Something fishy on Diggers

[halfdime]

Several years ago, someone posted a Buffalo nickel he'd (allegedly) dug; the pictures he posted were of a nickel that looked like it had just been minted, shiny and lustrous. Many, myself included, were skeptical; we all know that nickels just don't leave the ground like that. They tend to have either a dirty or reddish hue and just don't tend to shine after any length of time. The rules of Treasurenet were, at the time (maybe still), that finds presented by members were not to be challenged. The post I'm remembering created quite a bit of controversy and it may have eventually been withdrawn.

I'm not naive enough to believe everything I see on TV; I enjoy watching almost anything related to treasure hunting and "Diggers" is no exception. I don't personally get goosebumps every time I find a flat button, or do cartwheels with a nice find, but the show is entertaining and you have to admit they get some good opportunities. Last night the boys were in Wisconsin, searching for relics lost due to a terrible fire in 1871. King George got all happy when he pried what looked like a nice silver coin from the ground; it turned out to be an 1868 three cent piece. Original three centers are silver, and tiny; eventually they were replaced by larger nickel pieces. Unless something extraordinary happened to preserve the appearance of King George's three center, that was not a genuine find. Thoughts? I love awesome roundness as much as anyone but I have to question whether this was actually that.

 

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[ARC]

Will have to watch it first...
Have not seen that one.
Wonder if on net... Which episode name/number is it if ya know. ?

 

[Skippy SH13]

Soil content is a weird thing. I've seen copper coins at one site be crusty and toasted within a year, showing bubbles and corrosion that is beyond anything I would have ever expected. I know they're only a year, because of the date on them is 2014.

Fast forward to another site, where I've found 1970's era coins that look virtually brand new, even had mint luster still on them (though they were red, now due to minerals in the soil). The first was in a loamy region, lots of wet... the other in the dry arid desert from an old home site.

That being said, I've NEVER found a single nickel that wasn't darkened within a year or so of ground drop. To have one sit there for 100 years and come out shiny? Checking... I found the metal content should be the same... 25% nickel, 75% copper. Even still... I have to wonder if the content was differently alloyed or plated in the 3 centers (which might account for a difference in look). Every 3 cent piece that I've seen on forums coming out of the ground, though, is still DARK.

I suppose the thing to do is ask anyone if they've ever pulled a buffalo out of the ground that was still shiny silver? Anyone? If we can find one person who has... and the find was legitimately buried, then the possibility goes up.

Skippy

 

[halfdime]

Will have to watch it first...
Have not seen that one.
Wonder if on net... Which episode name/number is it if ya know. ?

It was a new broadcast, August 17, 2015. Somewhere in Wisconsin.

 

[halfdime]

It's quite possible that he did find an 1868 three center that was toasted and replaced it with a shiny version for aesthetic purposes. They don't tend to do that, though, from what I've seen. I should have been clear that the 1868 is not silver.

 

[halfdime]

Soil content is a weird thing. I've seen copper coins at one site be crusty and toasted within a year, showing bubbles and corrosion that is beyond anything I would have ever expected. I know they're only a year, because of the date on them is 2014.

Fast forward to another site, where I've found 1970's era coins that look virtually brand new, even had mint luster still on them (though they were red, now due to minerals in the soil). The first was in a loamy region, lots of wet... the other in the dry arid desert from an old home site.

That being said, I've NEVER found a single nickel that wasn't darkened within a year or so of ground drop. To have one sit there for 100 years and come out shiny? Checking... I found the metal content should be the same... 25% nickel, 75% copper. Even still... I have to wonder if the content was differently alloyed or plated in the 3 centers (which might account for a difference in look). Every 3 cent piece that I've seen on forums coming out of the ground, though, is still DARK.

I suppose the thing to do is ask anyone if they've ever pulled a buffalo out of the ground that was still shiny silver? Anyone? If we can find one person who has... and the find was legitimately buried, then the possibility goes up.

Skippy

If the 2014 coins in question are pennies then they're zinc with a copper coating and all they want to do is corrode.

 

[ARC]

Soil content is a weird thing. I've seen copper coins at one site be crusty and toasted within a year, showing bubbles and corrosion that is beyond anything I would have ever expected. I know they're only a year, because of the date on them is 2014.

Fast forward to another site, where I've found 1970's era coins that look virtually brand new, even had mint luster still on them (though they were red, now due to minerals in the soil). The first was in a loamy region, lots of wet... the other in the dry arid desert from an old home site.

That being said, I've NEVER found a single nickel that wasn't darkened within a year or so of ground drop. To have one sit there for 100 years and come out shiny? Checking... I found the metal content should be the same... 25% nickel, 75% copper. Even still... I have to wonder if the content was differently alloyed or plated in the 3 centers (which might account for a difference in look). Every 3 cent piece that I've seen on forums coming out of the ground, though, is still DARK.

I suppose the thing to do is ask anyone if they've ever pulled a buffalo out of the ground that was still shiny silver? Anyone? If we can find one person who has... and the find was legitimately buried, then the possibility goes up.

Skippy

That's because they "made em better" back then

 

[ARC]

Heh...

Found this on a search for show that might hold some slight interest of someone somewhere... who knows maybe even a wisconsian...

Wonder if diggers needed a "permit" heh...

"it doesn’t matter how deep you are digging. State law (Wisconsin Statute 182.0175) requires notifying Diggers Hotline before you excavate, grade, trench, dig, drill, augur, tunnel, scrape, plow cable or pipe. Excavation, according to the law, means anything that moves, removes or displaces earth rock or other material in or on the ground."

Homeowners - Diggers Hotline

 

[ARC]

And...

"Diggers TV Show Community Event

FREE Admission!

KG and Ringy will sign autographs and be available for photos.

Food and refreshments available for purchase.

Customized T-shirts will be available for purchase at Peshtigo Pharmacy or at the event.

There will be drawings for prizes.

The Diggers will be looking for artifacts from the Great Peshtigo Fire which occurred on October 8th 1871.

The show is aired on the National Geographic Channel."

http://www.wearegreenbay.com/news/t...at-peshtigo-fire-on-historic-family-homestead

 

[Keppy]

Every thing you see on TV reality shows is not real...

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I used to give the hairy eyeball to the finds shown here that appear like this morning's pocket drops. The images of half a shiny silver coin in a hole. Yeah, right. But I have come to accept it more that other folks dirt isn't like the clay peanut-butter like clingy stuff we get locally.

There appear to be great variations in soil and climate effects on coins. Even locally I know of a couple county parks that use a phosphate and nitrate fertilizer that eats copper like sugar.

At one town park near a river I dug what I thought was to be my first large cent and it wasn't until I got home and cleaned it I found this instead.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I think it depends on what 3 cent piece he dug. I haven't seen that episode, so I don't know. However, both the silver and the clad were made in 1868. So, I would guess that if he dug the silver one, it could still look really good. If he dug the clad one, I would expect it to look like and old nickel coming out of the ground.

 

[jeff of pa]

the 3 Cent Nickle last night was the first time,
I had doubts on their finds.

the one they showed looked Polished with absolutely no environmental damage.
I've seen allot over the years, But that made no sense to me.

I agree they may have brought in a better one for filming but,
it's a sad state of affairs if they did .

I did notice no Values were put to the finds, & they even said a few items had no value.
They did use the word Priceless once , but saying Historically Priceless is understandable to me on a show like that. (am I missing their Price notes ? Or have they stopped doing that ?)

it was 3 Cent Nickle it should have been Gray/Brown Not shiny silver color


Cleaning for pictures is understandable, Replacing is not

 

[halfdime]

Every thing you see on TV reality shows is not real...

Which is why I started my second paragraph with "I'm not naive enough to believe everything I see on TV."

 

[Sooper Dave]

I enjoyed watching the show besides the over exaggerated dramatic flipping and screaming over every find. But this last episode struck a nerve with me when I saw the obvious planted 3 cent nickel coin come out untarnished or corroded and not even a spec of soil stuck to the coin. I know that different soil conditions can have different effects on coins, but this is sad and pathetic to claim non dug coins as legit finds. I have caught a few things over the past years on the show, with re-digging already loose dug plugs, seeing the ground disturbed before digging and relics coming out of moist soil that are already dry like it's been out of the ground for a while. I also can understand that it's a TV show and having to redo a dig to get the right reaction or shot, but this is just a flat out lie and is deceiving! I like to see the history behind the places they go but I'm no longer going to watch or support this show because it seems to be just another fake reality show designed to sell products. I think it's a shame that such a big production show had to stoop to this level.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I personally have never pulled a shinny nickel out of the ground other than a fresh drop, but maybe it's me....I'm not capable of Hollywood magic!

I can understand the shows directors wanting the general public to be able to see and tell what the coin is, but the fact has to be told, especially if the show is being promoted as actual live treasure hunting & digging.

It's like an actual surgeon watching a supposed real surgery and trying to keep a straight face. Finally you turn it off and walk away.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Mine look like this after knocking off the loose stuff.

 

[Skippy SH13]

Heaven help the kids in the sandlot.

Heh...

Found this on a search for show that might hold some slight interest of someone somewhere... who knows maybe even a wisconsian...

Wonder if diggers needed a "permit" heh...

"it doesn’t matter how deep you are digging. State law (Wisconsin Statute 182.0175) requires notifying Diggers Hotline before you excavate, grade, trench, dig, drill, augur, tunnel, scrape, plow cable or pipe. Excavation, according to the law, means anything that moves, removes or displaces earth rock or other material in or on the ground."

Homeowners - Diggers Hotline

 

[RustyGold]

Oh no! It can't be true! A planted find? Not on TV??

 

[Papalittle]

there are others out of camera shot using detectors too and if they get a good signal they will call the digger boys over to that spot.