Silver numbers on an Etrac

[Ohio Digger]

I don't have an Etrac but I'm always in the market for a gently used one. I was wondering though how silver shows up on the machine. I know it gives that nice flutey to e but is that the only way to determine that it may be silver under the ground? Do the numbers give different readout for a silver dime vs a clad dime (as well as silver quarter vs silver dime)? On my DFX I don't really know if its silver or clad and since I'm using an SEF coil now I can't really rely on the depth meter anymore. I know a lot of Etrac users go by sound but I'm just wondering if the numbers will show different. Thanks.

 

[ZOFCHAK]

From my experience with the E-trac you can never say with certainty that a coin under the coil is silver or clad. If you air test a silver quarter next to a clad one they will usually read differently (Normally the silver will give up a higher pitch along with slightly higher numbers). That being said, I've dug lots of silver that came in far lower than it would in the air and I've dug clad quarters when I expected to see silver.

 

[sprchng]

I have both , e-trac and DFX as well as f75ltd.
E-trac has 30 tones , DFX 191 according to specs. The DFX sounds like a calliope to me , just too many notes in one signal but the spectragraph id is helpful. The e-trac just gives a sweet high tone and that's the key as the numbers can really vary a bit depending on the ground. 12 ,+/- 3, and mid 40's will usually be a dime or quarter but composition could be either clad or silver. The best indication of silver is probably depth if the ground stratification has been stable for a while. F75 gives you a number and a flat beep--I call it the trash picker

 

[Agseeker]

Silver and clad give the same numbers and sound the same to me. Depth in undisturbed ground is a good indicator, but in disturbed ground I've found Barber dimes only an inch or two deep and clad dimes 6" deep. What really ticks me off is to find an aluminum can 12-13" when you know that the can isn't old enough to be more than a couple of inches deep.

 

[Goes4ever]

a 12-46 will sound exactly the same regardless what is under the coil giving that signal, could be a clad quarter, could be silver......or could be a 4" brass fitting.....never know till you dig!

 

[Seatedhalf]

You can get some numbers that you can say to yourself that this should be a silver coin. Some of us have dug war nickels at 12-30 or so.....far from the normal sound and number.

I have dug dimes as low as 12-38 and as high as 12-46. There will be a variety of numbers and you will get a lot that you will know its a silver coin. Just dig all that fall within 4-6 digits(coins can be well outside this range with junk near them and thats why most of us go by sounds) of an air test for sure and go from there.

 

[Relco]

Hello, newer Etrac user here. Was at a site a few days ago and had a good 5-50 signal, passed on it. Wondering now if it was something to dig?

Site is 30 miles away and will be a few weeks for another trip. Site is an 1880's yard, that appears to be unhunted. Found a 1900 IH, 2 quarters, 2 dimes and 8 copper pennies. No silver.

 

[shawnIN]

If it sounded good, I would have dug it. Especially at an old site that has the potential to produce good old coins and such. You never know till you get it out of the hole. I would rather dig a little junk than pass up a good find.

Hello, newer Etrac user here. Was at a site a few days ago and had a good 5-50 signal, passed on it. Wondering now if it was something to dig?

Site is 30 miles away and will be a few weeks for another trip. Site is an 1880's yard, that appears to be unhunted. Found a 1900 IH, 2 quarters, 2 dimes and 8 copper pennies. No silver.

 

[sprchng]

I get 49s occasionally from brass sprinkler heads when they're buried under 4 or 5 inches of sod--at that location I would've definitely dug it!

 

[Southwind]

With my old DFX and the 6x8 DD coil It was easy to tell clad from silver. On the E-Trac a clad dime will often read just like a silver dime and a clad quarter just like a silver quarter. As others have stated the key is usually depth and sound. Sliver will have a distinct sound(warble) while clad will be more uniform in tone.

 

[moonshine]

the lowest silver dime I found came in at 12-40. a very worn seated dime.

I found a half dime at 12-38 or so.

12-45 is almost always a silver dime. probably my favorite number to see/hear.

but there is no real way to know for sure unless you dig.

 

[Ohio Digger]

With my old DFX and the 6x8 DD coil It was easy to tell clad from silver. On the E-Trac a clad dime will often read just like a silver dime and a clad quarter just like a silver quarter. As others have stated the key is usually depth and sound. Sliver will have a distinct sound(warble) while clad will be more uniform in tone.

How were you able to tell the difference between clad and silver with the DFX? Mine always seem to be in the same exact range. The only time I get excited with a dime/quarter signal is if I have to dig a little.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Dont worry so much about #'s! It is the silver sound you want to hear! If it close and repeatable... dig it!

 

[ChicagoJohn]

I found wheat penny and silver mercury dime on 12-44. Many times I found dull and silver dimes on 12-44 and 12-46. I found lot of dull quarter on 11-47 and found a nice 1908 silver quarter on same 11-47. I think Minelab tech put program dull and slver on the same target number but I dont know. I cant hear and use vibra-phone on my E-Trac.

 

[Anasazi]

12-45 12-46

 

[Samuel_Champlain_FTW]

Maybe it's just me, but I find you notice the difference a bit on deeper coins. Silver will hit harder with that sweet warbly, flutey tone.