Is it possible for a tree root to completely swallow a coin?

dirtyJohn

Hero Member
Nov 30, 2007
643
47
Whiskey Junction, IL
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 LTD2, Tesoro Tiger Shark, DetectorPro Uniprobe, DetectorPro Pistol Probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I asked this because I got a perfect quarter signal 7 inches or so down under a huge tree root. I dug around it and under it about a foot with no luck but the signal is still there. The signal has to be in the root. Has anyone ever encountered this?
HH
John
P.S. No, I'm not going to hack away at the root. It would be visible and could kill this old tree.
 

Upvote 0

mountainman 2

Bronze Member
Aug 9, 2006
1,927
783
Extreme Northern NJ
Detector(s) used
whites classic sl,whites surfmaster,garrett ATX,minelab vanquish 540
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I would think so. I've seen trees above the ground slowly grow around a metal sign nailed to it. I'm sure the same is true underground.
 

Old Dog

Gold Member
May 22, 2007
5,860
397
Western Colorado
A couple years ago I was helping to cut out an apple orchard to replace old and diseased trees.
my saw hit something in an old root ball that wasn't a rock and broke the crank. when we knocked the stump apart with an axe we found a horseshoe that the roots had swallowed some 45 or more years ago.

A quarter would be no problem for any tree.

Other things found in trees include a locket in the crotch of a tree someone had lost
Bullets.
an old handy man jack handle that had been leaned up against the tree and forgotten.
another horseshoe someone had picked up and set over a branch (which was also swallowed up)

So my answer would definitely be yes it can be swallowed by the roots.
I respect your decision not to harm the tree. You are OK in my book.
 

Lowbatts

Gold Member
Jul 1, 2003
6,573
67
Elgin
Detector(s) used
Fishers 1235X-8" CZ-20/21-8" F-70-11"DD GC1023
Hey John I once got a nice merc in the middle of a 3" root next to a sidewalk.
 

Swartzie

Hero Member
Mar 15, 2009
791
52
Tuscarawas County, Ohio
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I've encountered signals in a couple fallen trees before. I assume they were bullets. Could be a large piece of iron well below the root. Big pieces of deep iron have been known to signal high for me before. Does your pinpointer (probe) pick it up in the root?

-Swartzie
 

m bryan

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2010
691
49
east texas
Detector(s) used
Delta 4000 and Garrett 300 Teknetics T2 Minelab Explorer SE Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
dirtyJohn said:
I asked this because I got a perfect quarter signal 7 inches or so down under a huge tree root. I dug around it and under it about a foot with no luck but the signal is still there. The signal has to be in the root. Has anyone ever encountered this?
HH
John
P.S. No, I'm not going to hack away at the root. It would be visible and could kill this old tree.
Very same thing happened to me this year.........a dime signal but nothing there but a large root.
 

OP
OP
dirtyJohn

dirtyJohn

Hero Member
Nov 30, 2007
643
47
Whiskey Junction, IL
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 LTD2, Tesoro Tiger Shark, DetectorPro Uniprobe, DetectorPro Pistol Probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
mountainman 2 said:
I would think so. I've seen trees above the ground slowly grow around a metal sign nailed to it. I'm sure the same is true underground.
Thanks, I was thinking the same thing.
Old Dog said:
A couple years ago I was helping to cut out an apple orchard to replace old and diseased trees.
my saw hit something in an old root ball that wasn't a rock and broke the crank. when we knocked the stump apart with an axe we found a horseshoe that the roots had swallowed some 45 or more years ago.

A quarter would be no problem for any tree.

Other things found in trees include a locket in the crotch of a tree someone had lost
Bullets.
an old handy man jack handle that had been leaned up against the tree and forgotten.
another horseshoe someone had picked up and set over a branch (which was also swallowed up)

So my answer would definitely be yes it can be swallowed by the roots.
I respect your decision not to harm the tree. You are OK in my book.
Thanks, that confirms it. P.S. Thanks for the compliment
XL-PRO PRO said:
Probably just an old CSA buckle anyway.
Stop it! :D
Lowbatts said:
Hey John I once got a nice merc in the middle of a 3" root next to a sidewalk.
Hey Tim, I cannot tell a lie. I put that merc in that tree root.
Swartzie said:
I've encountered signals in a couple fallen trees before. I assume they were bullets. Could be a large piece of iron well below the root. Big pieces of deep iron have been known to signal high for me before. Does your pinpointer (probe) pick it up in the root?

-Swartzie
I think I would of got an overload if it was a big piece of iron, No, my pinpointer didn't pick it up and it should've.

m bryan said:
dirtyJohn said:
I asked this because I got a perfect quarter signal 7 inches or so down under a huge tree root. I dug around it and under it about a foot with no luck but the signal is still there. The signal has to be in the root. Has anyone ever encountered this?
HH
John
P.S. No, I'm not going to hack away at the root. It would be visible and could kill this old tree.
Very same thing happened to me this year.........a dime signal but nothing there but a large root.
Strange huh?
HH
John
 

birdman

Gold Member
Jan 28, 2005
7,458
2,393
Choctaw Beach Florida
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800 and ORX, tesoro Cibola with garret,whites and minelab pinpointers
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I pulled a CW bullet from a tree root one time . Really cool.
 

mountainman 2

Bronze Member
Aug 9, 2006
1,927
783
Extreme Northern NJ
Detector(s) used
whites classic sl,whites surfmaster,garrett ATX,minelab vanquish 540
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good place to bury a cache of coins, right next to an old tree.
 

dogpound

Hero Member
Sep 24, 2010
711
72
southeast PA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030
yea it was probably just the mason jar lid you were gettin the signal from.............full of 20 dollar gold eagles :laughing7:
 

bigtim1973

Hero Member
Oct 12, 2007
751
216
Middle Tennessee
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II & XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have had this happen many times.......Roots not only absorb water from the soil but they also absorb minerals and such from the soil also and will make a detector go off too. I know there are alot of cases when roots actually consume relics and coins but also the concentration of minerals can be mind blowing also. On my whites machines it usually read between hot rocks up to quarter. But I would also make sure somehow that it was not some old CSA buckle or a cache of coins because like others have said on this thread, people would bury their money next to trees and fence post etc. so you just might have some goodies there too. Tim
 

boogeyman

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2006
5,016
4,399
Out in the hills near wherendaheckarwe
Detector(s) used
WHITES, MINELAB, Garrett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Have seen a tree completely swallow a strand of barbed wire that was wrapped around it. Have also found signals in roots turning out to be mineral as stated above. If you have a small (4") head you can use that to figure out what's going on. If you have a pinpointer, use it! You can follow mineralization through the root. A coin in a root would be a localized signal.

Funny this came up! Yesterday, helped a neighbor with a sprinkler leak. Turns out a tree root had pushed a PVC pipe with enough force to literally rip the pipe out of a TEE, glue and all. Try doing that with a pair of pliers and a vice. Futher up the root or one next to it had pried a brick off a planter. If you do any prospecting or rockhounding, I'm sure you've seen a root growing through a crack in the rock and split a chunk of rock off.
 

RJH02

Sr. Member
Dec 30, 2007
438
9
Virginia
Detector(s) used
Silver umax w/ 7in Deep Search Wide scan coil
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I have wondered the same thing as well
 

John Tanner

Jr. Member
Sep 30, 2010
36
2
nope-not possible-lodged between 2 roots or tight underneath one but not inside of one unless it was lodged in to begin with and grew around.....

JT
 

colorado14ers

Bronze Member
Jul 3, 2010
1,530
6
Naples, Fl
Detector(s) used
whites M6, Surfmaster PI
i saw a wood bench between 2 trees and it grew around it on both sides. my neighbor had a tree in their front yard and the roots grew into the septic tank, through the pipes, and into the toilet!!!!
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
there are two things it can be #1 a coin --without a doubt tree roots can and do grow around and "swallow" items within them --or --- #2 large tree roots carry the trees "life force" electrical impluses --these impluses can react with your detector coil 's electrical feild that it makes -- much the same way a electric power line can -- its natural made electric impluses rather than man made is all.(its the nervious system of the tree if you think of it that way) .
 

batcap

Hero Member
Jun 22, 2010
684
131
Baltimore MD
Detector(s) used
AT PRO
I've dug to roots and stopped. I've never dug 7" past a root, but if I did I would do this:

Set your loop on top of the root and adj your sens until you are on the edge. Check your sens against the bottom of the root. As you move down away from the root(for your 7") does the signal get stronger or weaker?

I confess. I'd have walked away long before you have.
 

OP
OP
dirtyJohn

dirtyJohn

Hero Member
Nov 30, 2007
643
47
Whiskey Junction, IL
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 LTD2, Tesoro Tiger Shark, DetectorPro Uniprobe, DetectorPro Pistol Probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
batcap said:
I've dug to roots and stopped. I've never dug 7" past a root, but if I did I would do this:

Set your loop on top of the root and adj your sens until you are on the edge. Check your sens against the bottom of the root. As you move down away from the root(for your 7") does the signal get stronger or weaker?

I confess. I'd have walked away long before you have.
The root was close to the base of the tree so most of it was exposed. I'll try your suggestion.
HH
John
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top