GB_Amateur

If that silver ring were a Standing Liberty Q you'd have a double (20th C.) triple, or is it a triple double??

I know you don't always investigate dates and mintmarks, but I suppose the Barber Quarter could be a 1913-S....  🤞🤞

On rare occasions someone experiences a detecting session that is too amazing to be made up.  Do you think there was some kind of trading post, etc. there in the first half of the 18th Century, with so many coins' dates being close together?

If this is a permission I hope the opportunity doesn't turn into a pumpkin, but even if it does you already have memories for the rest of your life.

A pinpointer can be put to good use in and around masonry, especially if there are cracks or openings you can poke it into.  The smallest coils (e.g. 4"x6" 'shooters') for standard metal detectors are a plus, too -- less area to pick up the inevitable nails in wood structures.

On 2/28/2024 at 4:07 PM, Mark Gillespie said:

Observation 1:  ...(With the XP Deus 2) I inadvertently must have slight raised to coil off the ground and the detector automatically went from a nice high tone to a low iron tone. Continued to sweep over the target, lowering to scrub the ground and the high tone with the ID returned, raised the coil and the iron tone and ID returned.  Experimented for over 15 minuted and never found a setting or program that didn't exhibit the same behavior when raising the coil only slightly.  To end this story the target was an 8" dime and by what I could tell laying perfectly flat.

On 2/28/2024 at 4:07 PM, Mark Gillespie said:

Observation 2:  ...(Fred) was using the Manticore and I the Equinox, if he raised the coil only slightly the Manticore would go silent with only an occasional high/low tone but no ID.  I tried the Equinox and basically got the same results.  Puzzling, intriguing.  Well anyway he dug and recovered a horse bridle relic.

On 2/28/2024 at 4:07 PM, Mark Gillespie said:

Observation 3:  (Earlier) I was hunting with the F75 and the 5" coil.  Located a nice repeatable tone and called Fred over with the Manticore and he got nothing, only silence, no audio or ID.  He tried every possible setting with no positive results.  Finally he switched to single frequency mode and the target came alive.  Still not satisfied, he experimented for quite some time yet never found a setting or combination of setting while in the Multi-Frequency mode that would indicate a target that the F75 had found.  Adding to this the Equinox exhibited the same type behavior.

I've taken the liberty of enumerating three things from Mark's initial post that started this thread.  It seems most of the discussion has centered on Observation 1.  Unfortunately (AFAIK) I haven't seen anyone who typically detects in mineralized ground take part in this discussion.  (Where's @Chase Goldman who's detected Culpeper, VA with many detectors?)  I can tell you this (as always the caveat 2-3 bar out of 6 Fe3O4 meter reading on the Fisher F75):  For in ground test targets, the F75 (13 kHz single frequency) goes from non-ferrous to ferrous as depth increases on high conductive coins (and maybe most/all non-ferrous targets).  BUT, in air tests, as the distance to the target increases, the signal stays high tone (non-ferrous), just getting weaker until it finally disappears.  The smoking gun points at signal/noise, with the signal being the target getting weaker with increased distance while the noise is ground mineralization, basically staying constant.  Eventually the ground wins ==> ferrous response.  No ground (air test) ==> no low tone.

More bothersome to me is Mark's Observation 3 where the Manticore and Equinox didn't even pick up a non-ferrous target in multifrequency when single frequency (which frequency? Mark never said) does respond for both detectors.

There is a significant difference between countries that circulate $1 and $2 (or equivalent) coins -- e.g. Canada and Australia -- than here in the USA where even the half dollar has gone the way of the dodo bird.

This isn't meant as demeaning to those who get a kick out of finding small denomination coins.  If you enjoy that, more power to you.  But for me, I'd rather find one wheat cent than a handful of clad quarters.

I don't see the hobby drying up for old coins and relics as quickly as circulating modern coinage disappears.  For sure jewelry today being more likely made of non-precious metals is a real issue, as is the loss of metal detectable native gold.  Those are what is causing deterioration for many of the more serious detectorists.  Research is still going to be rewarded, though, for coin and relic detecting in particular.

Metal detecting companies are selling the dream.  When you see an ad, what do they show?  Often it's Spanish Colonial era gold and silver, or modern gold jewelry, maybe some nuggets.  Do some show a handful of modern coins, IDK, but is that really going to excite very many people?  Robert Louis Stevenson, who died in 1894, probably did as much for metal detecting as most modern ads....

11 minutes ago, phrunt said:

I should get around to doing a post on that I guess,...

I second that.

(and you continued)  "...Just didn't think people would have much interest in a PI as a coin detector."

Which 'people' are you referring to?  😁  Just like with native gold detecting, there are conditions where a VLF will struggle and a PI shines.  The fact that you are impressed with its target ID means it likely has advantages over other PI's that some have used for coin detecting.

Besides, aren't you shifting from detecting season to skiing season soon?  Time's a wastin'!

6 hours ago, EL NINO77 said:

Now I'm curious about New Garrett.....

I think that was their intent.  Recall the video they made a few months ahead of the AT/Max release?  A guy with the detector climbing over large boulders in a mountainous area....  Of course Garrett isn't the only one who puts out these teaser videos.  Can you say 'Minelab'?

With the success of the Axiom, hopefully Garrett continues by releasing a new IB/VLF model which is high performance (and affordable -- one of Garrett's strong suits).

Amazing hunt for must of us, but seems like standard fare lately for you and @Chase Goldman.  😏

Is there a Theodore Roosevelt Museum somewhere?  They might be interested in that pin, and/or be able to tell you something more about it.

FWIW I actually found a jewelry box, with jewelry, detecting a modern school yard.  I felt a bit uneasy wondering if some disillusioned school girl tossed it out in a fit of exasperation after being dumped by her boyfriend....

You guys are wondering why only two (m/l) modern silver coins?  Why not put this place on the back burner until I can come visit later this year and help you clear more of that aluminum and iron trash?  😀

I'm impressed they had a transistorized design so early.  Commercially available transistors had only been around for about a year and commercially available products (e.g. portable radios) were still a couple years away.  (See Wikipedia entry.)

Around summer 1969 I bought an electronics magazine containing a metal detector project.  I built the PoS.  It was not even close to as nice of a package as the one you post from 14 years earlier!  Was it not until almost 1960 that the first commercially made transistorized metal detectors came into being?

On 2/20/2024 at 6:49 PM, BigSkyGuy said:

Under mildly oxidizing conditions, manganese metal oxidizes to a very soluble ion (Mn+2), unlike copper which forms a relatively insoluble oxide coating on the metal.

I see a minimum of three relevant environments for this discussion, and that is quite likely already an oversimplification:  1) saltwater, 2) acidic soil, 3) basic soil.  I've talked to some agricultural experts regarding the latter two and both can be found here in the greater Midwest, naturally, but basic dominates.  I emphasize 'naturally' because fertilizers are often used to changed the pH (i.e. the acidity vs. basicity) so what you get in the cultivated field could be different than surrounding non-cultivated land.  I don't know which side of neutral pH the rest of the country's soils represent.

A few years ago I reported on a mysterious copper coin I found which turned out to be simply the pure copper core of a USA clad quarter -- the 25%Ni, 75% Cu outer layers had been completely removed.  This coin was found in a decorative pond that was absolutely loaded with rotting leaves.  I assume the acidity was quite high (relatively speaking, not at a dangerous-to-human flesh level) in the pond, enough to eat away all of the two out layers.  Note that these outer layers are not simply a coating, but rather together make up 1/3 of the coin's weight (and thickness) compared to the 2/3 copper core.

What I'm getting at is that the chemistry and eventually the VDI anomalies for Warnicks may be due to different processes depending upon the particular environment the coin has been subject to.  (And there's still the wild card that in some apparently rare cases the composition tolerances were off at the mint.)

Isn't the arm cuff indicating a bit of T above background?  No electronics there, and not much thermal mass, either.

2 hours ago, schoolofhardNox said:

Here is another source.

Thanks for that link.  They're missing the version that's shown in my avatar!  😁  I think it's later than any shown there, likely the last of the ring+beavertail design.  It has no rivet -- just made from a single piece of thin sheet aluminum with the ring part reinforced by rolling.

Surprised it hasn't at least been smashed.  My question is:  were you able to detect at this spot?  That's a great indicator for coins and relics, maybe more.

Best wishes for a speedy, but most importantly, complete recovery, CPT.  I look forward to more of your posts.  Walkerrj, thanks for the notice.

27 minutes ago, schoolofhardNox said:

I was almost ready to leave when I started to dig those very old style pull tabs.

Are those the ones shown in the lower left portion of your non-ferrous trash photo -- what I'd call beaver tail with near rectangular pull?

Whatever has happened on your coast, it looks like it's been an unusual winter, on the plus side.  Hopefully you can keep getting out there while the pickens are good.  Oh, where in your photos is the 'wiped' clean nickel candidate?

1 hour ago, F350Platinum said:

I tried to calculate a diameter with a tape and came up with 4.39 inches, but it appears larger than that.

If pure iron, the weight shown (11.5 lb) would mean a diameter of 4.26 inches for a perfect sphere (with a bit of uncertainty given the uncertainty of the weight measurement). 

If you bring two large rectangular blocks to either side, everything on a flat surface, and measure the distance between them (carefully removing the ball if necessary) you'll get a more reliable diameter measurement than trying to read a tape behind the ball or deducing the diameter from measuring it's circumference.

On 2/20/2024 at 12:13 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

So yeah Hugh while I am more comfortable with Minelab the fact is I may have to be an old dog learning new XP tricks. I am at a point where I want to pick one machine and be as expert as I can be with it as opposed to bouncing between two.

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

It’s the easy answer in these forums - just own both. That however is of no help to the large number of people for whom these are expensive investments of money needed to pay bills. Or who don’t want 6 detectors cluttering up the place.

Between the two posts you've detailed three reasons:  learning time, cost, and storage.  In my case #1 drove me to the Manticore over the Deus 2.  But, always trying to be open-minded, I'm not sure I made the right choice.  Still, I learned from the Equinox that, for me, it takes a long time to really get familiar with a new (complicated) detector.  I haven't seen any world beater performance with the Manticore yet, but I don't expect that.  Every other time I take it out it gets a bit more comfortable (mentally, that is).  I expect that to continue.

If possible, be somewhere that has birds.  They go crazy when the sun sets at a time they know isn't normal.

Regarding viewing the partial (penumbral), a simple pin-hole projection shows plenty, as do the leaves of deciduous trees which act as multiple pinholes.  If you're in totality you can look directly at it (and should -- come on it's once in a lifetime!) because the dangerous (permanently damaging to the eyes) UV radiation is blocked out by the moon.  But I emphasize only during the totality (umbral) phase.

Lots of people think (unfortunately) that there is something special about an eclipse which adds dangerous radiation.  Our eyes have built in warnings when looking at a bright sun.  That keeps us from doing it.  As the sun becomes (partially) obscured the intensity drops and our eye defense mechanism is less effective.  Then there is the incentive to look even if there's a bit of discomfort.  Bottom line is that the propensity for damage is the result of human nature, not mother nature.

The path of totality crosses through the heart of Indiana so I don't even need to leave home to see it.  But I intend to have a mobility plan as Spring isn't great for clear skies around here....

Is no one planning combining some metal detecting along with their eclipse viewing?  Lots of good detecting in the USA Southwest....

14 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

I wish it was in a little better shape, might have sold it after getting it certified.

Unfortunately holes are the death arrow for coins, even rare ones.  If it didn't have that you could sell on Ebay (for example) for a satisfactory price.  Someone wants that to help 'fill out' his/her collection.  The obverse probably grades Fair-2 or maybe a notch higher.  The reverse gets a Poor-1 but as mentioned by multiple people already, a clear, readable date makes it meaningful.

I hear lots of people say "I don't care what it's worth -- I'll never sell it."  To me that sounds like a bit of sour grapes.   I have lots of coins I'll never sell but I still prefer them to have as much value as possible.  I have other collectibles that are either unique or likely one of a handful in existence.  Owning something extremely rare (valuable or not) brings me pleasure.  It just 'feels' better to me.  But to each his own.

The nice thing about being a coin collector and metal detectorist is that your collection comes from hard work and luck -- your own.  Finding the first of a series, denomination, type is an accomplishment in itself.  If it's a scarce or rare item, that's icing on the cake, but even the unfrosted cake tastes pretty damn good!

51 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

I hoped @GB_Amateur would stop by seeing "silver", but I will invoke the Coin Master. 🤣

Ok, you woke me up.  The way your year has been going I'm surprised it's not an 1802.  (Then you would have awakened me from a deep sleep, just from the ruckus 600 miles distant.)

Half dimes are tougher to find than dimes given their smaller size, as most know.  Then there's the cutoff date (last minted 1873).  My guess is that yours was extremely worn already when the hole was put into it.  Either way, great the date survived and exciting to find a rarity, even in this condition.

You're setting bar high for the next 10 months!

On 2/17/2024 at 3:39 PM, UT Dave said:

The page heading.

I didn't see anything like that.  Maybe they were just building the page when you visited or did you just grab this?  If the latter is the case maybe it's a browser issue....

Bill Southern is known far-and-wide in the detecting and gold recovery community.  Many here can vouch for him.  Of course that doesn't guarantee his website is 100% up-to-date, inventory-wise.

On 2/11/2024 at 7:18 PM, Taz said:

Damn, iv been had. I just ordered and am waiting for delivery of those exact same glasses, except mine were advertised as xray specs. I new there was something fishy about them😕

So you bought some of these, huh.  We know what 'treasure' you were after....

9 minutes ago, schoolofhardNox said:

All fantastic posts and observations. So.....is it a leaching issue or is it an out of spec issue or is there something in addition to those, like our machines are so much more capable of analyzing the coins, or all of the above?

Maybe "all of the above" and then some.  We like to think of metal detectors as simple devices (well, some of us do...) but the hobby versions were made to find metals in the ground first and foremost.  We talk about 'conductivity' but although related to its scientific meaning, large(r) objects of poor innate conductivity can read quite high VDI's and vice versa for tiny, highly conductive metals (e.g. silver micro-jewelry).

It's a bonus that we can deduce properties using these otherwise utilitarian devices.  There's a lot of info in those signals as the most experienced detectorists learned with many hours of familiarity.  There's probably way more subtle info than anyone will ever have the time (or interest) to figure out.

Quite a diverse collection of keeper finds!  The 1857-S quarter is a scarce date+mintmark (only 82,000 minted).  The reverse condition looks quite nice; obverse a bit rough.  Definitely some value in that, regardless.

47 minutes ago, Ram79 said:

The pic of all the nuggets range in size from 1.1 gram to the 0.6 grain...

For those not used to non-metric units, 0.6 grain = 0.04 gram.  Impressive performance IMO.