Tips for retrieving coins from the earth without damaging them?

[King Ghidorah]

I have recently started metal detecting an old farm site that has been in the family for 200 years. I've had some insane luck finding coins from 1850s-1950s. The soil is very compact and the coins are coming out with incredible detail. Unfortunately I scratched an indian head penny and barber dime digging them out. I've been using the T Lesch shovel to dig. Not sure if it was the shovel or rocks in the compact soil that caused the scratches. Anyone have tips or a process they follow when digging to ensure they don't cause damage to the coins?

Thanks

 

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[TxAg]

I have a site where the plastic trowel might work better than my Garrett digger. Our subdivision clubhouse has well irrigated grass around the pool area. Digging down in the moist soil is super easy. Our Coin Club meets at the clubhouse every month. At this month's meeting, the President and I put on a MD demo around the pool and found coins quite frequently. All were modern, but I scratched the heck out of a dime getting it out. We plan to go back and detect it for ourselves anticipating finding some jewelry. The club manager said if we turn the jewelry and nobody claims it, we get to keep it. The plastic digger should work quite well in this venue.

 

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[Scott_B]

Here is a link on digging a plug that might help you.

 

[ecmjamsit]

Why use plastic? It would never hold up in our hard ground.

It holds up pretty good here in Colorado. It is a fiberglass reinforced plastic. It is softer than the coins and has never gouged one. They cost $2 and I have not broken one yet.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I carry a bunch of small zip-lock bags and drop the coins I suspect are good right in without brushing off the dirt. I soak the dirt off later at home.

Though this takes patience, and one that I thought was a large cent turned out to be a red Kennedy Half when cleaned(?)

 

[cudamark]

Here is a link on digging a plug that might help you.

The problem with that method, is that you are going to stand out like a sore thumb carrying that size digging tool. In an urban park or school, that just isn't going to fly with the maintenance crew or patrons of the park/school. Once you learn how to pin point with your machine, a small trap door plug is all you need, and done properly, you rarely will damage the target and won't hurt the sod. With roots uncut and still attached to one side of the plug, the grass will not die and will recover quickly. I'd rather damage a target on occasion than have the place off limits by digging huge full circle plugs using a tool that size.

 

[Scott_B]

The problem with that method, is that you are going to stand out like a sore thumb carrying that size digging tool. In an urban park or school, that just isn't going to fly with the maintenance crew or patrons of the park/school. Once you learn how to pin point with your machine, a small trap door plug is all you need, and done properly, you rarely will damage the target and won't hurt the sod. With roots uncut and still attached to one side of the plug, the grass will not die and will recover quickly. I'd rather damage a target on occasion than have the place off limits by digging huge full circle plugs using a tool that size.

It is true this is not the method to use everywhere. He originally asked what method to use to avoid damaging a coin, this seems to fit the bill. He also said that he hunts on a family farm, which seems like a good method to use.

 

[cudamark]

I agree, farm land, forest, large fields are a great place to take advantage of a large spade or shovel. His video location didn't seem to be any of those places.

 

[A2coins]

Great info pin pointing is alot of it love the replies