My Garrett ACE 400 ignored nickels as coins today...why?

[Rings&bling]

I was detecting this afternoon at some firework stands. I happened to dig up a nickel near another coin, but it didn't ring up on my ACE 400, it just gave a trash signal. The VDI read out a typical 47, but I did not get the bell tone at all like I had in previous searches. Had it been in the ground too long? I had "jewelry" mode on and no iron audio.

 

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[Rings&bling]

Congrats on your new Ace 400. My father has been swinging one for the past year and loves it. I bought him the 13 inch detech coil. Its a couple inches deeper and even ligher than the stock coil. We will be out digging tomorrow and hope to have a video up with the new coil. Good luck with your new addiction

I loook forward to seeing the video! I would welcome a lighter coil. At least I don't hafta go to the gym so much because I get my arm workout at the same time I detect! I switch arms so they are even!

 

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[Got-Good-Tones]

Rings&bling,

Only ring I've found to date was laying on top of the ground in a Tot-Lot... Other than that...mostly just modern clad...oldest coin to date was a 1918 penny. Want to get into the 1800's so bad it's killing me...

Here's what I've been getting so far on modern clad coins...you will probably have different soil conditions...so factor that in as well.

Penney.....~ 84
Clad Dime....84-85
Pull Tab.......72
Quarter.......88-89
.22 shell casing....39-42
Nickel.........70-71 (Strange you are getting 47 on the VDI for a Nickel)

 

[cougar14]

I also have the Ace 400, being using it for going on 3 years now. Have recovered almost 1400 clad quarters, over 1000 clad dimes, uncounted pennies, and only 140 nickels. One gold ring (read 40). Nickels read 44-46, copper pennies 84, zinc pennies in the high 70's. Got a 5x7 DD coil for Xmas, trying it out this week. NOT ONE SINGLE SOLITARY SILVER DIME OR QUARTER. Bad luck or what

 

[Rings&bling]

I also have the Ace 400, being using it for going on 3 years now. Have recovered almost 1400 clad quarters, over 1000 clad dimes, uncounted pennies, and only 140 nickels. One gold ring (read 40). Nickels read 44-46, copper pennies 84, zinc pennies in the high 70's. Got a 5x7 DD coil for Xmas, trying it out this week. NOT ONE SINGLE SOLITARY SILVER DIME OR QUARTER. Bad luck or what

That's a BIG amount of clad coins! Let me know how you like the 5X7 coil. That's next on my "to buy" list. Here's wishing for silver for both of us in 2019!!

 

[Rings&bling]

Rings&bling,

Only ring I've found to date was laying on top of the ground in a Tot-Lot... Other than that...mostly just modern clad...oldest coin to date was a 1918 penny. Want to get into the 1800's so bad it's killing me...

Here's what I've been getting so far on modern clad coins...you will probably have different soil conditions...so factor that in as well.

Penney.....~ 84
Clad Dime....84-85
Pull Tab.......72
Quarter.......88-89
.22 shell casing....39-42
Nickel.........70-71 (Strange you are getting 47 on the VDI for a Nickel)

Other than the nickel, I am getting the same numbers as you. I wish for early silver for you in 2019, my friend!

 

[secondstar]

Hey Rings&Bling, I owned a Garrett Ace 250 for a number of years and have been fortunate enough to hear that bell tone many, many times! Nickels are lower conductors so you will therefore not hear the bell tone when your coil passes over one. Nickels, shotgun shells, pull tabs, and (some) gold targets are all lower conductors and on many machines will all share the same target ID (TID) number on the VDI. There are various factors that can cause a target to display a higher or lower TID than expected. Just last week I found a Barber dime that rang down in the penny range because it was surrounded by iron. I dug because I was able to get a clearly repeatable tone / TID. Remember, when in doubt, dig it out! Happy New Year!

Mike

 

[Rings&bling]

Hey Rings&Bling, I owned a Garrett Ace 250 for a number of years and have been fortunate enough to hear that bell tone many, many times! Nickels are lower conductors so you will therefore not hear the bell tone when your coil passes over one. Nickels, shotgun shells, pull tabs, and (some) gold targets are all lower conductors and on many machines will all share the same target ID (TID) number on the VDI. There are various factors that can cause a target to display a higher or lower TID than expected. Just last week I found a Barber dime that rang down in the penny range because it was surrounded by iron. I dug because I was able to get a clearly repeatable tone / TID. Remember, when in doubt, dig it out! Happy New Year!

Mike

Thanks, Mike. Your advice is solid. Today I found a nickel at an abandoned school site, and it rang up at 39 instead of the usual 47. I got a stead repeatable tone, and decided to dig it. I am beginning to feel more comfortable with those mid-range tones. I would LOVE to find a barber dime!

 

[secondstar]

Keep swinging and you’ll find Barber coinage before you know it! The ACE 400 is a solid machine, I’m glad that you’re enjoying your new hobby!