What am I missing?

[ryclo]

Why do people get excited about finding a silver dime? It seems a late 50's worn silver dime is worth around a buck, why do people get more excited finding a silver dime than finding a handfull of new clad quarters?

 

[treasurehound]

I really wish you a lot of success in this great hobby. A lot of people who post their older finds have done a lot of research to find those older places to hunt and when you find your first silver we all will be congratulating you on your finds. Even if you find a bunch of clad we will be here to congratulate you. And we are here to help you and answer your questions.

 

[ryclo]

Finding clad is EASY. There is ZERO challenge in it. Anybody can do it.

Finding silver and other old coins actually takes skill and talent. Sometimes it is talent in using your machine, sometimes it is talent in researching and obtaining permission to sites to detect.

I personally enjoy the challenge of it. I could care less about the value. Why get excited about an 1964 quarter and not an 1968 quarter? Well an 1968 quarter is still in circulation. An 1964 quarter is not (unless somebody cashes in their coin collection).

Every day, there is less and less silver in the ground to be found. So every day, the challenge becomes greater.

The argument could be made greater by people who get excited about finding wheat pennies. Since basically, they are worth about a penny in their current condition.

This is the best answer yet, if your goal is to find silver coins because its challenging that makes sense! Thanks!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Why get excited about silver dimes?

Indeed!

Why hunt deer when the cost of clothing, licenses, processing, weapon and ammunition is greater than the equivalent cost of beef?

Why catch and release fish?

Why look at pretty girls?

For the entertainment, sport and challenge. I find 100 clad quarters for every silver dime . . . so a silver dime must be worth $25.

 

[mts]

I can go through my pocket change and find dozens of 1968 quarters. Why? Because nobody wants them. They are worth no more than a "modern" quarter. But I've never found a 1964 quarter in my pocket change. Coin roll hunters will go through thousands of quarters looking for silver and may not find a single one. They are scarce in circulation. But as you've said I can buy one at the local coin shop for around $4.

By the way, a 1943 COPPER penny can be worth several hundred thousand dollars. A 1944 copper penny is worth about 4 cents. Yet they are both copper and look exactly the same. And they are only a year apart by date. :P

 

[Keppy]

As for taking clad and buying silver, some people do that with their clad coins, but as someone has already pointed out, its all about the finding. Most relic hunters will tell you that its all about finding historical items. If the finding "stuff" doesn't excite you, you're in the wrong hobby.

I am not in the wrong hobby but i don't even look for relics i don't care for relics. There are a lot out there like me that relics does nothing for them. Coins made of silver , Gold , Jewlery that is what excites me. I don't like relics , I don't like Antique's , I don't like old classic cars , I don't like old houses , My wife talked me into getting this house built in 1896 i hate it to me all old stuff is crap i don't care who held it or when he held it that stuff does not thrill me ..........And the truth be known i am not the only one that feels like that.................... But just because we don't like Antiques & Relics does not mean we are in the wrong hobby every one is different we have different likes & dislikes if every one liked the same thing................. there would only be one type of metal detector one make of car....ece ,ect , ect..................... So don't knock some one if they don't like what you like.........................

 

[RPG]

I get excited everytime my detector beeps. I like digging silver dimes. But I also like digging old rusty iron just as much. I, unlike others on here, like old stuff. If you must find it with a metal detector, it is old. Whether it is a day old or 200 years old. It is old.

 

[Keppy]

I get excited everytime my detector beeps. I like digging silver dimes. But I also like digging old rusty iron just as much. I, unlike others on here, like old stuff. If you must find it with a metal detector, it is old. Whether it is a day old or 200 years old. It is old.

I DO NOT LIKE OLD STUFF AKA RELICS>>>> SO I LEAVE IT FOR YOU TO DIG>>

 

[47thelement]

I quess I'm missing something with you're question.

 

[RPG]

I get excited everytime my detector beeps. I like digging silver dimes. But I also like digging old rusty iron just as much. I, unlike others on here, like old stuff. If you must find it with a metal detector, it is old. Whether it is a day old or 200 years old. It is old.

I DO NOT LIKE OLD STUFF AKA RELICS>>>> SO I LEAVE IT FOR YOU TO DIG>>

Thanks Keppy.

Shouldn't have took it so personal dude.

 

[BamaBill]

Keppy, wasn't talking to you for one thing. Two, you said you like finding silver and gold. Those items come under things. A whole lot of different items come under things, not just relics. Man, you just didn't read what I was saying. I don't care if you're not into relics. The point is you're using the machine to find something right? And its that something that you enjoy finding right?

 

[Newt]

If you have to ask why, I guess it can't be explained. It's something old, and long lost. And YOU found it.

Yep!
Newt

 

[SteveDodds]

I am sure everyone of us can remember when, where, and how we dug our first silver dime. I know I can. But I have no clue when or where I found my first clad quarter.

 

[ryclo]

If you have to ask why, I guess it can't be explained. It's something old, and long lost. And YOU found it.

The only reason I can understand is they are hard to find, therefore more of a prize... Being old and long lost can apply to clad which nobody cares about apparently. I am not saying I would not be excited to find one, but not much more than finding any coins IMO. Now to me, a 100 year old coin on an old lot would be awesome even if it was worthless!

 

[bazinga]

If you have to ask why, I guess it can't be explained. It's something old, and long lost. And YOU found it.

The only reason I can understand is they are hard to find, therefore more of a prize... Being old and long lost can apply to clad which nobody cares about apparently. I am not saying I would not be excited to find one, but not much more than finding any coins IMO. Now to me, a 100 year old coin on an old lot would be awesome even if it was worthless!

Most OLD things that I find I could care less about. Yay, more rusty iron, woohoo! Another oil lamp part from the 1870s, yippee. But a silver coin, large cent, civil war button, old token, etc, now those get the blood flowing.

 

[ivan salis]

and under all those old rusty iron relics --is often the old silver or gold coins you seek --if you do not dig and "remove" these old relics --your detector will not find the "iron" masked --silver and gold items --

 

[bazinga]

and under all those old rusty iron relics --is often the old silver or gold coins you seek --if you do not dig and "remove" these old relics --your detector will not find the "iron" masked --silver and gold items --

I find plenty of old silver. I don't need to waste my time digging out iron. If that were the case, I would just buy a cheap machine and use that. I buy the better machine to do LESS digging.

 

[fathead]

Why do some fishermen get so excited over a 10 inch native brook trout and then get irritated when they catch a 25 inch mud sucker? There are different levels of acheivement in every activity. I took my brother to a World Series game last year and I took my little girls to a minor league game last night. Are they both baseball? Arguably. Are they both the same level of excitement? Not even close.

The 1964 silver dime is a benchmark. A goal to shoot for. I even remember the only 1965 dime I have ever found because it was so upsetting.

If this all seems a bit arbitrary and silly to you, it is. This is the game that some of us choose to play.

You are able to set your own level of excitement. I suggest you go by the same rules as the "British Mafia". Those guys don't get excited about anything that isn't a hand struck coin. (I am exagerating gentlemen) Those of us who play to a lower standard will not be offended.


But I will be hostile if you trashtalk my Dec 31st, 1964 11:59 PM Roosevelt dime.

To quote William S. "Bunch not thyne panties, as I am only jesting, sort of."

-Fathead

 

[Woodland Detectors]

well actually with a silver dime being $1.50 -- clad quarters are a DIME A HALF DOZEN (6 clad quarters = $1.50)

LOL

 

[jayallday14]

To me its thought provoking. Who dropped the coin? What were they doing at that time? Why were they in this particular area? So many questions come to mind. Was it a child playing? Was it a person taking a load off? Could it have been a family having a picnic? The questions are endless. I was born in 71, so of course all silver coins are before my time and plus I really love history. In fact the History channel is playing in the background right now!

 

[gleaner1]

See attached graph.