South Carolina Gold

I pulled into the driveway with 2 hours of sunlight remaining on a gorgeous South Carolina fall afternoon. The temperature was in the mid 70’s with a nice breeze and not a single cloud in the sky. My first thought was to get out of my prison blues and into some fossil hunting fatigues. I gathered up my and tha weezling’s gear and we raced off to the new collecting site. Ever since the other day when we were out there and we both scored some good stuff, I’ve been dying to get back out and find some more teeth before the place was too full of water to hunt anymore. We split the pond up as I started counter clockwise around one edge while he walked clockwise around the other edge. There weren’t nearly as many teeth as the other day when we first found the spot, but there was still enough to keep our interest. Minutes after arrival, I spied a serrated edge sticking out of the chandler bridge just above water level. I snapped a photo before I even touched it hoping that the extra precaution and diligence would somehow weigh in the universe’s dispersal of complete specimens. I was ready for it to be missing the tip, an entire root lobe, or worst case, the whole root. I have gotten my hopes up so many times before, only to have them dashed by some hideous scar left by the excavator or the shark’s last meal. I lightly shook the tooth and it easily came free from its muddy resting place. Covered with mud, I could tell that at least the entire shape of the tooth was intact. As I washed the tooth off at waters edge, I could feel with my fingers that the root was not pitted. Under the muddy water, I could feel that the cusps were intact and the tooth was sharply serrated down both sides. Finally, my thumb brushed the tip and I felt the needle point. I lifted the tooth from the water to reveal one of the most stunningly beautiful angustidens I have ever found. Literally, it has been 2 years since I found one of such quality. Not a single blemish mars the light tan root that has two pronounced nutrient pores for added emphasis that this tooth is a superb specimen. The deep orange / red bourlette is 100% intact and transitions perfectly to the olive brown and orange mottled blade. From the edge of the cusps, down both edges of the tooth all the way to the tip, there is not a single serration missing. Fossil Hunter's Gold!!! Among the highest quality sharks teeth that South Carolina produces. The rest of the hunt was rather uneventful. There were few other teeth to be found, but what more could I expect? I couldn’t have asked for a better trophy for the effort.