Gerry in Idaho

All of about 3 ounces is all I was able to get my coil over. Did manage 1 nice specimen though.

I get asked so many questions in the early Spring about Gold Detectors, one of my specialties. To help some of you newer members to DetectorPropspector that use a Ground Balance capable VLF gold detector, this video I did a few years back on the White's GMT will help you. Even if you have the newer Gold Monster 1000 with no Threshold, this video has some recovery tips to help. Proper Coil Control and correct recovery tools are very important when trying to find tiny gold.

You better take more than 1 machine for sure. Back when I went there to donate sweat to the flies, I took 2 GP-3500's and a GB-2. I sold one of my 3500's after the trip to Jack Lange, as the amount of gold I found did not allow the weight for me to take 3 machines back home. The SDC-2300 being so compact is a serious consideration in my book.

The new coils for the SDC-2300 by CoilTek will not void your warranty. Trevor himself told me this. CoilTek has a great working relationship with Minelab and in fact makes coils for the X-Terra series, the FBS series detectors, the CTX-3030 and of course the SD, GP and GPX series. Minelab is best known for spending time making "Metal Sensing Technology" and new detectors that fin us more treasures. Would you want to be the Minelab Engineer that gets handed the job of "making a coil"?

I'm taking names for a Pre Order LIST here in the US (not even on my web site yet) so contact me direct. Trevor at CoilTek called and was giving me some info on these coils that is not in the brochure. The prices are in the photo below I am posting, as is my business name. Realize I am not taking money, just getting names for those who want one. Are these coils for everyone who owns an SDC-2300? I would never say such, but I do not know. The 10" ellip coil will be able to sniff out tiny nuggets better than the stock 8" coil and will also have 2" more of ground coverage per sweep. Many of the folks already are familiar with Elliptical coils and their ability to get up under brush and rocks, in those tight areas nuggets like to hide and the areas others can't get their larger coils (virgin ground pockets). The 11" round coil will give the most depth on larger gold and you get 3" more of ground coverage. It is the deepest of the 3 accessory coils and vs the stock coil on bigger gold. The 14x9" is a hybrid coil which will offer best ground coverage per sweep and increased depth on larger gold. If you already own a GPX or GPZ along with the SDC, then you probably do not need one of these coils. But I imagine that is not most of the folks who own an SDC-2300. Here is a fact that just happened 2 weeks ago with my staff members in AZ. One was using his SDC-2300 with stock coil and found a small patch of nuggets. He cleaned the patch out and called Lunk over with his GPZ-7000. Sure enough, Lunk smiles with a golden grin. He shows Wade exactly the spot and lets Wade listen. Wade spent some time on the target and went through all the settings, trying to get the signal to respond and nothing. Luck carefully removed a few inches and let the SDC check it. Sure enough, Wade could finally hear it. Folks it was just a matter of a few inches and Wade would have had the largest nugget of the hunt. He feels the 11" round would have heard it and paid for the coil right there. What was the nugget Wade missed in that small patch? Just another 1/3 oz'er to ad to Lunks collections. Again, Contact Gerry's Metal Detectors if you want to get on the Pre Order List (not taking payments until I have them in stock and I call you to ship) to get one sooner as Trevor said there will be a limited supply coming into the US at 1st, which is typical.

Thanks for all the nice comments and additions folks. It is so funny to see a few of our favorite finds are actually not very valuable at all if in $$ terms. Well a few of them are and that 3 legged Buff OneGuy found is certainly nice. How did you get the toning to look so nice? Jim, You always have a way to make your finds look so special too and I really enjoy seeing them. To me, the research to find a not so well known site is fun. Then drive across 3 states to get there and walk around for a couple days hoping to recover a coin valued at .65 cents... Indian Head Cent from the 1880's is even more fun. My research and detecting skills located the site and I was able to save a treasure from it. I look forward to seeing others value ideas, finds and stories.

I have not run a 3030 since last Fall. I sold mine as I have an E-Trac with X-1 probe and 15" WOT if I need DEPTH. I know, I need to pst some pics of my MX finds, but I don't want to look like I am bragging, to much anyway.

Thanks for the kinds words guys. Cal, My beach hunting buddy does the same as yours. He'll sell the rings to help offset the cost for our next Adventure. Me, I let the wife wear her choice and put others in the safe deposit box. Someday down the road, I'l probably get rid of a few rings, but I do not need toe money at this time. Not sure I could ever sell my coins though, at least not the valuable ones as there are way to good of stories behind them. Now common silvers, I'll be selling them sometime down the road when I feel the spot price silver is good. OneGuy, Tat is a stunner 3 Legged Buff and your toning on it is nice too. Yes those rare (not in value) older coin finds we make out West are usually some of my most memorable hunts. My 1st really nice old US coin from out West, was a trip to a mining town with my father. It was a Barber Half and he was even more excited and happy for me than I was. Thanks for sharing some of yours and I'm sure you had emotions and excitement as you looked for the photos and posted your story too. Keep the True Value stories coming everyone.

Thanks for the detailed "Magic Settings" which I am sure many people are setting up as we read.? You could have just as easily posted a pic of the Barber Dime and got some ?'s up, but the extra details is what helps so many others. Even mentioning the smooth even wear of the Barber and actual weight loss compared to a new one...and realizing it was probably a later drop coin, is golden. Keep it up GB, I like your swing.

I recently got carried away and added some off topic info and photos to a post when I asked about Where are all the Beach Finds. TMox & GB_Amateur shared info that was good. Sorry for adding some off topic stuff, so I edited and am starting a new post. Is the true value of a find, what someone is willing to pay or is it what you feel it is worth? I think it is a little of both and here is my spin. I was chasing big gold nuggets at a well known Big Gold Mining camp in AK 10+ years ago. In fact, it was Steve who talked me into going there as he knew I was pretty good with a detector. Back in the day when he and I were both Minelab Dealers (when he worked for a living), we used to bump stories and detector knowledge off each other. Anyway, I found a beauty of a coin in the old original part of the camp which is upstream from the current camp. It was an 1882 Morgan Silver Dollar. I was so excited to recover this piece of history and it was only my 3rd or 4th silver dollar find in my carrier, at that time. Well when I got back camp and showed the other nugget hunters and the families who owned the mine, I could tell they really wanted it, especially Mrs. Wiltz. She even offered to buy it from me for $100. Now this is when the value comes in. At the time and current, the 1882 Morgan Dollar in that condition would probably sell for $20 to $30. But yet I have one of the Mine owners offering me 3 to 5X is book value? My heart wanted to keep her happy, but I could not let it go so easy. Finding a Morgan silver dollar is extremely rare (even though there are millions, YES- millions) with a metal detector at an old site. $100 is a great offer and I would never get that same from a coin store. But when you don't need the money, it doesn't mean as much. I declined, as I told her I wanted to take it home and share with my dad, the same guy who helped me learn detectors as a young kid back in the early 70's, my mentor. I also wanted to enter it into the Metal Detecting Club - Finds of the Month Contest. Fast forward to the following Summer of 2006. I took it back up there and to this day (I think anyway) it is still hanging on the wall up for everyone to see. The memories, shakes, natural high I was going though when dug was priceless. Letting my father flip that coin a few times (amongst the much more valuable gold nuggets) while I told the story and watching him light up as he was so proud of me, was worth it. Getting to tell the story over again at the metal detecting meeting and of course winning the "Best Coin of the Month" category, was worth it. Seeing the smile on Mrs Wiltz face when I handed the plaque to her, was worth it. Heck, I spent close to $300 for the custom matting and framing....and it was worth every penny of it. A $20 coin worth Memories of a lifetime is the true value in my mind. 1st 3 pics are of the Frame, the silver dollar, with certificate and photos of find. Last 2 shots are actual pics of the moment I dug it up. I'll never forget that day. What's your thoughts of true value?

Rob, Any silver day (especially 3) is a great day at a park. What I enjoy is the odd bits. The small little narrow item looks to be a brooch that has enamel work in it? Would love to see a close up of it and the ear ring is the wire ear ring, if it is sterling. I love odd ornate pieces.

Another fine example of "S" sweetness. Could be for Seated, Shiny, Stunner, Sensational, Scratched?. But I prefer "S" for San Francisco and that is one fine lady. Even the old pros nix a coin on occasion.

Well put GB. Just like some of my gold nugget finds. Some folks say they are high dollar and others feel they are more common. I know for a fact they are worth at least "melt value". But in reality...they are not worth anything until the day they are sold. I had stock one time worth over $100 a share and then the semi conductor market crashed and my $100 stock was worth $6. Funny thing was, I never actually had the cash sitting in a pile in front of me, it was all on the internet. So 1 day it would be valued at $100,000 and the next it is valued at $6000. At the end, it is just a number. The cool thing about Tim's find is he found it and can look at it every day. He'll remember that day and the excitement it generated.

Folks, Silver coins that have been in salt water for years eventually pit. The value of these coins is not even close to what book says. Book is just an indicator and almost never the genuine price. Coin Tracker and Grey Sheet are more inline to what someone will pay. That coin could have XF detail, but more likely F or VF and it would get serious downgrade for Environmental Damage. I am only saying this as I want folks to be realistic. It is a superb find no matter if it is worth melt or 4 figures, but the photos of that coin is not even close to 4 figures. On the bright side. It is a Seated Liberty Quarter that has a readable date and mint mark and YES it is a very low mintage. Fabulous find either way and I would be proud of saving it.

Hey, You found my toofs.? I got sick to my stomach last night at the local park after a 6 pack of dark and foamies and puked my dinner along with my toofs. So cool of a find and it has happened to a few folks.

Only similar if set to 50 tones. The BBS and early FBS used Multi Tones and it taught us to listen. My 1st two Minelabs were early Sov models and I hated them with a passion, as they sounded like an orchestra and church choir competing with each other. My old school single tone mind did not care for a new language. It was only after a few of my own newbie customers with their BBS machines started outperforming me in cherry picking silver that I realized I needed to go back to Detector School and allow something new between my ears. Tones and the more of them is what I call "Music to the ears". My favorite machine of BBS and FBS was the Explorer-II or otherwise known as the "Silver Slayer". It has been mentioned before, but time on the machine with an open mind willing to learn a new language "tones" will allow you to grow into a better hunter.

Those are certainly life changing finds my friend and thanks so much for sharing your success. Please stop in on occasion and give us something to dream about..

I've heard stories of this legend of a gold hound man but was never a pleasure to meet him. Yes another of Northern Nevada Legend's who is swinging better golden pastures "the Smokey Baird" mentioned him to me a few times. Others, 2 pound Dick, a regular at the T & A, knew and spoke of him also. T-Bone, Jim Malone and Sue Thompson- now Sallee, were all well known big gold grabbers back in the 90's. In fact, the last time I was down Jungo Road, I swung by the T-Bone Memorial on the tracks near Pronto. I was fortunate back then as Largo (great Boise guy) took me down and introduced me to many of them. Back then a VLF machine was able to do well and getting 1 ounce weekends was not unheard of. Old Chuck Graff and his wife from TX spent the summers down there and boy did he have a collection. Jim Malone owned "Lunker Hill" and many 1+ oz'ers with a few monsters came off that knob. My 1st instructor on VLF gold machines, the famous "Gordon Zahara" who taught me at the Rye Patch burn barrel where I still train customers (some 20+ yrs later) and find a few nuggets, was also swinging the desert asphalt and eluvium fans forming from the high slopes working down across the desert floor. Lunk became a good friend of Smokey and luckily towards the end was able to hear some of the great stories probably mentioned in the Ben Thompson writings. If you ever decide to sell that piece of history Dave, please let me know. Nice find BTW and thanks for sharing some old memories.

That's what I'm talking about right there. Love those "crusty black discs". Fantastic saves Rob and thanks for sharing. Hope to see more of your finds on here too.

Reading what Steve and NE posted about VET's makes me realize the difference in cultures and the change we have had in the US. It is funny when I speak with some of my customers about a VET discount. A few of them are ashamed and prefer to not even let folks know. Others are proud of their service and you can see it on their sleeve or the truck they drive. I guess that is part of the freedom of America. As for the newer trend, I see many businesses promoting Military Discounts, Veterans Day Promotions and other saving to military. I know we are getting a little off detecting topic so if you feel this post needs removed Steve, I do understand. One recent VET discount I just found out.. was a great deal for me is with Verizon. My current plan allows for a 15% Military discount and my new plan gets me a flat $35 off each months bill. They also offer a discount for First Responders (even non military). As for the FREE 19" coil for USA purchasers of a new GPZ-7000, I also recall a year ago that Australia was running a similar ad and we did not get the same one here in US. I had a couple customers purchase from Australia just for the free coil.

I'm still reading posts for little bits of CA Beach Hunting tips, listening to those who actually make finds and learning what I can from this helpful forum. Yet to do a Beach Hunt on CA., but one of these times I'm going to hop a plane for a few days and try it out. Problem is trying to figure out which beach has the cut and when it will happen as trying to get a last minute flight can get expensive. Tim, I actually fished the Eel River for salmon back in the 70's. That river has had some major floods with serious earth movement back in the 60's. Thanks for updating your save. Thanks for putting my dreams to rest guys and I will have to go back to dreaming big gold in tailing piles and where I feel the next one will come from. As for my easy breath strapless leather chaps, those are tolerable. It is the holster that packs my 6 shooter you need to worry about.

Love the videos and finds. How you were able to videotape that cow pissing on the Barber made me realize, I need to quit putting my finds in mouth. I need to get some "newbie juice" as you call it and I am most certain the salty shivers will go away.

Very nice save TMox. Please give us the story with that Seated save. Key Date coin too (low mintage 80K) makes it even more desirable.

As a military Veteran myself (USMC) and one who did not know where my DD-214 was, I've learned where and how to get it. There are also other forms of ID that Gerry's Detectors will accept and get you the 15% discount. Each state is a little different but for those who are not sure, call me for details. This is a fantastic dollar amount of savings on higher end detectors (15%) and right now combining the VET $1200 savings and a FREE $1500 19" coil on the GPZ-7000, plus the 3 Days of Field Training we offer...what better way to enjoy ones retirement or getting all your toys purchased for those golden years. Even the very popular Equinox 800 (true multi purpose detector) allows a VET a $135 savings. And don't forget the FREE "Metal Detector Basics Class" I offer to all general purpose and multi use detector sales. 1st class is Saturday March 16th, provided the snow has melted.

Those are two find sterling rings. Love the design of the red stone ring.