Help for a new guy

[bill dilly]

Hello all...I just started metal detecting after Christmas. I was given a White's Prizm IV and I have had limited success. I started by hunting a 90 year park that is replacing it's playground. I found 3 Mercurys (1918, 1920 and 1941), I also found a small medicine type bottle when digging the mercs. The bottle is a cork type. There were a few wheat pennies, and 2 Barber dimes (1907 & 1913). So...that was fun. Where I need some help is in the following...I just received permission to hunt in the yards of two old houses. These are about 125 years old. I spent a little time hunting there and all that I got was 2 wheat pennies. I was getting lots of chatter but everytime I would dig I would just get junk. The houses are being renovated and the yards appear to have lots of scrap pieces in them. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I should hunt these yards. I can't believe that two wheat pennies is all that I would find in about an acre of land that these houses are on.
Should I just dig ever signal? All suggestions would be appreciated.

 

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[slow sweeper]

First off you've done really good for as short of time you've had your detector. Congratulations.
You said you got lots of chatter. To me "chatter" would mean trash. Old houses usually have a lot of man made iron (trash) laying about. A smaller coil would help some. But Whites has not made a small coil for the Prizm yet. I might have read about a small after market coil that fits the Prizms but don't remember anything about them.
You could try cranking up the Disc but that would give you only a limited amount of help at best. And at old house sites there can be keepers other than coins in the ground. Relics you would miss with the Disc set too high.
The only solution is to dig all targets. Getting rid of the shallow trash is the best way to make sure you miss nothing. But it's time consuming. You may not get an adequate return for your effort.
And remember that not all old house sites are full of coins. 100 years ago a dime could buy a lot more than it does today. People weren't running around with pockets full of change like we do today.
Good luck and have fun.

 

[Burdie]

I agree with slowsweeper. I had a place that had 4 houses together on about 3 acres and I found an 1892 quarter. Not one other coin on the place. I hit the place about 8 or 9 times even with help and not a thing. HH Burdie

 

[lou423]

Try detecting as far away from the house as you can...the farther away, the less trash, and who knows, you might find a good coin...
Also check the Kellyco metal detector website, they might sell a small coil for your detector....
good luck 8)

 

[suwannee pirate]

To really do a good job of it Go to the areas that have a better chance of coins being there . try walkways and near any doorways and out by the street where some people park their cars. anywhere that they might drop a coin while getting out their keys.Around big old trees ,and in the garden is a real good spot as well as flower gardens .When working in gardens some women would loose their rings or change out of an apron . If you feel good about a spot dig all targets to get the trash out of the area ,then listen for the faint wisper of sound, if it does it repeatedly over the same spot dig it.You will be suprised at what you will get out of 'worked out' areas. Don't rely on the discrimination mode as you will miss small'diamond' rings as they are like a pull tab to most detectors. Always use headphones to hear those deep targets wisper back to you .Good Luck and Happy Hunting

 

[Uncle Willy]

These places have probably been hit a jillion times. Detectors have been around since 1932 when Fisher invented them. Plus in the old days coins were equal in value to the bills we carry in our wallets today so people carried their coins in coin purses, not loose in their pockets as they were to valuable to lose.

If there is anything of value there I would just dig everything and hope you hit a keeper. You might try gridding off a small section or two and thoroughly hunting them, perhaps in all metal if you have it. If you come up with nothing then the whole place could be a wash.

Bill

 

[suwannee pirate]

Here is a 3 caret mine cut diamond ring found in a garden of an old house built in 1870 in Waynesburg Pa.Found after cleaning the area of all trash targets ,used a Garrett bfo unit,gray one before Charles started painting them green.good luck