Henry Rifle Forums

I've had more than a few health issues in the last few months but things are starting to look better lately. So, something I've always wanted to try is metal detecting. I bought a MineLab Exterra Pro metal detector, a Minelab pinpointer probe and a Garrett digging shovel. And I've been finding stuff. I found something yesterday and I'm hoping someone here can tell me what it is. I unscrewed the knurled cap and there was some kind of oil in there. Judging by the depth it was found at it's been in the ground for a few years.

It's a Mormon priest olive oil vial. They carried it with them to able to perform on the spot consecrations and benedictions. "Hold to the rod" is from the book of Mormon.

That’s cool how you found it.

According to Google, Mags is right. It's a Consecrated Oil Vial Keychain to carry holy oil for blessings.

Nice. Glad someone here could provide the answer.

Now you got to figure out how it got there!

I opened the cap and got some of the oil on me. Should I expect a blessing or is this more like when the lost ark got opened in "Raiders"??

Mormons had an early history in Wisconsin Black River area.

This item has no particular meaning to me but I suppose the right thing to do is maybe contact a local Mormon church and get their input?

Also found a mess of coins right after this . This was in a large area park and about 6" under the sod. I have have an upcoming surgery but might contact these folks next week and find out if it's important to them.

5shot wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 11, 2026 11:52 am

This item has no particular meaning to me but I suppose the right thing to do is maybe contact a local Mormon church and get their input?

Also found a mess of coins right after this . This was in a large area park and about 6" under the sod. I have have an upcoming surgery but might contact these folks next week and find out if it's important to them.

5shot wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 11, 2026 11:52 am

This item has no particular meaning to me but I suppose the right thing to do is maybe contact a local Mormon church and get their input?

Also found a mess of coins right after this . This was in a large area park and about 6" under the sod. I have have an upcoming surgery but might contact these folks next week and find out if it's important to them.

I’m sure they would appreciate that! Cool fine and cool that mags knew what it is.

That's a really cool find
They were draining a local lake to do some dam repair and I went down to the beach to try my luck beyond the water line.. I got a strong silver beep and dug about 18 or 20 inches down and found a silver Gaelic knot ring..I said cool..
I got home and showed my wife and told her where I found it..Her face turned a bit pale and astonished.. She told me as a young teen she was there with a beau. They had both taken off there rings to go swimming.. She said she pretended to toss his ring in the lake and used a pebble instead..and before she could say anything he tossed hers in..
This was her ring that I found some 40 years later
.what are the odds.. I was a hero that day..

Varmonter wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 18, 2026 10:07 am

That's a really cool find
They were draining a local lake to do some dam repair and I went down to the beach to try my luck beyond the water line.. I got a strong silver beep and dug about 18 or 20 inches down and found a silver Gaelic knot ring..I said cool..
I got home and showed my wife and told her where I found it..Her face turned a bit pale and astonished.. She told me as a young teen she was there with a beau. They had both taken off there rings to go swimming.. She said she pretended to toss his ring in the lake and used a pebble instead..and before she could say anything he tossed hers in..
This was her ring that I found some 40 years later
.what are the odds.. I was a hero that day..

...very cool.

I need to buy a decent metal detector. Years ago, I bought Miss Tina a hand made sterling silver Dragon Fly necklace from a vendor kiosk at the Richmond V.A. Hospital. She never took it off. Once, about ten years after the purchase, the clasp on the silver chain broke. She lost it in the yard at the farm in VA and was heartbroken. By a stroke of luck, after hours of walking the yard, I found it. I had a jeweler replace the chain's clasp with a screw type barrel clasp.

Twenty years later, thirty plus years after I bought the necklace, she lost it here on the farm in Oklahoma. The yard area is an acre, and there is a coop and barn ares of another two acres. We looked several times, no joy. If she was on the tractor running the bush hog in the pastures, there is no hope.

But, if l pick up a decent metal detector to search the yard... Maybe?

I can't wait to hear what the Mormons say about your find.

I don't know a thing about the Mormons but that vial may be of significance to them. Maybe something they would display in a museum as a historical relic.

Many years ago, when we still lived in town, my daughter lost a ring in the backyard. We looked and looked and couldn't find it. Went and bought a cheap metal detector at Radio Shack. Found the ring almost right away. Other than finding stuff on the ground surface in the grass the metal detector was worthless.

I bought one in Indy to find valuables around the 500 race track. I found all the lots around the track were covered in beer pop tops about 4" deep.

Ernie wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 19, 2026 3:06 pm

I bought one in Indy to find valuables around the 500 race track. I found all the lots around the track were covered in beer pop tops about 4" deep.

After using a metal detector for a few weeks I've come to the conclusion that the modern world is paved with pop tops and tin foil and bottle caps.

BrokenolMarine wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 18, 2026 10:52 am

I can't wait to hear what the Mormons say about your find.

Called the only number we could find for an area Mormon church and the number was out of service. I contacted a pastor friend of mine and he was not aware of any local denomination of Mormons. If there were initials or a name or anything on this thing I'd put a little more effort in finding a home for it but for now it's going on the back burner.