ABOUT COIN DEPTHS

[PhotoRob06]

Originally Posted by dan

I once found three Indian head pennies just 1/4-inch deep, in an often-hunted park.

Granted, I found them after a drought in a spot normally wet and mushy, but still - NOBODY had ever swung a detector there before?

Weird.

Those guys were looking for old coins and thought... "zinc signal at 1/4 inch? Forget it!"

You deserved those coins because of something many MD-ers forget about this hobby, but you must have been thinking: "YOU NEVER KNOW!"

From now on I will dig EVERY zinc, no matter the depth.

[Pjbassturd]

Thanks for the post this explains a whole bunch!

[RyanChappell]

Originally Posted by Midasmulligan

Part of my family is from the farmland where the Battle of Sharpsburg/Antietam was fought. A lot of the farms stayed in the family over the years and even today spring plowing continues to bring up everything from bones to buckles to bayonets. If stuff's sinkin' it ain't exactly been in a big hurry over the last 170 years.

That's because it is being plowed yearly.

[wildbill]

Chopz54 you hit the nail right on the head buddy. Down here in the south where i was raised up we called it the mole conspiracy theory. This is where a bunch of moles get together after partying all day and decide to get coins and take them to certain depths that only they know and continue with there little escapade all night long. Dont ever sell a mole short they may be blind and look dumb but they can sniff out a coin Ive heard from 5 feet away. And dont forget those packrats they can steal a silver coin right from under your nose Remember all those fake reads Packrat

[briandigsit]

Great information. Thanks for posting this!

[coin nut]

Good reading on a frozen and snowy day in upstate NY.

[MoBob]

Interesting , thanks for sharing !

[minnowtizer]

took care of alot of questions i had,more to think about now .This was very helpfull. Thanks.

[napp]

This post has been an interesting read on a day when it's too cold to go outside. That's one of the things I like about this hobby. You can still enjoy it without a MD or Lesche in your hands.

Like many people with new detectors, I have been poking around in my yard upon occasion. I was struck with a thought that should have been obvious to me; but I didn't even think of it until I read this post. Simple fact....anything that might have been on my property before the house was built automatically became 2-3 inches deeper when the yard was sodded. Therefor, if something was at a depth of 4-5 inches before construction it now lies buried at the outer limits of my Compadre's depth capabilities.

[Jcbdc]

Back yeas ago my late father had a greasy spoon restaurant. It was close to a high scoop and a grammar school. Kids would come in daily for chilly dogs, hamburgers and other comfert foods. If they were a little short on funds they would raid their Dads silver coin stash. My dad was always glad to take their silver and would often offer to exchange their other silver for clad. We always looked forward to school days. I now have large plastic mayo jars full of silver coins. When I find shallow silver I wonder if some raided their Dads stash!!
Just another possibility why some silver is more shallow than clad!

Joe

[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..
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alluvial_plain) Flood stage after flood stage will bring in clayey sediments and silt building (aluvial horizons) depth year after year after year.. There are cases where Indian artifacts and settlements have been recorded at depths exceeding 25 feet below the surface.. (http://www.socarchsci.org/bulletin/9902/9902a.htm) Once again these are found within floodplains and centuries of flooding.. But typically speaking you will not find anything below your first level of clay unless you are in an alluvial setting or some other factor such as a fill having been brought in, ploughing etc.... This is why in high plains desert settings you will find artifacts on the surface or perhaps less than an inch below (dust). If your hunting on a rocky or clayey surface the objects will be on the surface.. Perfect example in the Big Bend Area (high plains desert) of Texas.. A project I am involved in out there we have recovered historical artifacts from the surface as well as Indian artifacts that date to several thousand years old next to our 140 yr old samples. Examples are a civil war era canteen, Silver American and Mexican coins from the surface.. There is no soil for anything to disappear into.. The canteen had 1 small hole in the backside where it Rested on the surface and had finally rusted through it.. Coins were literally visible on the ground.. So say your in farmer Joe's field and clay is only 7" below the loam, then your digging in that field should never exceed that 7 inches..( exceptions ploughing or landscaping, terracing) but in undisturbed settings the clay factor applies... You can actually pick up a book free from your county showing the different depths of the various soils in your county or state.. An object can only sink till it hits that layer of clay..
(unless in that alluvial setting) then it will rest there.. I've worked on archaeological sights in E. TX in sugar sand.. Have dug 3 ft deep and find no artifacts, hit that level where the clay starts (at whatever that depth may be) and find artifacts resting on the begining level of clay..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_Conservation_Service
Sonny

[Jcbdc]

My dad had a greasy spoon years ago. I remember kids would raid their folks stash of silver coins and come and buy from Dad. He was always glad to exchange their silver for clad. I still find silver around his old store!

[nnjal85]

great information! Thanks for helping a new md out.

[crimson]

That's good to hear because it's mostly clay here in north central North Carolina.

Originally Posted by sonnydigs

There is one simple fact... An object will only sink as deep as the shallowest layer of clay it hits.. (snip)

[bb_in_maine]

I recently dug an old area from the turn of teh century that saw a lot of traffic. Boggy, marshy land has moved in due to parking lots encroaching, as well as beaver activity. The ground is high in clay content. I found a number of Indian Heads down as deep as 9-10", but no silvers, which makes me think because of the wetness and ground softness, they have sunk deeper because of their weight... which means there is a bonanza of silver just out of reach.... grrrrrrr!!!!

[GlassGuy808]

I feel like I'm in science class!
I love it!

[fiveonomo]

Interesting, thank you.

[sonoman06]

Its simple silly...the older coins are just digging harder trying to escape us.

[Burbank Bob]

Depth can also be affected by animal activity, ie.. Moles, Gophers, etc...

They can raise and lower targets significantly with their tunneling.

[galaxy710]

This is a favorite topic on the forums. I`ve been curious about why some coins are shallow and others quite deep