Your Opinion On Typical Depth Of Buried Caches

[milkbandit]

Hi Everyone,

I was an active hunter in the late 70s and early 80s but have been out of it for a while, so there have been (I'm sure) a lot of changes in the equipment since then. It's interesting to return after so many years. I find my thinking has totally shifted; I am decidedly a cache-minded hunter and not really interested in beach-combing or coins in the local park, etc. (no offense to those who enjoy that) And, in reference to this shift in my thinking, I've been pondering something lately, in regards to equipment and hunting of caches.

What's on my mind is: depth.

As I peruse the current crop of metal detectors I see the range for a regular handheld model is still around 1.5-2 feet down. Is this correct? My question is this:


In your experience, how deep are caches buried, usually? Is a regular 'coil' metal detector ineffective for hunting caches? I'm thinking that if I spend time/resources on getting to a hunt site then can't reach deep enough to find what I came looking for, I pretty much wasted my time. Right?


Recap:

What depths are caches usually buried at?

Do you use handheld coil models in cache hunting?

Are there any special models on the market today that punch deeper?

Would you go ahead and buy a box detector and avoid the 'regular' coil type?


Thanks in advance!

 

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[xr7ator]

As an active cache hunter back in the day I would think you know more about this than most. Did you ever find a cache? If so, how deep was it? Did you use a metal detector to locate it? If so, was it a normal coil type or two box?

 

[Hawks88]

Welcome to tnet from Niagara Falls.

 

[Icewing]

I hunt just about anything I can find and just hope it's worth the effort. I don't run a top of the line machine like an XP Deus or CTX3030 but I have friends who do, and even they struggle to hit on anything more than 8-10 inches below the surface. On top of that after having dug a few thousand cans, old Mason jar lids, and cultivator points it kills your motivation for digging those big deep signals.

I don't have any experience with them but from what I understand, if you want to find anything beyond 12" you will need a 2 box detector and rock solid permission or ownership of the property you are hunting.

Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Welcome to the forum from Northern Virginia I would love to see what people say about your questions, I have never found a cache.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I would venture to say that nearly all of the cache’s found in the last 60 years were found with a metal detector.
That said, the max. depth would be limited to the capability of the detectors available would it not?

I would LOVE to know how many were found with specialized two box detectors.

Personally, I don’t think they would be buried very deep, just enough to keep it out of site and avoid accidental discovery.

When I read about hidden money being found it’s usually not buried. It’s under the chicken coop, or in a hollow beam in the barn, under a floor board, under a step, in a mine shaft, ect.

I met an old miner once who had a very significant amount of placer gold. It was never buried.
Once he hid it behind some rocks stacked along the foundation of the house.

Think about it...largest risk is someone seeing you bury the valuables, or visiting the cache.
You going to dig a 3’ hole?

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello Dirtroadfilms,

A lot of caches are hidden within the house itself, some may be buried, but will be in line of sight from the house; think kitchen, bedroom or parlor area. I have been hired on numerous occasions to go through a old house, yard and all of the out buildings to search for treasure before the home is sold (most recent a circa 1700 home built over a circa 1695 home). Over the years, I have found many hidden items: jewelry, coins, currency and important papers; only a few small caches with silver and copper coins (nothing outstanding). In older homes pre-1840's (+/-) people would hide coins around the house and in the yards...people did not trust or none around banks and wanted to keep their money safe; my research "told" me. Oh yes, most of the small caches I found were found in flower gardens (~10") and some under the rear step stone of the house back door (flush with the ground).

Regards,

GL & HH

Doc

 

[GA_Boy]

I doubt that most were very deep although I have heard of them being found under a fence post.
Marvin

 

[milkbandit]

As an active cache hunter back in the day I would think you know more about this than most. Did you ever find a cache? If so, how deep was it? Did you use a metal detector to locate it? If so, was it a normal coil type or two box?

I appreciate your sarcasm, I really do. And oh boy what a welcome to the forum on my first thread!! Thanks buddy.

Sorry to point out the obvious but I didn't say I hunted caches in the early days; only coins and small items. I've never gone after caches but now I find it intrigues me, so as I said my thinking has shifted.

Now, can I ask a question?

If you had nothing, absolutely nothing to add to this thread I opened, why did you bother responding? Other than (my conjecture, to be sure) the joy you get from coming off as truculent.

Have a nice day, xr7hator

 

[milkbandit]

Thank you all for the thoughtful answers, and for welcoming me here. Ya'll made some good points I had not thought about. I'm now thinking that maybe a two box is not really necessary, and could be overkill.

Thanks again. Look forward to more input as well.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Hello Dirtroadfilms,

A lot of caches are hidden within the house itself, some may be buried, but will be in line of sight from the house; think kitchen, bedroom or parlor area. I have been hired on numerous occasions to go through a old house, yard and all of the out buildings to search for treasure before the home is sold (most recent a circa 1700 home built over a circa 1695 home). Over the years, I have found many hidden items: jewelry, coins, currency and important papers; only a few small caches with silver and copper coins (nothing outstanding). In older homes pre-1840's (+/-) people would hide coins around the house and in the yards...people did not trust or none around banks and wanted to keep their money safe; my research "told" me. Oh yes, most of the small caches I found were found in flower gardens (~10") and some under the rear step stone of the house back door (flush with the ground).

Regards,

GL & HH

Doc

One thing I learned is that some times money was placed between the stacked foundation stones as they were building victorian homes. It was supposed to bring good luck similiar to breaking a bottle over the stern of a new ship.

Do I have any proof of this? My dad found two gold coins that were from the corner of a stone foundation. Might be something to that..

 

[chub]

I guess it would depend on the size of the cache and how accessible it was intended to be. Hidden loot from a robbery would definately be more my idea of cache where the valubles are hidden with the intention to return and remove the entire lot (ie good bad and the ugly).
I think others may be more piggy bank style or some kind of money purse where access to add more coins or take as the user needed it.
A coin in the corner stone is a nice find but couldnt really be considered a cache .

As a matter of course I always swing my detector over walls, dry stone walls, bridges etc when Im out hunting. I read somewhere once where they found a beautiful antique pistol in the wall of a french farm house.

My F75 has a cache mode but Ive never really used it. There are good deals now on the F75. I think Europe would possibly have more chance of cache style treasure with the oppertunities presented during WWII.

Welcome and good luck.
Keep us updated as you go along.

Chub

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

My comment about coins in the foundation was directed at the “professor”, since he mentioned getting paid to search houses.

There was a period of time out west where all valuables had to be hidden. It was a dangerous and violent time. Many met untimely deaths. I believe that is the source of the majority of the cached treasure in my area. Even though there are dozens of robbery stories where people were captured without having the loot on hand.

 

[Holyground]

The depth of a cache is directly proportionate to how close the posse is.

 

[xr7ator]

I admit that I didn't read your post well and that it does seem that I was being combative. That was not my intention and I apologize.
Good luck with your ventures and maybe if you're successful at finding a cache, you'll share the story.

 

[SD51]

Welcome and I hope you get the pleasure of finding a cache, I haven't found one yet after detecting for almost fifty years,

Here's some tips I've read through the years about caches;

90% of the time, if someone hid a cache, it was inside the house.

Agree with GA Boy, caches have been hidden under a wooden fence post. Walk fence lines and look for a post that isn't stapled to the barbed wire, but is resting on the wire using nails so it can easily be lifted out. I recall a true story from a successful cache hunter that was asked to find a cache hidden by the grandfather of the individuals asking for the help. The cache hunter asked them what their grandfather did when he wasn't working on the farm and they showed him the rocking chair he would sit on every evening.

They asked why he wanted to know this and he stated, "He's watching his money"! The cache hunter sat in the rocking chair and he could plainly see a distant fence line. He walked to the fence line and immediately found the unattached post, lifted it out and pulled out mason jars filled with coins.


Another tip is to look at any older trees in the yard that have limbs reasonably close to the ground. Look at the bottom side of the limbs for any nails or screws. People would attach a string with a weight to the nail or screw and the cache was buried where the weight touched the ground.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I admit that I didn't read your post well and that it does seem that I was being combative. That was not my intention and I apologize.
Good luck with your ventures and maybe if you're successful at finding a cache, you'll share the story.

No ruffled feathers on my part. Just here sharing/learning like everyone else.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

One thing I learned is that some times money was placed between the stacked foundation stones as they were building victorian homes. It was supposed to bring good luck similiar to breaking a bottle over the stern of a new ship.

Do I have any proof of this? My dad found two gold coins that were from the corner of a stone foundation. Might be something to that..

Thank for the information.

 

[pulltabfelix]

Hello Dirtroadfilms,

A lot of caches are hidden within the house itself, some may be buried, but will be in line of sight from the house; think kitchen, bedroom or parlor area. I have been hired on numerous occasions to go through a old house, yard and all of the out buildings to search for treasure before the home is sold (most recent a circa 1700 home built over a circa 1695 home). Over the years, I have found many hidden items: jewelry, coins, currency and important papers; only a few small caches with silver and copper coins (nothing outstanding). In older homes pre-1840's (+/-) people would hide coins around the house and in the yards...people did not trust or none around banks and wanted to keep their money safe; my research "told" me. Oh yes, most of the small caches I found were found in flower gardens (~10") and some under the rear step stone of the house back door (flush with the ground).

Regards,

GL & HH

Doc

Doc is right. During the depression few people trusted banks. They used a "post hole" bank. They buried their money at the base of a fence post hole that is visible from the main room of the house or cabin so they could keep an eye on it in terms of strangers looking for their cache.

 

[Rookster]

Welcome and good luck.