How fast do coins sink?

[garety]

So how fast do coins typically sink?

I realize IT DEPENDs, upon soil type. But I am just wondering how deep do you have to go to find a silver coins? I have a lot of red clay type soil where I am at in northern California. I have a gold bug pro DP, so ground balance is not an issue. Been finding a fair amount of coins probably 3 or 4 every hour, and I have been going to various parks and stuff for an hour or 2 after work. I have found a fair number of coins as deep as 5 inches, but the oddest coin I have found so far is a 1965, quarter. one year shy of silver.

Also does some soil decompose coins fast? I have gotten lots of 2000s coins that are barely readable. Just trying to figure out if I am doing anything wrong, as most the sites I have been hunting have had people there for 150 years, but most coins I find are less than 30 years old.

 

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[DannyB.]

I'm just basing that on the actual definition of sink.. which is pretty clear.

I do appreciate all the variables on how and why a coin can migrate. Interesting to really think about it.

 

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[Knut dirtfisk]

I say semantics keeps them suspended within the dirt/time continuum. That's Just my 2 cents.

 

[sweetinsanty]

take into consideration where they are at. look how things build up in a pond and in no time it need dredged out. if in the woods or close to a fence line....things build up quick.

 

[SteveM70]

One thing we can all agree on is no matter how coins end up hidden underground, it's great that they do!

 

[G.A.P.metal]

After 48 years of hunting relics and coins,i still don`t know !
Gary

 

[Wyoming Valley Relics]

I only have one question for this example. what force causes the coin to move down instead of up?

 

[Goldfleks]

short answer: density in relation to the surrounding material, and gravity.

 

[Rich jaws]

I made the mistake of asking that very question a few years ago and the thread got a bit ugly. Lol

 

[marjam]

Coins alone don't sink, but when they are exposed to the elements, they do. Sjvalleyhunter is right on the money.

Regardless of why they get in The ground, its a good thing they do, otherwise we would all be needing another hobby lol.

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[Goldfleks]

I'm going to add other detectorists to this list.

I'm working on my pinpointing and surgical coin removal skills by digging slits rather than plugs. I know I lost a few targets today because I pushed them deeper into the soil when I was opening up the ground, and wouldn't have been able to recover them without opening up a plug which I'm trying not to need to do.

 

[RustyGold]

Welcome to the forum garety. Try doing your hunting in the backyards of homes. All my silver coins have come from there.

 

[RustyGold]

The Aliens make them sink so they can keep exercising our natural instinct to locate gold and silver for them and their spaceships!

 

[Jeffrey Harris]

There is an excellent article in Lost Treasure magazine about coin depth and sinking due to the number of earthworms in the soil. In Downtown Phoenix for instance 5" is a deep coin Our soil is dry, not terribly rich and fewer earthworms than in the Northeast for example. Not sure which issue, but it was one of the better metal detecting related articles I've read. A lot of them are filler articles and not relevant. Good luck.

Jeff

 

[Sandancer]

A much better question would have been, "How do coins end up under the ground?" Sinking is probably the least likely cause.

 

[Swaveab]

There is another source of vibration everyone is forgetting about. Modern transportation. Cars, trucks, buses, trains, etc. all set up ground vibrations. How far these vibes travel along the surface is a good question and no doubt diminish with distance. I have not hunted back yards and stay toward the front and street areas and I'm only finding more modern clad with the exception of a 1920 wheat penny. Back yards would be farther from the vibration sources as would many parks. Hm, I'll bet Phoenix has plenty of vibrations from transportation.

 

[digger460]

0.00000000000934167 mph. Depending on soil conditions

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

So how fast do coins typically sink?

I realize IT DEPENDs, upon soil type. But I am just wondering how deep do you have to go to find a silver coins? I have a lot of red clay type soil where I am at in northern California. I have a gold bug pro DP, so ground balance is not an issue. Been finding a fair amount of coins probably 3 or 4 every hour, and I have been going to various parks and stuff for an hour or 2 after work. I have found a fair number of coins as deep as 5 inches, but the oddest coin I have found so far is a 1965, quarter. one year shy of silver.

Also does some soil decompose coins fast? I have gotten lots of 2000s coins that are barely readable. Just trying to figure out if I am doing anything wrong, as most the sites I have been hunting have had people there for 150 years, but most coins I find are less than 30 years old.

Regarding clad/zinc and silver coins. I hunted a park in Ohio that hadn't been open since the early 60s and all I found were silver coins (10-15) running from 4" to 7" and no clad/zinc (using a Troy Shadow 2). I now hunt mostly Florida beaches, east and west, and in the last 4 yrs have found about 4000 clad/zinc and only one silver coin (1954 quarter) using an Excal (but prob 50-60 other types of silver jewelry).