Hmmm... Not what I expected

MauserMan

Sr. Member
Jun 7, 2010
279
5
MA
Detector(s) used
BH Tiv
I just bought a new detector, mainly for finding older coins, but I guess they all live much deeper than I would have expected. I've always been interested in coin collecting, I've gotten a lot of foreign coins from relatives who traveled abroad when I was younger. And I can remember constantly checking my change for wheaties and older silver u.s. coins. I was reminded of metal detecting when I noticed an old garage sale find at my family's beach house, a micronta 4003. I tooled around with it and enjoyed finding some change and trinkets. But as it's really just a toy, I decided to buy a nicer one to find the good stuff. I did some research, and although the B.H. T iv was only $90, it has gotten a lot of good reviews, and I really don't want to spend much more than that as a complete newbie. Boy was I excited when it arrived. That excitement has possibly changed to buyer's remorse. I've probably spent about 8 hours with it searching two pretty good locations, and haven't found jack -one broken pocket knife at about 4-5". My main site is an old restaurant/ german club that burnt down around 1950 but is now a park. I found the buildings foundations in the back woods of the park, but all I can find are nails, bottle caps, and beer cans. I found some large pieces metal junk too. The other place I searched for a little while was an old mining quarry, now conservation land. It probably stopped operating by the 20's or 30's, but it filled with water and was used as a swimming hole for a long time too. So basically, all I've managed to find is trash, and a little bit of clad. And, I really don't much want to go out for clad.

I found a 1969 memorial at one of the park's ballfields, but those are newer (the fields) and I expected the older coins to be in the back which is now woods. However, if there are decent coins there, they must be deeper. I guess one should expect that with all the leaves falling and plant life, coins dropped 80 years ago in the woods would be deeper than those on a trimmed lawn. But I've got to say, I was really hoping to find some decently old coins with the BH Tiv. Heck, silver dimes and quarters were made until '64, and even those would make me happy.

So, has anybody ever made some good and fairly consistent finds with a B.H. mid-range detector? Or are the silver coins and other pieces from the early twentieth century too deep? I really didn't think you'd need to drop $450 on a m.d. to find some decent coins. Well, I guess you learn something every day.
 

Upvote 0
I'll be honest with you...
I'm not sure that TOO DEEP is your problem, you see even for veterans like myself
with 25 or more years experience and using a top of the line detector ($1000)
its hard today to find old silver....
Not impossible, but very difficult.
I've hunted old houses and found nothing, then lucked up got a house with a lot of old silver.
Just depends where you are...
Years ago I hit an old school in a town far from here, not expecting much, but in 2 hours
I had 4 - 5 silver coins... mostly Rosie's and Merc's...
I have been back 3 times in 5 years and no more silver at all.... oops accept a ring...
Most old places have been pounded and pounded, and you won't know it except that you don't
find anything...
Best bet is your neighbors yard or yours, or a families yard or get into someones yard
somehow... those are the best places for old silver...
Also old Churches are real good if they have not been cleaned out over the years...
I've been to a few real good ones and then there were those I thought would be good and I
could not find my shadow...
Anyway best of luck to you...
I would give it 6 months and 40 sites before throwing your machine away...
It's the only way...
Good luck.
 

If you haven't already, do some tests to make sure it's working properly and that you are setting the controls properly. Bury a silver coin (if you have one) or a ring and make sure it's finding it and how deep it will detect. Remember that something you bury in soft dirt will probably detect a little deeper than a real find that's been in the ground for years. Good luck and HH.

scrubber
 

TORRERO said:
I'll be honest with you...
I'm not sure that TOO DEEP is your problem, you see even for veterans like myself
with 25 or more years experience and using a top of the line detector ($1000)
its hard today to find old silver....
Not impossible, but very difficult.
I've hunted old houses and found nothing, then lucked up got a house with a lot of old silver.
Just depends where you are...
Years ago I hit an old school in a town far from here, not expecting much, but in 2 hours
I had 4 - 5 silver coins... mostly Rosie's and Merc's...
I have been back 3 times in 5 years and no more silver at all.... oops accept a ring...
Most old places have been pounded and pounded, and you won't know it except that you don't
find anything...
Best bet is your neighbors yard or yours, or a families yard or get into someones yard
somehow... those are the best places for old silver...
Also old Churches are real good if they have not been cleaned out over the years...
I've been to a few real good ones and then there were those I thought would be good and I
could not find my shadow...
Anyway best of luck to you...
I would give it 6 months and 40 sites before throwing your machine away...
It's the only way...
Good luck.

It's true, you never know who's been to a site before you, but I would have expected to find something -at least a wheat. But you're probably right, I should do some more research and try a couple of different sites. But frankly, how often are pre 60's coins only 5" deep? That would probably be about the max of the T. iv and I might not even notice it. Thanks for the encouragement though!
 

Most of metal detecting is figuring out what types of sites have been hunted to death already, and which ones still hold lots of great coins and relics to find.

I struck out in Kentucky for several years before I found my niche. After that, it was CW relics, old coins, and fine relics just about every hunt--and each spot I dug was a virgin site that had never seen a detector on it before.

Living in Mass. like you do, there are PLENTY of great sites still waiting to be found. Many of the detectorists on this forum would kill to live in and detect that state. So there is no excuse. Get researching. You will have no problem finding great coins if the area you go to has great coins still in it to be found.

The key is research, trial, and experimentation. Take careful notes on what types of sites are producing for you--and try many different types of sites. Use as many different methods to find your sites as you can--and eventually you will see patterns emerge. Then don't bother with the methods and types of sites that aren't producing, and focus on the ones that are.

Oh, and let me share one more secret: Parks aren't where the best finds are. :wink: If you can outhunt folks by using deeper, more expensive machines, then you may do ok. But you won't catch me in one. Most parks have been hit hard since the silver boom in the 1980s.


Best Wishes,


Buckleboy
 

"My main site is an old restaurant/ german club that burnt down around 1950 but is now a park." I have 10 years in, and a $1,000 detector, and doubt I'd find much there, and probably wouldn't try in the first place. Hunting a decent older site is like night and day compared to a modern junky place. Once you do find some better places to hunt you will not doubt your detector as much, but will soon be hooked and want to upgrade."

I too live in an older area, and the first person I ever hunted with who was someone who had been around a while, and he near killed my interest and opened my eyes all in the matter of a few weeks..... let me explain. We hunted a few times and did the regular places like parks and the beach, and even though we (really he) had some success with a few old coins (early 1900s), during our hunts he explained how the "80s guys" cleaned out all the great spots, and now we were left just finding the odd old coin here and there. By the time three weeks had passed I was having mixed feelings, because it was fun, but at the same time I wandered if it was really worth it hearing there wasn't much left.... but there was a certain feeling I had that I can't really describe, almost like the excitement of exploring the unknown. It was more the feeling than anything else that kept me going and everything did change one particular day.... Oct. 31, 1999. We were out, found the usual which wasn't a heck of a lot.... but when my friend was leaving my place he pointed in behind the house across the field and said is that a river. I said yes, and he replied try the field, walk the river, you never know what could turn up. So the next day I went out about 11am and figured I'd walk around the field and if nothing else find junk and better learn my detector. So I walk out the door, get maybe 100' in the field and get a good signal, dig, and it's a green colored disk. I think to myself it can't be a coin because it's green. :-X But I clean some dirt off and see a sitting figure and the date 1819. (British Halfpenny) :o At this point I'm starting to think it's a coin but not 100% sure, then a few more swings, and another good target, and I dig an even larger disk. I think no way, way too big, but when I clean the dirt I see the same figure and the date 1812. (British one penny) By this time I am over the moon and by the time I was done hunting I had another 1800s halfpenny, and a 1792 trade token, and a crotal bell. I went back in the house in disbelief at what I had found. I had never really thought much about the history here, and how far back settlement went, and just assumed late 1800s/early 1900s was about the best you could hope for detecting. That site also turned up my first great button find which was a Rev War officer button and actually paid for the $1,000 detector I had bought to find 100 year old coins. ;D Shortly after that I met up with two regular hunting buds, and several more that aren't so close and we have dug a ton of neat and interesting finds. But even as much as I've found, some being rare and having some value, I'll never forget that day I dug those 4 old coppers. If you give yourself the chance to have a day like that you'll probably be telling the story of your first old coins in ten years to someone who needs to keep the motivation. You might even be able to make a post like this. :-X http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,277133.0.html (yes I'm guilty of adding that link where I can)

PS... The 80s guys here did hit the schools, parks, and churches pretty hard, but they left all the early sites in the farm fields! :thumbsup:
 

Your doing good for just starting out and for now there is nothing wrong with the BH your using. You've found a few coins, clads but that may be all that's there. Most coins no matter how long they have been in the ground will be 5 inches or less. Just remember, your coil has to go over it to find it! Everyone has given you some really good advice, take it to heart and the better finds will show up for you. In the mean time, Welcome to T-Net and Happy Hunting.

Desertfox
 

Most good old coin finds are more a function of "where you're hunting", rather than what-type-machine you're using. For example: I've found scores of reales, seateds, barbers, and 12 gold coins over my years. Looking back, I'd have to say that if truth-be-told, most of those choice older coins I've found, once I was "on top of them", were to be measured, I bet some or most of them were with the range of the probe depth, before I even started to dig (ie.: 1 to 3"). It was more a function of being there at the right place, and the right time. Lots of "sure fire" sites turn out to be busts. But then, you research out the right place, and depth becomes a non-issue. For example: the beach after storm/swell erosion puts oldies right on top of the sand. But are you the nut who watches the scanner for the swells/tides/direction and is out there on the beach in the middle of the night during storms? ::) Or a furroughed ag field where an old indian trade rancheria used to be: are you the nut who's fanatically going through the furroughs during fallow season looking for items brought to the surface by plows, and value-ing each age-indicator "woulda-coulda" that tells you a seated or reale shouldn't be far behind?
 

Thanks guys, it's good to hear that making finds is mostly a result or research and effort -and that it's pretty tough. I went out today to check a back trail leading to the old quarry, and was very happy to find a 1944 wheattie early on! A while later I only found one more coin there, a clad state quarter towards the end of the trail, but I found a lot stuff -a 1954 pet dog tag was also reassuring. After that I quickly stopped by the site of a historic school house which is no longer used, but only found some scrap and called it a day. I'll keep you guys updated if I ever find anything good!
 

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You just never know. Look at my avitar, that piece is dated 1761 and it was found on a beach way up in the dry sand and this beach gets detected daily, many times over. Why was it never found before? It's rather large, about 2 1/4" in diameter and it's made of white metal, not silver. Best I can figure is that it probably was ignored by other detectorist because they assumed it was a large piece of junk metal. Point is, just as the case with the story Iron Patch told, you just never know what you might find or where you might find it at? Man has been everywhere and along the way he has lost or left an endless trail of things behind. Stay with it and you just never know what you might turn up next. :icon_thumleft:
 

MauserMan, what you need is an old map to track down some cellar holes in the woods. That's where your treasure awaits!
 

You've just been putting the coil where it ain't. Put it where it is and you will find it! Simple huh? You really need to research some sites and find out how much detecting has been done there over the years. Silver is a fleeting find and it is not near as common as it was 20 years ago. Very few people just go out cold turkey and find silver coins, so don't feel like the Lone Ranger. And a gold coin find is a very very rare occurance. Spend a few bucks and get you some better equipment and think of it s a hobby, not a way to make money. Look at it for its intrinsic value and historical value and you will get much more enjoyment from it. I know I do. Monty
 

All the suggestions are good, but I think it should be pointed out that by 2014 it will be 50 years since the mints quit stamping silver coins and longer than that for even older coins. Therefore, they're not being replenished meaning luck and location are becoming a major factor compared to years ago.
luvsdux
 

I have the same problem here. everwhere I go had been detected over and over so many times so no older stuff winds up in my keeper bag. I am actually hoping to moved in a few years where the state is way older by about 100 years. There are also way older farms too. Where I am now was just pasture land and was not built up on until the 1970's. I think you just need to find a unhunted site and detect the crap out it. First do your discrimination mode and then do it over again all metal and dig out the trash and do it all over again. You'll be surprised what you dig out when you get all the trash out of the way.
 

I gotta say, Iron Patch, Buckleboy, yep you too Monty and Tom, these guys prove there is no such thing as hunted out.

Not unlike yourself, I started with a little old BH and couldn't find anything over 5" deep. I spent a little time digging everything, and soon found that there were good coins at 2" or 3" deep in hunted out parks!

Didn't always ring up as they should, because they were preserved for those who dig everything by those who litter everywhere. (read critical placement of canslaw/pulltabs)

When I got my CZ-5, as soon as they shipped almost, I was delighted, I could determine what I wanted to dig but more than that, it was a quantum leap from the average machines of the day so I started finding really deep stuff in qauntity! But my shallow finds of older coins fell off dramatically, of course because I was digging what I thought I wanted, not everything in sight.

On a whim, I hit an area that was having sidewalks replaced and parkways torn up here in town. Had no idea at the time, but it had been a parade route from the 1890's through about 1910. So in the first week, with about 100 silvers, hundreds of wheats and IH's, tokens and jewelry I'd found my new love. Demo/construction sites. 20 years later I still look for them everywhere.

Last weekend I was at one site for several days with a good number of other hunters, in a hunted out park in Chicagoland. LC's, half dime, trimes, 2-cnter. fatties, script coin, even a musketball with a nipple on it from the mold near a .50 BMG round. All this and more recent silver was found there. Of course there was clad, tons of it also.

On my way to the site Monday morning I stopped at a carnival site from the previous night's festivities and got gas, food and battery money under the food tent and rides that had just been folded up and removed.

I was present once when the cat came in and scraped for a parking lot at this now very hunted-out park near me. Amazing what was just 7-8 inches deep and never detected by dozens of md'ers over the years. A literal bed of 1900-period coinage. All previously masked beyond hope apparently.

Of course earlier this year I found some silver, IH's and a nice V nick at that now-hunted out park and will find some more next year.

Your picture tells me you will find goodies, digging everything is the best route. It's just painfully slow and time consuming at first. If/when you get upgraded to a mid-level or top-end machine, you may find disappointment at first, but changing tools means changing strategies also. I feel confident saying we have not got the MD technology to unmask, find or recover a huge quantity of what still lies in those hunted out parks, yet.
 

Well there is always some more somewhere if you are willing to take the time and walk for hours
and hours....
Most of us want the quickie pics...
But my slow walking and ground covering ways have paid off over the last 25 years...
25 years of hunting every day or other day, doing sidewalks, school yards, parks, homesites,
construction sites... anywhere that I think I might find a silver dime...
many times I found nothing...
but I have found my share, and now I'm trying to figure what I can do with all these silver coins..
 

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