Clad Monster!

Muddyhandz

Bronze Member
Jul 1, 2012
1,226
1,955
In da bush
Detector(s) used
Fisher's 1266X, 1270X & 1280X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Being a relic hunter primarily, I still do quite a bit of coin hunting in the heat of the summer, when my relic sites are grown-in or full of crops.
I don't usually photograph clad as it doesn't captivate my soul like history does. It's just new money.....nothing to look at!
Was on such a tear this year, that I ended up paying my rent for several months with clad.

Usually, I clean the twoonies separate and spend them immediately on groceries, gas , etc. The rest (nickels up to loonies) goes into an ice cream pail.
When the pail is half full, I add soapy water and take a scrub brush and swirl everything around and around, changing the water until it is no longer muddy.
I lay it all out on a dish towel to dry, then take an exacto knife and pop the rust bubbles off the steel coins, roll it up and dump it at the bank.
Forgot that I made some art on one of my cleanings from this summer......

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This was only less than half of August's totals. July was better as I topped my one day record after a festival.
I have a few notes over the years where I recorded one day clad totals that would top my previous record.
A few $80 to $90 days were tops in the early 2000's (hit that total at least a dozen times this year) but the big one was Oct.12 2004.
In 7 hours, I found 17 twoonies, ($34) 77 loonies, ($77) 91 quarters, ($22.50) 62 dimes, ($6.20) and 24 nickels ($1.20) for a total of $140.90.
This was in the sand at a discontinued rock festival site. All my records show me either cursing pennies or flat out refusing to acknowledge them.
Clad totals would be way lower if I wasted my time digging pennies!

This year I broke my record twice! The first festival site I found $181.45 (91 loonies) in the wood chips during an 8 hour day.
Broke that record in July after another festival, which was also an 8 hour day. (Can only swing that 5 pound beast for 8 hours max in my mid 40's!)
Got 35 twoonies, 117 loonies, 56 quarters, 96 dimes, 19 nickels, and 20+ pennies (thanks to American tourists) for a total of $211.79 in the turf.
The totals are getting higher because now I dig all the steel coin signals, which most detectors don't even pick up.

My "One hole" record was $15.75 (in two scoops) water detecting the shallows at the beach years ago.
This summer, detecting a ditch at the edge of some ball diamonds at a school yard, I found this beneath the grass....

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Reverse.....

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Side shot. Notice the colour on the edges ....

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You'll see the other three sides here.....

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Did I beat my record? I'll let you figure it out. There's two types of denominations in this coin holder. I'll post the results in a day or two.
You're also welcome to try and add up the "Clad Monster" if you're looking for something to do. There's every denomination except pennies in there.
Sorry, no prizes. Just free entertainment for those who's season is over due to winter conditions like me. Ha ha.

Hardly any clad in the fall as I went back to relic hunting. Killed it in October with silver coins instead!
Happy hunting (if you still can)
Dave.

P.S. Yes, I washed my hands for the photos! My pointer finger on the left hand is one big callus from popping so many coins out with a screw driver!
 

The $2 and $1 coins that are used so frequently up there does make clad hunting very appealing. I have a 24k gold pendant that hit just like a penny. I would be fine passing it up for $150 in cash every time out but that's just not the case down here so I dig penny signals and am surprised with a much nicer find every once in a while.
I find it hard to believe that ANY metal detector would not detect a steel coin. I know all of mine will including that radio shack kit I built in the 70's.
 

Outstanding amount of money found...a second job! :notworthy:
 

Thanks for the replies. I posted my clad records but an average 8 hour clad hunt would end up being around $50.
The sheer volume of coins is there but some days I end finding too many nickels and it takes 40 of them to equal a twoonie!

Some days I'm hungry for gold and then miss hitting a high clad total due to digging too many beaver tails, aluminum screw caps, and can slaw.
Of course if I hit gold my days total is high but that doesn't happen as often as I would like it to!
A few $90 days I had to drive an hour out of town, spending $10 to $15 in gas plus travel time.

I'm sure most detectors pick up steel coins but do they dig them?
A steel coin can sound just like a steel washer and I spent most of my life ignoring washer signals.
I've done really good with coin spills because a lot of the newer detectors (and big coils) read this as a big piece of iron.
Take an old school VLF and it's easy to read each signal in the cluster, knowing it's a coin spill.

Speaking of which, here's the results of my coin holder.....

P1170507.JPG

Didn't beat my record of $15.75 but was still happy with finding 12 bucks in one shot.

I have a severe mental disorder from being too addicted to metal detecting.
A lot of those clad days could have been spent working at a real job! :BangHead:
 

Thanks for the replies. I posted my clad records but an average 8 hour clad hunt would end up being around $50.
The sheer volume of coins is there but some days I end finding too many nickels and it takes 40 of them to equal a twoonie!

Some days I'm hungry for gold and then miss hitting a high clad total due to digging too many beaver tails, aluminum screw caps, and can slaw.
Of course if I hit gold my days total is high but that doesn't happen as often as I would like it to!
A few $90 days I had to drive an hour out of town, spending $10 to $15 in gas plus travel time.

I'm sure most detectors pick up steel coins but do they dig them?
A steel coin can sound just like a steel washer and I spent most of my life ignoring washer signals.
I've done really good with coin spills because a lot of the newer detectors (and big coils) read this as a big piece of iron.
Take an old school VLF and it's easy to read each signal in the cluster, knowing it's a coin spill.

Speaking of which, here's the results of my coin holder.....

View attachment 1651857




A lot of those clad days could have been spent working at a real job! :BangHead:

where's the fun in a *real job though?

chub
 

You've had some great hunts ! :icon_thumleft:
 

Wow! Finally someone who hunts in canada. Can't believe it though... my first year was last year... I got 85 bucks in all. I'll have to find myself a festival and get my drivers license and then vwalla I'll be rich��
 

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