10k Gold Found with Pull Tab to Nickel to Goal Ratio

[Jeremy S]

Hey Everyone! Over a decade ago there was a discussion on TresureNet about how many pull tabs and nickels that you usually have to dig to find gold on dry land (not counting beaches). At the time there was much speculation but nobody had any exact numbers. The numbers nerd in me decided to start keeping count of every nickel and tab that I was digging before finding gold. Below are some of the results going back to 2014. All of my gold below was found in city parks.

Finally catching up on finds from last last year. Last October I found my latest gold, a 10k stamped ring head with "19 x3" stamped on it. The missing digit is tough to read, possibly a 4 or 9. Thinking this might be the head of a small class ring?

Figured some of you might find these numbers interesting.

 

[ncsuwolf]

that’s interesting that you took time to keep count. Not sure if it’s just on my display, but your counts don’t line up in your table. Table is at the top and a random list of numbers below. Could be operator error on my end.

 

[Jeremy S]

Thanks! I didn't notice that the table was goofed up. Posted screenshot of it.

 

[oldmxrat]

Man, if it was that big of a ratio for me I think I'd stop digging nickels and pull tabs!

 

[Jeremy S]

Man, if it was that big of a ratio for me I think I'd stop digging nickels and pull tabs!

What's the fun in that? I am fortunate to live close to a couple of city parks that are several hundred acres with history dating to colonial times and the Civil War, before they became a city park in the 1880s. I primarily hunt the wooded areas as they have been less hunted over the past 50 years and still hold some treasures, but are also full of trash. Many times I have dug a pull tab, re-scanned the area, and pulled out an eagle button or Minie ball that was a little bit deeper!

But some areas where old baseball fields used to be are solid pull tabs. I may try cherry picking the area in different modes, but like most others I just avoid the badly infected pull tab areas.

 

[eman1000]

I would think the the DII you would have a better shot of distinquishing between a pull tab and 90% of gold rings. I haven't used the DII but even with the ORX there was probably 2-5 difference in VDI between a pull tab and an average small gold ring, but that is out of the ground. Now a gold bracelet would be tough and sometimes those are lower than a pull tab. General rule of thumb though is dig them all because you never know what might be there. I would dig them all to be safe. I wonder if the overall pull tab count will get lower as people continue to navigate farther away from drinking from cans? Sure would be nice!

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Good job on the record keeping and congrats on the great finds !

 

[jewelerguy]

Your dedication to keeping track of the numbers is impressive. I would have no doubt given up on the project after just a few days. Your ring head is most certainly from a class ring.

 

[Jeremy S]

I would think the the DII you would have a better shot of distinquishing between a pull tab and 90% of gold rings. I haven't used the DII but even with the ORX there was probably 2-5 difference in VDI between a pull tab and an average small gold ring, but that is out of the ground. Now a gold bracelet would be tough and sometimes those are lower than a pull tab. General rule of thumb though is dig them all because you never know what might be there. I would dig them all to be safe. I wonder if the overall pull tab count will get lower as people continue to navigate farther away from drinking from cans? Sure would be nice!

Most gold rings that I have found will come in anywhere from just below a nickel (low 50s) up to zinc pennies (83). Depending on size, thickness, and alloy, the VDI can be all over the place. Though most are in the range of a nickel (62) to pull tab (67-72). The gold chain that I found last year was a 39.

I just dig everything and in a typical 2 hour hunt probably dig 100+ targets. In a manicured lawn or private property, I am naturally much more selective on what I dig in order to be able to leave zero sign that I was ever there. In a wooded area where the ground is soft and covered in leaves, everything gets dug!

 

[pepperj]

Most gold rings that I have found will come in anywhere from just below a nickel (low 50s) up to zinc pennies (83). Depending on size, thickness, and alloy, the VDI can be all over the place. Though most are in the range of a nickel (62) to pull tab (67-72). The gold chain that I found last year was a 39.

I just dig everything and in a typical 2 hour hunt probably dig 100+ targets. In a manicured lawn or private property, I am naturally much more selective on what I dig in order to be able to leave zero sign that I was ever there. In a wooded area where the ground is soft and covered in leaves, everything gets dug!

That's a lot of digging for the amount of gold.
Looking at the totals and the 2 different detectors you have what was the breakdown on which detector was used?
I started to keep records of just coinage and other jewelry finds but that got really old fast-I hate paperwork.
I found more jewelry by just coin shooting in the parks in the 1970-1990 instead of just concentrating on tab/gold signals, and that was at a 150/1 average.
Gold has never appealed to me enough to dig 500+ tab targets for one piece of gold.

 

[Jeremy S]

I dig everything, including coin signals.

What also falls in that same tab range are old nickles, flat buttons, civil war era buttons, tokens, and other interesting relic finds. That stuff I don't list in my numbers.

As for keeping count, I just have a notepad in the garage and when I get back from a hunt, I quickly jot down the totals before throwing my finds into the various bins until I get around to cleaning them. Pretty low effort haha. I don't specifically hunt gold.

 

[Trezurehunter]

We always dig more pull tabs, but boy when you get that one nice item, it sort of makes all the pull tabs worth it.