Dying for silver but..

[Wheatsweep]

Ive been hunting a school that opened in 1928. I have pulled 80 dimes, 25 quarters, countless pennies. STILL no silver after 15+ hours. Will try again next week. Still lots of space to cover. But did find this 1936 filipino cent. Bit different. Hit it a bit too

 

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[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Just gotta break thru that layer of modern coins...the oldies will be there for sure

 

[Pointman]

I detected a school from 1924 a dozen times or more. I have found probably 12-15 wheats and 4 silver dimes. I had about given up on the property and then I found the old dirt around the playground along the fence. I was finding nothing one afternoon and then within an hour I found 2 Mercury dimes under a rock about two feet off of the fence which were together and then 100 feet away I found a third under about 2" of dirt in line with the other two.

Otherwise, I am not sure why I haven't found anything older than the 40s' and not more. I suspect everything is too deep to hear and it had been searched in the past all but around the fence.

 

[Carolina Tom]

My suggestion is to look for the old dirt... perhaps around large trees, where the bulldozer can not tread. GL&HH!

 

[Argentium]

In many cases the turf has been completely dug up and removed to put in modern irrigation /sprinkler systems . Schools since the
earliest days of metal detecting (1960's - for anything reliable for the hobbyist ) have been near the top of everybody's list
of must sweep - along with city parks, and fairgrounds. Actually I would be surprised if you were pulling silvers from that
schoolyard- I'm no "Debby Downer" but we must give those first and second generation metal detector guys and gals
their due , they hit these locations hard , and they "hoovered " up enormous amounts of silver quarters and dimes .

 

[treblehunter]

In many cases the turf has been completely dug up and removed to put in modern irrigation /sprinkler systems . Schools since the
earliest days of metal detecting (1960's - for anything reliable for the hobbyist ) have been near the top of everybody's list
of must sweep - along with city parks, and fairgrounds. Actually I would be surprised if you were pulling silvers from that
schoolyard I'm no "Debby Downer" but we must give those first and second generation metal detector guys and gals
their due , they hit these locations hard , and they "hoovered " up enormous amounts of silver quarters and dimes .

I agree, I would have loved to have detected then. Nothing is hunted out, few strays here and there, but no way like the seventies! Those old schools must of been loaded with silver. I seen bags of silver from an old timer, everything in there banging and scratching each other. Mercs, Barbers, Washingtons, seated, everything in those two bags he showed me. One gallon zip locks doubled up, full of everything.

 

[Ia.FurTrade]

Just gotta break thru that layer of modern coins...the oldies will be there for sure

Yep! Just keep at it...........the silver will come!

 

[Higgy]

I'm no "Debby Downer" but we must give those first and second generation metal detector guys and gals
their due , they hit these locations hard , and they "hoovered " up enormous amounts of silver quarters and dimes .

Also sadly ironic that all of those silvers were just pocket change in the 60's.

 

[Wheatsweep]

Haha well some how today I went on an hour hunt before the sun went down at a much newer school. Kids had soccer practice going on so i stayed far off to the side. Wasnt expecting anything old just wanted to kill some time and some how i managed to get a 1961 rosie in with the rest of the 75 cents i found. Weird how that works. Wasnt expecting it.

 

[Argentium]

Yeah , I certainly am not saying don't go give any place a try (you will find the odd silver) I'm simply saying- should we be surprised that we aren't finding much silver in yards (schoolyards and parks too) that have likely been hit hard for nearly
50 years ? (and that's if you only start the detected regularly clock at 1965 !) I think your chances are better of finding
gold rings in these locations because people tend to burn out after so many pull tabs and foil bits and can slaw - they
turn the discrimination up to "cherry pick" for silver rings and coins , leaving the gold and the nickels for us !
(I use nickels as an indicator of how well these really heavily detected sites have been hunted - if I'm finding
a lot of nickels and pull tabs - I start really paying attention ! )

 

[Argentium]

treblehunter , I too dream of what it must have been like about 1968-70 to have a good metal detector , and to know what to do with it !
talk about dream scenarios !!! Every park would be loaded with silver dimes , rings , quarters - not to mention the schoolyards -loaded,
Obviously in 1968 , modern silver coins wouldn't carry the same thrill or value as finding those coins today (nearly 50 years later ) but the
sheer volume of silver that you would be finding back then , and I'm guessing way less people were out with detectors in that era as well .
I'd love it if some of you "old timers " could chime in and relate your experiences here ! (I think I'll start a thread on General Discussion)

 

[Wheatsweep]

Silver didnt have the same value then. It was not a lucrative. Silver value has gone up so much since then. Peolple could be saying the same about copper pennies 100 years from now. The silver is still there. Maybe deeper and surrounded by more things but its there

 

[Wheatsweep]

I retract that statement i didnt realiize the value silver hit in the 70s

 

[mikeraydj]

I am sure back then it was just as common to have a lot of silver already in your pocket as change. So finding it back then was almost like finding clad now.

 

[I-DIG-IT]

Nice digs.