Amazing At How Many Coins Have Been Dropped Over The Years

Lifes A Garden...Dig IT · Feb 16, 2011

It will always amaze me how much U.S. currency is carelessly dropped, thrown, lost on and in the ground right beneath our very feet.
I wonder what is the average coin count that a treasure hunter will find over his or her lifespan? (Common clad, silver, gold,etc) It baffles me at how much change/coins and other relics we walk across each and every day :tongue3:

mlayers · Feb 16, 2011

Well right now I have been lucky enough to find just over a $100 every year for the last 5 years. I just need to get out more and then I would find more of it. But I really love finding the gold and silver jewerly that is lost.....Matt

Felinepeachy · Feb 16, 2011

What amazes me is how many coins we all find every year. I wonder how much that adds up to? :dontknow:

Daedalus · Feb 16, 2011

I saw a TV show a few years back that was talking about this, how many coins ,or money was dropped ever day. I do not remember the amount but it was staggering what the amount was, it was rated in Tons per day. I wish I could remember the exact amount that was said but it was a lot that is for sure. This was in the U.S also , so not counting other Country's amounts .

And the most lost coin was the quarter , that does not seem right to me, I would have said the penny or dime.
I am going to see if I can look up and find that show as it was full of data on things like this.

diggummup · Feb 16, 2011

Here is one little fun fact for ya-

$58 million "lost" every year - Virgin Atlantic Airways discovered that it takes in an average of 18 cents per passenger per flight in loose change found in the plane's seats. If that figure holds for the approximate 320 million people who fly from one country to another worldwide each year, the total is about $58 million. Lost coins on domestic flights don't amount to much, however. Chicago O'Hare cleaning crews said they found only about 6 cents per flight. It is suggested that more travelers to other countries "accidentally" leave foreign coins behind to avoid dealing with them once they get home

and

There is approximately $8 billion worth of coins circulating in the US today. The U.S. Mint produces nearly 30 billion coins for general circulation each year

CWnut · Feb 16, 2011

just imagine the number of coins minted over the years , but yet all the ones we see in circulation are just a few years old. Where's the rest? most are in the ground, either accidently or on purpose.

bayou bandit · Feb 16, 2011

As long as I'm out hunting there will be plenty left for everyone... GUARANTEED!

Chug And Red · Feb 16, 2011

So far this year, yes I have been lucky with the weather $18.98 Chug aprox 1/3rd of it is pennies!!!

Toby1858 · Feb 17, 2011

I always think, when I'm hunting old homes and lots, " If you could only screen every inch of ground down a few feet!!" Man, how cool would that be! I'm sure that most of the pre twentieth century stuff is just barely out of reach of most detectors, I mean, you know there's got to be goodies under your feet, but with no signal we'll never know!! Most of us just " Scratch the surface" Literally!

Lifes A Garden...Dig IT · Feb 17, 2011

Toby1858 said:
I always think, when I'm hunting old homes and lots, " If you could only screen every inch of ground down a few feet!!" Man, how cool would that be! I'm sure that most of the pre twentieth century stuff is just barely out of reach of most detectors, I mean, you know there's got to be goodies under your feet, but with no signal we'll never know!! Most of us just " Scratch the surface" Literally!

I know. I recently saw where a guy had access to heavy equipment that he could use for his own personal use during off time hours from his employment. He was offering to treasure hunters his service and equipment to do some major digging and he would split the finds with you. :laughing7:

Not a bad idea, but who has hunt sites that they can just bring in heavy equipment and start moving some serious earth? :tongue3:

Dano Sverige · Feb 18, 2011

You think you have fun? We Brit's and Europeans can dig a Roman coin from 2000 years ago (the Romans seemed to have dropped or buried every coin they were paid.How they ever bought anything is beyond me lol!) and a few yards later a pound coin from last week. There's a LOT of years inbetween..it's a wonder Britain doesn't sink from the weight of all the lost coins and goodies! :laughing9:

A guy was saying last week how he sold 20 years worth of gold rings found by a detectorist friend who had just died.(He was selling them for the guys family). they sold for £4,500 - $7,300 and that's just one guy, Imagine adding up and selling all the gold found from every member just on this site?

(Disclaimer: For those who don't like me much, that first part ISN'T bragging...it's just how it is! So don't make a big issue of it please.) :wink:

snake pit · Feb 21, 2011

Lifes A Garden...Dig IT said:
It will always amaze me how much U.S. currency is carelessly dropped, thrown, lost on and in the ground right beneath our very feet.
I wonder what is the average coin count that a treasure hunter will find over his or her lifespan? (Common clad, silver, gold,etc) It baffles me at how much change/coins and other relics we walk across each and every day

i have metal detected one spot and found 195 coins total. So far..... :headbang:

civilman1 · Feb 21, 2011

And most of us are guilty of dropping our fair share for someone else :thumbsup:

liftloop · Feb 21, 2011

I hate dropping money or sucking it up with the vacuum...it goes agents all that i do owning a metal detector...made the kid tare up the vacuum bag out side...thought i sucked up a dime turned out to be a penny...

crazyjarhead · Feb 21, 2011

I must be hunting in the wrong places :dontknow:

Frankn · Feb 21, 2011

Dano, you have a persecution complex that is only partly deserved.

Let's look on the other side of this topic. Have you ever thought about how this money is lost? It's mostly the guys that are loosing this change. It's the design of the male pants pocket. Take a close look. Sit down on a bench and observe the pocket. It's like a coal chute. The back of the pocket is angled down. when I sit down outside I always put my hand in the change pocket and kind of push it back to change that angle. I don't have that problem with jeans because I always look for jeans with deep pockets. Just my thoughts on the subject. You know me I try not to follow. Its more fun to think.

mark v · Feb 21, 2011

bayou bandit said:
As long as I'm out hunting there will be plenty left for everyone... GUARANTEED!

Me to.

halfstep · Feb 22, 2011

As of sunday, there is 55 cents less in the ground. 1 quarter, 2 dimes and 10 pennies. So don't throw away your detectors yet.

mlayers · Feb 22, 2011

I have a playground where I detect every couple of years. Each time I get back there I find over a 100 coins each time. Sure most is pennies but still it all adds up.....Matt

acefish64 · Feb 23, 2011

Think about this some when in the zone detecting, amateur guess for the U.S. high hundreds of millions, low billions. Live on a 1920's 5,000 Sq. Ft. Residential lot, 139 coins and counting. Need a magnet that will suck em out of the ground.