Finding Silver

[Run4Cvr]

A buddy of mine and I have been working a couple relic sites lately and have had some difficulty finding silver coins. We are using both a 1266X and a Gold Bug Pro, both have been finding many items including many wheat pennys, tax tokens, brass knobs, various copper wiring and outlets and lots of other "household" items (spoons, thimbles, pistol shell casings), and lots of junk. While we have been finding lots of stuff we have not dug a single nickel, dime, or quarter though we have dug a nice silver half dollar that made the machines sing like a banshee. Anybody got any ideas on why we cant seem to find the smaller silver? Or anybody have any tips for finding this silver. I know that were passing it over if were finding so many pennys and tax tokens.

By the way, the Gold Bug Pro really shines in the heavily littered sites, Im really able to tune out the iron and it picks pennys "Like a Boss". Working it with the 1266X really is a good combo.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Silver dimes and copper pennies are extremely close (if not identical) reading on most machines. So if you're finding copper pennies with no problem, then silver dimes should be equally as attainable. So it must mean that your site simply doesn't have them, or you haven't passed your coil over them, etc....

I've hit relicky sites before (old ruins, foundations, old-town urban demo. sites, etc...) that gave up coins like wheaties, IH's, V-nickels, etc... but no silver. It's just in the odds I guess. The ratio of wheaties to silver seems to be about 7 or 8 to 1? And that would also depend on what state you're in, because some areas, during certain eras, had higher silver coin ratios. Here in CA for example, if we're in a strictly pre 1900 site (no usage/activity/losses after that), the silver ratio goes way higher. Since, of course, SF didn't start minting pennies till 1908

 

[Run4Cvr]

I figured it was just that I hadnt passed over any. I'm digging all signals over iron, and have had good success with finding pennys and tax tokens, the tax tokens are hitting in the 60's range on my Gold Bug Pro and the pennys in the 79-83 range and a solid 81 as I get some dirt off them. The area Im digging is early 1900's, say 1910-1945 and Ive dug 8 pennys, all in the 1917-1929 range. So far Ive found 8 Pennys, 5 tax tokens, 1 Silver half dollar, lots and lots of copper items, a silver spoon, cookie cutter, thimble, lots of canning jar lids and various other items you would expect to find on an old farm.

Like I stated before, Im a little suprised I havent dug any other coins and was just making sure I wasnt missing something.

 

[TORRERO]

I used to hunt a lot of old Church Yards, many of them old black churches down here in the
rural south.
This kind of thing happened to me so many times....

I finally came to realize that the reality of metal detecting is....

People lost what they had, and if your finding wheat pennies, then that is what these people
had to lose, most likely they did not have a lot of silver to lose and did not carry this around
on a day to day basis, remember that back in the 1900's a penny could buy you a lot, and ten cents
could buy you dinner, and a dollar could buy you a real good time...

My average over the years has been 10 to 1 wheats to silver dimes, and about that up the chain.
10 - 15 silver dimes dug for every quarter, and so forth.
So this is really not unusual....
Enjoy what your getting because the truth is, buttons and buckles and trinkets and tokens are much
more fun and valuable than a silver dime...

 

[Sandman]

Tom, when I first seen your name on the post I knew I didn't have to read farther as you'd answer it.

 

[Tuberale]

I don't think it is you. I don't think it is your detector. I think it's that your not in the right area, Run4Cvr. You're in Lucille Bowen's neck of the woods, and she could find anything anywhere. So you're going to have to hunt smart(er) and better than one of the greats.

'Fraid to say it, but you might have to head west, young man.

 

[Run4Cvr]

Tuberale, you do realize that Im in Washington State right? I can only go another 200 miles west or Ill be in the Pacific Ocean. The spot Im hunting was abandoned pre 1950, so I was assuming that I was probably only going to recover junk and old household items. The fact I was finidng pennys and tax tokens was a bonus. I just thought I would query the forum and see if I should be finding more or for any tips.

 

[treasurehound]

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. There just may not be very many silver coins at that location. If you are finding wheats, tokens and relics then your coil just has not gone over a silver if they are there. I have hunted a few parks and only came away with wheats. Not saying they are not there I just did not find any. Yesterday I found a merc in a park that has produced a lot of wheats in the past. It does make sense that if there are wheats then there should be some silver. Now most places that I hunt when I do find wheats I usually will find silver as well. May not be in the same day but I have gone back and found them. Keep swinging you will find them.

 

[Tuberale]

Tuberale, you do realize that Im in Washington State right? I can only go another 200 miles west or Ill be in the Pacific Ocean.

That is EXACTLY my point. The earliest, wealthiest part of the state was on the coast. Go West!