DIG THOSE ZINC SIGNALS IF YOU WANT TO FIND INDIANS!

[coinman123]

I try not to dig any zinc signals, but today I found something out. I was testing different coins to see what the show up with on my metal detector and discovered that all small cents that are from before 1943 will show up as zinc pennys. It all depends on where you are, so if you are at a 1980s school you don't need the dig them. I hope I helped you guys.

Good luck,

 

[SusanMN]

On my Xterra a lot of good things ring up in the penny range (26-30) including some gold rings, so I never pass them up. Yes, I do end up with a pocketful of pennies, but a lot of other interesting things as well.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

well, it's like you say: it depends on "where you are". Because I can think of a million places (and not just "schools built in the 1980s", but also even old parks) that "zinc penny" signals will be ........ surprise .... ZINC PENNIES. You have to add depth into the factor (assuming undisturbed depth stratas). So sometimes I'll chase a "zinc" penny signal if it's deep, but not if it's shallow. But this is assuming stratified turf, not "relicky" environments/hunt spots.

 

[cooper1841]

With my AT Pro pennies are in the 70's range, somewhere, but so are lots of other cool stuff, so I dig lots, and lots of them. Sunday after hunting, and throwing all those dirty hard to recognize 70-somthing signals, in my finds pouch, when I got home and rinsed everything off.......................bam, first Indian Head! 1881 beauty!, could not belive it. I have no idea what the number was on it, but it was in the 70's for sure, copper pennies seem a litter higher than zinc though

 

[nsdq]

i dig everything,,last IH i found was less than 2 inches down

 

[RobRieman]

I try not to dig any zinc signals, but today I found something out. I was testing different coins to see what the show up with on my metal detector and discovered that all small cents that are from before 1943 will show up as zinc pennys. It all depends on where you are, so if you are at a 1980s school you don't need the dig them. I hope I helped you guys.

Good luck,

You must have some high mineralized soil or something in your area. My pre 43 coins or all copper for that matter ring in the copper range. I have yet to dig a copper that said it was a zinc penny. I did find a lot of other crazy things by digging zinc signals like a few tokens but nothing of value so far. It sure does make a difference depending on the soil your swinging over though.

 

[scotty544]

With the V3i Indians come in around 51 almost exactly what a zincoln comes in at! My last Indian was a great 1883 at around 2 inches deep!

 

[team sidewinder]

Nice find. I only dream of my first IH penny.

With my AT Pro pennies are in the 70's range, somewhere, but so are lots of other cool stuff, so I dig lots, and lots of them. Sunday after hunting, and throwing all those dirty hard to recognize 70-somthing signals, in my finds pouch, when I got home and rinsed everything off.......................bam, first Indian Head! 1881 beauty!, could not belive it. I have no idea what the number was on it, but it was in the 70's for sure, copper pennies seem a litter higher than zinc though

 

[RobRieman]

With the V3i Indians come in around 51 almost exactly what a zincoln comes in at! My last Indian was a great 1883 at around 2 inches deep!

My Zincolns hit at 55 on my V3i in the Cincinnati area. It's amazing how consistent they are. Every once in a while I get a real corroded one or a piece of one down around 50. There is so much junk around here in the ground that if I dug everything I would never have left the first spot and would have been thrown in jail for vandalism by now. Lol

 

[elijahhenry10]

Indians read as zinc on my Omega, too.

Does anyone know where a large cent would read in at? Would it read up around a half dollar, because of the size, or a penny due to the composition?

 

[scotty544]

Indians read as zinc on my Omega, too.

Does anyone know where a large cent would read in at? Would it read up around a half dollar, because of the size, or a penny due to the composition?

I think I seen one on you tube and it came in at 83 which is the same as a quarter. I have never found one. I really would love to though.

 

[elijahhenry10]

I think I seen one on you tube and it came in at 83 which is the same as a quarter. I have never found one. I really would love to though.

I've never found a coin made before the late '60s, so I'd even be happy to find a wheat penny at this point.

 

[coinman123]

Indians read as zinc on my Omega, too.

Does anyone know where a large cent would read in at? Would it read up around a half dollar, because of the size, or a penny due to the composition?

Large cents ring up as half dollars on most metal detectors. Hope I helped you

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I try not to dig any zinc signals, but today I found something out. I was testing different coins to see what the show up with on my metal detector and discovered that all small cents that are from before 1943 will show up as zinc pennys. It all depends on where you are, so if you are at a 1980s school you don't need the dig them. I hope I helped you guys.

Good luck,

Does anyone know what causes this? I've noticed the same thing with my v3i the last couple years and decided to try and find out if there was an answer as to why. I've dung a dozen or so 1870's - 1900's Indian heads with my v3i that come up in the mid 50's vdi. Just the other day I had a solid mid 50's and was certain it was a IH at the site I was at since I had just dug another with the same reading... out comes a 1911 wheat cent .... typically wheats come in the low to mid 70's vdi for the later years. So my first thought was that it was the composition of the cents... so I look that up and it says they are all the same composition The United States Mint · About The Mint (*these are post 1864 IH's i'm talking about)

My research in trying to figure out what causes this with the early IH's and Wheat cents has me stumped... since as far as the detector is concerned, they should be the exact same metal. Unless the composition did chance throughout the years, but its not noted on any site. Any ideas?

 

[Ism]

You must have some high mineralized soil or something in your area. My pre 43 coins or all copper for that matter ring in the copper range. I have yet to dig a copper that said it was a zinc penny. I did find a lot of other crazy things by digging zinc signals like a few tokens but nothing of value so far. It sure does make a difference depending on the soil your swinging over though.

Actually most IH pennies are bronze in composition (that's why they ring up in the zinc range). Early ones have a high nickel content and ring up even lower.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Hey, you're right!
Altho I use different metal detectors, the same thing applies...Dig All Signals that are within your goody range!
Some older coins have different metal composition, typically with mostly pure metal, like lead, copper, nickel, silver and gold.
Now, pewter and brass are a mix, and have different signatures.
So, in order to be a successful detectorist, and if you have the opportunity, dig-all-those-iffy-signals, too!
...yes, even ZINC pennies

 

[Carolina Tom]

I dug an IHC on Sunday. 77 on the Deus... just below a zincoln. The sound was not as "clean" as a newer coin, somewhat scratchy and broken. I believe that this is due to them being in the ground for a long time, oxidation and corrosion changes them just a little bit.

 

[coinman123]

Now with more experience I can tell you more. I dig any signal above iron now, even low foil. For I only go to colonial locations now. Just because an item shows up as "Pull-tab" does not mean that it's a pulltab, at the places I go it is usauly a pull-tab or button. I ended up finding a beautiful solid silver monogrammed 1740's shoe-buckle, it showed up as zinc.

 

[Turbo21]

Indians read as zinc on my Omega, too.

Does anyone know where a large cent would read in at? Would it read up around a half dollar, because of the size, or a penny due to the composition?

On my eurotek pro a large cent rings in at 88. And it's a solid 88. No change in vdi in any direction

 

[CoilyGirl]

On my Minelab 505 I've discovered in an air test that an IH will ring up as an 18 and that's a very low number on my machine,even pulltabs ring up around a 27.