Maximum effective depth question

F

Fllyingmike

Hello Everyone, My wife was just told by her elderly uncle that her now deceased father buried a jar full of silver coins near a tree in his backyard about 30 years ago. If true, this resolves an old family mystery as we had long suspected theft. Her father became a little nutty in his old age so it is possible he did bury the coins. Unfortunately, we are told he buried them about 30 inches deep using post hole diggers. Rather than dig up the back yard, we are wondering whether there is any brand of metal detector out there which could read at that depth? Any and all comments will be appreciated.

Thanks!
Mike
 
I am sure someone here can help you more than me but I would think that a detector that could locate 30 inches deep would probably cost you more than the coins are worth if you found them. Steve.
 
Welcome. You would need either a two box detector or one with a large coil of say 12" or more. There are several models that would work but none are on the cheap end.
 
Before I bought a detector, I think I would try probing for the jar. You seem to think it was buried near a tree, so I would start there and work your way out. Look for any depression in the area, unless it was packed really well, there might be some slight change in the hardness of the gound where it was buried. Also, peoples perception of depth can be way off, so I would try any detector over the area, regardless of the jars supposed depth. Good luck.
 
Maybe not that deep.

FlyingMike, Now thats a tale I would follow up on. You might want to borrow
a detector from someone and give it a try. A pulse detector I think would find something easily at that 30 inch depth. Here is where I will draw some heat from other members. I once had a Bounty Hunter land star that (IT) made claims of finding items "as deep as 4 feet" in the all metal mode. I am guessing they mean a huge item such as a buick. The chance that your relative buried the jar I believe. At 30 inches, maybe, at 24 inches probably, at a foot, more realistic. My dfx set up will find small coins in the 12 inch range. It won't ID as a coin, nor will it be any where near accurate at the depth. I would not be surprised nor amazed if it located something at the two foot level as large as a jar of full of dense metal. In an area that is not trash strewn, I would try any detector I could lay my hands on around the suspected trees....Nothing ventured nothing gained....Good luck.;)
Gil, in Florida
 
Before you buy any detector go and find that tree, look for a nail in a branch and drop a string with a weight, dig down and get the stash.

If no nail is visible, look for a depression in the ground at sunrise or sun set.

If the soil is sandy with no rocks, make a probe from a large steel rod and probe around.

With a lead like that you hardly need a detector.

Just my 2c

Hope you find it and post a pic of it.
 
Before you buy any detector go and find that tree, look for a nail in a branch and drop a string with a weight, dig down and get the stash.

If no nail is visible, look for a depression in the ground at sunrise or sun set.

If the soil is sandy with no rocks, make a probe from a large steel rod and probe around.

With a lead like that you hardly need a detector.

Just my 2c

Hope you find it and post a pic of it.

Never thought of the nail in the limb,Thats something Ill remember, Take it a step further and look for a knot on the limb where it grew around the nail, Thanks for the tip!!!
 
Cache detectors

There are some detectors that go pretty deep and should be able to detect this mini cache. I would say the Garrett Master Hunter CX Plus.
I do, However, doubt that this cache will be worth the cost of the detector. I believe that your best bet would to go to a dealer and rent one for day. That way you don't 500 bucks.
Also, I do not own the Master Hunter and am guessing this oppinion because garrett says that it can be used as a cache hunter.
 
I would check around with any good detector. 30" is pretty deep even with a post hole digger! I would think they would be shallower. Unless it was a power auger then all bets are off.
 
I would be inclined to think and try to remember his mannerisms and behavior when he was alive. Is there a place he always set in the yard? Something he would have been able to see or look at from where he spent a lot of time? Did he obsess on or avoid a certain area? Did he garden? Did he have a favorite plant or tree? Was there a family pet buried on the property? Just some ideas. Good luck. Even if you don't find it. You still have a treasure!

Keep Swing'in
Jack
 
Do you know long ago it was allegedly buried? I agree with the non-detector approach first. If you are absolutely certain about the tree where the jar is buried, you could probably find some clue that would point you in the right direction. And I would tend to agree that the jar is buried closer to the surface - the depth grew with the legend.

Good luck!
 
Offhand I could hardly see the sense of someone burying a jar of coins more than an arms length.
Even if he was slightly whacked in the head, he obviously had the instinct of a squirrel to stash something away like that and, like a squirrel, must have had every intention of recovering the stash some day.
I would think that most mid/higher end detectors, on high sensitivity, would register a signal for a pickel jar of coins at 2 feet, although all bets would be off what it would ID as.
Of course, unless he dug multiple holes in close proximity, which would be doubtful, the container would not be any where near the size of a pickel jar to fit in a fence post hole.
 
nail in the tree

the nail in the tree is a known marker for stashes, but you also have to account for the 30 years of growth in said tree. Good luck and hope you succeed.
 
This is such an interesting post. I'm scheduled to help a friend's elderly neighbor find a jar of coins her deceased husband buried years ago in their backyard.
A fellow metal detector told me not to expect it to sound like a large signal. He said a jar of silver coins would ring like one silver coin, and might even sound like the metal lid of the jar.

Any input on this? :?:
 
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