Curiosity poll

[Digger_O'Dell]

I've been wondering about the relation between the age of a site and the age of the finds on average.
My question is in everyone's opinions and by past experience, how often do you find coins or dateable relics from the site you hunt? (Considering the site has been lightly hunted in the past or a virgin site)
Personally I've been surprised by the occasional find that dates much older than the site, but more often usually more modern even at the oldest sites.

[Ill Digger]

For instance, if a house is built in 1900 I'm not surprised to find a coin from the 1880s or even the 1870s. And yes occasionally you'll get a nice surprise and get something that's 50 or 60 years older than the date of the house. And sometimes it seems like the place must have been hunted in the early 1980s! 👎

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[del]

I've found coins up to a 100 years older than a site before , I think its happened twice now . Coins 20 to 30 years older than a site wouldn't be to out of reach .

[Digger_O'Dell]

Some coins a couple decades older than the site I would guess is common as they were likely still circulating while the site was occupied. Anything much older probably was lost before the site was first built on.

I've only had 1 instance I can think of finding a significantly older coin. That being my first largie which dates about 70 years prior to the building. Usually I go to sites that date to the 1870s for example that were torn down in maybe the 1950s and find late 1960s and 70s clad coins. Go figure.

[badgers325]

I hear you DOD. The 1904O Barber half I just found was on a 1910s house site that was torn down in the 1980s. It seems like it is Murphy's law that I just want to go out and enjoy a few hours listening to beeps and I end up with a great coin. Other times I dive into research with high hopes only to get disappointed. Why I cannot find any other coins on this site is beyond me. I haven't hit the whole "yard" yet, so I am crossing my fingers in hope of hitting "under the clothes line" area someday.

[Ken C]

I pretty much detect farm fields exclusively and the finds will span hundreds of years. The field where I found my 1760 KG II also gave up an 1833 half dime, 1855 seated dime and Indians/wheats by the handful. Farm field are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get lol,

[badgers325]

That is awesome Ken. Metal detecting at it's finest. It would be mind blowing to find something in the 1800s in WI other than IHPs.

[Joe Dirt]

Oddly, the older coins I've found have been eyeball specials. Otherwise, sites that have a lot of present day traffic tend to be current coins.

[BKM]

Check your change.

You likely have a coin or two from the 80's or even 70's sitting wherever you throw change in your car. Coins were more in use in the past so it's not surprising to find coins 20,30,40+ years older than the house.

And depending on where you are, an 1880's house could have been built on much older farm land, it's not uncommon.

[bamaart]

Sometimes newer stuff is not bad...I found a 1920 gold class ring at a 1700's site.

[Digger_O'Dell]

Sometimes newer stuff is not bad...I found a 1920 gold class ring at a 1700's site.

Always nice to find gold!

[Caretaker]

what do you mean age of the site, I live on the coast of Maine and my area was settled in 1630, so anything is possible, most stuff is late 1700 to preasent, in the fields I find a wide variable of finds and dates, close to a cellar hole, I find a 50 year span to when the house was built is common, I was in NH for a few years detecting and find this to be similar too, if you check your pocket for coins, I bet you can find a 50 year old coin a lot