Probing any ideas to tell flat rocks from valuable coins without scratching

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I have been on a hiatus for several years from metal detecting and now that I have started again I remember one of many things that drove me bonkers.
Where I hunt you really cannot dig holes, parks, churches private yards, and in eastern Mass we have tons of small flat coin sized rocks. I probe with either a brass probe or a flat head screw driver that I rounded off the end of. When I am probing I try to be gentle as you don't want to scratch a seated dime or quarter so as soon as I touch something at about the right depth I cut a slit and gently work it up to the surface to find - another flat rock

If I wasn't being that careful I could and have tapped the rock/coin to try to see what it is, but I seem to find alot of rocks, I feel like Charlie Brown at Halloween. I think that is why I like to hunt the beach with a sifter or a local park that dates from the 1800's where I found a large cent but has mostly loam.

How do most people do it?

 

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[norbyx]

Use a lesche and a probe metal detector.

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[Sandman]

If you know how to pinpoint well you don't really need a electronic pinpointer. However many detectors now only have a motion all metal and it is hard to nail it down to a dime size spot. Having flat rocks or having to detect with any rocks is the pits. All I do is tap the rock or coin to get a feel for what is is and it takes practice. I am worng sometimes. Fishing amoung the weeds is the pits for fishermen and we have to live with the down sides too. Beats having to go shopping for fabrics with the wife anyway.

 

[cudamark]

You can get used to the difference by "feel" after you've done it awhile. I also use a pin pointer probe adjusted to where it practically has to touch the coin to set it off.

 

[finderskeepers]

Ben you near the water or more inland?

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Near Foxboro Stadium

 

[Frankn]

Make a probe out of plastic tubing. Remove your regular probe and insert it. if it lights, its metal.

Plastic probe- thin plastic tubing with two thin insulated wires going thru it. epoxy wires in tubing at bottom. file till the copper of both wires show. Now hook 2 AA cells in series with a LED. Connect the remaining lead from the LED & bat to the wires in probe. The metal object acts as the switch. Don't know electronics? Send me a PM. Frank

 

[gleaner1]

Frankn that's freakn awesome. Very interesting. You should patent that. I gotta do some prototyping of that. Pure genius actually.

 

[cudamark]

Those have actually been on the market before. I had a friend with one but it just didn't work all that well. If the coin is at an odd angle, it was hard to get the connection to work. Crusty coins didn't allow for a good connection either.

 

[Frankn]

I built one about 14 years ago. I used a brass tube with one wire in it. The tube served as the other connection. Used 2 AAA cells in series with a LED. The brass tube went into a small plastic box. Worked well for me. I lost it when my house burned and switched to mainly cache hunting so I never built another. Parts and labor would be about $20. It is simple to build if you know the basics. Maybe I will build another and picture it here. Frank