GB_Amateur

'Wow' doesn't do this justice, but that's the best word I can come up with! I have Donald H. Kagin's Private Gold Coins and Patterns of the United States and you've inspired me to read up on this private California mint. You can see a fairly substantial excerpt here. I sometimes try and grade coins from photos posted here, but I'll forego such an attempt other than to say the condition is obviously high (not news to anyone...). Apparently these coins circulated quite a bit on average, but yours didn't. Easily a 4 figure coin. Territorial issues aren't as widely collected as official US mint coins but that doesn't take away from its rarity nor the pride in finding one. It's great to have metal detecting friendships and yours and Strick's must be one of the best. At least it was until this showed up. 😅

There is a field of academia called "behavioral economics" which is related to this phenomenon. One big category studied is 'confimartion bias' which effectively says we erroneously and selectively agree with and recognize things that are in line with our preconceived notions. An eye-opening, understandable book written by Dan Ariely is Predictably Irrational which covers this and many related fallacies.

Ok, but what about the signals you don't dig?

Which Columbus? (May 2 in Ohio or May 23 in Georgia?)

Isn't it just about density? Big pieces of gravel are typically (at least in the US Midwest) limestone with a specific gravity around 2.7. That's kind of typical of common rocks/minerals, including quartz. Magnetite and hematite are in the 5.2 - 5.3 s.g. range. Native metals (and especially the noble metals we all lust for) are much higher.

Recently the GPAA has had six shows per year, four in the US West in the Spring and two in the US East in Autumn. This year they are changing that pattern, with eleven shows all in the first five months of 2020. I haven't read their intentions but I'm sure Kevin Hoagland and crew will be explaining the strategy in their publications. I've gotta think it's good for everyone involved. I've only attended two so far but with 11 on the calendar I'll be disappointed if I can't find a way to make my third this year. Open to the public for a nominal fee ($5 ahead of time and $10 at the door).

Caches are probably the holy grail of treasure hunting. Here you and Peg report on finds from different troves within a couple weeks of each other, proving they are still out there. Most of us are left dreaming, probably for the rest of our days. But rather than acrimonious envy, I feel good that you have succeeded. Thanks to both of you for keeping those elusive dreams alive.

I've never had that great of a post-hunt surprise and probably never will. Great job, both in your hunt but also in your perseverance to find out what you really had, and well deserved , too. A great piece(s) of history to boot!

Could it still be minimally filtered, non-motion ("all metal" non-motion of, for example, the F75)? It certainly seems that way in my experience.

People here and elsewhere have been wondering when China was gonna hit the metal detector market bigtime. Maybe that era is upon us. As of now I doubt the quality difference is going to hurt the serious manufacturers, but that will probably change if there's enough money to be made.

When I got my (used) Tesoro, the weakness I noticed was that the knobs don't lock and can be bumped. Here, IMO, is the best solution and will hopefully last a lifetime. It's multi-turn and lockable. You can buy just the knob or the knob and the potentiometer. I think the one I've linked is < 1 inch diameter (spec says "22.8 mm"). If you Google search "H-516 knob" you'll find a lot of them and may be able to choose your favorite supplier, etc. and/or a better price. The photo below is the H46 which is twice the diameter(!) but still the same design.

Here's something similar. But the ebay seller is unsure how old they are, so maybe this doesn't help much. Also they don't show the back.

This is suspicious. Copper is one of the highest conductors (pure copper second only to pure silver). Even copper alloys hold their conductivity well when alloyed with most elements (nickel an obvious exception). Further, an annular ('ring') shaped piece sets up larger eddy currents which will lead to higher TID's. Consider that very small aluminum pieces which aren't annular shaped give positive ID's. And (annular) steel washers are known to give positive ID's. Did you hold it next to a magnet? That's the best iron detector. (Some stainless steels are non-magnetic, but those give moderate TID's in my experience.) Copper plating is common on iron/steel and will give the appearance of an item being copper. Pardon my skepticism, but I'm a scientist and we are trained to be such. 🤔

Weclome back! I think the above statement trumps all others. Even if you bought a new latest, greatest (whatever that might be) gold detector it will take time to learn it. If your gold hunting only occurs occasionally then you won't be able to do that detector justice. If you were on the prowl for a new general purpose detector, then getting one with high performance in the small gold region would be a different story. But if you are happy with your AT/Pro and other detectors you already own, well, from a cost efficiency standpoint you're probably best sitting tight. Here's something to keep in mind, and it does reflect my own experience. I'm going to make up a scenario which I'm sure isn't your situation, but you can extrapolate: you are going for a 2 week camping trip by yourself (or at least not with an expert gold detectorist) which will be dedicated to gold prospecting. You know that the general area you'll be in has produced placer gold in the past. If you take the latest, greatest gold detector the chances of you finding any gold is pretty small. I'll say easily <5% chance. The chances you'll find gold with the AT/Pro or similar VLF running in the neighborhood of 15 kHz is probably less, and maybe much less, but that depends upon how well you know the gold detector. You still might be better off with the AT/Pro just because of your familiarity with it compared to a new detector. This may be pessimistic, but it also may be optimistic! There are just so many factors that lead to success in finding gold that doing it on your own is a steep mountain to climb. However, that shouldn't discourage you. There is so much more to experience and enjoy, and learning what not to do is an important part of learning. If a gold producing area, then you may find some old coins. Just keep in mind that US laws are highly restrictive when it comes to collecting/removing artifacts and relics of potential historical value from federal land. (Coins seem to be an exception, but no law is ever 100% conclusively interpretable....)

What are the compositions of the tube and cap?

Nice find, Jeff! I'm glad I went for the Eqx 800 vs. Eqx 600 for three reasons: 1) ability to customize tone breaks; 2) WM08 module included; 3) gold mode. I'm sure if I didn't know about the 800 and/or only had access to the 600 I'd still like the detector, though. And of course $250 difference has got be a factor. Since my sister lives in the Denver area and I've hunted there with her (and with your Eureka Club) I'm wondering about your recovery techniques. I know the Denver city parks have tight restrictions on size and shape of digging tools, and some of the surrounding suburbs are more restrictive, even a few going so far as banning metal detecting. What tools and techniques do you use?

I always try to tag original (thread starting) posts but when I looked (alphabetically, apparently) I didn't find this one. When you write your "everything you ever wanted to know about using the detectorprospector.com forum" guide, 😁 could you please include the best way to access tagged topics? I don't see an option in the search function, although maybe I overlooked that, too.

Naptha can be bought at hardware stores. It's similar to the hydrocarbons in gasoline, but gasoline also has other additives as most know. Hexane is a purer form but otherwise similar. If your remember, or even still have, cigarette ligher fuel (Ronsonol in the blue and yellow small rectangular can is a common brand), that is also just naptha. So is 'White gas' or Coleman Lantern fuel.

Pardon my reaction, but that sounds like one of those "glad I didn't try that!" 😂 However, you show we have a lot of chances to experiment. Most of my coin finds aren't worth more than face value, and most of the remaining have bullion value only. I have found between 150 and 200 Wheat pennies and most are pretty unsightly. But I've also found a few Memorials with the same problems. Thus I'm going to do the expermintation on the Memorials and save the Wheats until I've found/perfected a method. Same goes with US nickels -- experiment with the trashiest late date Jeffersons before touching any decent date Jeffersons, let alone the Buffalo, Liberty (V-) and Shield varieties. As far as (90%) silver coins go, I only have a few which need work. It's mostly the water recoveries (and from what I've seen on this site, a few desert recoveries) that show problems with US silver coins. But I'll be willing to experiment if someone wants to send me one or two. (I'll return them, if there's anything left when I'm done in Dr. Frankenstein's lab. 😁)

One of the most controversial topics in metal detecting and coin collecting is that of cleaning coins. A lot of this comes from failure to define terms, such as purpose of cleaning and what ‘cleaning’ really means. I’m starting this thread as much to educate myself as anything. As such it is a bit of ‘brainstorming’. I’m not an expert although as is often the case, many of the people who claim to be such aren’t either. “Reader beware” has never been more true than in the 21st Century internet / social media world and this post is no exception. Numismatics is the fancy word for coin collecting, and the topic of coin cleaning must include facts and opinions coming from that segment of activity and knowledge. Here is a list of some of the concepts/issues/concerns expressed there: 1) A coin’s patina is important. ‘Patina’ is the natural toning that comes with age. This idea is shared with antique collecting, as is the concern over refurbishing/restoring/refinishing of antiques in general. It is almost universally accepted in numismatics that coins that haven’t been cleaned are vastly superior to coins that exhibit signs of having been cleaned. Whether or not you consider this reasonable, it’s locked in and not going to change. 2) Most of modern numismatics, and particularly the area with the largest investment, is in uncirculated coins. A lot of the information among numistmatists on coin cleaning relates to uncirculated coins. 3) Although “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a general cliche’, coins do change hands and many/most methods of cleaning cannot be reversed. Much of coin collecting (hell, much of the world in general) is about value and (permanent) cleaning has ruined a lot of coins’ values over history – thus the reason for major concern amongst numistmatists on this subject. What does ‘ruin’ mean? Reducing its value by 75-90% isn't uncommon. 4) Most collected coins did not spend years in the ground. The issues we detectorists experience are rarely even considered by coin collectors. 5) Often the word ‘cleaning’ among numistmatists is confused with ‘conservation’. The latter is loosely defined as removing foreign matter that in the long term will damage a coin. ‘Cleaning’ is simply trying to improve the appearance of a coin. Conservation is accepted, if done properly, of course. Even the two major grading services offer conservation options. 6) Statements such as the most common -- “never clean coins” -- or even the less dogmatic “cleaning should be left to professionals” may be well intentioned, but are neither informative nor practical. Who are these ‘professionals’? I suspect if you went to a coin show/convention and did a survey you would get very few answers to this question, but rather be referred back to #1 (“never clean coins!”). Although so far it may seem that numismatists are Chicken Littles, there is a lot of validity to their concerns. It’s just that you need to go past the cliche’s to understand that. Let’s start with an analogy many of us are familiar with – cleaning eyeglasses. What’s the best way to do that? (“Never clean eyeglasses” isn’t an option!) Fortunately micro-fiber cloth is a fairly modern convenience, and that (with a mild cleaning solution) is the proper method. But how many of us have used paper towels, cotton cloths (such as handkerchiefs or shirt-tails), etc. to accomplish the task? I have, and the results are eye-opening (no pun intended). Permanent scratches result, at least for modern plastic lenses (and that includes polycarbonate lenses). Abrasives are a common cleaning medium. Sandpaper is a good example. Would you clean your eyeglasses with sandpaper? Well, fibers in paper and cloth are also abrasives. That also applies to cleaning of coins. The naked eye may not notice fine scratches but coin grading involves magnification and then the scratches look like river valleys. (OK, I exaggerate.) What seem like minor differences in coin grades can translate to huge differences in value. Scratches are one of the things that determine coin grades. A very common occurrence in metal detecting, if YouTube videos are any indication, is the immediate rubbing of a coin when retrieved from the ground. The sand grains, etc., in the attached soil are abrasives! If you want to identify a recovered coin in the field, then take along a small spray bottle and blast the coin with water. (BTW, I’m aware that some perceived experts have claimed that water damages a freshly retrieved coin. While always holding out the possibility that my logic is wrong, ask yourself this question: how many years has this coin been in the ground, free from contact with water?!!!! Even the driest desert gets rainfall occasionally.) The reality is that many coins coming from the ground, especially those which contain mostly copper, are not attractive and sometimes not even identifiable without aggressive cleaning. If you’ve read this far, hoping to get some good answers, you are going to be disappointed. I don’t have them, yet. There have been a few threads on detectorprospector.com with discussion of cleaning methods. I’m not going to repeat those, nor even link to them since they are scattered. What I am going to do this year (new year’s resolution) is to both read more deeply and experiment with cleaning methods. I already own one book on the subject and just ordered two more from Amazon. My workshop is being upgraded to, among other things, make it more conducive to simple chemical experimentation. I’ll report back with my findings. In the meantime, here's an interesting discussion among coin collectors on the subject. Also, a well chronicled experience with one of the coin certification services regarding coin cleaning/conservation.

Absolutely my observation. People think the Vanquish is going to put Garrett out of business. I wonder if it will even make a dent in their sales. That Duracell battery commercial has likely gotten them more exposure than all the other detector manufacturers' ads in history! I say that because of the near-sighted view we get when we depend too much on the forums as indicating what the run-of-the-mill detectorist is reading and thinking. Walmart, Bass Pro Shops, Cabellas, Dick's Sporting Goods (oh, and I almost forgot Amazon) -- they have such a huge advantage when it comes to exposure. Back to your topic question, like 2Valen I don't have a local detecting club and I doubt there is one within 100 miles of me -- yes, I've searched for them. In the few recent years I've been dectecting around here, the detectors I've either seen or been told of people owning (alphabetically by manufacturer): First Texas: Teknetics Omega Garrett: AT/Gold and AT/Pro White's: V3i and Beachhunter Minelab: XT705, E-Trac, Equinox 800 Dealers are nearly non-existent within 100 miles. (And again, I've looked for them.) The only one I know of claims to be a multi-line dealer, but is only open twice a week for half a day each, doesn't answer the phone, and takes several days to answer e-mail, very curtly, as if they don't care if they get my business or not. (OK with me; they don't.) People like Gerry, Rob, Doc, and Brian are a dying breed.

OK, that doesn't pay as well as "OBstetrics Nurse" which was my first guess. Still pretty messy, though. 🙄

Welcome, Skullgolddiver! Yes, gold fever is going to mess with our brains. But there are only so many years for us (your 37 looks really good to us 60-somethings). Glad you have joined this great site and I look forward to your future posts.

Not close to my profession -- just a hobby. Now, as far as how to get it cleaned and graded -- great question! (How do I qualify a question as 'great'? If I've asked myself that same question many times and still don't know the answer. 😁) I'm going to write a separate thread on the subject. Was going to do that today but I'm running out of time so I'll make it tomorrow. Stay tuned. Update: here is the promised post/thread.

Impressive finds, all, Gerry. I really like the quarter. Metal detecting for old coins is a kind of stepping back in time. Although coin collecting comes in many forms, possibly the most popular (and certainly most affordabe!) is searching through pocket change and bank rolls. Thus I ask "when was the last time someone found a 1913-S Barber Quarter in circulation?" Realistically it was difficult to find them ever given their low mintage (~40,000 as you point out). Coin collecting took off after WWII. Barbers were no longer in cirulation when I started collecting in 1959 (or at least I never saw one). So the answer to my question is prior to 1960, and even by then it was very unlikely with ~1950 being a more realistic cutoff. Metal detecting has allowed you to step back in time by at least 60 years.