Metal Detecting Discussion

MINT,

I've found them 1" to 10". The deep ones sound faint, but the tone was unmistakeable. The soil conditions have a lot to do with finding the deeper coins. Most of my deep finds came when the ground was saturated after spring rains.

I did find a Franklin at about 1 1/2". I think that is the reason for my current difficulty hearing ... it sounded like someone tossed a bowling ball in a steel drum.

I agree with MetalMan on soil conditions. I have hunted areas where 1940s coin are just barely under the surface. That happened to me in Sacramento last summer. First hit my detector said 1-2". So I was thinking a couple year old dropped zinc penny. The coin was less then 1/2" under the surface dirt, a 1951 wheat. Found 15 in all that weekend and the deepest 3".

I hunted a lot of places in Portland oregon last summer. I found 2002-03 pennies on sports fields at 7" deep and 1990 quarters at 8-9". Most of the wheats I found at old apartment complexes where over 4-5" deep. But we get a ton of rain here. If not for all our rocks I think most would sink to 12-15" deep.

For the most part thou, a lot people say 4-7" is a average depth for most old coins. I dug a 1900 One Cent at a little over 9", a 1952 Franklin at about 5" and a 72 Kennedy on a sports field atleast 10". That was a huge hole and at a old soccer field seldom used. So it varied with soil condition and rain fall I think.

Not sure which machine you use but I agree, disc iron out if your not relic hunting. Then just dig about everything else as even small gold will rang in at a low tone on some machines when it has a foil setting.