Iron etc masking targets?

[Oakeso1]

So Im working this great site, an inn built in 1816 and in continuous operation since as an inn, stagecoach stop, post office, etc etc...
and I have found a couple of nice coins...but of course the site is loaded with trash....an endless amount of iron hits especially. Can
this trash be masking other silver coins underneath or very near? because given the history of the site, i find it hard to believe that
in 200 hundred years the only coins that were ever dropped were the two silver I found and a handful of clad and modern pennies.
So I was thinking maybe my detector isnt getting deep enough....but if its possible the trash is masking the good stuff, then I wont rush
to get a detector with more depth/range. This is a large site worth alot of time and energy I think, given the history, and never been detected.
BTW, Im using a brand new Fisher F2, with the 8 inch coil.

 

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[G.A.P.metal]

Oak
Yes the iron will mask the good/silver targets....use a little more disc. Put a old square nail on clean ground and disc. it out, hunt in tones... go slow...use a smaller coil... or hunt in reverse by holding the pinpoint button while you swing the coil..the F2 is a good machine . HH
Gary

 

[Oakeso1]

Oak
Yes the iron will mask the good/silver targets....use a little more disc. Put a old square nail on clean ground and disc. it out, hunt in tones... go slow...use a smaller coil... or hunt in reverse by holding the pinpoint button while you swing the coil..the F2 is a good machine . HH
Gary

Thank you. Dont have an old square nail. However, now that I know the iron can mask the good stuff, Im committed to digging it all up and cleaning it out because i feel certain
there has to be more to be found than what I have so far. I have gone over the front lawn very slowly and from different directions. tried using the smaller coil but there is just so
much iron/trash I wonder if the smaller coil can detect anything good through it. Just going to have to put in the work and clean the site up. I might end up still going over this
place well into next year at that rate. Thanks again.

 

[G.A.P.metal]

Oak
The spot sounds like you should put in the time...probable square nail there,or when you find a piece of iron Disc.it out it will help elemite small pieces .HH
Gary

 

[Oakeso1]

Thanks Gary....now I have to learn how to use the notch on the F2...I think thats what I would use to disc it out right?

 

[G.A.P.metal]

Oak
Disc.knob/button to Disc.
Notch.. but if you notch all iron out.. you will miss some larger relics maybe,but if you just looking for coins notch out up to Zink,but that might miss a Indian Head.
Gary

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

I hate to say it, but this sounds like the kind of site which may take a tractor scraping (for urban renewal old-town-demolition type project) to be fruitful. I've seen parks where ........ as you say, there's no shortage of yester-year traffic (and logic dictates that more older silver is further down under the trash). But it's not till the top 8" is scraped off, do we get the old coins. Oh sure, it's easy for someone to say "dig it all to un-mask the trash" or "here a certain machine or coil to do it". But the bottom line is, that in some cases you're simply not able to strip-mine to get the depth and un-masking you need (lest you be kicked out for too many holes).

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Just keep at it Oak, and listen to these guys.

I might suggest a CTX, or E-Trac, but those cost bucks.

Just clean the site, and that will pay you

 

[Oakeso1]

I hate to say it, but this sounds like the kind of site which may take a tractor scraping (for urban renewal old-town-demolition type project) to be fruitful. I've seen parks where ........ as you say, there's no shortage of yester-year traffic (and logic dictates that more older silver is further down under the trash). But it's not till the top 8" is scraped off, do we get the old coins. Oh sure, it's easy for someone to say "dig it all to un-mask the trash" or "here a certain machine or coil to do it". But the bottom line is, that in some cases you're simply not able to strip-mine to get the depth and un-masking you need (lest you be kicked out for too many holes).

Well Im fortunate that the owner is my best friend and doesnt mind my digging to my hearts content. of course, I am careful in my digging and refilling of holes so it hardly shows when i am through. But still, you might be right...I guess the thing to do is take it one step at a time. Ill try cleaning out some of the trash and see what shows up. I will also get the 10 inch coil or the DD. Thanks for your input.

 

[Oakeso1]

Just keep at it Oak, and listen to these guys.

I might suggest a CTX, or E-Trac, but those cost bucks.

Just clean the site, and that will pay you

Yes, I think I will just take it one step at a time...clean up some trash and see what happens. Those detectors are too rich for me this year, mainly because the season is almost over and no sense
in it til next year, although I think I will try the larger coils on the F2 before I try a different detector. Thanks for your input.

 

[luvsdux]

As tedious and tiring as it can be, you might hunt in all metal and dig all signals. Every time you dig iron or other trash be sure to recheck the hole to make sure you aren't leaving anything trash or goodie behind. A lot of work, but each time you retrieve a piece of metal masking a good target, you should then detect the good target. Also, test your detector to see if it will pick up coins next to nails with iron disced or notched out. Trying to knock out the iron may also overide a good target next to it.
luvsdux

 

[atomicscott]

So Im working this great site, an inn built in 1816 and in continuous operation since as an inn, stagecoach stop, post office, etc etc...
and I have found a couple of nice coins...but of course the site is loaded with trash....an endless amount of iron hits especially. Can
this trash be masking other silver coins underneath or very near? because given the history of the site, i find it hard to believe that
in 200 hundred years the only coins that were ever dropped were the two silver I found and a handful of clad and modern pennies.
So I was thinking maybe my detector isnt getting deep enough....but if its possible the trash is masking the good stuff, then I wont rush
to get a detector with more depth/range. This is a large site worth alot of time and energy I think, given the history, and never been detected.
BTW, Im using a brand new Fisher F2, with the 8 inch coil.

I had problems with iron masking with all my detectors, however my Minelab XT 505 does excellent in iron trash & is able to pull a good target & large rusty nail out of the same hole, without even knowing the nail was there (other than threshold null) until I dig it!

 

[fella]

I think I will try the larger coils on the F2 before I try a different detector.

Think smaller, not bigger. If you are having masking issues the larger coil is only going to compound the problem. Try instead a 4" coil. It will get through a lot more of the junk and pick the goodies out easier.

 

[Silver Searcher]

If you haven't got a detector with a fast recovery, the only thing you can do is dig every target.

SS

 

[atomicscott]

You should be using the 4" sniper coil. It works much better in trash and still has amazing depth for its size. Like fella said think small. This will help get in between trash and you have less targets under the coil per swing

 

[Frankn]

There is no getting around it, your detector is going to read what is on top. If there is a jar of coins, your detector will read the lid, not the coins. it's a fact of life in detecting. Frank...

 

[joerc2002]

im haveing the same problem with trash in an old park so sometime i disc. and sometime i dig it all.. found 2 1964 quarters that i was absolutly certian were smashed cans by the tone i was getting but after i dug them i noticed the micro chatter in front of tone was not present in the silver.. so when in doubt i dig when im discouraged i dont.. im still new to this hobby but everyday i learn something bout what my MD is trying to tell me... good luck