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Coin Hunters, What Do You Dig With?


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I use a garret coin probe to check fror canslaw and a gasket scraper to pop the coins. And and a pinpointer to start it all out. If it's a little deeper an a.m. leanord garden knife. Out where I can dig a bit the predator raptor gets switched for the garden knife. The coin probe will scratch a coin but for clad and jewellery no problem.

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It's quite obvious that most of you only search for or expect to only find clad coins.

It is most important to use a probe that won't damage a good coin like rare dates or gold coins.

Once probed and located, you know where to dig. 

Never "pop them with a screwdriver" unless you are just collecting them to pay for fresh batteries.

Of course, if the situation dictates, use a shovel and give it plenty of room.

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dont know about anyone else but' all the silvers and copper coins iv dug have been way out of screw driver popping reach... Iv got no dramas scratching current tender' but the odd silver/copper here and there will be a woops! 

No a chance walking around with anything like a spade ' the local council will have my A$$.

 

 

 

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anyone have trouble with pebbles using a probe to look for the target. I'm in the foothills and frequently run into a lot of small rocks and not sure if i would know what's stopping the probe, if it was a rock or a coin...or, inexperience. 

if I'm not cutting a small plug to flop over, I've been pinpointing the target with the TRX and pressing my digging tool to approximately the depth i believe the target to be and about an inch away from the pinpoint and prying open the dirt, 50/50 the coin is still deeper vs in the sod that flipped up. everything folds back into the hole and after a little brushing with my shoe, not to much worse for wear and tear...most all the time. occasionally a little more effort is required for sufficient restoration so nothing looks out of place, but those spots are usually reserved for where they center the ball on soccer areas and the like.

is that similar to others probe technique...anything i can do to improve how this is accomplished will speed up recovery and help to reduce any unnecessary impact on the turf.

thx

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Art, stoney ground is always a problem that makes probing nearly useless. In grass or anywhere that you might cut a full plug or a half-moon plug there is another way that I use. Try cutting a slit in the turf about 4-6 inches long and deep enough to get through the upper surface, then use a flat surface to pry the grass away from center-line. Insert your pinpointer and find the target. Then carefully pull the target/dirt out until you find the target. You can then replace the dirt, pack it in, push the sides of the grass together and brush away any loose dirt...the hole will be gone...

way easier to show you than tell you...

fred

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Fred, that was a great explanation, I could see what you were saying and cutting a slit is not a technique ive tried. I'm going to give it a shot next time out.

thank you, clark

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I use a Lesche for most digs and a Sampson Shovel wherever I can get away with it.   I pass up most coins in the first 3" except for quarter signals  because I am primarily looking for old coins and silver.  I use Fredmasons technique mentioned above for shallow digs and cut a plug for everything else..

I have a different experience than Steve in my area and dig quite a few coins with decent value so I am very careful when I get that deep copper silver signal when I dig.  Last week I dug a 1921 D Mercury dime and a 1931 S penny on the same day. The local coin dealer offered $350 for the dime and $40 for the penny.  A scratch on either one would have cut the price in half or more.

Bryan

 

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Steve, be mindful you are not in Anchorage anymore. I 'm getting the feeling a gold coin is due and if you post it with a big scratch ..........

 

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