What rate pennies vs other coins?

[Vern2]

I am new to metal detecting, as of 12/28/2016. I have found what I would consider a lot of clad coins, with most being pennies.
I am just curious if my finds rate is pretty normal, or out of whack.

From 12/28/2016 until today 02/24/2017: 154 = 1 cent
55 = other (nickels, dimes, and quarters
_____
209 Grand total

So, 74% of my coin finds are pennies, and 26% other. I guess that would be a ratio of 4 to 1.


It appears that folks here in South Georgia will not always pick up a dropped penny, but a little more prone to pick up the others.

Anyways, I'm real curious what some of your percentages are.

 

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[airscapes]

Can't say as when I hunt clad I only bother with nickles dimes and quarters.. but yes, I skip over many pennies.. and no, people don't bother to stop and pick up pennies. One other thing to note, stick your and in your pocket and pull out all your change.. or ask your wife to dump the coins out of her purse.. yo will see far more pennies..

 

[Eleven Cents]

I only count my copper pennies. I'd guess my zincoln jar contains another 40 coins. Totals from the last couple months:

Pennies: 23
Dimes: 20
Nickels: 7
Quarters: 5

I usually discriminate out nickels. A couple have been eyeball surface finds.

 

[Vern2]

Can't say as when I hunt clad I only bother with nickles dimes and quarters.. but yes, I skip over many pennies.. and no, people don't bother to stop and pick up pennies. One other thing to note, stick your and in your pocket and pull out all your change.. or ask your wife to dump the coins out of her purse.. yo will see far more pennies..

I'll probably do the same later on, but now kind of fascinated by finding and digging coins from mother earth. Included all pennies.

 

[Vern2]

I only count my copper pennies. I'd guess my zincoln jar contains another 40 coins. Totals from the last couple months:

Pennies: 23
Dimes: 20
Nickels: 7
Quarters: 5

I usually discriminate out nickels. A couple have been eyeball surface finds.

Question. Why do you discriminate out nickels? I am thinking it's because you got tired of digging so many pull tabs. If so, me too.

So on your total of 23 pennies, all were made prior to 1982. Right?

Counting the 40 pennies in your jar, that would be a total of 63 pennies and 32 other. Total 95. You have a much better ratio than I, at 3 to 1. If this were baseball, you would have a batting average of .337. Hall of Fame career.

My batting average is .263. If I don't start hitting it's back to the minors.

Thanks for posting.

 

[redcobra8u]

If you are discriminating out nickels, you are leaving gold behind IMO. At the beach, I find a ton of pennies too. The photo is an epic 2 day hunt about a week ago. The was $38 in quarters, $4 in nickels, 1 half, 1 Susan B, $9 in dimes,and almost $4 in pennies.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Here are me results from last years coins although I dug many tokens, relics, and other items. I didn't not count the IHCs, LCs, nor foreign coins. I dig about 1 to 1 ratio

Dollars (3 modern small + 1 Ike + 1 Morgan)=5
Halves (8 clad + 6 silvers)=14
Quarters (753 clad + 9 silvers)=762
Dimes (941 clad + 29 silvers)=970
Nickels (263 clad + 2 silvers + 5 buffalo + 2 Vs)=272
Wheats=183
Copper pennies=1266
Zincs=795

2023 non pennies to 2244 pennies.

I love how using 3H or 4H tones the F75 rings in nickels as silvers (high tone) I have dug a gold ring that rang in as foil, so I only disc out the lower half or so of the iron range. When I started detecting I used to disc out everything and only notched nickels back in. Then I discovered that Indian heads ring in as zincs, lower then zincolns though.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Sounds about right ratio. ....at least by me.

At this very point, what change are you carrying,
and what denominations??

I'd venture to say you'll have a few pennies, some dimes, one nickle and the rest quarters.
Go sort your piggy bank, and you'll see that or simular ratio there too - unless you rob all the
quarters for milk shake

Remember, it takes ten pennies to make a dime, it takes ten dimes to make a dollar, it takes.....WAIT!
(try this) Just, dig-one-coin-at-a-time.............and ENJOY!

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Hey Vern it also depends on site. Some sites seem to be littered with pennies, and other have many more higher denominations.
You can't stop digging pennies though as so many good targets come in at that range. This is a patience hobby, that's why 5% of the people find 95% of the stuff, they have the patience, and others (detectors) just collect dust.

Believe me I hate pennies too.

 

[Vern2]

If you are discriminating out nickels, you are leaving gold behind IMO. At the beach, I find a ton of pennies too. The photo is an epic 2 day hunt about a week ago. The was $38 in quarters, $4 in nickels, 1 half, 1 Susan B, $9 in dimes,and almost $4 in pennies. View attachment 1418833 [/QUOTE


Hey, you had an amazing two days. That's a double wow wow, pal. Indeed.

 

[Vern2]

Here are me results from last years coins although I dug many tokens, relics, and other items. I didn't not count the IHCs, LCs, nor foreign coins. I dig about 1 to 1 ratio

Dollars (3 modern small + 1 Ike + 1 Morgan)=5
Halves (8 clad + 6 silvers)=14
Quarters (753 clad + 9 silvers)=762
Dimes (941 clad + 29 silvers)=970
Nickels (263 clad + 2 silvers + 5 buffalo + 2 Vs)=272
Wheats=183
Copper pennies=1266
Zincs=795

2023 non pennies to 2244 pennies.

I love how using 3H or 4H tones the F75 rings in nickels as silvers (high tone) I have dug a gold ring that rang in as foil, so I only disc out the lower half or so of the iron range. When I started detecting I used to disc out everything and only notched nickels back in. Then I discovered that Indian heads ring in as zincs, lower then zincolns though.

Loco digger
Your year end numbers are staggering. ...mind blowing.........double wow wow, pal.

Tell us more......how do you do what you do?

 

[Goldfleks]

I find more quaters and nickels after the swell. More pennies/dimes on calmer days. Limited sample size but has been my experience so far. So the days/places I decide to detect can influence my finds.

 

[sprailroad]

Depends on where you detect, JUST out of curiosity I began to keep count of coins I've found since I retired, So, since Jan. 2015 to date, Two 1$ coins, Two 1/2 $ coins, 908 quarters, 1,277 dimes, 721 nickels, and 5,378 pennies. Having said, that's a lot of city/county parks for lack of any better places for now. Of course I'd rather have only 100 total if they were all 1900 & before. If I had skipped pennies, I would have missed a few neat surprises as well. So, If you just hunt parks, zinc pennies are a fact of life I guess, although, yesterday I DID find a nice sterling ring w/ stone. And each time I dig a nickel or pull tab?, I tell my self, Well--it COULD have been a nice juicy gold ring.

 

[Vern2]

Depends on where you detect, JUST out of curiosity I began to keep count of coins I've found since I retired, So, since Jan. 2015 to date, Two 1$ coins, Two 1/2 $ coins, 908 quarters, 1,277 dimes, 721 nickels, and 5,378 pennies. Having said, that's a lot of city/county parks for lack of any better places for now. Of course I'd rather have only 100 total if they were all 1900 & before. If I had skipped pennies, I would have missed a few neat surprises as well. So, If you just hunt parks, zinc pennies are a fact of life I guess, although, yesterday I DID find a nice sterling ring w/ stone. And each time I dig a nickel or pull tab?, I tell my self, Well--it COULD have been a nice juicy gold ring.

Your numbers since Jan 2015 are other worldly. Totally out there.

Since I started this hobby 2 months ago, I have hunted for at least a couple of hours most every day, except maybe 4 days.
I actually thought I was doing pretty dog gone good until I read your figures and Loco digger figures.

I've averaged 100 coins a month, where as y'all are at around 400 a month. I just can't fathom those numbers. A LOT OF HOLES.

 

[AlienLifeForm]

I dont usually play with nickels, but I cant imagine how much gold I have stepped on. I need to start digging more, but those pull tabs are my nemesis.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Loco digger
Your year end numbers are staggering. ...mind blowing.........double wow wow, pal.

Tell us more......how do you do what you do?

I do not just hunt with the beep and dig mentality, I am a coin shooter and watch how a target ID is registering. All good targets (jewelry, coins and other cool relics) have very little to no variation in the number that is displayed. I dig all tones except for iron when the ID number doesn't fluctuate by 1 number either way. I have been known to ignore a zincoln signal here and there though. I have 2.5 years worth of experience on my detector, hunting every weekend the ground isn't frozen. I do get fooled by the occasional nail, bottle cap, & pull tab. It's not like I never dig trash, I'd rather not if I can determine it via sound and ID.

 

[Vern2]

Loco-Digger
So what you are saying is, you pass it up if there are several or more numbers bouncing around? Even if the quarter 95 (like on my DeLeon) is popping up solid too?

 

[Vern2]

I dont usually play with nickels, but I cant imagine how much gold I have stepped on. I need to start digging more, but those pull tabs are my nemesis.

War Baby,
It's only taken me 60 days to hate on pull tabs. I guess pull tabs are most everyone's pain in the donkey.

 

[Eleven Cents]

Why do you discriminate out nickels? I am thinking it's because you got tired of digging so many pull tabs.

Yep. The ground where I live is extremely hard, so I usually don't dig unless it sounds like something better than a nickel. I just found a neighborhood that's siltier, so I might change my strategy there.

 

[Eleven Cents]

Oh, and...

So on your total of 23 pennies, all were made prior to 1982. Right?

There are some copper 1982s in circulation. I don't remember if there are any in my jar, but if there are, I would have distinguished them by their patina. Zinc rots very quickly in the alkaline soil here. I regularly find pennies from the current decade that have giant pits in them. Pure copper turns a rich dark brown, almost black.