Depth of the "average" cache???

[mxtswinger]

I know it's hard to get a lot of (smart) folks to admit they have found a cache, but I'm hoping to find out an "average" depth of caches that have been recovered. First and second hand info is welcome. For the purposes of this inquiry, I'll define cache as a minimum of a Prince Albert can of old coins, cash, or jewels. I will exclude gold or silver bullion, ore, and "Lost Treasures".

Thanks in advance for any input!

[BUCCANEER]

I use a Fisher 1270 and have dug object down to 5' One of which was an old pipeline. Yeah i know, but I worked offshore for 4 yrs and new to listen for flow. Pipeline was dead. Another good one; in Lake Grechin ,Arkansa I went to a diamond mind about 10 yrs ago. Man , talk about die hard diggers! These guys whre down 20' in the ground w/ a serious reinforcing anti cave in set up. It is open to the public and I cant wait to take my kids there to really gettm' pumped. Any Ideas on how you check soil for diamonds without just digging?

Buccaneer

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

small caches are typically 18 inches or less in the ground. Larger caches can be any depth but rarely deeper than six feet. On bare land they were always planted deeper than the usual depth of a plow. good luck and exanimo, ss

[diggemall]

I use a Fisher 1270 and have dug object down to 5' One of which was an old pipeline. Yeah i know, but I worked offshore for 4 yrs and new to listen for flow. Pipeline was dead. Another good one; in Lake Grechin ,Arkansa I went to a diamond mind about 10 yrs ago. Man , talk about die hard diggers! These guys whre down 20' in the ground w/ a serious reinforcing anti cave in set up. It is open to the public and I cant wait to take my kids there to really gettm' pumped. Any Ideas on how you check soil for diamonds without just digging?

Buccaneer

Try a blacklight - some (not all) diamonds fluoresce under UV - you can buy small battery powered blacklights w/ long and short wave bulbs.

Diggem'

[skierbob]

Swinger,
I would say that Siegfried is right on small caches, but I would say 3 feet at the most on large caches.

BOB

[Jeffro]

Most small caches were put within easy reach. It was for emergencies, after all. Behind moulding, near (or under) a fence post, up in the attic crawlspace, behind the flour bin, etc..... I'd say 1 to 2 feet, mostly for average people.

Now Ted Binions cache, thats another story......

[CaptJohn]

I'm also interested in depth detection of some unit that may go 6 feet. My thoughts on coin caches or other treasure.
Put your self in the owners shoes, and think about where to bury your stuff..... during the Civil War, I think many put some small amounts somewhere easy to get to quick, maybe on several possible escape routes in case they have to leave quick. I would bury my bigger fortune, deeper than what a randon Saber might be able to touch if stuck into the ground in searching attempts, they are going to check near the well, near the big tree in the yard, and so on. Also within some direction of some type of landmark, a curve in the road, a bend in the river, either of these if they lined up with some other natural landmark, say with the corner of a cementary or a property line. Something easy to remember .. to that person at the time. Maybe something like '100 steps from the big oak in the yard, towards the landing at the river, then 30 steps to the south towards the big Oak up the hill.'

[gldhntr]

seigfried is correct on the larger caches...usual depth between 3-6 feet,didn't want a big one to be found by accident ..also there are caches that were made to be accessable which were not too deep and often had only a rock and small amount of dirt covering the top.,,and others that were more like a savings account that were deeper and/or harder to access....oh and the womens flowerbed or well area caches are usually very shallow... moonshiner caches in mason jars are often within 18 inches of the top of the ground, often marked with a solitary rock, white quartz seems to be the favorite around here........gldhntr

[CaptJohn]

Just found some info on a Gemni-III and the Garrett CX Pro with the Treasure HOUND deep package, advertized 8 to 15 feet, what do yall know about them, I think I'll call 'em tomorrow.

[diggerfororo]

seigfried is correct on the larger caches...usual depth between 3-6 feet,didn't want a big one to be found by accident ..also there are caches that were made to be accessable which were not too deep and often had only a rock and small amount of dirt covering the top.,,and others that were more like a savings account that were deeper and/or harder to access....oh and the womens flowerbed or well area caches are usually very shallow... moonshiner caches in mason jars are often within 18 inches of the top of the ground, often marked with a solitary rock, white quartz seems to be the favorite around here........gldhntr

I agree for the most part. I have recovered several small caches and they were all under one foot. I found one silver dollar cache that had been hit with a plow, so it was hard to tell how deep it really was. I almost cut my finger off when i found the jar lid. as I scooped the loose dirt from my hole I hooked the lid with my finger. There was a big piece of glass still with the lid. The only big cache my pard dug. It was also only about a foot to the top. Coins were in a 3 gallon cream can. This cache had a large flag stone on top of the ground and the can lid was about a foot under that. They must have wanted to have easy access.

Les

[morbiusandneo]

WOW!!! 3 gallon can is an aweful LOTTA coins! Congrats to you and your pard!! steven.

I agree for the most part. I have recovered several small caches and they were all under one foot. I found one silver dollar cache that had been hit with a plow, so it was hard to tell how deep it really was. I almost cut my finger off when i found the jar lid. as I scooped the loose dirt from my hole I hooked the lid with my finger. There was a big piece of glass still with the lid. The only big cache my pard dug. It was also only about a foot to the top. Coins were in a 3 gallon cream can. This cache had a large flag stone on top of the ground and the can lid was about a foot under that. They must have wanted to have easy access.

Les
[/quote]

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HIO: Rule of thumb, a personal cache was buried no deeper than an arms length, if that. The larger ones were buried deeper, but always remember, the deeper a hole, the harder it is to hide and also more people will know of it's location..

Don Jose de La Mancha

[Kas]

Depth on a small cache found on the average farm is anywhere from 12" to 15" most times. I found my merc cache at 12".

Another tip for all.

The one who buries the cache is always able to see the spot from their bedroom window. If the house is still there, and you can sumise where the window might have been if the house is gone, usually other houses around will look similar, that should give you a line of site. Then look for the markers.

Good spots to look. Fence posts, try around the corner post first. Clothesline posts, by a big rock, or between two big trees. Not close to trees, too many roots to dig through.

Hope this helped.
Ken

[mxtswinger]

Glad to see this thread come back to life. Thanks all for the added info.

Hope all is well with you R.T.

[Old Dog]

The caches I have found were mostly of the small variety being in mason jars. If the mason jar has a glass lid the bail closer will be the only thing your MD will catch.

When doing the MD thing on an old foundation see if you can figure out where the bedrooms were. or at the very least where the windows were. Scope the area as if looking out the window for "special" places.
A person making one of these caches would have wanted to watch it.
The ones I have found were along the base or foundation of a nearby building in a direct line of sight from a bedroom window.

When looking for outlaw caches consider yourself as the quarry of a posse that means to string you up. you don't want to be caught with the loot, and loot is heavy... it will wear out a horse to carry it. Watch for easy to get to but not so noticeable wide flat rocks.
Tilt the rock back hollow out an area under it and stash, make tracks and come back later.
Also watch for springs and water falls deep holes in a creek Big trees with an undercut to the base.

And Real DE Toyopa will also tell you to Check the old outhouse holes.

Best of luck on all your hunts,
Thom
OD

[joecoin]

The caches I have found were mostly of the small variety being in mason jars. If the mason jar has a glass lid the bail closer will be the only thing your MD will catch...

...
Best of luck on all your hunts,
Thom
OD

What about the coins inside the jar?


joe

[Skifisher]

The caches I have found were mostly of the small variety being in mason jars. If the mason jar has a glass lid the bail closer will be the only thing your MD will catch...

...
Best of luck on all your hunts,
Thom
OD

What about the coins inside the jar?


joe

The coins in the jar will also give a signal. Keep in mind coins buried in a metal container will give off a signal that may not sound like "coins". Dig everything!

Cool thread, I keep thinking someday..............

[jglunt]

My only cache was a mason jar of silver dollars buried in a root cellar. Top of the jar was only 6" deep and it was right up against the corner. Incidentally, there were canned beans in there that were dated 1946...and they still looked good. I kept them just for curiosity sake. I've also heard the hen house floor or the pig sty was a preferred location because of all the noise the critters would make if disturbed at night.

Jim

[Scott (Mich)]

.... I've also heard the hen house floor or the pig sty was a preferred location because of all the noise the critters would make if disturbed at night.

Jim

I have a friend who lives at his grandmothers old farm. Before she passed away she was going senile and burying stuff everywhere. My friend once showed me a GSA silver dollar in a plastic holder he found buried in the old hen house (his grandma bought it when the us mint sold them in the 60's). I can only imagine what else could be buried around the place.

Scott (Mid-Mich)

[Twisted Fork]

If your after an early Spanish mine cache, small gold bar caches; about the depth of a dagger's blade (8"). Ore caches; at the blade depth of a rapier sword (28" average). Weight varies on the richness of the mine.