GT + 12x10 = Second Day Of Silver At Same Park

[Critterhunter]

The day after I dug the silver ring, I returned to the same park and once again managed a few keepers. This time around I got a great suspected silver dime hit that sounded at least 8 or 9" deep. I normally hunt with the volume on the GT all the way down since my headphones lack volume controls or a limiter circuit. Just for kicks I cranked the volume to full to see how loud it got and man (!)...Now it sounded like 1" deep it was so loud. My tests show no change in depth with volume at lowest or highest while in disc mode (PP mode does indeed show me more depth with volume at full though), but can't argue full volume doesn't blast the deepies even though I can hear fringe depth stuff with volume all the way down with no problem.

This signal was borderline in how long it took to climb to 180, to where I was suspecting either a wheat or a silver dime based on how fast it jumps to 180 as I wiggle over it. Checking it from several angles it was still a perfect coin signal so I called over my friend with another flagship Minelab to see how it hit for him and to let him play the guessing game as to what it was going to be too. He pretty much said the same thing- 50/50 chance of it being a wheat or a silver dime based on the borderline ID between the two coins, and he also said it sounded pretty deep too (at least around 8 or 9" or deeper we both pretty much guessed by how strong the signal was).

So he watched me dig the plug and turned out there was a huge root in the way, so we both took turns with our diggers and our Pro Pointers trying to fish the signal out. Then out pops this from under the root...I posted 2 pics because one is fuzzy at the bottom and the other fuzzy at the top...
[attachment 250881 IMG_2080.jpg][attachment 250882 IMG_2081.jpg]
1939 merc in pretty good shape. Always love those mercs. The odd thing though was it was only about 5 to maybe 6" deep, yet it gave a much softer/deeper hit for both of us before digging. I'm suspecting it was on edge which made the signal weaker, and even though it didn't give me the classic coin on edge warble I usually get from on edge stuff I'm guessing the perfect moisture of the ground created a stronger hallo around the dime and so made it sound off perfectly from any direction even being on edge.

I also found another keeper, or at least a semi-keeper, that was reading 171 on my meter. For me the highest round or square tab reading 99.9% of the time is 169, and zincs read either 173 or 176 for me, so I love to dig those odd 170, 171, and 172 numbers in that "dead zone" gap between the highest tab and zincs, thanks to the fantastic conductivity resolution of the Sovereign from foil (about 60) to copper pennies (about 178 to 180). This is the highest VDI resolution I've ever seen or used on a machine in that foil to copper penny conductivity range, and is one of the strongest perks to the Sovereign IMO, with of course the fantastic long detailed audio to judge targets by as well.

I hardly run across 170, 171, or 172 VDI hits, so whenever I do I always dig hoping for a ring or some other good find. More often than not the target does turn out to be a keeper, such as an antique makeup compact or other neat finds I've dug with those numbers. This one wasn't a real big keeper but it still goes in my button finds drawer...
[attachment 250884 IMG_2083.jpg][attachment 250885 IMG_2089.jpg]
The picture shows the back of this button. The front side I don't think has any writing or a pattern, but it's so crusty I won't know for sure until I heat it up over a candle and then pitch in some cold water to shock the crud off of it.

 

[Rick in Pa]

Nice find. Been awhile since I found a merc. Actually a merc dime was the first coin I found when I got my first detector back in the 70's. it was a Jetco BFO unit.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Critter,nice find and post.Thanks Ron

 

[gear box]

Nice Merc Critter. Those things are one of the prettiest coins the U.S. ever coined.
Good luck Gary

 

[gear box]

Critter, you mentioned your zincs come in at 173 or 176. I agree, but also found zincs anywhere in between but mostly 175 and 176. My point is that Indians also come in in this range but have a softer more mellowed ring to it, not the harsh loud scratchy sound of a shallow zinc. So be sure to listen to the tone first and then the ID number.
Good luck Gary

 

[Critterhunter]

Gear Box, couldn't agree more. Often a 176 or 178 hit, even if it's shallow, is usually a special kind of "mellow" tone where I know it's going to be a wheat or some other old copper or bronze coin perhaps, and not a zinc (if it reads 176). Yea, seems the longer an old coin has been in the ground the more "mellow" or "quality" the sound is on the Sovereign, as opposed to clads. I've dug a few ate of zincs that will dip below 173 but most of the time even ones badly ate up still read 173.

From memory my custom compiled ID chart shows like 3 or 4 wheat types and same deal with indians due to the make up of copper, bronze, or other smaller metal amounts they made various years with. Some of those numbers I got from other Sovereign charts, while some others I scanned myself to see this year distinction. Fatty Indians come in in the pull tab range because I think they contain a lot of nickel or tin or something that drags them down in conductivity.

But yea...the tone should be the first and final deciding thing to dig or not, regardless of what the VDI says. I remember a while back I got a foil VDI when I wasn't in the mood to ring hunt and was only after old coins, but this signal's audio was smooth like butter and had a quality "round" sound to it, and also hit the same VDI # no matter which angle I swept over it (often odd shaped trash will change by 3 digits or more depending on the angle you sweep), so I decided to dig it. Turned out it was a coin of some kind made of some kind of aluminum and other metal about the size of a dime or so. Unfortunately, I tried too strongly to scrub off the dirt when I got it in my hand and the thing crumbled like clay, even though it looked in great shape. That one had me pretty cheesed off, because I wanted to research it's origins. It had foreign writing on it and a man's head if I remember right. Only thing that made me dig was how good the audio and hit was. One of the perks of the great detailed audio of the Sovereign.