Do you dig deep signals?

jeff of pa

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Staff member
Dec 19, 2003
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I especially LIKE deep signals. LESS Trash down there
 

jeff of pa

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 19, 2003
85,463
59,223
🥇 Banner finds
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Barber Half at approx. 14", Seated Dimes 10" plus , Bust Dimes also 10" + , Cone Top BEER CANS from the 30's & 40's 3 Feet to name a few
 

V

Vingamel

Guest
I'm only a month into this hobby, but I did find what appeared to be a metal box. I kept clearing away the dirt, because it had somebody's initials on it. Finally, I read the initials, and wondered if it might be the locally famous General Ashton Stonewall. He was well known to use just initials on all his documents:
G A S

Now I know what a gas shutoff valve sounds like.
 

Knipper

Jr. Member
Jan 21, 2005
48
34
Rochester, Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE, Minelab Excalibur II Troy Shadow X-5
Free,

After detecting for close to 30 years, deep signals are really all I like to hear anymore. One might still find the occasional site with 6" and less good targets present, and I dont' leave good shallow targets in the ground, but frankly, it gives me an extra thrill to hunt 'worked out' areas for those deep whispers and come up with a keeper everyone else missed.

Funny, I won't pick up a cent on the street anymore (I've graduated to nickels and above... :)) but I'll spend 10 min or more recovering a deep IH or wheatie and feel good about it. And though clad spends just fine, I won't go to the farigrounds after the fair looking for surface stuff. Just my style of hunting, now I guess. But I'm not knocking anyone else for doing so!

Two deep finds come to memory....one an 1885 seated dime at 10" in an old town square ( using 10" coil on the old ADS III) and the only seated half I've found, an 1877 found down about a foot at an old church yard, about 3 ft from the foundation (same coil and detector). Both were whisper signals, but I was really crawling and that's what I was listening for....

Knipper
 

Lowbatts

Gold Member
Jul 1, 2003
6,573
67
Elgin
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Fishers 1235X-8" CZ-20/21-8" F-70-11"DD GC1023
That avatar on my posts. Collar pin 9+ inches under a roadbed torn up for rebuilding. At a park in town where the Ill. Nat. Guard did their annual encampment in 1909. The actual camp site was also carnival grounds from turn of the century into the 40's. It also served as a muni golf course for almost all those years and still is. Oh yeah, it's also unhunted. One of these days it will be an MD'ers dream come true hunt site but that's still in the works. Now stay off of my block you claim jumpers.

Here's a shot of a couple other deepies in town here from the parkway work:

 

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Detecting Fool

Full Member
Jan 9, 2005
171
250
Stillwater, NY - Home of the Battle of Saratoga
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore starting June 2023
Minelab Equinox 800
Prior to 2020 - Whites VX3, XLT, Spectrum XLT, 6000di and 1DB
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I think the deepest signals Ive gotten 9-12 inches. ?It was until recently that I started noting what I found at what depth, but without going through my records, they are at home, and I am at work now, this is what I have found.

1794 Large Cent - approx. 11 inches.
1917 Mercury dime - approx. 9 inches.
1826D French half Franc - approx 10 inches.

The 1794 Large Cent was found years ago, with a detector that did not have a depth gauge. ?I remember digging the hole, and thinking nothing is 6 inches down, checking the hole, have it still be in there, and thinking nothing is 7 inches down, and having it still be in there. ?This went on a few more times, and there was even one point where I filled the hole back in and walked away and then went back and dug it again.

The mercury dime was odd, because it was obviously well circulated. ?It really weird how a dime that spent that much time in circulation got so deep.

The french coin was also really weird, since it was in a new cemetary where dirt had been trucked in for fill. ?So this coin was laying someone else, and ended up in a new cemetary, 9 inches deep.

Anthony
 

billinstuart

Hero Member
Oct 17, 2004
578
11
stuart..the treasure coast..well, used to be
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excalibur with a WOT!
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
All I dig is treasure coast beaches, and have twice dug (or helped dig) very strong deep signals. Both exercises were rewarded at about 3 feet with an antique radial tire from one of the treasure ships.
 

True_Metal

Hero Member
Aug 27, 2004
912
27
Smoky Mountains
Detector(s) used
Minelab Whites
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All Treasure Hunting
Yes, i dig faint sound and threshold break signals. Last summer i pulled a 1905 Barber Quarter around 14" down that gave off a faint and unwavering signal and an 1872 Canadian small nickel (Fishscale)

The small nickel was tricky as it was around 14" down and only gave off a short faint breaking signal. If you approached it from different directions sweeping it the threshold would click and null out repeatedly and indicate a ferrous target. If you sweeped it just right you would get a nice faint tone before it would null if you continued to sweep. I took a chance and dug it and pulled three rusty nails before i found it deeper in the hole. This was in an old school yard that had been previously detected i'm sure, as it was the only silver coin i found there
 

Ocean7

Bronze Member
Apr 15, 2004
1,751
1,327
SE, PA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
Minelab Explorer II
Garrett MASTER HUNTER 7
Garrett ADS DEEPSEEKER
Compass X100
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
yes, I dug two spanish half reales at 10" mark and a Colonial cent at 12" . Numerous other coins at 8-10" mark. i think all but a few were very old coins.
 

J

Jim Cal

Guest
FTD, I love those deep signals....especially the ones that are just a whisper. Most of the mercury dimes I've found were just very faint, but repeatable, whispers. I've also been fortunate enough to hunt for civil war relics in tennessess and kentucky and found the very deepest signals were the best finds. Maybe the easy surface stuff was discovered by those less patient who detected there before me but I always like the deep stuff. Of course, when I am searching in an area that's really trashy it is harder to find the deep signals but still possible. Sometimes I decide to dig everything just to see what I'm leaving behind and it always surprises me that some of the things I used to find when I started out in the 70's are still there waiting if I am just patient enough. Happy hunting! Jim Cal
 

S

sal1966

Guest
OK WHAT IF YOUR MACHINE SAYS LIKE 4 INCHES AND THE SIGNALS LOUD, THE ID NUMBER IS LIKE BETWEEN ,OH SAY 60 AND 92 ON THE WHITES XLT AND THERS NOTHING AT THE 4 INCHES? I'VE DUG DEEPER AND SAME READING: 4INCHES SAME ID NUMBER AND NOTHING.SHOULD I KEEP DIGGING OR PASS IT OFF AS A HOT ROCK??
 

horseshoe

Greenie
Jan 31, 2005
14
0
southeastern ohio
I dig every target I can no matter how deep. I'm sure if someone saw me they would think I'm a large groundhog. I've found some good stuff this way and also unidentifiable rusty things. If it's a good site and I'm the only MDer, I take my time. Someone would be hard pressed to find a nail when I'm through. I will spend weeks on a good site.
 

S

sal1966

Guest
i know i hate when i dig 10 inches an find a lousy nail :(
 

omnicognic

Bronze Member
Jan 22, 2005
1,321
13
Tampa, Florida
I discoverd Tues. that my new Beach hunter ID will give a loud and clear signal on a pull-tab 12" down beneath the sand under 8" of salt water!(man, did I get sunburned!) I don't regret digging it, it could easily have been a ring! 8)
 

V

Vingamel

Guest
A lot more fun than walking a treadmill, eh? :D
 

Monty

Gold Member
Jan 26, 2005
10,746
166
Sand Springs, OK
Detector(s) used
ACE 250, Garrett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well darn! Here it is 3:00 AM in the morning and I have insomnia and just made a new post on depth. Then I leaf back and find this post. I need some sleep! If you see my new post...., as Rosanna Rosanadana on Saturday Night Live use to say, "Never mind"!
 

Lowbatts

Gold Member
Jul 1, 2003
6,573
67
Elgin
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Fishers 1235X-8" CZ-20/21-8" F-70-11"DD GC1023
Ah, but your post was both poignant and separate from the post that originated this thread. This thread asks do we dig deep holes with no caveats. Your post speaks to the conscientious detector on his awareness of public scrutiny. When you know you have a deep signal, cut that plug large and deep, tear that target out and get it filled back quickly to avoid any problems. I almost never probe a tarrget that appears genuine and over 3". If it's good I don't want to hit it with anything but fingers. Cut the deep plug, size of the diameter will be dependent on the size and depth of the target. If you hear lost souls wailing in eternal torment, turn around you've dug too far.
 

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