Clad clad where has all the silver gone.

Duckman Willcox

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Location
SouthTexas
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Garrett AT Pro, Garrett GTI 1500, XP Deus, Simplex
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
WP_20160128_16_39_00_Pro.webpWP_20160120_17_48_51_Pro.webpI have posted some but never attached my finds so I thought I would. I am hunting some old sites, Churches from the 1850's, a train station from the turn of the century, old home yards from the 1940's---- but no silver.
 

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The red McDonalds car was a freebie in a $1.99 "happy meal". He,he,... 20+ years ago, my son just had to have one, so off to McD's we went. mid 1990s, might have a date on bottom
 

You might have to clean off the surface finds first before the oldies show up. Nice job
 

That's how the majority of my hunts look. I find a place that has history. I gain permission. I go with high hopes. I return with clad and junk. My theory is that the places that are visually obvious or in town or otherwise well known, have been hit for decades and the vast majority of the silver at these spots is long gone. I have changed my permission hunting to less obvious, out of the main town older houses that I then research with historical aerials. I also try to find places that no longer exist either through chatting with older locals or from books/maps. I'm still learning, but I'm certainly getting better at it.
 

It is quite likely that the places you are hunting were well hunted in the past and the silver was largely dug up then. I started 45 years ago and all the school and church yards in my county were well hunted by myself and a couple of friends back then and there will be precious little silver ever recovered from these sites again. There was sure plenty when we hunted these places years ago.
 

The obvious spots have been slammed for over 60 years by detectorists. Even the virgin spots are guaranteed to hold silver. I can dig a dozen silvers in one yard and nothing but wheats next door, and nothing but modern clad and trash next to that. It's a numbers game. The more you dig, the more silver you get. Research and private permissions will increase your odds.

Sorry.... should have read virgin spots are NOT guaranteed....
 

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I hear ya I go to the Arboretum here in Ann Arbor literally clad every 5 feet I don't want clad I find many wheats and still collect and dig most solid signals silver is elusive. I look at some of the todays finds posts and they have found 5 or 6 silvers 1800s of course 2 or 3 rings maybe a military button or two Im thinking Im lucky to find one or two in 2 to 3 hunts I know my detecter well and do research It will come once you find a hot spot. There are times Ive been back in the woods and get a deep signal at the base of an old tree and spend 20 minutes digging between roots etc and when you finally get your target its a 2012 quarter or the like crazy, I love the hunt though its like gold fever the old timers had I have made some good finds. there will be good and bad your day is coming
 

I hear ya I go to the Arboretum here in Ann Arbor literally clad every 5 feet I don't want clad I find many wheats and still collect and dig most solid signals silver is elusive.

If you believe the site holds silver, you will have to strip out the surface clad. There have been a lot of times I have dug a piece of clad 2-3 inches then on rescanning the spot I detect a silver coin 4-5 inches deep.
 

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