simply by a "Best Guess." There are so many variables, such as 1st, exactly what the specific target is. Then 2nd, the target's position or orientation in the ground, followed by things like: How long has it been buried? Is there any other target close to it to mask a 'proper' TID response? What is the ground mineral make-up? Is the ground dry, damp, or wet, and is that ground condition uniform all the way from surface to the target? What detector is used? Which search coil is used [size=small](size and type)[/size]? Was the search coil swept across the target with the center-axis of the coil? Was the sweep speed a proper, functional rate, or was it too slow or too fast for the detector design? And .... the list could go on.
We didn't have any such thing a visual Target ID, or even the thought that such a design could exist, back when I started metal detecting in March of '65, and all we did was learn how to best tune a metal detector, sweep a search coil, pinpoint a target for recovery ...
and learn to listen to the audio response of all the targets, and that, alone, helped us learn to audibly 'classify' a narrow target from a wide target, most ferrous targets from non-ferrous, guesstimate a rough depth of coin-sized targets, etc.
This was before we had such things as "auto-tune" or "Discrimination" or "Ground Balance" and almost fifteen years before we had a choice between TR-Disc. and later motion-based GB-Disc. circuitry designs. Almost twenty years before we had other options like visual Target ID and audible Tone ID, and that came just after we [size=small](in the USA)[/size] got a Zinc Cent about seventeen years after I started having fun, but .... there was a lot out there to be found and every dedicated hobbyist could find
a lot of coins. You also could find a lot of other interesting targets along with some less exciting objects we have come to call 'trash' or 'junk.'
Therefore, I learned a long, long time ago that "seeing is believing" and that is translated in the message I have in the signature of every post I make, which is:
"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Do I use Tone ID and/or visual Target ID numeric read-outs? Yes, but I use them as I feel needed for the site environment, and I use them fort information and assessment, but I do not use them as a "lock-on," or "100% reliable" form of target classification. I use the info as generalities and combine it with my audio interpretations to make a good 'best guess,' then.... I recover the target and take a look. It then goes in my keepers container
![Thumb Up :thumbup: :thumbup:](https://www.findmall.com/styles/smileys/thumbup.gif)
or my trash pouch
![Thumb Down :thumbdown: :thumbdown:](https://www.findmall.com/styles/smileys/thumbdown.gif)
, but only after I take a gander at what caused all the excitement in the first place.
I know a lot of folks spend a lot of extra $$$$ buying detectors that have extra switches and touchpads and adjustment functions, and some with multiple, and sometimes colorful, TID displays and numeric read-outs that are promoted as being able to more accurately identify a located target. Phooey! Not only do I have my
Nail Board Performance Test to help test a detector, coil and Discrimination ability to reject iron nails and respond to a coin that is centered, but I also have
Monte's Test Tube that I use as a teaching tool. For those who like to pit their skills, their detectors functions, and take a chance ...they can even pay a $50 'entry fee' to challenge the Test Tube targets and "display their skills" of target identification.
There are 50 targets, all placed in identical white plastic pill bottle caps and numbered '1' to '50.' I can lay these fifty test samples on top of the ground, and in rough numeric order with the number facing upwards, and for only a $10 'entry fee' they can play "
Detecting Blackjack" and take their pick of one of three 'games' to play. To hit the Blackjack of '21' exactly, they can go after:
Group 21-A.. To identify the 16 US Coins, 4 Foreign Coins and 1 aluminum Trade Token.
Group 21-B.. To identify the 13 "Trash" Targets, 5 Gold Jewelry items, 2 Sterling Silver Jewelry items and 1 Costume Ring.
Group 21-C.. To identify the 13 Trash Targets and 8 Artifacts [size=small](4 buckles/fasteners, 3 metal buttons and an 'S' disk to seal alcoholic beverage bottles)[/size].
You do not have a paper list of these targets, but the numbers are facing up and while not in exact numerical order, they are close. [size=small](
By the way, they can't be a very 'perfect' numeric order because there are so many different makes and models of detector circuitry design and search coils used that you will often get a somewhat different numeric response from one model to another or one brand to another.)[/size] An entrant will have '21' colored poker chips and all they have to do is place each of the '21' poker chips next to the plastic containers with the '21' items on their Blackjack list. Get all '21' targets marked correctly and I will give the paid entrant $200 cash.
Now, if someone would like to help pay for their over-gadgety, expensive metal detector, they can pay a $50 'entry fee' and I will place all '50' Test Tube targets on the ground, but all face down and mixed around and scatted about instead of in single-file. The master-skilled, super-detector operator will also be given a list and description of ALL '50' targets, and '50' numbered poker chips, naturally numbered '1' to '50.' All they have to do is place each numbered poker chip next to the plastic cap with an identical number and match all '50' Test Tube targets. If they do get every one correctly matched up, I will give them a strap of 10- $100 bills. Yep, that's $1000 for a $50 entry fee,
if they and their detector/coil can be 100% correct in target identification.
Back to your '82' Target ID read-out question. Most are modern US Zinc cents, but not all. Zinc cents, depending upon all the variables to include how much they have decayed, will respond in the upper '70s' and up to about '82.' Also, '± 82' read-outs have been trade tokens, jewelry items, buttons, early-date Wheat-back cents from about 1909 to about 1920, and most Indian Head cents which generally read similar to, or slightly below, the modern US Zinc cent. There have been other interesting 'keepers' that fall at or close to '82' that make it interesting, but some sites have a goodly number of trash targets that are smaller in size but higher conductive.
When I get any target hit, especially an '82' or something close to that,
and if I am Coin Hunting in an urban setting, I also make sure I do the typical sizing-and-shaping to help determine if it is a smaller, coin-sized targets or a larger size, most typically trash such as an aluminum screw cap, etc.
Keep recovering them, but work around and over them for a while to get a better feel and talent for classifying them as a possible Zinc cent or something else.
Monte