I just fired up the Cibola to check it out since it has a 9 x 8 mounted. Found no difference front edge verses back edge. If the coin is near the coil (like half an inch), I get a response all the way to the inside edge of the outer rim of the coil; for the entire circumference of the coil. As I get further away I need to get closer to the center of the coil to get a response. Further away it gets, closer to center it needs to be to get a response. Can almost visualize the cone shape. I swept the coin from all directions around the coil.
I was testing with the coil in the air, away from anything that might mask.
So a thought; when you tried it, was the coin on the ground? Did you move the coin to another location and try it again? Did you walk around the coin as you swept and tried it from different approach directions? The thought; actually theory: if where the coin was sitting had a piece of iron near, say 6 inches or so behind it, it could have started masking the response to the coin and seemed like shutting down on part of the coil.
Just a thought, on masking.
Cheers,
tvr