gold coin vdi

[Boomer270]

Hi all,l was just wondering if anyone knew what the numbers would be on an old gold coin ,because l found an old aluminum token and it read as a silver coin 81 to 82 and I don't have anything to test with, yet! Happy hunting.

 

[oakhunter27]

I would like to know too but don't have a gold coin the test on

 

[William-NM]

I haven't found a gold coin, but I have found some larger nuggets and a large pin. The nuggets range from .56 oz to .9 oz., and they all have some copper content. The pin is 1/2" x 4" and about .5 oz. The VDIs range from the low 60s to around 78. I'll post some notes that I compiled when I was starting out with the ATs - not my writing or opinions (though I mostly agree with what's written, except that I often find good targets that give more than a few points variance, probably due to our unusually trashy and mineralized soil). So, take it with a grain of salt! It looks like it shows gold coins in the 40s as expected (depending on karat and what they're alloyed with).
Dimes - 81-82 fairly consistently
Quarters - 87-88 fairly consistently
Copper pennies - 80-81-82
Zinc pennies - 77-78 fairly consistently
Nickels - 51-52-53 fairly consistently.

**Good signals often don't jump by more than one number**

Bottle caps come in at 77 with a sharp, sometimes scratchy signal. When they are very rusty, they can sound just like a dime or a quarter.
Aluminum bottle caps get me every time. They can come in at 77 or 81.

Follow the numbers above. After a while, you will find that sometimes the rules don't apply all the time. Sometimes, I dig a signal with an 84 VDI and I dig a wheat cent. Sometimes I dig a scratchy 88 signal and get a clad quarter instead of a bottle cap.
I've dug a signal with a 77 VDI expecting a zinc penny and got an Indian Head cent.

The rules work 80% of the time. The remaining 20% are Wild Turkey Surprise.
______________________________________________________________________________
If it chatters and VDI is 75-77, it IS a screw cap...
If VDI stays at 80, but you cannot pinpoint it to a small area...It IS a deep Soda can
If VDI is 40-45 and not crisp, it IS foil
If VDI is 52-57 and crackly, it IS a pulltab
______________________________________________________________________________
VDI -- Item
99 -- Ike Silver Dollar, Morgan Silver Dollar
98 -- Ike Silver Dollar
97 -- Ike Silver Dollar
96 -- Morgan Silver Dollar, Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar, Franklin Silver Half Dollar, Large Silver Ring
95 -- 4 Quarters in a stack!
94 --
93 -- Kennedy 40% Silver Half Dollar
92 -- Clad Dollar, Kennedy 40% Silver Half Dollar, Clad Half Dollar, Aluminum Token, Large Silver Ring
91 -- Barber Half Dollar
90 -- Presidential Dollar, Clad Half Dollar, Clad Quarter, Large US 1 Cent, Silver British Half Crown
89 -- Washington Silver Quarter, Clad Quarter
88 -- Standing Liberty Silver Quarter, Washington Silver Quarter, Clad Quarter, Medium Silver Ring
87 -- SBA Dollar
86 -- Spanish 2-Reale
85 -- Barber Quarter, Clad Quarter, Seated Dime, Matron Head Large Cent
84 -- Seated Dime, Matron Head Large Cent, Small Silver Ring
83 -- Mercury Silver Dime, Roosevelt Silver Dime, Clad Dime
82 -- Clad Dime, Small Silver Charm, 1 Yen Coin (JPN), Large 9K Gold Ring
81 -- Seated Dime, 10 Yen Coin (JPN), 1 Yen Coin (JPN)
80 -- Seated Dime, Copper Lincoln 1 Cent, King George Half Penny, 10 Yen Coin (JPN), 1000 Peso Coin (Mexico, 198, 5 Gram Gold Bar, Large Plated Ring, Small Silver Ring
79 -- Seated Dime, Heavy Woman's Bracelet Watch
78 -- King George Penny, Chuck-E-Cheese Token
77 -- 1 Euro Coin (Ireland), New Zealand $2.00, Australian $1.00
76 -- Seated Liberty Half Dime, Indian Head 1 Cent, Australian $2.00, New Zealand $1.00, King George Half Penny, 5 Yen Coin (JPN), Medium Plated Ring
75 -- Bottle Cap, Spanish 1-Reale, Zinc Lincoln 1 Cent, 5 Yen Coin (JPN)
74 -- Bottle Cap, Rev War British Musket Ball, Copper Lincoln 1 Cent
73 -- Bottle Cap, Small Silver Ring
72 -- Bottle Cap
71 -- Bottle Cap, Large Tungsten Ring
70 -- Bottle Cap, Civil War Mini-Ball, Medium Charm
69 -- Civil War Mini-Ball
68 -- 22K Gold Sovereign, Civil War Mini-Ball
67 --
66 -- Pop Top, Small Charm
65 -- Large 18K Gold & Platinum Ring, 1 Gram Gold Bar
64 --
63 -- Small Silver Earring
62 --
61 -- Indian Head 1 Cent
60 -- Medium 9K Gold Ring
59 --
58 --
57 -- Large 14K Gold Ring
56 --
55 -- Mens Titanium Ring
54 -- Small 14K Gold Ring
53 -- Pull Tab, Buffalo Nickel, V Nickel, War Nickel, New Nickel, Small Charm, Large 14K White Gold Ring, Medium 14K Gold Ring
52 -- Pull Tab, Buffalo Nickel, V Nickel, War Nickel, New Nickel, Small Charm
51 -- 100 Yen Coin (JPN)
50 -- 3 Cent Piece, 14K Gold Chain, 100 Yen Coin (JPN), 50 Yen Coin (JPN), 2 Peso Gold Coin, Small 10K Gold Ring, Small 9K Gold Ring
49 -- 3 Cent Piece, 14K Gold Chain, 50 Yen Coin (JPN)
48 -- $1 Gold Coin (13mm), 14K Gold Chain, 14K Yellow & White Gold Ring
47 -- Large Junk Earring
46 --
45 -- Foil, Small 14K Gold Ring
44 -- Foil, Small Platinum Engagement Ring
43 -- Foil, Small 10K Gold Ring, 14K bracelet
42 -- Foil, Small 10K Gold Ring
41 -- Foil
40 -- Foil,14K Hollow Earring (1.3g)
39 -- Foil
38 -- Foil
37 -- Foil
36 -- Foil
35 -- Foil, Nail
34 --
33 --
32 --
31 --
30 --
29 --
28 --
27 --
26 --
25 --
24 --
23 --
22 --
21 --
20 --
19 --
18 --
17 --
16 --
15 -- Washer
14 --
13 --
12 --
11 --
10 --
9 --
8 --
7 --
6 --
5 --
4 --
3 --
2 --
1 --

 

[MikeLab]

Bump

 

[Boomer270]

Thanks I thought I had read that a gold coin would read in the 80s don't know what type of machine was being used so was thinking that because it was a coin that is the reason it would read that high kind of like a flat end bottle cap .

 

[nick1curtis]

i just did an air test on a 1/10 oz krugerrand and a 1/10 oz gold eagle and they were both reading from 58-63 depending on how far away and the direction the coin was facing. 61 seemed to be the most consistant number though.

 

[nick1curtis]

EDIT***accidently double posted ***EDIT

 

[William-NM]

That's interesting on the gold coins. You'd expect higher purity gold items like investment coins or 22-24K to read lower than lower karat gold (10K is about 40% (10/24) gold and 60% silver/copper/ or ??). I guess those are big enough to bump the VDI up, and the ATs really like anything round!