is this a normal experience or just a location thing?

[mike slaw4all]

i dont get a lot of time to dig but in the last few months since i bought my detector, besides trash ive dug up 160 plus coins, 1 ring ,1 necklace, bout 10 matchbox cars and a sprinkler head from long gone farm. (no it wasnt still usable!!)

dont get me wrong, its been a lot of fun and i love the machine more every time i go out. this 705 still screams at dimes and quarters after they've gone really deep.

my question is, ive not only never dug any silver, (pre 64') ive never even dug a wheat penny yet. is this normal for everywhere/everyone or what?

mike.

 

[cal]

Usually it helps if this farm had children living there before '64 to find silver. Somebody has to deposit them there to find them. A friend and I once found a hundred sixty pennies and a buffalo nickle under a clothes line. 67 were wheats, but no silver. We were using the bottom priced Garrett SX American detectors at the time and they weren't exactly deep seekers. I went back a year later with a white's 6000 D to find the silver,but only manage a few more pennies. I guess there wasn't much silve lost there. You never know for sure. HH

 

[BillF]

Everybody and their cousin,brother and uncle owns a detector nowadays. There are so many where I live that expecting to find anything old at the schools or parks has become a thing of the past. Sometimes fate throws you a morsel, but usually you just get leftover crumbs.
Hang in there and think out of the box when searching hunting spots. Use the library for old maps,etc. That vacant strip of land or lot may have once held a home or who knows.
Don't be fooled by YouTube videos of people with giant piles of silver coins. If they're true then those folks live in relatively unsearched areas and are very lucky.

 

[Dimefinder]

I have talked with several detectorists about this very issue. The short answer that I get is if you want to find the older stuff, then you have to be willing to go to the older areas, and knock on a bunch of doors. Neighborhood homes are some of the last remaining places to easily hunt.

My two large cents worth. ..

 

[dbado1]

I have talked with several detectorists about this very issue. The short answer that I get is if you want to find the older stuff, then you have to be willing to go to the older areas, and knock on a bunch of doors. Neighborhood homes are some of the last remaining places to easily hunt.

My two large cents worth. ..

+1. Door knocking older homes is where it's at. Ask friends, family,etc. if you can hunt their older homes. I don't believe that your experience is out of the ordinary. You have a great detector and you are certainly finding coins...you just haven't swung over any silver yet. HH

Dean

 

[mike slaw4all]

Everybody and their cousin,brother and uncle owns a detector nowadays. There are so many where I live that expecting to find anything old at the schools or parks has become a thing of the past. Sometimes fate throws you a morsel, but usually you just get leftover crumbs.
Hang in there and think out of the box when searching hunting spots. Use the library for old maps,etc. That vacant strip of land or lot may have once held a home or who knows.
Don't be fooled by YouTube videos of people with giant piles of silver coins. If they're true then those folks live in relatively unsearched areas and are very lucky.

hey Bill,
turns out you're right. i just found out today that this tiny town i'm living in actually has a detecting club. i couldn't believe it, they don't have a website but they meet up on facebook. apparently they have covered every public place that you can get a coil anywhere near the ground. i saw pictures of them with machines that cost 2-3+ times as much as mine. i just can't believe it, i don't know a single person in this town that even owns a detector. this sucks!! now i understand why my machine was so quiet at a public volley court that i kept testing it to see if it was working, there wasn't even any trash, it was totally silent.

 

[mike slaw4all]

I have talked with several detectorists about this very issue. The short answer that I get is if you want to find the older stuff, then you have to be willing to go to the older areas, and knock on a bunch of doors. Neighborhood homes are some of the last remaining places to easily hunt.

My two large cents worth. ..

+1. Door knocking older homes is where it's at. Ask friends, family,etc. if you can hunt their older homes. I don't believe that your experience is out of the ordinary. You have a great detector and you are certainly finding coins...you just haven't swung over any silver yet. HH

Dean

the idea of being able to dig at the older nicer houses around here is enough to make my mouth water but i doubt many of them are going to want an ugly old guy with a ugly old truck to be hanging around digging up their yard. i don't blame them though, i don't think i'd let me either if things were reversed.

 

[BillF]

Mike, learn to pinpoint very well and retrieve with a well worn screwdriver. Then when you do get the chance to hunt someone's yard you can show them your "instrument of destruction" and it will help to possibly open other doors.

 

[Dimefinder]

I was thinking of printing up some metal detecting business cards. It would give them someone to identify with, show professionalism, and hopefully put them at ease. Explaining how you create a plug, and fill any holes made, along with hauling away any junk found, I think would also help. And, as always, dress well, and brush your teeth. Lol

 

[goldseeker4000]

I have the same problem in Kalispell, MT. There are well over 150 homes in my town that are 100 years old or older and what I do is knock on doors and ask for permission. I have knocked on about 10 doors this season and I have not gotten a no yet. It is a matter of being friendly, state your name and that you hunt coins for a hobby, that you dig a small half moon plug and use a pinpointed to locate coin, then replace plug. Tell them you won't even be able to tell you were digging a small hole. It is a odds game and you will get some no responses but most of the time they say yes. Be upbeat, friendly. If you seem nervous about asking, they will sense you are up to something no good or are some slimeball. Be confident and you will get the yes to detect their yard. After the yes, ask them home old the house is and if they know any history about the house. Out of these 10houses I got permission to hunt this Feb and march, I have only pulled up 1 silver coin. Very frustrating indeed, as every one of these homes are between 100- 110 years old. Did iffy signals. Dig signals where you get neg ties mixed with a silver dime, quarter, 50 cent or dollar tids. If you hunt in a program mode then open up every positive tid notch including 48. Every silver dollar coin I passed over with my 705 hit on 48 consistently. If you get a neg number with a positive number dig it. Quite often I dig these and it is a coin next to junk like a nail. My silver 39 Washington quarters Have I posted on here was exactly this scenario. Let me know how you do. Also get out to some neighboring town's and ask for permission. Get creative with and brave to ask permission.