ABOUT COIN DEPTHS

[Dark Chameleon]

I have been finding crowbow tips only two inches down and pennies (1980's) at 7" but the tips are obviously heavier and have a pointed end.

I did find though that some soda cans are working their way down, full smashed cans at 6" to 8" deep....with no signs of being recovered...that must take some major work to get that deep.

[pghcoinhunter]

Just last night I found a "COLA" can about 6 inches deep in a local park. I was wondering:

A: How in the heck does this thing sink in the first place. (The park is widely used, and I figured someone would pick it up.)
B. How did I find a 1965 2 inches deep, and then dig this thing up after that.

Very strange!

Thanks for the great information!

[Burbank Bob]

Originally Posted by pghcoinhunter

Just last night I found a "COLA" can about 6 inches deep in a local park. I was wondering:

A: How in the heck does this thing sink in the first place. (The park is widely used, and I figured someone would pick it up.)
B. How did I find a 1965 2 inches deep, and then dig this thing up after that.

Very strange!

Thanks for the great information!

A: Some idiot buried the coke can.

B. See A.

[Rudy]

Sometimes targets come in on fill dirt when the park is re-landscaped.

[lisfisher]

Most of my colonial coins have not been deeper than about 4 inches, some even shallower. I've found quite a few on steeper slopes or embankments, but that would make sense - heavy rains over the course of 250 years do not allow the soil to build up on sloped logging roads, etc.

[YeshuaDigger]

I wonder... if you have a tray of sand and gravel, and rocks, and you do a "sifting" motion with the tray, all of the more dense objects (rocks and gravel) will come to the top, and the smaller items (that have less mass) will settle to the bottom... could this also be a contributing factor in this?

[lonestar007]

Originally Posted by seadog2

Most of my silver coins have been found around large old trees at very very shallow depths. I think the roots prevent them from sinking.

The amount of precipitation plays role too. Not much rains - coin would sink less

[TeamRelic]

Great post! That explains it! Have been wondering how a new coin is 4" deeper than an old coin 3 ft apart.

[usa-usn-vet]

Don't forget about ground hogs too, one kick out a civil war bullet which was right on top of the pile of dirt.

[RyanChappell]

Originally Posted by RustySilver

The first thing to consider is that detectors only go so deep and people are willing to dig only so deep, so if 2000 year old coins or otherwise are out of range of detectors it does not mean they are not there.

I think this is true, sometimes we are only finding the old coins that got hung up on rocks, roots, or were in areas where the soil was washed away leaving rocks and a thin layer of soil, and did not sink.

Originally Posted by sonnydigs

There is one simple fact... An object will only sink as deep as the shallowest layer of clay it hits..
Now in a alluvial setting you can have artifacts, coins or whatever found at any depth.. Reason is they are within a flood plain..

The flood plain can be an area where a creek (or a river) overflows or it could just be an area where it rains enough to saturate the dirt an allow it to become fluid enough for the coin to sink. I have seen coins have sunk several inches in red clay. Although it is more common that the coins would be sitting on top of the red clay under black soil.

Originally Posted by pghcoinhunter

Just last night I found a "COLA" can about 6 inches deep in a local park. I was wondering:
A: How in the heck does this thing sink in the first place. (The park is widely used, and I figured someone would pick it up.)
B. How did I find a 1965 2 inches deep, and then dig this thing up after that.

Probably fill dirt. It takes workers to apply the fill dirt, and workers often bury their trash under the dirt rather than simply putting it in the trash, which apparently is not manly.

Originally Posted by YeshuaDigger

I wonder... if you have a tray of sand and gravel, and rocks, and you do a "sifting" motion with the tray, all of the more dense objects (rocks and gravel) will come to the top, and the smaller items (that have less mass) will settle to the bottom... could this also be a contributing factor in this?

I am certain that the heavy objects would sink, as this motion would make the soil fluid and allow everything to sort by weight.

[bamadigtab]

Posted by RyanChappell
I am certain that the heavy objects would sink, as this motion would make the soil fluid and allow everything to sort by weight.

I have to agree with you on this. When gold prospectors pan for gold the principle they use to separate the Gold from other items is its weight and when the pan is shaken the gold automatically sinks to the bottom and the lighter stuff flushes off the top and the gold being heaver is trapped in the pan ripples. This is simple physics.

[screndname]

hi,
west pa, old homested, woods,lots of leaves,lots of deer traffic , lots of real soaker rain storms , very little grass , lots of worms , easy diging.
there, i was lucky enough to find a pocket spill this year, 1 walker 1/2, 3 merks, 1 barber dime, 1 wheat , one buf .
newest coin 1927 merk,oldest 1909 b dime, all about 3 inchs down and all close together.
also there are some deep big iron targets,farm , old pump jack and pipeline junk in the same area,3/4 of the way to my elbow deep.
?
my 2 cents,
i hope whoever spilled the change droped a gold piece for me

[Xj9]

Thanks for the tip, it will help me alot on where to look.

[lyness_m]

That is some good stuff to know, especially since I have found 70's and 80's dimes and quarters at close to six inches and a '45 Merc just about 3 inches down. Thanks for posting that info!

[dirtyfingers]

Does the position that the coins lay make a difference? On the edge as opposed to one that is flat.

[dan]

Originally Posted by dirtyfingers

Does the position that the coins lay make a difference? On the edge as opposed to one that is flat.

Yes. The more surface area of the coin the detector can see, the deeper it detects. Coins on edge are harder to "see", and they often give off a signal when you swing one direction, but not when you swing the other (N-S vs E-W).

[uzd]

Originally Posted by seadog2

Most of my silver coins have been found around large old trees at very very shallow depths. I think the roots prevent them from sinking.

It's true for marbles, exponentially according to incline. Granted sectional density and shape differ marbles/coins but tree roots are natures net. Cedar roots catch things too heavy to float but light enough to be dislodged by cloudbursts and sent tumbling down shallow limestone watersheds. Find lots of horseshoes near tree trunks. Roots and shelter from the rains unsettling effect. Point being, curtailed latteral movement over a prolonged period may equate to less deep. Naw ...

[Xj9]

Thanks , Knowing this info gives me a chance at finding good stuff without the high price MDs and will give me more to practice thanks all

[clone]

A coin dropped in the grass will be pulled mostly flat by gravity.
Grass will grow around the coin to fill the area.
Dead grass and other material will cover the coin and bury it over time.

Coin will not sink due to it's weight fast enough for us to notice on a human time scale. Unless the soil it saturated with enough water or disturbed in another way.

People and animals walking on coins pushes them into the ground. Moles and other animals do cause some coins to sink lower.

Most effects of sinking or buried coins is caused by human activity and ground build up.

[silvercoin86]

Very good info! Thanks for the pointers