Metal Detecting.
- Thread starter Jackalope
- Start date
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Joe is spot on. Todays detectors are much more sophisticated. My Whites did have discrimination, both TR and G.E.B. (ground exclusion balance). If I elected to discriminate out aluminum and tin, I would lose nickels and gold at the same time. When I water hunted I used zero discrimination to be able to pick up gold. On land, unless I was in an old orchard (one of my favorite spots to hunt) or a very old homestead I always discriminated to lose aluminum and tin.
Back in the 1800's coins were minted in small amounts and one silver dollar bought a lot of goods. In the 1940's coins began to be minted in large amounts. Thus these coins were much easier to find. Also coins were not as protected as closely by the owners.
I remember getting a tip from a guy I worked with one day. He told me of a place that had a yearly "carnival" in the 1950's. I located the spot, got permission to hunt it and found it to be a coin graveyard. The spot was overgrown with some huge ancient oak trees here and there. I found what I assumed to be an area that folks pitched pennies to win a prize. I an area of about 15 square feet I uncovered hundreds of wheat pennies, a few Indianheads and one of only a few Flying Eagle pennies I ever found. I'm sure there are still places out there that are untouched, it is just a matter of finding them.
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Hit up a little neighborhood wooded area this morning for about an hour. It was donated to the city by the developer when the neighborhood was built in the early 70s. Found some quarters and pennies in a coin spill, newest was 1980 and oldest was 1967. I found about a dozen pennies yesterday around there that tells me it was probably dropped around 1981 or 1982.
So nothing really special but some finds none the less. I did almost have a heart attack when i spotted that ring in the hole. Damn gumball ring. Lol.
Anyone else out detecting?
So nothing really special but some finds none the less. I did almost have a heart attack when i spotted that ring in the hole. Damn gumball ring. Lol.
Anyone else out detecting?
Hortontoter
Senior Member
That ring even looks gold in the photo Joe. That color does make the heart skip a beat. I found lots of "fools" gold rings in my day.
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Should have known better as i was mostly coin shooting with my discrimination turned way up. At that setting the detector will pretty much ignore anything in the low range like gold and only ping silver items, coins, and some pot metals. I can't manually notch out old cans so in trashy areas i turn the disc up high. I was mostly looking for pre 65 coins.
Its looking like a good patch of woods as I've easily found coins on each of my outings which tells me it hasn't been detected. 1980 is the newest I've found and 1967 the oldest. There has to have been some pre 65 still floating around in pockets in the late 70s.
I've found lots of typical coins and brass shotgun shell bases from when they had wax cardboard hulls but the coolest was working a flood plain along the Ashtabula river. We were finding some ox shoes which were used for draging big old growth trees down the shale river bed to the ship yards pre 1850. There were lots of 80 year old and younger trees but there was one big old tree that would have taken 3-4 men to put their arms all the way around. I started working around that tree and the metal detector went off. About 2-3 inches down right next to a large root I dug up what turned out to be a button off a union soldiers uniform.
My mind envisioned a soldier home, sitting under the tree, ( quite smaller then) maybe taking a break from cutting trees for the boat yard several miles down stream. He probably got up to go back to work, grabbed his jacket and snagged the sleeve on that root, popping it off.
Ya. It's an addicting hobby. You just never know what the next turn of a shovel will produce.
My mind envisioned a soldier home, sitting under the tree, ( quite smaller then) maybe taking a break from cutting trees for the boat yard several miles down stream. He probably got up to go back to work, grabbed his jacket and snagged the sleeve on that root, popping it off.
Ya. It's an addicting hobby. You just never know what the next turn of a shovel will produce.
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Cool stuff. I havent found a flat button yet. Its quite addicting and a couple hours will fly by. I'm already looking at a new detector. Not that mine is bad, but as with any hobby theres always better gear.
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Back out this evening for about an hour and managed to find a 1990 quarter, a dime and some pennies form the 70s, and a 1950 wheat penny. Nothing that can't be found in your average sock drawer. But the 1950 wheatie gives hope that there may be some pre 65 in there somewhere.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
12 -13 times face is pretty good. When the Hunt brothers created the faux silver shortage 90% silver coins only paid 21-23 times face at the peak.
You are on the right track Joe. Wheaties are usually a hint that silver may be present. But, many Wheaties are still circulated today. If you find Wheaties in fairly large quantities silver should definitely be nearby. Good luck out there.
You are on the right track Joe. Wheaties are usually a hint that silver may be present. But, many Wheaties are still circulated today. If you find Wheaties in fairly large quantities silver should definitely be nearby. Good luck out there.
Joel
Senior Member
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Unless it is a "War" nickel made from 42-45 they are 35% silver. They have a large mint mark of P, D or S on the back of the coin.
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For circulated condition. Usually those that have been buried are very low grade and only worth melt value, 3 bucks or so for a quarter.
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I have a couple of steel pennies from wartime at the house. Found those in my pocket when they stuck to my money clip.
Most everything I'm finding detecting that spot seems to be concentrated around the late 70s. Better than a trip digging can slaw and pull tabs however.
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