation Church. It was a fun, relaxed hunt with good conversation and a few solid finds to go with it. You don’t always have to travel far to find history — sometimes it’s sitting right where you least expect it.