Breakdown of First 1000 coins in 2016

[LawrencetheMDer]

Went out today for about 4 hours of metal detecting and found 75 coins, a fitbit device, 2 sinkers, a bottle opener with Scandinavian (?) lettering and a junk ear ring. The odd thing was that I felt as though the finds were coming at a very slow rate and I guessed about 4 - 6 coins/hr, not the 20/hr I actually averaged (and one of my highest). Expecting gold any time now...I found the ideal spot, just need to keep plugging away...expecting gold - now that could be the reason I think the targets are coming so slow - the gold sure is taking its time.



Total to date for 2016 is 1,006 coins. Here is the breakdown: Cents - 499 (50%), Nickels - 119 (12%), Dimes - 212 (22%), Quarters - 171 (17%). Total amount was $75.39. I'm not sure if these figures include 2 dimes I gave away to two young girls (and their mother) who kept bugging me...if you work the sand you know the kids I mean...who knows, future metal detectorists?

My Gold:Coin ratio has fallen to 1:335. Ouch. Usually resides in the 1:200 - to - 1:250 range. Now you know why I'm expecting gold anytime. Gotta hit the beach...but I'll have to wait for dawn...

 

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[Top]

I'm curious, do you track how many hours you have invested as well?

I'm just starting and I have almost as many targets as you do coins.

Total
Values
Hours Spent	36.75
Value Found	$21.48
Counts
Total Junk	913.00 (481 pull tabs)
Total Coins	58.00
Total Jewelry	0.00
Total Relics
Total Targets	971
Targets/Hour	26.42
Coins/Hour	1.58

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

Hey Reo, Love your stats. I have lucked on a rarely worked beach and I am finding about 1 coin per 1 junk piece, if that. Although I track hrs and coins closely, I don't keep good track of junk. So far in 2016, I have totaled 105 hrs and 1,006 coins, 2 gold rings, 1 Platinum ring, 2 nice silver and clear stone (zirconium) rings, about 12 junk rings and about 20 lbs of sinkers/fishing weights. The coins per hr for 2016 (about 10/hr) is well above my past 3 yr average of around 7 coins/hr, attributed to the lucky beach find.
Suggestion as to beach hunting - go where it is hard to go metal detecting and you'll find better targets. (Cryptic but profound)

 

[Top]

Thanks for the tips Lawrence.
I have zero competition on this VERY trashy beach in Brazil.
However, many of the coins look / sound exactly like screw caps.
The coins do rust quickly and will give a midtone / lowtone combo if they have been in the sand a few days or it has rained.
Some of the coins are stainless steel and will give a midtone everytime.

I created a spreadsheet to track my finds. All junk is just junk except for pull tabs I count those separately just because they fool me so often.
Though i have only dug 7 in each of the last two outings.

My first 11 outings I dug every target and covered very little ground. In data terms I was very 'sensitive' to targets.
I have now completed 6 outings being quite 'specific' only digging targets that give me consistent midtone or hightone.

Of course there are many variables that aren't being controlled too well, but I am trying to select similar environments.
So far, the difference between digging everything and not while measuring coins/hour is not statistically significant. I'll complete the experiment with 11 'specific' outings and recheck.

But! This doesn't take into account that any small gold will be missed using the 'specific' approach. Most likely any gold on this beach is going to be small rings, thin wedding bands. Brazilians do not wear much jewelry to the beach.

In June I am taking a sample of targets from here, with me to the US, to buy a new machine. I will probably get something I can take in the water. My current machine isn't functionally in the wet, black sand or salt water.

I am looking seriously at the CZ21 or the Sea Hunter Mark II PI machine. I'd prefer to have discrimination but the CZ may not be able to tell the difference between these coins and the trash here anyway. Well see.

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

P.S., Your coins/hr are in the range of what I get in heavily hunted beaches. I'd be heading to the water, if possible, where there is a lot less junk and detectorists. I have found that beaches near retirement communities or lots of near by condos have a higher number of detectorists for the local beaches resulting in low yields.
I find metal detecting very similar to fishing. You may go long periods of time without a bite. You get a nibble and hall in your scoop to find nothing to keep and discard it. Then, you get a strong bite. He puts up a fight in the stones and hard sand. The fight might last several minutes...he keeps getting away as you try to recover him. You bring him in, stare down at your scoop to find a shinny keeper. An-ti-ci-pation...

 

[OBN]

Man that is a insane coin count! I think I may have close to 150 coins for the year.. and I get out 3 times a week. Great Job! And HARD work! But fun!

 

[lorraine]

Impressive coin count , Lawrence

Lorraine

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

Went out yesterday looking for that gold and spent 6 1/2 hrs MDing and came away w 62 coins, knife, 5 sinkers, junk earing, lure and lock. Also, 35 junk pieces (iron, aluminum, foil).



Still no gold. BUT, I think I know where the gold is....I found all the non-coin stuff, except sinkers, in wet sand along the receding tide line late in my hunt. So when I return I need to time it w low tide. I've been hitting this beach (dry sand) real hard and the coins/hr is starting to drop - was as high as 20/hr and now just under 10/hr. But as noted in the photo, these are older coins and have been there a long time. I found these 5 sinkers in the back beach so I know if a storm can move sinkers it sure can move gold. I'll keep searching this beach until I find the gold...I know its there somewhere.
PS Working my Excal with 10 Sensitivity (not Auto), 1 Discrimination, high volume, low threshold and All Metal. I dig all targets except those that are ferrous, lots of iron on the beach.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Thanks for the stats. I'm a number guy and enjoyed the read. I get to the beach about 2 days a month and my numbers per hour are much lower than yours. Good Luck finding that gold!

 

[G-bone]

You're a freak!......but I love it .
I will be keeping this post in mind when I go out next time.

 

[surfnturf]

C-Tags...... Bhaaad Mah coumba! Throw em' back mate!

 

[Da Sand Crab]

Gold's gotta be there...you sure have enough of the other stuff.
Maybe tomorrow.

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

Just posted today's finds in new thread ... but still NO GOLD!!!! Worse yet, my gold:coin ratio has fallen to 1:384!! AAAAaaaauuu. But still had 8 hrs of great metal detecting (w 83 coins and 2 rings) a sunny beach with a smile on my face and not a worry in the World. I'll find the gold next week.

Total coins for 2016 = 1,151
Gold = 2
Platinum (also considered as gold) = 1
Titanium=2
Silver=3