newbie question concerning old coins

[funkman]

I would like to set my detector to discriminate out unwanted objects and go mainly for coins and jewelry since I keep pulling up nails and various other iron objects. My detector has a digital display which shows me what the object's metallic signature (ooohhh big words!) is. If I want to start out with jewelry and coins, what should I discriminate out? The symbols I have are:

Iron
5cents/PT
PT
S-Cap
Zinc
1 cent/10 cents
25 cents
50 cents
$1

Also, the finds that I have been reading about where some of you have been finding older coins like indian head pennies and buffalo nickels and other coins from the 1800's. Using my display above, what symbols would these coins show up under? Would any coin show up under iron or would I be safe if I discrimate that out?

Thanks,

Funkman

 

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[funkman]

okay....here's my bad Ben Stein imitation.........

"anyone....anyone......."
"Bueller.....Bueller........"


(from movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off")

Funky

 

[hollowpointred]

i usually discrim out only iron. you see, the problem you will run into with discrim, is that every notch of discrim will take a little bit of depth away from your detector. also, gold will show up in the pulltab/nickle range, so if you discrim out pulltabs, you also discrim out gold rings.from what i have learned, only use the amount of discrim you actually need. the best discrimination is a shovel! its hard to say what your target id will say an old coin is. you cant always trust target id, even on the best detectors. in general though, it should read as exactly what it is, a nickle, penny, dime, etc, but often times it will id as something else depending on a lot of factors. i try to use the target id on my machine only as a tool in iding an object. i am trying to id things more by the way they sound than what the id says. hope this helps a little.

 

[funkman]

thanks for the reply Hollow. I just have to learn the machine I guess. I'll start out with just discriminating out iron and leave the rest alone. That will probably save me from digging up 3/4 of my yard and the Mrs. is getting ticked at me for leaving holes. Have to start using others techniques and bring something to scoop the dirt into so I get all of it back in the hole. Just leaving it there at the side never fills it all quite back to the top.

Thanks again.

Funkman

 

[hollowpointred]

which machine do you have by the way?

 

[funkman]

okay....let the bashing begin! It's a Bounty Hunter Discovery 2200 sold at Radio Shack. It was convenient and what I could afford and I figured for my first one it can't be all bad. Have found a few coins with it so it is doing its job.

Funkman

 

[hollowpointred]

hey theres no shame in a bounty hunter/radio shack detector. ask pete/free whatever his name is today! he made some great finds with his.

 

[skeeterfyock]

When I hunt I us a piece of a towel to lay my dirt in, that way when I.m done I just pour the dirt back in. Works great for me. I pull the corners together so it funnels great.

Skeeter