Why do coins sink?

[ticm]

Is this not a good time to ask why good signals seem to found underneath a pile of animal poop? Maybe it's connected. This happens to me all the time!

Its due to a iron rich diet.

 

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[Muddyhandz]

O.K. so I'll entertain the grass clippings and decomposition theory but I have a few problems with that. Most grass areas we search have had the clippings removed by the lawnmower or raked up.
Now explain to me why I've found thousands of older artifacts fairly shallow in the bush? Sorry, Americans prefer woods. Forest, whatever.
In fact, I've searched oak forests and couldn't find anything beyond 4 inches deep maximum! No, I use a deep seeking machine, there just wasn't anything beyond that depth. I've found 200+ year old metal artifacts right near the surface in the woods many times.
I think a bush will trump your grass clippings any day with all the leaf mold, rotting logs, and grass/weeds. Sure tree roots account for some cases but that should work in the opposite direction as well by pushing objects down. I rarely find anything deep in the woods unless it's the treeline along a plowed field, where topsoil has blown in and deposited over the years.
I know oak trees will only grow on higher ground and out here in flood country, that makes a difference but I just can't buy your grass clipping theory as forests create MORE organic debris and on average items are much shallower.
Now, searching a flood plain is a whole different ball game! Yes, silt has deposited over the years burying items deep. There were stories during the Great Depression where the drought made fields so dry and big winds would come in and lift all the topsoil off and it would travel for sometimes miles elsewhere. Many variables I'm sure.
Heavy gold will be deeper at beaches, lakes, surf, etc. It sinks faster with wave action.
Of course here in winterland the ground shifts all the time.
In plowed fields things will be on the surface but they also will sink below the plow zone. Some parks may have been cultivated years before they were parks.
Hmmn, now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing many earthworms in the bush but a ton of them in grassy park areas.
Do they sink or not........ that is the question.
Cheers,
Dave.

 

[Frankn]

Bev, This is the official coin coverer of the field. lol Frank

 

[Jason in Enid]

Muddy, your forest issues fit PERFECTLY into the grass theory. Remember, the roots are a major part of that concept. Forest floors don't have the aggressive grass growth of parks and yards. The plants there are often thinner and more sparsely grown. The leaf litter blows away with the wind too.

Parks, yards, and other turf grass areas have coins move quite rapidly into the 6 inch range. Woodlands, deserts often have very shallow items. Beaches are a completely seperate concept, you are talking about liquid environs with constantly shifting sands allowing items to SINK. If your local park was frequently liquified I would agree that coins sink there too.

 

[Phanntom]

There were an awful lot of people from the past we need to thank for our hobby. They had enough time on their hands and money to spend it digging holes and placing coins so we could come up a hundred and fifty years later to dig them up. It's also amazing how the CW soldiers had time and the presence of mind to do the same thing with their buttons and buckles.

I'd encourage anyone to come into the south where many homes are built not on solid foundations, but on piers of bricks supporting it a foot or so above ground...everyone of them has clear evidence of sinking. Not to mention, check out the sidewalks in old, small towns...they're all very uneven. Granted, some are where tree roots have displace them, but others haven't had a tree near them since they were installed.

Look at how far gold will settle over time. Gravity may be a weak force, but the fact remains the denser material will settle lower than the lighter material. Whether in the case of oil and water....the oil rises to the top, or the water settles to the bottom, the water being heavier/more dense will be on the bottom.

 

[Muddyhandz]

Muddy, your forest issues fit PERFECTLY into the grass theory. Remember, the roots are a major part of that concept. Forest floors don't have the aggressive grass growth of parks and yards. The plants there are often thinner and more sparsely grown. The leaf litter blows away with the wind too.

Parks, yards, and other turf grass areas have coins move quite rapidly into the 6 inch range. Woodlands, deserts often have very shallow items. Beaches are a completely seperate concept, you are talking about liquid environs with constantly shifting sands allowing items to SINK. If your local park was frequently liquified I would agree that coins sink there too.

I agree that grass would have a thicker, more aggressive root system that could easily push an item only recently lost down at a faster rate. I don't know what kind of grass you have over there but in my experience, the root system only extends up to 4 inches max. Beyond the root system there should be very little causing that item to sink deeper and yet it isn't uncommon to find a 1920's coin at 8 inches deep. I wonder if weeds are the culprits as dandelion roots can be very deep.
Liquid could be a factor when heavy rains loosen the soil and items could sink. The type of item is a factor also. A coin on edge is more likely to sink as opposed as to it laying flat. A round musket shot should sink deeper compared to a lead baggage tag.
I'm on the fence. If there's anything I learned the most from metal detecting, it would be that there's more variables than one would think!

 

[Bev]

Bev, This is the official coin coverer of the field. lol Frank

Awesome!

 

[strateloss]

Is this not a good time to ask why good signals seem to found underneath a pile of animal poop? Maybe it's connected. This happens to me all the time!

lol..I thought this only happens to me...my most recent was bear ****...lol

 

[Bev]

lol..I thought this only happens to me...my most recent was bear ****...lol

I hope it was worth it- just another reason to wear good gloves!

 

[Mzjavert]

The simplest explanation is that the earth is not static. Some areas have very frequent changes...such as the beach or when a volcano goes off. Other areas change much more slowly, but they do change over time. Some of those changes will bring objects to the surface and others will cause them to sink lower.

Plus I suspect earth worms push things up and down.

 

[Silver Searcher]

How to bury coins....

SS