Does this sound logical?

Jcostin

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So while walking with my wife last night, we passed a house built in 1941. I told her that I would be possible that at least one coin could have been lost per year there. That would mean at least (possibly) 23 silver coins somewhere in the yard...maybe less if you count wheaties. Probably more as there were still plenty of silver coins in circulation during the mid to late 60's.

I think I have her interested now...you think it would pay off to search the yard?
 

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TheRingFinder

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Of course - I have found countless coins from private homes, I usually hit any home dated before the mid 1960's. Good Luck and let us know how you did!!
 

Tom_in_CA

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So while walking with my wife last night, we passed a house built in 1941. I told her that I would be possible that at least one coin could have been lost per year there. That would mean at least (possibly) 23 silver coins somewhere in the yard...maybe less if you count wheaties. Probably more as there were still plenty of silver coins in circulation during the mid to late 60's.

I think I have her interested now...you think it would pay off to search the yard?

It depends on what you mean by "logical". Do you mean "probable"? No, it's not "probable" (or "likely") that there would be "23 silver coins" in a yard that dates to 1941. Is it possible? Sure! Is it possible that there is only 1 or 2 (or zero) ? Sure!

I've hunted yards from the 1940s and found over 100 coins, in a small suburbia sized front lawn. Yet in others (un-disturbed and virgin mind-you), I've found scarcely 1 or 2 coins. So it just depends on who lived their in the past (demographics), and their propensity to be fumble-fingers type people (kids who had lemonade stands on the front yards, etc....).
 

Ism

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Tom said it all!
Some people are constantly hosting parties, reunions, etc. While others seldom do more in their yards than mow it.
 

Hookedondetecting

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I am over 60 and I remember Grampa always carried his coins in a sort of a plastic coin purse you squeezed to open. No loose coins in the pocket from him. A quarter back then got you one or two gallons of gas so money was more valuable and people hung on to it better. The last ten years I see kids throwing away pennies.
 

Tom_in_CA

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When I got my first detector, in the mid 1970s, in about 9th grade, I naturally took it out to my own front yard to test and try out. My house where I'd grown up in my whole life at that time, was built in 1959. I must have found 50 to 70 coins in my own front yard! (including a few wheat pennies, but no silver). So once I'd exhausted my own front yard, it was only natural to go yard to yard to all my neighbor's and hunt their yards too (ah the innocent times when you could just knock on neighbor's doors and no one ever said no, eh? haha). All the neighbor's houses were also built about 1958-59-ish. And I noticed that some yards might have as few as 5 or 8 coins, while some had as many as my own yard.

So it just depends.
 

Sandman

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Remember just because a house was built near what ever date doesn't mean someone from an earlier date couldn't have lost something there. So there is no telling what could be found.
 

Tucson Dan

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Also, look in your own pocket and you'll find coins that date back 30-40 years. It was the same in the 1940s too. You may find coins from the turn of the century as well. Go hunt it!
 

63bkpkr

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It is a real toss up, so to speak. In some locations the topsoil was removed and then the house built, who knows what was in the top soil.
However, there is the possibility that older houses could have coins. How they got there well, there are far too many possibilities to list but coins, jewelry, tin foil, nails, pull tabs, bottle caps, sprinkler heads, toys and on and on are all out there somewhere. I knew a fellow that enjoyed searching the seaside areas, beaches and homes. Along a fence line of one Estate he got a silver signal. Pulled the target out and darned if it wasn't an 1800's silver half dollar that had been used as a target, likely a .45 round had been fired at it, hit it and the coin went spinning and tumbling in the air and was lost.

I've found fired slugs, gold tooth crowns, mickey mouse silver ring, sharp shooter ring and numerous items in private laws. So is there something in that old lawn, go ask for permission and find out. Best of success with all your detecting...................63bkpkr
 

BryanM362

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Remember just because a house was built near what ever date doesn't mean someone from an earlier date couldn't have lost something there. So there is no telling what could be found.

So true! I found a 1905 Indian Head in my back yard, and my house was built 13 years ago. Prior to that is was farmland, and near a pretty busy road. You just never know.
 

Tucson Dan

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So true! I found a 1905 Indian Head in my back yard, and my house was built 13 years ago. Prior to that is was farmland, and near a pretty busy road. You just never know.

All I seem to find in my backyard are nails, pull tabs and the beer bottle caps that the builders threw there after a day's work.
 

lookindown

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Some private residences have lots of coins, some have none. I think it has to do with what kind of activity took place there. People working on things like cars, loose coins.
 

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Jcostin

Jcostin

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I'm going to get permission to hunt...worst case scenario is that I don't find anything I'm looking for...sure beats swinging the weed eater all evening!
 

RobRieman

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No, worst case scenario is you won't get permission to hunt. :) Good luck!
 

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