Why would a Metal Detector go off on a piece of slate?

agalusha5

Newbie
Jan 12, 2007
1
0
We just bought a house in North Hebron, NY and a big flat piece of slate is laid on the ground just off the back step. We were swinging the detector around and it goes off on the corner of the slate. Just that one spot , no where else. and we moved the slate and checked the ground under it. Nothing. The detector says it is Silver money. Does anyone know how, or why and what it means????
 

Gypsy Heart

Gold Member
Nov 29, 2005
12,686
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Ozarks
Geez, Since Slate is a stone formed from clay mud; composed of sediments of decomposed stone and organic matter that has been hardened by heat and pressure, it might have been in the breakdown before the slate formed ..or it could have traces or iron oxide in it.
 

T

TreasureTales

Guest
Natural iron is one possibility. The silver reading may not be accurate. Or there's a fissure in the slab in which a nail or coin has been stashed. Or maybe it isn't slate. Hard to say for sure. There are hot rocks that detectors will signal on.
 

Zincoln Miner

Hero Member
Nov 14, 2003
567
360
New York State
Detector(s) used
Minelab Vanquish 340, Tesoro Silver uMax, Compadre, and BH Tracker IV.

Ex: White's Spectrum XLT, Tesoro Cutlass II Umax, and that circa late 70's red handled junk from RadioShack that started it.
try flipping the slate over and scan the other side just to see what happens.I
suspect a highly mineralised matrix in the rock giving a highly conductive metal reading(it happens).
as for me I would crack it open to retreive an atlantian's pocket change.
 

jeff of pa

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Dec 19, 2003
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If you have a strong magnet see if it sticks to it.
If it Dosn't, crack it open.

Unless the slate has a particular place in your heart,
and you don't want to damage it of course.
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,004
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South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Bog iron, leeched in pyrite, meteorite, shell casing from alien hunter. ;)
 

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