How can some coins come out of the ground, so clean?

[michigan michael]

I dug My first Half Dollar today. It fell from the bottom of my plug on to my shovel with a loud ching ching. I thought I had multiple coins from the sound until I seen this shinny JFK Half Dollar. As shinny as this is it, had to be silver whooohooo! ........... Its not silver its a 98-P How is it so clean when it was 4-6" deep? Any ideas? Thanks-MM

 

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[Eu_citzen]

In certain conditions it takes longer time for the coins to start to oxidise, in others they sink down real fast.
That's two alternatives.

 

[jeff of pa]

although In your Case I can't say
Because I'm Sure you Believe your
coin was at 4" to 6" deep. & I have
no Reason to Contradict you.
Especially with Size.

However I Have on More then one Occasion,
even with my Pinpointer
Dug 3" deep only to have the coin
Slide out of the Roots of
the Grass into the Hole and being clean.

Could this have Happened ?

Only other Explinations I Have
is if it had been in a Hole with
2 more Halfs & It was
sandwiched Between or in something.
which it wasn't.

Definately Cool Happening & Find Though !

 

[michigan michael]

although In your Case I can't say
Because I'm Sure you Believe your
coin was at 4" to 6" deep. & I have
no Reason to Contradict you.
Especially with Size.

However I Have on More then one Occasion,
even with my Pinpointer
Dug 3" deep only to have the coin
Slide out of the Roots of
the Grass into the Hole and being clean.

Could this have Happened ?

Only other Explinations I Have
is if it had been in a Hole with
2 more Halfs & It was
sandwiched Between or in something.
which it wasn't.

Definately Cool Happening & Find Though !

This poses an interesting theory. I cut my c for my plug. I went back to the second cut and flipped my plug over. As I started prying on the plug, the coin fell into my shovel. I guess that coin could of came from anywhere between 1" to 6" deep, not just the bottom of the plug. Its a heavy coin so as soon as the side walls loosened it could of fell. That was the ching ching sound I heard. I did not measure the plug either..... The depth is what the Ace told me it was. Who knows. Thanks everyone!

 

[davew0710]

I dig very few coins that are not affected by being in the soil. Even coins a few years old show some deterioration. Even silver that has been in the ground over 50 years shows some tarnishing. I found an 1876 seated quarter a few weeks ago. A friend living 60 miles north of me found the same coin up in his area around the same time. I cannot get all of the tarnish off my coin, but his looks like it was lost yesterday.
However, I am hunting near Pittsburgh. Steel capitol of the world for over 100 years. Few of the areas I hunt are out of range of the emissions from the mills for over 100 years. God only knows what chemicals and gases have ended up in the ground. Add to that the fact that we are on the wind path of acid rain.
I think soil conditions and environmental conditions play a large part in how coins come out of the ground.

 

[Yellowhouse]

Very acid soil here in South central Oklahoma. Most coppers and silver come out looking very nice but nickels are "crusty" sometimes. Zincolns usely are corroded badly and some are only 2/3 there original diameter.

 

[stefen]

Soil chemistry varies, even over a short distance...

Soil may be highly alkaline, acidic or neutral based on the origin of the chemical makeup...

Other soils may have a uric (urine), chemical fertilizer, animal fecal matter, or even natural mulch that too, affects the soil chemistry...

Some soils have a high Ec (electro-conductivity) factor...

Coins, therefore, may looks as good as the day they were deposited or may range from lightly etched to heavily corroded...