Coin Depth Black Dirt

[daddyflea]

I have been detecting for a long time and I am wondering if anyone has a strong opinion or experience on this Subject.

I am wondering if Coins sink more quickly in this Texas Black Dirt we have. I have been hunting some really old houses and finding almost no Silver. I am using a Deleon and I get loads of Coins but I have noticed that some of my Zinc Pennies are as deep as 4 or 5 inches. I am getting clad quarters and dimes much deeper. Assuming these were lost the year they were minted they seem to be deep for the number of years they have been there.

I hunted the Sandy Yard of a House some distance from here and was amazed to find three Silver Coins that were shallow in comparison.

 

[JimGilmore]

How fast the sink depends on water and other factors such as grass growth and thatch....
Cold weather can heave them to the surface...and water and soil conditions can bury them...

 

[dewcon4414]

Targets also sink to the depth of things of equal weight. Hills work much like natures sifters as well leaving targets at a lower depth. Ive found at old homes especially those that have add ons all that dirt that was moved for foundation work was spread on the lawn. Coins being a solid object with surface tend to slow the rate of settling because it comes into contact with other objects. There are so many factors that come into density, covering, and settling. Here in Ind the settle rate may be 4 inches for 100 years while in Fla..... it can be 12 inches or MORE depending on hard pan.

Dew

 

[chuck ky]

if the houses have sidewalks you can tell if the yard has built up a lot. if the yard level is a lot higher than the sidewalk it has probably built up over the years. house yards are probably mowed more often adding to the build up.

 

[Carolina Phil]

I don't have a "strong opinion", just a regular one, and probably regular experience as well. I would suggest that the yard with the "Texas black dirt" had fill-dirt added at some point or had been plowed or tilled. For example, my Mom and Dad has had fill-dirt hauled in and spread out in order to even the grade of a fairly large depression in their yard. Another example is my former neighbor which would till-up the soil and sow grass in his front yard every Spring. He said he done this tilling in order to remove moss.

You describe these two houses as "really old" and if by that you mean that only remnants remain of houses that has not been standing for 50 years or longer, then these suggestions may not be relevant.

 

[daddyflea]

I don't have a "strong opinion", just a regular one, and probably regular experience as well. I would suggest that the yard with the "Texas black dirt" had fill-dirt added at some point or had been plowed or tilled. For example, my Mom and Dad has had fill-dirt hauled in and spread out in order to even the grade of a fairly large depression in their yard. Another example is my former neighbor which would till-up the soil and sow grass in his front yard every Spring. He said he done this tilling in order to remove moss.

You describe these two houses as "really old" and if by that you mean that only remnants remain of houses that has not been standing for 50 years or longer, then these suggestions may not be relevant.

No none of these had fill dirt. Just seems that the Zinc Pennies are pretty deep for the years they have been there.

 

[Jerry-Wi]

I have given up trying to figure it out. I found two silver WWII nickels this month both just under the sod. Found one each at real old baseball fields about 30 miles apart.

Jerry