Which is the case?

[z118]

Your opinions please...

Say you hunt a nice grassy lot in a residential area. The lot is surrounded by houses from the early 1900's on two sides and from the 50's and 60's on the other two sides. For as long as the area has been residential it has been an open lot, and before that it was farm property. You hunt for two plus hours in very dry conditions with the E trac in auto and the sensitivity in the low 20's the whole time. Other than a mess of clad, you dig 14 wheats (1920's - 50's), two Buffalo nickels, and some Jefferson nickels from the 40's.

Now, which of these would be the most likely explanation for the lack of silver?

1 - No one ever dropped silver there.
2 - Silver was dropped there, but the spot has been hunted and cherry picked.
3 - Silver was dropped there; you were just unlucky and didn't pass your coil over it.

My best guess is that is was some combination of numbers 2 & 3. Your thoughts?

[RobW]

Happens to me ALL the time >{

I would say that that is a normal experience. Think about how you would feel loosing $1-5. That's about equivilant to losing a silver coin back in the day. People tended to be a bit more careful with them. There are a whole lot more wheats and nickels...because they bought a whole lot more back in the day, and kids who are more careless, tended to have them more than silver too. I don't think much about giving my kid a few bucks...but think many times before handing her a $20

[aloldstuff]

Happens to me ALL the time >{

I would say that that is a normal experience. Think about how you would feel loosing $1-5. That's about equivilant to losing a silver coin back in the day. People tended to be a bit more careful with them. There are a whole lot more wheats and nickels...because they bought a whole lot more back in the day, and kids who are more careless, tended to have them more than silver too. I don't think much about giving my kid a few bucks...but think many times before handing her a $20


Yup I'm in agreement, it happens to Rob all the time. Thinking #2 & #3 are the cause. Are ya swinging slow and low? I have been using my Prizm IV for the last two weeks and have the sensitivity cranked all the way up. Gotten a few silvers.

[Lowjiber]

I think you're right...combination of 2 & 3.

Wheats and old nickels would keep me coming back though.

[Dimeman]

As one who grew up in the late 50's and the 60's I can give you a little insight on those 50's-60's houses.

After playing in an open lot like the one you are searching we would go to the 7-11 and get a soft drink. They were a nickel and 2 cents deposit on the bottle--we gave the guy a dime and got our change---3 pennies. We went back to the lot to drink our refreshments. If we had a quarter in our pocket we would have gotten a 5 cent candy bar also, and get 2 nickels or a dime and 3 pennies in change.
If you're digging wheats ----- I would keep searching as any silver coins are a little deeper

[bob_e99]

Been there, done that and have the T-shirt. Personally (and I have very little experience), I think the place may have been hunted out some time ago (number 2) and enough time has past to accumulate clad.
People seem to ignore pennies and I don't know when wheat became a good find which is why they were ignored in the first place.

That's all I can think of at this time.

[Hook]

Been there, done that and have the T-shirt. Personally (and I have very little experience), I think the place may have been hunted out some time ago (number 2) and enough time has past to accumulate clad.
People seem to ignore pennies and I don't know when wheat became a good find which is why they were ignored in the first place.

That's all I can think of at this time.


if i'm correct..the earlier detectors didnt have the ability to decide what the object was it rang up...penny, dime, etc. it beeped and they dug it.
So i think its a case of dry soil and you not swinging over any shallow silver. My vote is for number 2 ..with conditions ...and also for # 3 .
But i'm fairly new at this (about 3 years..but not fulltime) so maybe i could be wrong :cheesysmile:

[JTGOLD]

started detecting in 1962 and I will have to vote for # 3,after going back to the same place 3 or 4 times and then find 1 or 2 silver dimes,just didn't get the coil over the silver the first few times.

[steve in so az]

I agree with JT - in my 31 years detecting I STILL go back to some sites and find things. steve in so az

[DuggeranDigger]

i wonder if its dry condictions i think i have better luck when theres moister in the ground we are very dry right now here in vermont the ground is hard i hoping for some rain soon cause its just not as much fun right now but it sure beats sitting at home

[coinnut]

Crank that sensitivity to just below fasling (or a little bit higher if you can) and go over the area in a different direction. Remember, deep silver signals do not give a wide footprint. If you go too fast and don't investigate the chirps, you may have just passed them over. Otherwise I'm going with #3 also. Can't find them if your coil didn't go over them :thinkingabout: