probally a stupid question

[K-Man]

hi my name is chris im 20 and new to site i didnt know where to post this but im looking at buying a md i saw alot work using the ace 250 so ive been looking at buying one i like find old stuff from back when and all so i cant wait to get one but my question is and it may sound stupid but i see alot of ppl posting they found clads and wheats? So the questions is what are clad's and wheat's?

 

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[Eddy1H]

Clad coins are the ones that replaced the silver coins, they are made of nickel and copper, dimes, quarters and 50 cent coins they started in 1965 for the most part, you can tell them from the edge of the coin they are two different colors, and silver ones are the same color on the edge, wheat's are the coins that started in 1909 that replaced the Indian head cent and have a couple of wheat tops on the back of the coin they changed in 1959 and go to the present, and are called memorials, in 1982 the memorials became zinc and will usually be badly corroded when you dig them up but they look the same as the solid copper they replaced I hope this helps , and good luck with your new detector

Eddy

 

[ModernMiner]

K-Man,
Don't worry about asking "stupid questions" to the folks here. They are a very helpful (and comical) group. Myself, I am still learning about a lot of things and have asked a lot of stupid questions. When some of the coins get posted on this site, I have to refer to my coin book sometimes to see what the heck it is. I'm starting to learn some of the terms now.
Did you know that the Amish only pay for things with WHEAT pennies?
Welcome to the site, and we're looking forward to seeing your posts, even if it's only a modern penny or Chuck-E-Cheese token.
-MM-

 

[Hoosier Kingfisher]

That about covers it......Welcome and good luck........

 

[BIG61AL]

Here's a secret - shhhhhh - we were all newbies once and we all asked the same newbie questions at one time.
Welcome to Treasurenet
We all have this uncontrollable desire to see what everybody else has found so please post your pictures of your finds
Good luck

HH [happy hunting]

 

[Shortround]

Welcome! The only stupid question is one not asked! You will really find a GREAT bunch of people here and a wealth of knowledge and support. I look forward to seeing all your finds in the future! Happy Hunting!

 

[dugupfinds]

Welcome from the UK.

I'm lucky over here don't have any problems with Clad

 

[PATreasureHunter]

Not a stupid question at all. When I first got into MD'ing, I didn't know what clad was either, but I did figure out what a wheatie was. Anyways, yeah the ACE 250 is probably your best bet - at least that's my humble opinion. Best of luck, and please feel free to ask alot of questions on here! Also, don't forget to post pictures of your finds! HAPPY HUNTING!!!

 

[bongo1962]

Yeah, What they said. If you get the Ace 250 read the old posts, It will give you a huge head start on the learning curve. It'll take some time, but worth it! Bongo

 

[Recruiter]

Welcome to TN. Keep asking those questions, it helps all of us who are new to MDing.

 

[N.J.THer]

K-Man,
Welcome aboard...this forum is a support group for people addicted to metal detecting. When I can't get out to get my fix I get on-line to see what others are finding. It helps alleviate the itch a little.

The clad and wheaties question was answered. The one thing I would add is why people get excited about finding wheaties (in addition to a few key dates). The time when wheaties were being minted and used (1909 - 1959) is also when our dimes, quarters, half dollars and dollars were being minted with silver. So in theory where there is wheaties there is silver.

I've heard good things about the Ace 250 and it sound like a great starter detector. I wish you the best of luck with your finds just don't get discouraged if you spend alot of time digging clad when you start. It may take a few months to learn the detector and how it works (this is actually a never ending process) and it takes time to find a few good sites that produce well or keepers as everyone calls them. I started in parks where I cut my teeth then moved to private property although I still go back to the parks ever once in awhile...back to my roots.

HH...NJ

 

[ivan salis]

clad what we coin diggers call dimes,quarters and half dollar coins made since 1964 /70 in the case of halves---no real silver in em --their just "plated" copper coins--rather worthless except for "face" value and the joy of finding a coin---before 1964 the dimes,quarters and halves were 90% silver,after that only the 65 thru 70 half dollars which had 40% silver (this is for comman everyday coins that you would find in pocket change---due to their high silver content these coins are worth more than "face" value ---sometimes much more. wheaties are copper pennies with a wheat stalk type design on the back they are from 1909 to 1958---the lincoln memorial back "design" replaced it in 1959 wheaties are a good sign that older coins might be found-----since 1982even pennies aren't pure copper-- their now copper plated zinc--- they look the same but break down badly in the soil----coin diggers like to find lost wheaties (pennies the most commanly found money) because you then stand a good chance of finding lost SILVER COINS too since the wheaties were in the silver coin era--often folks lose a bit of change together called a pocket spill == they bent over to do something and out falls loose change in a shirt pocket or while doing something coins drop from a pants pocket-- these are comman ways coins are lost and the "spills" can be anywhere from one to several coins--so alway recheck the area and your holes when you get a coin to be sure you got them all. there are several other terms you will hear mercs--old dimes with head of mercury on them --rosies--roosevelt dimes (the silver ones)--these terms are "nick names" for coins that diggers use--if you like coins get a "red" book coin collecters book-- it can tell you the types of coins,what years they were made andd the rough value depend upon their shape ,what metal they made from, shows photos of what they look like plus lets you know the rare "high" value odd coins--some which might be in your pocket now like a 1982 "ear" penny could be worth big $ --good luck Ivan

 

[halfdime]

Let's not confuse the man about silver dates; up through 1964, dimes, quarters and halves were 90% silver. After that, only the halves were silver (40%), but only through 1970. After 1971, they, too, were clad. This information applies only to circulated coins; I'm not interested enough in Proofs to know their story.

 

[ivan salis]

fixed the post--there are no proof sets for the years 1965,1966 or 1967 they were restarted in 1968-- however regular half dollars were 40% silver until till 1970 and could be found in normal mint sets they often got busted up folks would often buy them for kids when they were born and ---there are error ones of silver made -- 1971D--and 1977D---they are rare

 

[treasure diver]

K-Man, I guess I was lucky, when I started swinging a detector there wasn't any clad coins or tab tops. Boy now I feel old. lol. Ask all the questions you want, thats how you learn. I have several high end detectors & I just got an Ace 250 with all three coils & really like it. I use the snipper coil for coins almost all the time. I use a wireless set of headphones from RS & a Treasure Mate pinpointer & a Mighty AP digging tool.

 

[CSOhio]

Im also new to the hobbie and i want to try my hand at finding treasures. You just never know what you might find till you try. I got my little brother interested in trying with me so were both looking to buy a ace 250 anybody know a good place online? Im in Ohio all my dealers in my state are 50 + miles away and are out of the ace 250's they have to order through garrett and have them delivered to me. But they dont come with anything like the ones i see on ebay, but im leary on ebay cause i want a new one and not want already used out of the box.

Any help would be great

thanks
Craig

 

[ringfinder]

Welcome to the forum, just about everyone has told you what clad coins and wheat coins are. So I'll just say, buying a ACE 250 is a good choice. I have many detector's and I use my ACE 250 the most. Be sure to buy a really good Stainless Steel digger, not one from Wal-Mart, and a really good headset, with a adjuster for each ear. Also be sure to take all your finds with you, that includes good finds and trash finds. Why would you want to bury trash, and then later on dig it again.

Good Luck, Ringfinder

P.S. If you need any help with your new ACE 250, just ask, there are many of us on this forum who use this great little detector.

 

[K-Man]

Re: probally a stupid question part 2

well thanks for the help still a lil confused but not as much as i was. Ok now thats taking car of here is another is alot of people r finding rings and some say there plated and say there not. So my question is wut do they mean by there plated or not and how can you tell if its plated?

 

[dugupfinds]

Re: probally a stupid question part 2

well thanks for the help still a lil confused but not as much as i was. Ok now thats taking car of here is another is alot of people r finding rings and some say there plated and say there not. So my question is wut do they mean by there plated or not and how can you tell if its plated?

Plated means the ring has a non-precious core (like copper) & is plated with either Silver or Gold.

Not Plated means its solid Gold or Silver. Then you have various purities of gold & Silver. ie. 22ct Gold is purer than 9ct Gold.

You can tell the difference by the hallmarks stamped on the ring.

 

[TreasureTales]

Do yourself a favor and buy a copy of the Red Book (officially called: Yeoman's "The Official Red Book - A Guide Book of United States Coins - 2007") because it will answer almost all the questions you will have about the coins you'll be digging up.

Plated rings are almost always less valuable than 14k rings. The more gold or silver content in a ring, the more value to it. Plate is merely a light covering over a base metal like copper. 14k on the other hand, means the ring is over 50% gold. (That's because pure gold is 24k - "k" stands for karat or carat.) For sterling silver, the marking .925 is commonly marked on the ring band. That number means the ring silver content is over 90% silver - wooohoooo! As dugfinds said, the hallmark will give you the info you seek. ("Hallmark" means maker's mark or symbol - much like a logo.)


Welcome to TreasureNet, and never be afraid to ask questions - but be prepared for a wide variety of answers! Good luck.