Dating Advice?

Troller · Jul 10, 2016

No this is not a matter of the heart, I am 35 years old and married. I was wondering if there is a method to dating relics based on the depth at which they are found? Is there a good rule of thumb to go by such as x years for x depth? I guess reasonably one would assume that the deeper an object is found the older it is but is this a reliable assumption?

The reason I ask is that I found a button that is rather ornate, is in good condition but it was found at a depth of about eight inches. I can't imagine the button being very old given the condition but it was found pretty deep in compacted soil.

For those of you that clicked on this topic looking for dating advice here goes. If you come home and your significant other is watching Snapped and taking notes there's is a good chance you might want to spend less time metal detecting!

BigWaveDave · Jul 10, 2016

Troller said:
For those of you that clicked on this topic looking for dating advice here goes. If you come home and your significant other is watching Snapped and taking notes there's is a good chance you might want to spend less time metal detecting!

that's my wife's favorite show! :dontknow:

It is reasonable to assume, that the deeper the older, but there are too many variables to make a standard of it. Down here, the soil is VERY sandy, and coins literally sink in the turf, thanks to torrential rainy seasons, and turfgrasses that are nothing more than over-fertilized weeds. Guess the best way to date buttons or relics, would be to compare coins found at the same depth.
FWIW, my theory doesn't make sense, when I find wheats on the surface, and zincs at 8 inches, but you get the gist...

Deft Tones · Jul 10, 2016

Nice try, Joey Greco. :laughing7:

I don't think depth is reliable indicator of age.... for our purposes.

I've found flattened aluminum cans at 10", walked 2 swings and nailed a barber dime at 2 inches - in unturned parkland.

Pretty sure they were not drinking Pepsi from aluminum cans back in 1906.

Tom_in_CA · Jul 11, 2016

Re.: Dating the ornate button: My advice is soft music, low lights, and a bottle of wine. Dating buttons isn't really my thing, but ... to each his own.

cudamark · Jul 11, 2016

As mentioned, there are too many variables to draw any firm conclusions. In a given area that hasn't been disturbed by plowing, cultivating, flooding, etc, it's a good indicator, but, soil content, moisture, weight and shape of target, etc, all factor into it's "sink rate".

Deft Tones · Jul 11, 2016

Well said, Cudamark. I totally gave up on depth/age correlation when I found a ring-pull tab partially masked by an IHP once. :icon_scratch:

I do think once past the frost line things become more reliable.

foiler · Jul 12, 2016

You find a small tool dated 1890 four inches in the ground and few feet away a 1920 penny six inches in the ground. One being dropped in 1980 when the barn was cleaned out the other dropped when shiny and new in 1920. Difficult to use strata as a measurement of age with just a handful of unrelated items. Many items over several layers representing a long history of repented activity can have value.

DeepseekerADS · Jul 12, 2016

"A Few Extra Pounds" means just what it says, but the normal practice is to understate the facts.

I must clarify that this is exclusive to "Dating Advice".

eyemustdigtreasure · Jul 12, 2016

Depth/age....("normally"), that is...!
Depends also on activities around your site,
logging, farming, dwelling construction, roads..., etc.
I'd go with a safe cleaning, and try to get a maker's mark or....
Try button books - there's quite a following of collectors - so maybe find it on the Internet.
I'm not into buttons, but they are a pretty common recovery....

RobRieman · Jul 12, 2016

Another problem is you never know when it was dropped. A 20 year old quarter dropped 20 years ago and a 100 year old quarter dropped 20 years ago should be at the same depth in the same spot. Now take two undated items in the same scenario and you can't tell their ages because of the depth you found them.

bigfoot1 · Jul 13, 2016

I find depth a totally unreliable indicator of age or of date range dropped.the "what is it"forum is a far better tool for dating your finds.

foiler · Jul 16, 2016

It would be nice if life was fair and the older you got the deeper you could go. (sigh)

TrashureSeeker · Jul 19, 2016

While we are on topic here's mine:
Don't spend money on women you could just as well spend on a new search coil.
Cash in rings instead of giving them to women
Golden coins in your finding display don't shout at you for coming home late
Women and coins both can be found on beaches, both look good but only one can be caught with just a simple sandscoop.

cudamark · Jul 19, 2016

Also, comparing treasure finds to women....... the dimmer the light, the better they look!

Oddjob · Jul 19, 2016

I use to ask the relic how old it was, who dropped it, when it was dropped and what it could tell me about the owner.

However between questions I start to notice people looking at me really odd like I was a bigfoot or something, then the day when the EMT's and police came around, said they where there to help me but they did not know how old that stick of gun was, I asked them all and treated me odd because I was not grateful for their "Help".

No idea how to date you relics, but I do know that you should not even bother asking them anything. They are normally just rude and do not speak at all.

thaigler · Aug 4, 2016

Troller said:
For those of you that clicked on this topic looking for dating advice here goes. If you come home and your significant other is watching Snapped and taking notes there's is a good chance you might want to spend less time metal detecting!

Here some more good advice. When you first get married always be the one that checks the mail. Any wedding invitation that come, throw them away. You will get more detecting done on the weekend & it sure beats sitting in church on a Saturday in the middle of the day with a coat and tie on & you save money not having to buy a wedding gift ....Yes I did that & yes it works :-)

cudamark · Aug 5, 2016

I agree! I hate going to weddings and funerals....and for many of the same reasons. You're in uncomfortable clothes, the procedure takes entirely too long, too many people are crying (including me! :crybaby2:

), you have to smile and mingle with many people you'd rather not see to begin with, you've killed a whole day that you could have used for detecting.

digger460 · Aug 5, 2016

Deft Tones said:
Well said, Cudamark. I totally gave up on depth/age correlation when I found a ring-pull tab partially masked by an IHP once.

I do think once past the frost line things become more reliable.

Wonderful

The freeze line here is 42" :laughing7:

villagenut · Aug 5, 2016

Agree with all here, depth doesn't mean a whole lot. The best way to help you ascertain a date range would be to post your button on TNet, a lot of knowledgeable people here who want to see pictures, pics of a backmark, shank type etc. Many have button books and are glad to help you out, saves you from buying one :laughing7: