Does this make any sense

[Lost ball in tall weeds]

Hi all,
Have been searching a very old colonial log cabin site on our farm, about 250' by 250', and have found a total of 38 buttons (not all are shown), even a H. Meritor 1834 congressional campaign button, numerous lead balls and buckshot, 5 large pennies - 2-1826, 1828,1831, and a 1833, a large laxative flipping coin, part of a silver spoon, thimble, lots of junk. But no silver of any kind at all. Using a Garrett at pro, have buried silver dimes and quarters to see what they read on the screen, grounded it often, manually adjusted ground, sensitivity and frequency up and down, and nothing. Could it be there are no silver dimes or quarters at all? Seems like a stretch since we have found so much so far. Any ideas on what adjustments I could make that may help? Have even studied readout numbers from other posts and have dug even 45 to 55's on the screen that I wasn't digging before

Next question, does anybody have a clue as to what this tooth looking thing is? 2" long, looks worn like a tooth or a claw, shiny on the worn end, but not from anything I've ever seen around here in central Ky. Found it off the end of what I think is a very shallow grave that I have stayed away from. Any help would be appreciated

 

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[smokeythecat]

Well, looks like you have a nice 3rd quarter 18th century site there. Nice. Almost all the buttons go to that time frame, and with backmarks are into the 19th century. The 2 tine forks are Revolutionary War period. I think the tusk is to a hog.

It is not surprising to not find silvers on colonial sites. My last site produced a few, but not many and it was a rich person's house. The average person didn't have much silver back then, let alone small change like copper coins, which were pretty scarce in colonial America. Just over a year ago we hit a house no one knew existed. The last item was from about 1870. We found a lot of colonial coppers, a couple early American coppers and nothing silver. They just didn't have it. It's not your machine, the stuff just probably isn't there, if it is the way to get is to go very slowly. VERY slowly.

 

[sawmill man]

I agree with everything smokey said, this is Ky, you probably wont find much silver, it was probably easier found than copper if thay had it to drop in the first place, you found that many big copper coins ? thats dadgum amazing itself in my opinion. i found one silver in five years.

 

[invent4hir]

Well, looks like you have a nice 3rd quarter 18th century site there. Nice. Almost all the buttons go to that time frame, and with backmarks are into the 19th century. The 2 tine forks are Revolutionary War period. I think the tusk is to a hog.

It is not surprising to not find silvers on colonial sites. My last site produced a few, but not many and it was a rich person's house. The average person didn't have much silver back then, let alone small change like copper coins, which were pretty scarce in colonial America. Just over a year ago we hit a house no one knew existed. The last item was from about 1870. We found a lot of colonial coppers, a couple early American coppers and nothing silver. They just didn't have it. It's not your machine, the stuff just probably isn't there, if it is the way to get is to go very slowly. VERY slowly.

Smokey that is good insight and advice! Also it helps to go over the same area 2-3 times (N-S, E-W, and diagnonally).

 

[ToddsPoint]

Neat tooth. I'd grind it with my diamond burs then polish it and drill a small hole for suspension. It would make a creepy necklace. Gary

 

[Hawks88]

Wow! Nice bunch of finds. Congrats

 

[Tony in SC]

At a site like that don't get caught up in numbers, dig it ALL !!

 

[Lost ball in tall weeds]

Thank you smokey, sawmill, and inventor. That's the plan, go back to the beginning where we started and search again. Just started detecting about a month ago and still learning my at pro. Somebody on here always know the answer. Will carry on and will post more if and when we find it.

Question, sometimes we get a reading of 90, 95 really high numbers, with a high tone, and find nothing, maybe a nail. Not in a circular shape, it's as if it disappears. Is this normal? What numbers should we get with silver?

Thanks again

 

[Haldean]

Thank you smokey, sawmill, and inventor. That's the plan, go back to the beginning where we started and search again. Just started detecting about a month ago and still learning my at pro. Somebody on here always know the answer. Will carry on and will post more if and when we find it.

Question, sometimes we get a reading of 90, 95 really high numbers, with a high tone, and find nothing, maybe a nail. Not in a circular shape, it's as if it disappears. Is this normal? What numbers should we get with silver?

Thanks again

Not an expert with the AT machines but I have had similar experiences. Usually there is iron in there when that happens. I believe it happens when the iron is situated in a certain way or if there is moisture around the iron causing the conductivity to be higher. I know it happens though. When you disturb the earth the high signal goes away. Not much help but I just wanted you to know you are not the only one this happens to.

 

[releventchair]

It looks like a rodent tooth. One that must continually wear teeth down because they continue to grow.
A woodchuck perhaps.
The clean/white area was above the gumline.

Cherry picking for anything (silver included) has a risk of missing something masked. But if much silver was there you would have noted it if in range of depth.
Smokey is right. Some places a single piece of silver meant too much to lose!
Why carry it around outside when there was no reason to and no place to spend it?

I once accused (in fun) a friend after hunting his families long multi-generational homestead of being from a poor family.
But a silver dime meant something long ago. Heck , you could fill your belly with what it could buy.
When already slicing your bread thin , better keep your money safe...

Congrats on the site. And on your recoveries.
Silver may well be there. Just not alot.

Your disappearing target could be the halo of a rust cloud. I run an Ace 350 and a nail head facing up rings up good.
High sensitivity in the right soil conditions will make rust dust shout out. And a single piece of small lead shot. And a shoe eye.....And other tiny things that would be mysteries of not for patient hand held pinpointer work.
When a tiny amount of rust dust is seen in a plug ,or further investigation , I know I have things cranked up way too much.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Congrats on your finds and a really cool site. From what you have found, especially the amount of buttons and other smalls, I think you are doing a thorough job. You might want to lower your sensitivity down to about half and go really slow like Smokey said. You will probably pop some more buttons doing this and may get lucky with an old silver dime or 2. Good luck!

 

[A2coins]

Try Notching out to everything below 70 and when you ground balance turn your balance up by 6. This helps mask out the iron and lower conductors and hot ground.

 

[A2coins]

Welcome to tnet Tommy

 

[CaptEsteban]

Looks like a Beaver tooth.