Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Coin Depths ??

G

glenn3564

New Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2013
Messages
23
Location
Pee Dee area of S. C.
I have just gotten back in to mding around the first of the year. Started out with a Ace 350 and found many many coins. None past the year 1966. None
more deeply than 3". Got a GTI 1500 now. Finding coins again where I used the 350 but where I was learning how to use the 350. Have now found with the GTI a Mercury dime I passed over with the 350. My question is, due to the light weight of coins, do they not sink as fast or as deep as other items such as ax heads, etc..? I see a lot of members finding very old coins and I wanted to know your opinion if maby I am not hunting in the right places or am I missing something? I see that especially in pennies, as that is what I find the most, they will be deeper and give off more of a gold indication rather than a penny. At the same time, those deeper pennies are almost unsalvageable due to corrosion and mineralizations attached to the coin. The home I live in was built in 1909 and was a re-build of a home that was there before that burned down. I know there are old coins there but I think my lack of experience is hindering my finding them. Any ideas anyone?
 
There is a bunch of interesting ideas on coin depths in a "sticky" started by Carol. Think it is at the top of this (coin shooters and relic hunters) room. I think there are several variables involved. Weight or mass being one of them, in relation to the objects size, area, volume etc. as well as soil condition, frost, rain, gophers, worms, and even the lawn boy can all play a role. The sticky is a good place to start with lots of interesting thoughts and observations.
This is a great question tho. Personally i think of an object sort of "floating in its respective location". Like a layer of smoke in a room, an object will rise and fall, reletive to the soil that suspends it. That same soil is constantly changing with moisture and other variables, and the bouyancy of the objects in it are affected.
As far as corrosion goes.....time is a big factor as well as the ingredients of an object and ingredients of the soil. Some pennies are copper and some are zinc, and both will degrade at different speeds. Good luck!!! Hope this helps.
 
The debate as to why and how coins sink or whether they sink at all is large and it has been discussed ad nauseum here and every where else.

It is an interesting subject to be sure but academic mostly.

More importantly is to know one's machine and to know how the machine reads a target at various depths.

I'm a firm believer that many, many coins are to be found at depths of 10+ inches.
 
My personal thoughts on coin depths- way too many variables to predict how deep a coin is going to be. I've given up on the 'if I find a coin in this area it's going to be xxxx inches down because of moisture/tree roots/rocks/whatever' and instead I just focus on the beeps.
 
With my ace 350 the deeper coins will only beep every 2 or 3 passes but if it shows up as a coin I dig them no matter how the machine beeps on it. I got a mercury dime that was 12 inches at least with the ace 350 and it only beeped once every 4 or 5 passes. Knowing your machine is the most important thing.
 
Every time I go to a new park I will dig coins from all depths to try and get a feel for that particular park. Problem is depth can not only change from park to park...but section of park to other section of park. Then once you think you have it all figured out you'll get thrown a curve ball and find a large cent in the top inch of the soil! A couple years ago I found a walking liberty half dollar just under the leaves which I just kicked to the side to make the find. Two feet away I found a clad quarter at 8 inches. It makes no sense! That being said, in my area if I have a good signal at greater than six or seven inches, it's probably a keeper. Good luck.

P.s. I'm of the school that believes that coins are more affected by dirt building up above them more than them actually sinking, although I'm sure there is some sinking involved. Now combine that with a million other factors and you just never know where they'll turn up.
 
SalemScott said:
Every time I go to a new park I will dig coins from all depths to try and get a feel for that particular park. Problem is depth can not only change from park to park...but section of park to other section of park. Then once you think you have it all figured out you'll get thrown a curve ball and find a large cent in the top inch of the soil! A couple years ago I found a walking liberty half dollar just under the leaves which I just kicked to the side to make the find. Two feet away I found a clad quarter at 8 inches. It makes no sense! That being said, in my area if I have a good signal at greater than six or seven inches, it's probably a keeper. Good luck.

P.s. I'm of the school that believes that coins are more affected by dirt building up above them more than them actually sinking, although I'm sure there is some sinking involved. Now combine that with a million other factors and you just never know where they'll turn up.
Click to expand...

i believe the exact same thing. i cant see a coin actually sinking in soil unless its so wet its almost a slurry or quicksand. Now....buildup over the coin is a definite . it happens every day with grass, leaves, dust, etc. over years , the buildup can vary due to dry or wet seasons, and the frequency of the grass being cut or not.

here in south louisiana, we cut grass 9 to 10 months a year. far more than you northerners. so the buildup here is faster than up there. then if you factor in the dirtwork, erosion, big roots lifting coins up....bottom line is...ya never know!!! thats what makes this hobby so frustrating and so fun. HH!!!
 
I have dug many deep pennies, wheats mostly, at 7-9 inches, and I have yet to dig near as much clad or silver quarters that deep, much less a half dollar at 9 inches. That tells me sinking isn't literal or else the heavier coins would show up down there. Pennies, and even worse,,,pulltabs do find their way to 9 inches. martin
 
How far a coin sinks will solely depend on the density of the soil. In sandy soil, a coin can sink very far...again until the density is equal to the coin. In clay areas, the depth will be shallow for objects. If you are woods hunting you may find a very old coin right on the surface as I did last week. I found a 1720s copper right on the surface.
 
Hook said:
i believe the exact same thing. i cant see a coin actually sinking in soil unless its so wet its almost a slurry or quicksand. Now....buildup over the coin is a definite . it happens every day with grass, leaves, dust, etc. over years , the buildup can vary due to dry or wet seasons, and the frequency of the grass being cut or not.

here in south louisiana, we cut grass 9 to 10 months a year. far more than you northerners. so the buildup here is faster than up there. then if you factor in the dirtwork, erosion, big roots lifting coins up....bottom line is...ya never know!!! thats what makes this hobby so frustrating and so fun. HH!!!
Click to expand...

Coins do sink...do this experiment. Take a coin and put it on the surface in a large planter (at least 12" round). Give it some time and you will see the coin start sinking and getting covered with soil. Its a pretty cool experiment.
 
Target Depth?

Personally I don't think its an either/or issue. I feel it's a combination of sinking and getting filled over. The variables involved in both processes is Mind Boggling! Many things go on in the world, just because you don't see them happen or feel them doesn't mean they aren't happening or didn't happen! The Variables are as infinite as grains of sand and Stars in the heavens!!! GL & HH.....Pat
 
I AM NO EXPERT. but I have a theory about coin depths. Here's an example. I found a 1946 wheatie on top of the ground a few days ago, and two feet to the left found a 1998 penny 2" deep. The wheatie was laying on a slightly harder pack of clay, and the 1998 penny was in a muddier area. I think it all has to do with these variables....
-Soil density
-rocks, or anything else that may hinder the sinkage of a coin.
-When a coin lands, it can easily land between two rocks standing up at an angle. This would cause less surface drag, and let the coin sink faster. This is very common on rocky landscapes like river banks.
-holes, dimples, or slopes in the ground. They will hold more water, therefor decrease soil density and allow coins to sink faster.

Its very hard to describe in a short paragraph or two. read the sticky article at the top.
 
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