GB_Amateur

Three Dragoon buttons in one day would be unusual by itself, but then you get a (silver) Real on top of it! Nicely done, Dan. You and your friend have a sweet hunting spot, obviously. BTW, the US didn't really convert to US coins exclusively until late 1850's, and that was in the East. Then the Civil War happened.... I'm not downplaying your Spanish coin find, just pointing out that foreign coins circulated freely in the US for the first half of the 19th Century. The fact that Dragoon regiments disappeared just before the CW confirms what you already know -- that your site was occupied prior to that. The Mexican American War (1846-48, which among other 'acquisitions' included today's California) was probably the sweet spot for Dragoon buttons. Could your site be that old?

It does?

This is an auction. The $0.99 is the starting price. It's typical for sellers to start at a low selling price. (For example, look at Serious_Detetecting starting prices for used detectors.) The dealer on that quarter has 2700+ listings currently. Take a look at some of his others. (Click "see other items" in the Seller Information box.) I don't know how easy it is to create a false feedback rating on Ebay but I would hope the site would detect that. This seller has almost a half million feedbacks and a 100% positive rating.

Good advice from Chase, as usual. One thing I can say about the Eqx 800 in my town -- the EMI is far more noticeable than any other detector I own. One part of learning the Eqx (long term) is learning to deal with EMI. For me the noise cancel function has a chance if the chatter isn't bad. If that chatter is bad then I have to go to other measures, such as turning down the gain (sensitivity) and/or lowering the recovery speed. It's been mentioned that sometimes just changing modes helps. Another thing to remember (Steve H. has emphasized this many times) is that EMI varies considerably in space and time. For example, one of my parks has a lot of EMI. I've had to to run single frequency on quite a few occasions there (which still makes the detector usable but of course we buy an Eqx to be able to run multifrequency). A couple days ago I was there running in Field 2 and even at gain 20 (I think recovery 5 or 6) it was quiet. I walked (swinging) about 50 m west and started getting considerable EMI. Headed back the other direction and quiet again. That's the spatial variation. Other times you find that certain times of the day are bad and other times quiet.

And a good habit to establish, IMO.

OK, I have to ask: how do you get half a Wheat Penny?

I have a Vaquero with the stock 8"x9" concentric coil. I'm wondering if I should get a DD. There are quite a few out there, for example the Tesoro 5"x10" (stock on the Lobo SuperTraq) and similar size (open structure, though) by Mars and also Cors/Nel. I'm only interested in coin hunting with this detector. Anyone out there with experience care to comment whether or not I'll see (hear!) much difference if I get one of the DD's?

Great post, Daniel! I say that because it has given me a lot to think about, particularly when you said: I'm about 40% through Andy Sabisch's book. He talks about how all the possible adjustments/settings provide a universe (my word, not his) of setups, and that not taking advantage of them could mean running the detector in suboptimal mode for the given site. He emphasizes occasionally not immediately digging a target but rather to change modes and/or settings and trying to find the combination that best responds to that target. Now you add the above. Nice day today and I'm pumped to find a few hours to rehunt with different mode/settings! Thanks. Regarding small items, I had an interesting experience the other day. I was in my favorite hunting ground and got a weak but clean signal with TID varying between 26 and 28. No iron grunt whatsoever -- two directional nice signal. I was sure it was at worst a Wheat Penny and hoping for a silver dime. I mean this was as good of a signal as I've ever heard in that TID sweetspot, and the fact that it was weak meant 'deep'. I was running Park 1, gain 20, recovery speed 4 or 5 (don't remember). I put the TRX tip on the ground fully not expecting a peep and got a weak to moderate response. My heart started to sink right then. About an inch or inch and a half the target was out of the hole. Thumbtack! I've found thumbtacks before but they've never been this high of TID. For comparison, roofing nails usually hit around 22-23 when they are optimally oriented. Maybe this thumbtack was brass/copper, but I still wouldn't have expected such a high hit. Now I'm starting to wonder if there was a coin deeper.... I almost always recheck my holes no matter what I pull out, but in my disappointment maybe I forgot. Another lesson learned. Now please excuse me while I go get my detector and head back to that spot. ?

Those alone really narrow down the possibilities. I was wondering about other WWII Utahs, such as the battleship sunk at Pearl Harbor and the beach at Normandy (D-Day Invasion). Another important observation. The quality of the craftmanship tends to indicate a low grade. The GI's often had a lot of time on their hands, whether during training or awaiting battle. And recall that many servicemen/servicewomen even during WWII were not on the front lines but rather supporting those who were. Memories of home were often among the free time distractions. Bottom line, goldbrick, is that I think you are on the right track.

Well, I might have made my usual mistake of putting in too much detail/requirements. I think some of you picked up on what I was getting at. Detectors have improved over the years, although (not surprisingly) not in a steady trend. Gold, in particular, but even relics and coins, have been constantly vacuumed up. If you start too early, you have lots of good sources but little capability to find them. If you start too late you have great tools but limited sources. Is there a sweet spot in between? Here's something to keep in mind (and note that silver tends to track gold) -- see graph below. The sweetspot probably occurred somewhere between the late 70's and the new millenium for gold, coins, and maybe relics. Jewelry is a bit different in that there is a source component (fresh drops) as well as a sink component (finds reducing the supply), but as has been noted on this site multiple times, among the common person gold has lost its luster. Otherwise why are we finding these disappointing titanium and tungsten-carbide wedding bands? So which detectors were the right ones to swing? Here I'm even less certain, but the Garrett Groundhog, Fisher CZ series and Gold Bug I & II, and several White's Goldmasters come to mind in the IB/VLF world. Minelab PI's (although apparently quite expensive throughout their history) have led the way, if you could afford them. Yeh, these are the kind of things I think about when I'm spending several hours finding the crumbs left behind.... ?

Inspired by the recent thread: I've thought up the following question. This is (obviously) a hypothetical/ficticious situation but I think the replies might answer the question in this topic title. Suppose a Genie shows up providing you with the following opportunity. You will be transported back in time for a 10 year period, starting time is your choice. Once the 10 years are over you return to June, 2019 as if you never left. Once transported you will not have any knowledge/memory of the future ('future' defined as anything after the date of your arrival) but will have a passion for treasure hunting. You will be 30 years old, single, with a college degree in science education and a high school teaching job (and salary) consistent with that degree. You get three months per year off (you get to choose the months). You will be provided with a 4WD camper, an initial $3000 (important, January 2019 dollars!, to account for inflation) or the equivalent in the country of your chosen location. The purpose of this money is to buy a metal detector (that existed at that time -- no taking a modern detector back with you!) and other appropriate recovery equipment and materials. In addition, each succeeding year for 9 years you will get an addition $1000 (2019 equivalent). To drive home this $3000, 2019 equivalent, here are some actual year amounts for the initial stipend: 1951--$300. 1956--$317. 1961--$352. 1966--$376. 1971--$470. 1976--$657. 1981--$1028. 1986--$1294. 1991--$1590. 1996--$1824. 2001--$2086. 2006--$2342. 2011--$2601. 2016--$2798. You can answer for either coin/jewelry/relic/beach/cache detecting or electronic prospecting. That is, your 'passion' can be in one or the other. When, Where, Why?

Great post, Gerry, and I can say that never having hunted on a saltwater beach. Not only is it chocked full of objective info, but a lot of diplomacy as well. I know your primary occupation is treasure hunting, but I get the impression there is salesmanship somewhere in your background. ?

Welcome, Hobo6228! You are asking the right questions at the right place. Here are some threads you should read: https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/3531-first-texas-value-fisher-f44-teknetics-eurotek-patriot-bounty-hunter-land-ranger-pro-etc/page/2/#comments https://www.detectorprospector.com/metal-detector-database/teknetics-minuteman-r98/ https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/8616-how-to-get-started/?tab=comments#comment-85792 One thing you'll notice is that difficult ground comes in many categories, and the detector(s) that can handle it in one place may not work in another. It helps to have locals (for example, metal detecting club members and knowledgeable dealers) who are familiar with the conditions you expect to hunt. Treasure Mountain Metal Detectors is located just south of Knoxville, TN and have prices that are competitive with most Ebay dealers. It couldn't hurt to contact them. They may be familiar with your area and its ground conditions: http://treasuremtndetectors.com/metal-detectors/ Unfortunately you will come in contact with people who have a favorite detector and are not very knowledgeable about other models. That can happen anywhere (even here...?) and it's good to diplomatically probe a bit. Another thing that occurs too often is that you state a price ceiling and you get recommended detectors that cost way over that. I'm pretty sure there is a detector (and probably multiple detectors) that will work adequately in your area and are in your price range.

Great finds, Strick! I agree that those officer hat pins are the highlight. One is almost brand new (I see you had to straighten out the bent rim) and the other well worn. Or is the wear actually just the result of a poor strike? Why would a hat pin suffer a lot of wear? Also, do you know what that tag marked 'Utah' is?

Yesterday I was hunting a curb strip which I'm pretty sure had power transmission lines buried under it. Even the single frequencies (including 10 kHz, 15 kHz and 20 kHz which usually work fine in my EMI) got noisy at gains 20 and above, and even in the high teens for 10 kHz. I was able to run quietly enough with motion in Park 1, multifrequency, ground balanced, recovery speed 5, all metal, and gain of 16. Then I remembered the above tip and tried recovery speed of 4. I was able to turn the gain up to 19 before the EMI noise equaled that running at gain of 16 (recovery speed 5). As long as the trash isn't too bad, I've found that recovery speed of 4 works pretty well. As the nails (in particular) start to get more dense I have to go up to 5, 6, or even 7.

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_standards Britannia silver has a millesimal fineness of at least 958. The alloy is 95.84% pure silver and 4.16 per cent copper or other metals. The Britannia standard was developed in Britain in 1697 to help prevent British sterling silver coins from being melted to make silver plate. It was obligatory in Britain between 1697 and 1720, when the sterling silver standard was restored. It became an optional standard thereafter. That's my guess.

Do you mean 'all metal'? Of the five Jeffies I can see 3 dates: 1962, 1961, 1940(?). If the Buffie, Warnick, and two Wheaties didn't already tip us off, I can see you are in a site with old coins. Hope they clean up. I suspect you'll be going back again. ?

As a proponent of detectorprospector.com, you won't be disappointed with that aspect. ?

Congrats on digging an Equinox TID = 17 target. In a modern setting I'd bet dollars to donuts (ha, ha -- a donut costs almost a dollar today, unlike when this phrase was coined) that you were digging can slaw. I wonder if the tone quality tipped you off. At any rate, IMO it's a small 'price' to pay digging a relatively shallow target (expending about 60 seconds) on the chance that it's a keeper. Sterling is always a worthwhile find in my book, and at that weight you've got $15+ of silver. Thanks for posting.

Welcome Zemetrius! I think the Gold Prospectors Assoc. of America (GPAA) has a show in LV every other year, in the spring. If you haven't been to that (or even if you have), I think you will learn a lot. The lectures (Saturday only?) are great and the vendors are typically knowledgeable and do demos. Ask a lot of questions. There are so many types of gold recovery equipment and you'll see pretty much all of it (hobbyist level apparatuses, that is) at a GPAA show. Also, if you get to the Phoenix area (probably more than a day round trip from you, though?) make sure to stop by A&B Prospecting in Mesa. (I think they have a satellite store in Prescott, but I've never been to it.) Tons of prospecting and gold recovery equipment there.

Dan, does this mean you accept +9 and above and (mentally) reject anything below that? Or do you give yourself the option of digging sometimes when less than +9? Just curious -- I've never hunted a US Civil War site. That coat button in particular is a beaut. Again, don't know much about CW relics but I have a feeling this is fairly rare.

Welcome, Pimento! Nice to see you appreciate the antiques. ? And there are quite a few of us here who like to tinker with our detectors. You fit right in. Share some pics of your finds. Your part of the world has in-ground history over 10 times as old as ours, as I'm sure you know. Even your 'new' stuff excites many of us.

Quite a site you've found, and nice work on the recoveries. Do you have the 6" coil? I'm curious if that will help find a few more between the iron background. Does the Standing Liberty 25 centpiece have a date? How about the Buffies? Get back there ASAP!

The Teknetics Patriot (same as Fisher F70) is still on the market at $400, its introductory price for almost two years now. This is an excellent coin and relic detector that has an all metal mode so can find natural gold (not the smallest gold since it operates at 13 kHz). It comes with the F70/F75's top coil -- the 7" X 11" DD. For those who have a budget that maxes out below $500, IMO it's got to be in the running if not the best choice. It has the best ergonomics in the business which should be a factor, particularly for the older detectorists among us. (I have an F75 -- its sister detector.)

Yeh, it's kinda surprising Minelab made the screen protector with its button hints cover the detector logo. Once you've had enough experience stepping through the menu (and recognizing the menu item pictograms) you can replace the screen protector with one that doesn't have the menu labels. I did just that, actually using laptop/tablet screen protector which has a more diffuse finish and thus less reflection than the supplied ones. Still nice of them to include those, though.