LawrencetheMDer
Active member
Here is a picture of a lump of sand, shell fragments and metal fused by corrosive elements and measuring more than 1" across and 1/2" thick. It was found on the beach metal detecting. Experience tells me that there is a zinc cent inside, a hammer helped confirm the suspicion.
Lump of sand, shell fragments and corrosive metal measuring over 1" across and 1/2" thick. What is it?
Here is what was inside the lump once I mildly struck it, flatly, with a hammer - a zinc cent.
Zinc cents, when intact, will be identified at 12:37 fairly reliably on the CTX 3030. However, when corrosion in salt water and sand occurs, all bets are off. As the zinc cent corrodes, the target grows in size as metal particles dissipate underground and fuse with their surroundings. The changing size and composition cause a change in CTX identification from 12:37 to some other number along the CO axis. I've had corroded zinc cents range from 12:13 to 12:44. This is not normal variability for intact zinc cents. In addition, with some highly corroded zinc cents the detector doesn't seem to be able to "lock-in" on the target, and will yield variable identification numbers that often will include 12:37 among many others. [I want to emphasize here that this isn't a detector failure or depth effect but, rather, characteristics of a changing target.]
Why is this important? About 50% of coins found on the beach are cents. Of those cents, I'd estimate about 80-90% are zinc cents; cents minted since 1982. So, about 40-50% of your time recovering coins on the beach is for pennies-by-the-hour! Half your detecting time!
One of the main advantages of the CTX 3030 is the ability of the machine to identify common coins (cent, nickel, dime, quarter) among buried objects with some certainty. Another advantage is related to setting your accept/reject boundaries. Personally, within my window of acceptance, I rely on accurate identification in particular situations; for example, working low tide and when there are too many targets and not enough time (Ok, not often but once-in-a-while). However, in this game of probability, I'd rather dig a 12:32 (possible gold band) than a 12:37 (reliable zinc cent). In addition to the reliable 12:37 zinc cent, I consider the unreliable variable response that may also signify a zinc cent more often than you might think.
I still dig a lot of junk at 12:32 and at many other promising numbers. It's just that the probability is higher that it might be a gold band than the near certainty of a zinc cent at 12:37. After all, the next day these ole bones feel every shovel of wet sand handled the previous day. Oh, by the way, I curse the person who found a large gold ring at 12:37 - Why oh why...so even with a zinc cent, you never really know.
Lump of sand, shell fragments and corrosive metal measuring over 1" across and 1/2" thick. What is it?
Here is what was inside the lump once I mildly struck it, flatly, with a hammer - a zinc cent.
Zinc cents, when intact, will be identified at 12:37 fairly reliably on the CTX 3030. However, when corrosion in salt water and sand occurs, all bets are off. As the zinc cent corrodes, the target grows in size as metal particles dissipate underground and fuse with their surroundings. The changing size and composition cause a change in CTX identification from 12:37 to some other number along the CO axis. I've had corroded zinc cents range from 12:13 to 12:44. This is not normal variability for intact zinc cents. In addition, with some highly corroded zinc cents the detector doesn't seem to be able to "lock-in" on the target, and will yield variable identification numbers that often will include 12:37 among many others. [I want to emphasize here that this isn't a detector failure or depth effect but, rather, characteristics of a changing target.]
Why is this important? About 50% of coins found on the beach are cents. Of those cents, I'd estimate about 80-90% are zinc cents; cents minted since 1982. So, about 40-50% of your time recovering coins on the beach is for pennies-by-the-hour! Half your detecting time!
One of the main advantages of the CTX 3030 is the ability of the machine to identify common coins (cent, nickel, dime, quarter) among buried objects with some certainty. Another advantage is related to setting your accept/reject boundaries. Personally, within my window of acceptance, I rely on accurate identification in particular situations; for example, working low tide and when there are too many targets and not enough time (Ok, not often but once-in-a-while). However, in this game of probability, I'd rather dig a 12:32 (possible gold band) than a 12:37 (reliable zinc cent). In addition to the reliable 12:37 zinc cent, I consider the unreliable variable response that may also signify a zinc cent more often than you might think.
I still dig a lot of junk at 12:32 and at many other promising numbers. It's just that the probability is higher that it might be a gold band than the near certainty of a zinc cent at 12:37. After all, the next day these ole bones feel every shovel of wet sand handled the previous day. Oh, by the way, I curse the person who found a large gold ring at 12:37 - Why oh why...so even with a zinc cent, you never really know.
