Novice treasure hunter here. Havent found much worth mentioning. I have a Garrett 150 and just got a Garrett pin pointer for my birthday. My 150 only goes to 6" depth when practicing with coins. What depth are you typically finding old coins? Been trying to hunt at old school yards. About 4" down and I am finding aluminum cans chewed up by a mower. At this pace, the really good finds could be a foot deep. Just trying to gauge, how much topsoil, grass clippings, etc, will cover coins dropped a 100 yrs ago. Thanks.
Typical depth finding coins
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Jason in Enid
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Every site is different, some site the old coins at 8+ inches. Some times it no more than 4. I have also dug old coins barely under the surface.
adamb_4401
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It really all depends not only the climate there but construction done on the site. You'll have to look up the history of the area you are hunting.
thrillathahunt
Silver Member
Hi, Jason is right. Every site is different. Some of the old house sites I hunt have had so much landscaping and fill dirt added over the years that coins can be as deep as 10"
pennyfarmer
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This is a great discussion where everyone has an opinion. I have mine too. 
For general yards and parks I suspect that 1" of dirt for every 10-15 years. Now there are instances where landscaping and other activity will change those. I have gotten very old coins within inches of the surface but I know they got there through old landscaping projects. Sometimes a tree root will cause a coin to become shallow or go deeper.
In the parks in my area the coins from the turn of the century (1900 and older) are about 9" on average. That is dirt depth, from the coin to the surface of the dirt.
For general yards and parks I suspect that 1" of dirt for every 10-15 years. Now there are instances where landscaping and other activity will change those. I have gotten very old coins within inches of the surface but I know they got there through old landscaping projects. Sometimes a tree root will cause a coin to become shallow or go deeper.
In the parks in my area the coins from the turn of the century (1900 and older) are about 9" on average. That is dirt depth, from the coin to the surface of the dirt.
mical66
Hero Member
funny to see this topic,, it was something i was thinking about last night and this morning . my son and i spent 2 hours in a front yard of a early 1900's house and i was getting good hard signals on coins 5-7 inchs deep and each time we dug 99% it was what my whites said it would be. but what got me was at that depth they were all 15 yrs old or newer ..nothing older then 15 yrs,, so i was thinking they must has put 3-5 inchs of top soil on the yard 10-15 yrs ago,,lol
now would my MD give me just as strong a signal on coins 10 -15 inches deep ?
because i had a couple hits saying dime every swing but was very faint and reeding 7 inchs deep , son dug it down to 8 inches and used our pinpointer and was no signal..but the MD still got a whisper every swing.
you know it is always the one not dug that eats at ya because it is probably silver,,lol
now would my MD give me just as strong a signal on coins 10 -15 inches deep ?
because i had a couple hits saying dime every swing but was very faint and reeding 7 inchs deep , son dug it down to 8 inches and used our pinpointer and was no signal..but the MD still got a whisper every swing.
you know it is always the one not dug that eats at ya because it is probably silver,,lol
hunter_46356
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I have experienced all the situations described above and have dug my deepest coin in a farm field. An IH at 10+ inches. But a farm field cannot be considered typical because of the ground being worked every year. I don't think there is a common answer for this question due to the fact there are so many variables. I found a barber in a school park at 4" in ground that I could have dug with my hand instead of my Gator. As far the those signals that just never seem to go away but you can never seem to find them,or go away after you dig, let me know if you ever figure that one out
. I think rust halo and corrosion of metals even copper coins imitating a good target is the cause. Keeps things interesting though don't it
. I think rust halo and corrosion of metals even copper coins imitating a good target is the cause. Keeps things interesting though don't it
team sidewinder
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Being only at this MD game a month or so and having only found some new coins ( not complaining here ) most of my finds are no more than 2 inches deep. Your machine will find lots of treasure at 6 inches. I am very happy finding new coins as I know sooner or later I will find something old.
Frankn
Gold Member
Well ,dept has many variables, but dept is usually typical for a general area. You can't go by the date on the coin. The dept is dependent on when the coin is lost. Generally, in my area, 3"to4" gets me back to things that were lost in the 40's and 10" will get me back to things that were lost 200 years ago. Dept is not proportional because it depends on a lot of things like weather ie rain, heat even wind. There are a lot of exceptions like desert areas. Things can lay on the surface for many years in some areas while drifting sand can cover items to great depths. There is a story of an old Spanish Mission in the desert that appears and disappears with the drifting sand. Frank...
CoinHunterAZ
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In my area the older coins are typically 2-6" deep. The exception to this is in wooded areas, where leaves and pine needles can bury them much deeper. I have been taking a rake with me lately. When I locate a spot and start finding coins, I will rake the midden. Much to my surprise, this method has also revealed quite a few nice bottles.
Silver Searcher
Gold Member
Well looking at some of the exceptional depths made recovering coins from US hunters, I hardly dare post what depth I find coins, that have been lost for more than 2000 years.
SS
SS
yelnif
Sr. Member
OK Silver Searcher- I'll bite, how deep and what kind of machine were you using?? HH yelnif
Silver Searcher
Gold Member
Well I can tell you, none of the fantasy depths that some are claiming, and it would only be a quess at that. It's very difficult to get a accurate depth, at what a coin was recovered from.
SS
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Jason in Enid
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That's because coins don't "sink". Once they get below the root layer of the turf they stay right there unless outside forces bury or dig them out.
Second, what "exceptional depths" are you referring too? I see people (including myself) digging coins from 9 - 10 inches deep in soil. Also, if you are digging in farm fields, you are having a constant turnover of the soil, so extremely shallow 2000 year old coins is completely possible. when comparing things like depths, you have to compare apples to apples, don't throw in a pomegranate just because it looks similar.
Silver Searcher
Gold Member
No body mentioned farm land, and constant turn over, why are you quoting me, and I'm not getting into the argument about fantasy depths of coins recovered, do you measure your depths or something, most depths that people give, are mearly guessed....that's all I'm saying.
SS
Jason in Enid
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Well, I quoted you because I was responding to the post you made about coin depths. Don't bring up "fantasy depths" and then say you're not getting into an arguement about it. That's like saying "you are a liberal" and then refusing to discuss makes a liberal. I mentioned farm fields because you talked about YOUR depths and most UK hunters are hunting fields. Lastly, YES I measure coin depths. I don't use a shovel, I use a handheld digger which has measurement marks. I know if I dig a 6 inch deep hole and have to go another inch or so deeper to get the coin, then I have dug it from 7 - 8 inches deep.
And no, most people are not "guessing" at their depths.
Silver Searcher
Gold Member
I'm talking about audible signals, I'm not saying you can't find deeper coins, but if anybody has dug coins at 10" plus, like claimed above, it would not have been the regular audible signal, we usually would dig. Also if you are getting coins at six-eight inches and over, I take it you hunting in all metal mode.
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wainzoid
Bronze Member
Coin depths are alot like fish stories !!!
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