Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Silver Coin Find, So What?

Martin_V3i

Martin_V3i

Elite Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2010
Messages
5,138
Location
North DFW, TX
I've had other tecting friends ask me this question. Some of them are newbies, and some not, but they haven't actually found their first silver. I can understand in a way. Hours and hours we spend swinging tough spots for one good silver signal. One point made by some is that clad and a possible piece of jewelry, pays for a machine. In reality, the expense of finding enough clad...really eats up the tidbits of clad it takes to begin to pay for a machine.

What do you say to silver nay-sayers?
 
If you're lucky and find the right silver coin, you can pay off your detector with one silver coin. Take for example gseuser's 1916D Merc.
 
I honestly don't care about paying off all my machines ($3k+) via finds, just like I don't care about paying off my golf clubs or garden tractor. I didn't buy them to make money. They're both just hobbies.

AFA finding silver goes, you had to live through the late 70s, 20% interest rates, and the Hunt bros. to really understand silver and it's value. Like the fact that a silver quarter bought a gallon of gas in 1964, and over 50 years later, that same silver quarter's value will buy a gallon of gas in 2017.
 
For me detecting is half game and half 'For profit' clad coins get a point value in my head vs money value. That way hunting for an hour finding a handful of change is more fun. The PM finds are not only lots of points but also profit.

BCD
 
This brings-up a point I'd been kicking-around the thought of making a post on for the past several days.

I'm no different than most I suppose, in that sure, I like finding the same things others do, but with that said, it doesn't bother me when I don't. I've seen posts where comments are made about not finding silver (and I'm sure it goes with gold, jewelry, etc) for "X" period of time.

Personally, I enjoy the thought of finding it as much as when I do. Say you find a silver "whatever", you have the thrill, post it here, get your congrats, then put it away. Then what? On to the next one ;)

If you've never been at a point in your life where you've never been able to enjoy something as simple as metal detecting, you may not understand. Look around next time you're out in public, I'll bet you'll see people who just wished they were able to pick-up a detector, swing it over the dirt as they walk, see where they're swinging, and hear the sounds it makes.

I enjoy just being able to do those things I'd just listed, and as I've said before, everything above and beyond that (finds for example) is just a bonus.
 
Martin_V3i said:
I've had other tecting friends ask me this question. Some of them are newbies, and some not, but they haven't actually found their first silver. I can understand in a way. Hours and hours we spend swinging tough spots for one good silver signal. One point made by some is that clad and a possible piece of jewelry, pays for a machine. In reality, the expense of finding enough clad...really eats up the tidbits of clad it takes to begin to pay for a machine.

What do you say to silver nay-sayers?
Click to expand...

You are giving one scenario and asking another... Not really sure what you're asking here.

But to the cladders, I say "I make between $800 and $900 a year consistently in clad, and my "expenses" usually amount to about $200 in gas all year long.

As for silver, I usually only make about $70-80 in additional "funds."

Gold, I make around $2200-$2500 a year.

I find about one silver coin a year. (1 1954 dime, 1 1945 walking half, and 1 1993 Mexican 10 peso sterling center). I'm not out there for the silver.

The silver doesn't pay for squat. even if I sell all the silver rings and jewelry and coins I find, it doesn't pay for gas every year.

But what I ACTUALLY say to local folks who cannot find silver, is this, 'Yep, the hobby isn't for everyone.'

I'm perfectly happy if they stop detecting. *cracks up*

:)
Cheers,

Skippy
 
metaladdict said:
I do it for fun not to payoff a machine.:grin:
Click to expand...

Ditto. Or add "sport" to go along with "fun". Eg.: what's more sporting: To find a clad dime or a merc. ? A merc. or a seated ? Same with fishing: 4 small bass or trout might equal a few pounds. But most fishermen would rather land the single "lunker" trout or bass. EVEN though the net amount is the same. SIMPLY because the bigger fish is more wily and harder to catch. Ie.: the SPORT of out-smarting the bigger fish to take your lure.

In the same way if you hike 3 miles to a stage stop or defunct resort site in the hills or desert, then find a seated dime masked by 3 square nails, you're going to value the sport and history of that. Even though it's true that the value of that dime might be equivalent to few handfuls of clad.
 
Theres so many subset skills available within detecting, a multitude of specific genres, a guy can find one that suits their AO, desire, and style..might be meteorites, relics, clad, jewelry, silver, nuggets, etc....

That said, all the old 'easy' silver has been wiped out from most public areas...So whats an average landlocked guy to do? Sure you could door knock or curbstrip, race the old duffers to tearouts hoping to find some silver, or, hunt clad and jewelry of course! It teaches a lot of cross over skills that will serve a person well throughout their detecting career as they trip into other genres of this sport...So its good for a Noob to target clad/jewelry in order to learn these things...

As stated, the ROI on clad/jewelry is pretty decent, ..even better if a guy just goes all scavenger by grabbing anything of value along the way....to a cladder, finding silver is bycatch, they get their share every season just by being out pulling massive amounts of coins....Heres some pics of two separate hunts..stabbing clad and finding silver...so yes, its the perfect introduction into this Sport for a noob...I'm in this sport for the MONEY!!!:laughing:
 

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mud-puppy, I still think you're distantly related to John Steinbeck, or some famous author. Great creative writing skills, the way you parody things, and put images into words.
 
I love finding the occasional silver coin. There is a certain thrill in finding something that is no longer made and becoming more scarce every year. I get a thrill finding the occasional piece of gold due to its value but silver is just special.
 
The ones who get in it to make money are the ones most likely to hang the detector up in the garage and give up the hobby in my opinion. Sure I like cashing in a bunch of clad just like everyone else, but it doesn't give me the rush and excitement of seeing a shiny silver coin in the hole. After finding about 1,400 silver coins over the last 7 years the still excite me like the very first one.
 
I'll admit like like to find silver as much as the next guy/gal out there and sure wish I could find alot more then the couple a I do a year but truth be told, I'm more into it to just get out of the house, get some fresh air and see what comes out of the ground. I'm more interested in old tokens and other relics I find that I can attempt to put a date and use to. The ID my finds section of this forum is defiantely my favorite just to see what a variety of things people dig and then try to figure out what they are. If I was in it for the ROI I'd be hitting the local totlots and sportfields all the time, I do hit them occasionally but more for a change of pace or if out night hunting. Perfer an open field then trying to bushwack through dense undergrowth once it gets dark.
 
How many people here use their clad to buy silver off the internet? I feel like there's a lot of people who go after clad so they can cash it for silver.
 
Tom_in_CA said:
Ditto. Or add "sport" to go along with "fun". Eg.: what's more sporting: To find a clad dime or a merc. ? A merc. or a seated ? Same with fishing: 4 small bass or trout might equal a few pounds. But most fishermen would rather land the single "lunker" trout or bass. EVEN though the net amount is the same. SIMPLY because the bigger fish is more wily and harder to catch. Ie.: the SPORT of out-smarting the bigger fish to take your lure.

In the same way if you hike 3 miles to a stage stop or defunct resort site in the hills or desert, then find a seated dime masked by 3 square nails, you're going to value the sport and history of that. Even though it's true that the value of that dime might be equivalent to few handfuls of clad.
Click to expand...

Man, that sounds awesome. My problem is I'm too chincy to go spend the gas to drive out to a stage stop. LOL
 
Beyonder123 said:
How many people here use their clad to buy silver off the internet? I feel like there's a lot of people who go after clad so they can cash it for silver.
Click to expand...

I have an 1800's type set collection (Littleton), that is 100% purchased from clad found metal detecting. I'm only missing 4 draped bust coins (I have a draped bust dime).

It's a freaking sweet collection, too. I consider it a product of my metal detecting, even though it wasn't "found" with the detector.

Cheers,

Skippy
 
Jamflicker said:
The ones who get in it to make money are the ones most likely to hang the detector up in the garage and give up the hobby in my opinion. Sure I like cashing in a bunch of clad just like everyone else, but it doesn't give me the rush and excitement of seeing a shiny silver coin in the hole. After finding about 1,400 silver coins over the last 7 years the still excite me like the very first one.
Click to expand...

Average of 200 silver coins a year? I'll bet it does! That's nice!
 
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