where is all the silver?

[sapper]

I find indians wheats and buffalos but I fight to get any silver. Why? Where has it all gone!!

 

[SusanMN]

Most silver was cherry picked many, many years ago by detectorists hunting with discrimination set to knock out anything but silver. Private property seems to be the best place to find what is left.

 

[sapper]

Those pricks! Ha ha. That's what I thought but the parks are soo huge! How could these primitive people have cleared the entire park? Lol I guess ill just keep trying and hope for the best. I'm picking mostly large old parks in small towns.

 

[watercolor]

Most silver was cherry picked many, many years ago by detectorists hunting with discrimination set to knock out anything but silver. Private property seems to be the best place to find what is left.

I've hunted with a few "old-timers" that would have been dissapointed back in the day when
they only found 15 or 20 silvers on a 3-hour hunt. . . you're right about the "cherry-picking".

The silver is still out there but it's becoming increasingly "masked" by layers of trash from the
last several decades in public parks. I've had better success for finding silver along the
heavily-wooded "fringes" adjacent to manicured picnic areas. . . it can be tough hunting but
worth it.

HH!

 

[sapper]

Well that explains things and solidifies my assumptions. Guess ill keep trying the more obscure areas of the parks. In the mean time I do enjoy the indianhead pennies they left behind. Though, not so much the beaver tails. ..

 

[m bryan]

When Indians and wheats were dropped they blended in with the ground. Silver could be spotted and picked up before they began to settle in the ground. But the silver is still there. Just my thinking....

 

[Rawhide]

If I want the old silver, I have to turn the disc way up and only dig deep wisper of targets. If you get a deep hitting detector you will do better on the old silver.

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

I find indians wheats and buffalos but I fight to get any silver. Why? Where has it all gone!!

Hey, Mr Sapper, good question, all the replies are right on it. I guess I'm one of the guilty old timers, (started 30 years ago). Now I have to deal with it like everyone else, here are some hints...Since the pickins used to be easy we did discriminate out all but the silver, but most of us just wanted the easy ones so the ones near the junk are still there, dig the iffy signals! Also get the bigger coil and go deeper than we could have in the 70's and 80's! Best tip of all is research! We usually just hit the obvious places then moved on...

This past April I found an abandoned lot in my town on Google maps, looked it up on an 1890 map and it was a horse corral for a long gone railroad depot...hit it with the detector and in less than an hour had a 70 year old dime and the only Peace dollar I have ever found (1922), sat there all these years. Do your research, get the big coil, and dig the iffies, that's about it...happy hunting.

 

[Nickleanddime]

I have the same thought. I'm new and learning but still no silver. I figured kids would search for it if they dropped it. Or didnt carry it. Think of when you were a kid most put it in a box to save it. Not many people just carried money with them In the old days I'm thinking. Why would. You need money working the fields. Most guys went to work with no money but maybe for gas. I still love searching though. I drive my wife nuts cause ill start to leave and search anoth half a hour. Do that a few times and she tends to give me the look.

 

[sapper]

When Indians and wheats were dropped they blended in with the ground. Silver could be spotted and picked up before they began to settle in the ground. But the silver is still there. Just my thinking....

I like your theory. I've thought about that too. Ill go with that. Its more optimistic.

 

[sapper]

Hey, Mr Sapper, good question, all the replies are right on it. I guess I'm one of the guilty old timers, (started 30 years ago). Now I have to deal with it like everyone else, here are some hints...Since the pickins used to be easy we did discriminate out all but the silver, but most of us just wanted the easy ones so the ones near the junk are still there, dig the iffy signals! Also get the bigger coil and go deeper than we could have in the 70's and 80's! Best tip of all is research! We usually just hit the obvious places then moved on...

This past April I found an abandoned lot in my town on Google maps, looked it up on an 1890 map and it was a horse corral for a long gone railroad depot...hit it with the detector and in less than an hour had a 70 year old dime and the only Peace dollar I have ever found (1922), sat there all these years. Do your research, get the big coil, and dig the iffies, that's about it...happy hunting.

Best Answer. Hands down. Right out of the horses mouth. Haha no offense intended haha. Although I think its a combo of all these answers.

Awesome. I have got a fisher cz-3d just bought the 10.5" coil. I've been searching everyday for hours at a time. Sometimes full days. I work hard and I'm quite familiar w the technique as I have spent a number of years training w us army metal detectors. I just started detecting on the civ side last year.

I've done quite well in the year. To date I've found 2 silver Washington quarters, one 1916 barber quarter. 5 silver rosies 5 mercs one barber dime one war nickel 70+ wheats 10 indian heads 3 buffs and a multitude of trinkets including 3 rings.

But I spend full days swining and research at night. I have to say I'm an ADDICT. I go every chance I have free and am constantly pouring over old maps town histories and ancient images to try to find new spots. One thing I have not tried that I would like to, is private land. Just don't know where to start.

I have began to dig iffy signals with much disappointment and some success. So ill bank on the success and keep digging them.

Thanks all for all your answers, if your ever in Wisconsin drop me a line

 

[Mohave Sam]

Another guilty old fart here. I started in the 80s . I had Whites and a Red Baron and discriminated a lot out except silver. There is a lot more trash now as well as a lot of the older stuff has been found. But another thing that happens is the old coins keep sinking farther and farther into the ground unless they hit something to stop them. Rocks etc. Its tough detecting these days and getting nice old silver. I used to find silver every time I went out but now am happy as hell if I find it. few and far between and if your in many newer parts of the US ( not from back east ) There just wasn't as much lost. Think about this a silver coin now is usually at least almost 50 years old and has had lots of time to sink especially in parks and areas that are watered and mowed. Think outside the box. Look at an area and think if I was looking for the easy finds where would I go and what spot would I pass up. That spot could well be the one that has continued be passed over. Sam

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

Here is an example of the research I mentioned earlier. (1888 map), You can see the Peoria and Decatur RR terminal and depot at the lower center. The arrow points to the area I found out through further research was the horse yard, kind of like an old time "parking lot". The RR buildings are gone now and all the other open areas on this map have been developed. Why this spot is still an open lot today I don't know, may have been a park at some time, but it got me a silver dollar find...good luck ...Tim

 

[sapper]

Cool good research find. I have been using these maps drawn by an artist from a hot air ballon. Hes done nearly every historic wisconsin town. Circa late 19th century. I look for open spots that are still open today when contrasted w google maps. Its fun to research things and I've learned so much about my state.

 

[etex]

Look in your local paper for building permits for house demos. A good place to find silver. Have found 3 halves this year.

 

[mick56]

Cool good research find. I have been using these maps drawn by an artist from a hot air ballon. Hes done nearly every historic wisconsin town. Circa late 19th century. I look for open spots that are still open today when contrasted w google maps. Its fun to research things and I've learned so much about my state.

That's cool! Is there a link for these old maps?

 

[sapper]

That's cool! Is there a link for these old maps?

Google: historic birds eye view maps, sort through the images till ya find the one u want. I've purchase a few prints from the wisconsin historical society to frame. Theyre cool old maps. I forget the artist/cartographers name that did a lot around wisconsin. But there are a few like him who did the same thing.

 

[sapper]

Here's a sample link to eau claire wi http://preview.wisconsinhistory.org...avOnly=N:4294953747&dsRecordDetails=R:IM12330