Question regarding silver - quarters to dimes ratio

[PGHDigger]

So my question is this - I tend to focus my energy on coins... Primarily silver... But I'll dig most pennies as well... Why is it that silver dimes seem almost common... But silver quarters seem scarce... My ratio is basically 1 quarter for ever 6 dimes... This ratio seems off to me... Quarters are the workhorse of us currency... Not dimes... Anyway...

I'm curious as to why this is... Does anyone else experience these same results... I have heard talk of wheatie to silver ratios... But what about quarters to dimes...

With that said... My clad totals I did way more quarters than anything else...

Thoughts?

 

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[toasted]

Ive actually found more silver Washingtons than mercury dimes but that is definately not the norm. Heck, Ive found more seated dimes than mercs. Thats what makes this hobby so fun. You never know what your gonna get

 

[dirtscratcher]

When they were being dropped it's easier to see a quarter. I think it's that simple.

 

[enamel7]

I think it still applies just like today. A dime is smaller, thus harder to find when dropped. Other people say there's a correlation between what type of change you're more likely to have in your pocket. All I know is I've found many silver dimes but have yet to find a silver quarter.

 

[toasted]

Also quarters are a much stronger signal on a detector so they were less likely to be missed by previous detectorists

 

[Jason in Enid]

Also keep in mind that since quarters are much larger, it was much easier for older detectors to find them. When I hunt virgin grounds my quarter ratio is pretty high. Hunting any previously hunted sites it becomes almost entirely dimes, and most of them are the hard to find ones that are on edge, mixed with junk, super deep, etc.

edit, dang... toasted posted while I was typing. LOL

 

[Murray8144]

fwiw this year my dimes to quarters ratio is roughly 8:1

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Also quarters are a much stronger signal on a detector so they were less likely to be missed by previous detectorists

If the location is a regular city turfed park or school, that's seen detector traffic starting from the 1960s or '70s, this is a true statement. But wouldn't hold true for a virgin site, of course

Because the earlier detectors, like BFO's and all-metal TR's (which were in use up till the mid 1970s), were better at larger coins. They'd get a quarter to double the depth that they could get a dime at. This is much less pronounced with today's detectors. Ie.: there's only a tad more depth on the quarter now.

I recall starting with a 66TR, and having found a good 10 washington silver quarters, before I'd ever even found a merc. dime yet

 

[Normsel]

I think the ratio depends on where you hunt and yes lost dimes are harder to find that quarters so dimes may be more common in some places you hunt. For me it's always been about 3-1 for quarters. Being relatively new to the MS gulf coast even on the beach I find more quarters.

If you're finding either quarters or dimes I wouldn't worry about the ratio

 

[Captain Caveman]

I've pondered this very thing myself on multiple occasions. I've come up with a few reasons that I believe account for this:

1 - Quarters are easier to find with a metal detector so were found by early detectorists and/or cherry pickers.
2 - Dimes are smaller so they tend(ed) to fall out of pockets easier.
3 - Just guessing on this one, but maybe dimes were more prevalent the further back in time you go due to them actually having value. What I mean by this is at one time 25 cents was a decent amount of money and people may not have carried as many quarters as they did lower denominations.

I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one thinking about stuff like this.

 

[watercolor]

Also keep in mind that since quarters are much larger, it was much easier for older detectors to find them. When I hunt virgin grounds my quarter ratio is pretty high. Hunting any previously hunted sites it becomes almost entirely dimes, and most of them are the hard to find ones that are on edge, mixed with junk, super deep, etc.

edit, dang... toasted posted while I was typing. LOL

I agree with Jason on this, especially when it come to hunting private properties vs. public parks.

When I first started detecting, an older gentleman who had been detecting since the 1970's once told me that when silver was close to $50 per ounce, everyone and their aunt bought detectors and would "cherry-pick" all the larger-than-dime silver from public parks. The only areas that still produced on a consistant level for him were the wooded areas adjacent to the manicured picnic groves.

 

[Sandancer]

Wish I had the problem. I'll settle for dimes or quarters. Ours is not to question why? Ours is only to dig and find.

 

[CoilToTheSoil]

4 to 1 dime to quarter here.
Honestly though with many of the public areas I hunt I'll do research first then one or two "dig everything over 70" runs and see what I come up with. If research dictates this is a spot with mainly recent traffic and there is an overwhelming amount of quarter signals, I'll do a 94+ run in 17khz and run through all quarters and large silver. Clear the area over a few weeks then come back and dig it all.

If I get a few oldies in my test runs I'll dig it all.

All in how you like to work an area and what areas you have at your disposal. I've done well with nearly any method but my 94+ method has found me nearly $20 in less than 3 hours in quarters and dollars in every one of my recent hunts AND yielded silver in almost every one.

Once finds dwindle I'll be diggin it all

 

[denwag]

I found a Park Locally that was built in the 1970 range in a small town of pop 3500. The first two hours there was clad city. It was my first real outing with my new CTX3030 and I had it on a tight coin pattern. Below is the results of two hours of digging around one fence of a softball diamond. Ive went back a couple of times after and I quit digging anything below a dime hit. Will go back this summer looking for Jewelry. I would say my Dime to quarter ratio right now it about 3 quarters to one dime. Im probably missing some dimes because Im not digging anything below a 12-43 Its obvious with as many quarters that I have found in just a few hours that nobody else has bothered to dig here in the last few years. Most coins are 1980-2005 and all are under 3"dp. I have about 20 dollars in quarters from 5 or so trips.

 

[CASPER-2]

My last years silver - but Im a water hunter sooooo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-1/23395015604/in/photostream/lightbox/

 

[Jason in Enid]

My last years silver - but Im a water hunter sooooo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-1/23395015604/in/photostream/lightbox/

Great group of big silvers there! Too bad they are in rough shape. You shouldgive them all an electrolysis bath!

 

[mrwilburino]

Back in the 1970's my silver dime to quarter ratio was just over 3 to 1. That's pretty good, but as Tom stated, the machines back then were pretty anemic, especially on smaller coins. Nowadays, hunting some of those same parks, my silver dime to quarter ratio is a dismal 20 to 1. The larger coins were just easier to find over the years.

 

[ScubaDetector]

You also need to remember that when money was actual money not the fiat money we have now, a quarter was worth a lot more. Does anyone remember in the early 60's, you could get a large box of Cracker Jacks for 10¢, or two Bazooka bubble gums for a penny? Kids didn't have or need quarters. A nickel could by a soda. I believe during that time if your parents gave you a quarter you would consider yourself rich! You find larger silvers in the water because ADULTS swam with them not kids. I found 3 walkers in one swim area last year on a drop off.

On land if you lost a quarter back then, you searched till you found it. Dimes, you could lose and not know it or not be able to see or find it. Cherry picking MIGHT have something to do with it. However, I really think what people carried has a lot more to do with it. I find most my quarters in the woods, or underwater. Both my quarters this year so far have been in the woods. However to be fair, that is the only place I have been detecting.

A quarter bought a gallon of gas in the 1960's. It will still buy a gallon of gas today as long as it is silver. I really do believe you will find more dimes because that is mostly the largest coin parents gave their children in the 40's - 60's.

 

[Bayard]

I find 10 silver dimes for every silver quarter that I dig.