Any ideas on where the silver might be hiding?

[zenith82]

I've only been seriously detecting for a year and I've made a few neat finds. I hunt whenever I get a chance (usually weekends) and I've recovered about 4,000 coins so far. The only thing I've noticed is the lack of silver that seems to come my way. Of those 4,000 coins, only two have been silver, a 1945-S Walking Liberty half and a 1956 Roosevelt dime. There have been about 100 or so Wheaties (1912 to 1958) and an 1890 Indian Head. The rest have all been clads or memorials.

I always try to hunt older neighborhoods. I've hit around schools (here in WV they've paved most of the schoolyards for some strange reason so I have to be content hunting around the buildings), grass medians, parks, and the like pretty hard. I've also hunted around a few older houses, but people in southern WV usually don't seem to be too willing to give permission.

I'm going to be relocating to King George, VA in about a month. Does anyone out there have any advice on other possible areas to hunt so I might increase my silver finds some? I've recovered Wheaties at about 8" or so before, so I don't think depth is a problem. And I'm fairly certain the areas I'm hunting have not seen much if any hunting in the past.

Thanks and happy hunting,

Tom

 

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[Lowbatts]

I've got a fine pile of silver over the years. I started out as Jakesvalet suggests, going for the quantity, not the quality. First couple years out I loaded up on change and hit all the most likely spots, Carnival sites, fairs, festivals, playgrounds.

Those finds slowed as I turned toward getting the older finds but sometimes, during street or sidewalk work, I've had real banner sites that yielded pouches full of silver and old cent, 5 cent and other coins and goodies. Finding those old goodies in quantity will be a matter of site selection, research and opportunity. Those targets of opportunity such as construction/demolition sites cannot be overlooked and should be exploited as the opportunity presents itself.

Determine what style of detecting suits you. Fast buck, quick change? That keeps you in battery and gas money for sure once you have determined your personal routine and there are many renewable resource sites for this type of detecting.

Relic, treasure, cache, or old goodies hunting is more challenging and requires more footwork, homework and attention to detail. I still find silver at fairly shallow spots in "hunted out areas" as many others do as well. Depends on the thouroughness of those who have hunted before me. Pick a type of detecting that suits your equipment, character and habits and then expand as you learn. I was not a bottle collector before md'ing, or a marble collector, but those things came along as a natural offshoot of the opportunities that have presented themselves.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

 

[zenith82]

thanks

Jakesvalet,

It is good to find the clads and memorials (at least you can roll them up and take them to the bank!). As for the parks, I would never hunt a state or national, but I haven't had any problems with community parks. I stay out of flowerbeds and the like, but areas like picnic areas, playgrounds, etc. I've hunted extensively. I haven't had any problems with police. Actually, a cop came up to me and asked how I was doing once and pointed out an area where he and a lot of other kids used to play in the early '60s (found a few wheaties there too).

Lowbatts,

When I first started detecting, I was happy with newer stuff, but now that I've been at it a while, I'm looking more for the older coins and relics. The most productive site I've had so far has been where they demolished a 1912 high school last year and took away the top few inches of dirt. I've found wheaties from the '10s and '20s there quite often and that is also where my '56 Roosevelt and 1890 IH came from. The trouble is, it's hard to catch these places with the concrete torn up. The 1945-S Walking Liberty came from a "hunted out" baseball field I went to while visiting a friend in another part of WV and it was only about 3-4" deep.

Thanks for both of your replies. Guess I'll just have to stay at it and see what turns up. Unfortunately, I missed sidewalk construction about 4 years ago in my hometown. It went right in front of an 1896 bank! Oh well, guess I'll have to wait 20 years or more for another chance to hunt that place!

Tom

 

[Slingshot]

Hello Tom; There is plenty of silver left to be found. It seems you are doing things right, but you could be in a location where the economy was severly depressed in days of yore. If I recall WV is in Appalachia, a region long reputed to suffer from a poor economy, as such the old timers may have had nothing to lose, barter was a way of life in the remoter regions of the US, and still is in remote areas, and you just won't find a lot of old coins, like say New England. Since you are moving, maybe you will get into an area that had a better economy, and folks had something to lose. I have found the bigger the city, and stronger the local economy was, then the more old silver I find. I would love to go to Detroit and dig for a week! What you think? Birmingham Alabama is a big town, but the digging I've done there brought meager returns, whereas Atlanta has always produced old silver, when I'm up to the task of working the old downtown areas. Don't give up - there's some good silver out there with your name on it! GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[sburton1313]

Tom,

When I was younger and had more time I would hit all of the parks, schools, fairs, etc. and come away with occasional "keepers". Now that I only get out a few times a year, research is a must. Go to a library and find old maps from 1900 of your area. Search these maps for places that are now just empty cornfields or cow pasture. My best finds come from where old one room school houses used to stand. If they were torn down 50 years ago, chances are no one has ever detected there. One school house I found a token from the 1886 (my memory may not be accurate on that date) world's fair, a 1910 penny, a 1911 barber dime in uncirculated condition (one of the nicest coins I have found) a key date 1868 Indian head in beautiful condition (no pitting) just a light green patina covering the coin, and and 1856 half dime.

I don't do this well at all school houses and actually I only found 17? there but WHAT A 17? it was!!

Good luck with your hunting!

Steve

 

[awsmix]

Silver

Tom....All these replies are right on the money. Hunt the oldest sites you can get permission to hunt; schools, churchyards, campgrounds and the like. Even though they might be hunted pretty heavily already, there's always that chance that someone overlooked the good one. I've been hunting places like that and have someone come by and tell me of another place I should be looking.
Persistence pays off.

Mix

 

[scotty]

Tom, only suggestion I would make is to Keep On Hunting and researching sites. Sooner or later you will find "silver". The IH and the wheaties are a good sign that silver may be in the same area or nearby, you just may need to hunt more thoroughly. Also may need to hunt in all metal mode and dig all signals if you think the silver may be deeper than the IH and wheaties were. HH Scotty

 

[kytreasurehunter]

Don't forget the old country stores, the railroad stations, and the paths to the plantation outhouses fot the times when folks were in, well... a hurry. wink wink HH.