Curious minds, how much coinage is lost in the ground, wow

[49er12]

Yeah my imagination wonders about many things, things that matter. Folks not counting the lakes and oceans full of shipwrecks etc, how much coinage is in the ground, and what’s the average depth possibly, considering the ground wasn’t disturbed or land filled over. Bit I should have went to school I wasted my life working in steel and retail, hotel with nothing to show for but and open mind for the past and a detector. Do you have an open opinion, Thanks for the thought

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[Swamp Fox]

When one considers how many millions of people have walked the earth and that nearly everyone has lost a coin somewhere along the way then the number is astronomical !

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Lets say for argument, just in the USA, every person over age 10 loses one coin a year.

Been people in the USA who use coins for over 300 years. 250,000 people of coin-carrying decent in 1700 to 331,000,000 people now (if that doesn't alarm you - it should - but that's off topic) say 280,000,000 over 10 years old.

So, 250,000 plus 280,000,000 is 280,250,000. Divided by two is 140,125,000 average annual people (oversimplified, but pockets and sewing methods have improved). 140,125,000 avg annual * 300 years = 4,203,750,000 coins lost since Europeans and other introduced species came to America.

Yee Hah!

Now, to put that in perspective, the US Mint figures almost that number are currently in circulation (3.82 billion). When was the last time you saw a coin over 75 years old in circulation? So it's (IMHO) perhaps not so far off.

 

[fistfulladirt]

The coin drops on ballfields in recent years have been few. Why would coins be carried in recent times?

 

[fistfulladirt]

Probably depends on the hardness of the surface, and length of time. I have heard of 200 year old gold coins found sitting on ocean rocks, just like the day they were dropped or placed there( for safe keeping?).

1/20 an inch per year possibly on average? Depends on the dirt and rain in the area. The heavier the winter the deeper the coin.

I think the average would be less than 1 coin a year, with the amount of modern concrete, credit cards. I would bet most coins are dropped in houses. In fact you would probably have better luck prospecting old floor foundations of old houses for silver now than searching most places. Pre 1965 houses that is.
You would probably have to take into account clothing quality and pocket size, Pre-1965 clothing and before averaged smaller pocket size by probably an inch to 2 inches.
An interesting bet, more silver coins under the floorboards of pre-1965 houses, and junked car carseats pre 1964 than in the ground?

You had me until you wrote ‘pre 1964’, assuming a typo.

 

[Trezurehunter]

I don't know how many are left out there to find, all I do know is I found 34 coins in one yard yesterday, so that's 34 less coins to find !

 

[3cylbill]

How many stars are in the sky...

 

[fistfulladirt]

Back in the late seventies as a teen MD’er, I’d routinely fling handfuls of pennies into our front lawn, there must be thousands still there, all copper!

 

[49er12]

Oh yes I grew , my though is how many fell below the detecting levels. I can only go over the same place very slowly so many times, and that’s digging everything

 

[ticndig]

The place I live really lacks dropped coins , I guess the people of the past were very poor and had little to loose . I've only found 6 coins in the past two years here . the deepest was a large cent at 10'' or so . dug an indian head at 8'' last week . I've found more flat buttons and arrow heads than coins here.
So how many coins are in the ground will vary with location.

 

[TommyB]

I read somewhere years ago that there are more lost coins than the amount currently in circulation

 

[jeff of pa]

not including Drops,& throw away's by kids who are Embarrassed by a pocket full of coins.
Or simply Don't have pockets,

By Aimee Picchi
October 18, 2016



Americans are losing $62 million a year by tossing coins in the trash.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-throw-away-62-million-in-coins-each-year/

 

[Professor of Engineering]

I posted a story a while ago about my College students. During lunch or dinner break they would throw change in the trash barrel. One day, I said "what the heck are you doing" and he; "Doc we don't carry change". After that, I gave them a lecture on stupidity and placed a small box for them to drop their loose change. I will not say how much has been received, but a new O-Scope was bought with the discarded change. Darn Kids!

 

[49er12]

What worries me is this thing called education, college folks simply in part thing college is party time, sex , and r career students, to much fun. Exaggerating not much no wonder this country in trouble trusting younger generation when they don’t value anything except mom and dads checking account, unbelievable

 

[Professor of Engineering]

I'm a Physics and Engineering Professor, I expect more from my students, they should be smart enough to know better!

 

[fistfulladirt]

What worries me is this thing called education, college folks simply in part thing college is party time, sex , and r career students, to much fun. Exaggerating not much no wonder this country in trouble trusting younger generation when they don’t value anything except mom and dads checking account, unbelievable

What’s funny is that every generation says that