Something I noticed about old nickels...

[Nick A]

Most of my old haunts have be E-Trac'ed out so I'm digging iffy signals most of the time these days. Now this is not scientific, your results may vary and I'm not talking about war nickels. This is just an observation I've made in a trashy pulltab filled park that's kinda proven itself. So, I've noticed this trend in old nickels so I thought I'd mention it. An iffy nickel signal tends to go lower rather than higher in numbers.

If I get something bouncy in the nickel range 12-14, 11-15, 13-13, 10-13 or that sounds good or interesting, I use pinpoint to get right over it and then swing again. If it generally goes up higher on the conductive end... 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 it's probably a pulltab or scrap aluminum. If the numbers go lower, even 01-08 (conductive numbers 10 or less, but they seem to drop to 01 often) then it's usually an old nickel, but sometimes foil. Foil though will often not sound as good or solid from the get go and hovers around 03-06-ish.

So, investigating a iffy nickel signal? A drop in the CO (and FE) number seems to be a good thing. A rise in the CO signal is a negative sign. As always the only way to know for sure is to dig it up.

 

[pghmole]

Thanks for the tip ill give that a shot,got tired of digging 50 pulltabs to one nickel on the old park I'm hunting in,ill let ya know how how it goes,seen a couple buffalos and v nickles come out of there so far

 

[GimmieThe Loot]

Thanks for the tip. Nickels are usually ignored so areas with no more silver may have buffalos and Vs and...... gold!

 

[Goes4ever]

I agree Nick Ihave dug several buffalo and v nickels that came in at 01-12

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Good tips Nick !


This is what I've learned after digging approx. 250 Nickel's ...

Nickel's almost always come in the in the CO (11-12- 13- 14) range - the FE numbers are usually all over the place.
To tighten things up a little more - the CO 11-12-13 Range has proven the best - I really like to see a bounce in this range.

With all other coins we look for solid - little or no bounce target ID numbers - with Nickel's - it's different - I like to see the target ID numbers bounce.
If the CO number has no target ID bounce at all when crossed both ways - for me it's usually not a Nickel.

Also, if the CO goes to 10 or below or 16 or above - it's not a Nickel - 99% of the time - it's junk.

Good hunting to all ! --- Mark

 

[Goes4ever]

Good tips Nick !



Also, if the CO goes to 10 or below or 16 or above - it's not a Nickel - 99% of the time - it's junk.

Good hunting to all ! --- Mark

I find JUST the opposite. If it goes 16 or 17 it is a good chance of being a silver war nickel, and if CO number goes below 10 it is LIKELY a deep OLDER nickel, especially V nickels, almost always come in low, I have dug several in 06-08 range

 

[NebTrac]

Another great little bit of information. Thanks guys. Hey Nick!!! Haven't heard from you since last year. Great to see you back, I was wondering.

NebTrac

 

[Bell-Two]

I had one today that I got just a hint of 12-13 but jumpy, turning I kept getting a 08-12 and just once a 08-13 it sounded good and I retrieved a no date Buffalo at about 3"

Just like you said!!!

 

[moose]

This is some info I'll take and try. I tend too shy away from the lower FE numbers. Not always, but with the quicker hunts I do. I can recall several iffy/jumpy signals that I never investigated at my hunting ground.

Thank you for the tip,

Moose

 

[mr.krayola]

Great advise from everyone

 

[GimmieThe Loot]

got a nice 1920's buff last week that was a 13-15 but stayed solid. Deeper than a pulltab signal would be so I dug it. 6+ inches. Pull tabs in this area are normally in the top 3 inches of soil. Learn the grounds you are hunting and it will help you decide what to dig and what to pass up.

 

[j3cwill]

Thanks to everyone for the good tips!

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

Around here buffs read 11 on the CO scale for me and the jefferson's have been 12, 13 CO and once in a while maybe 14. The silver war nickles read like 01 on the FERROUS scale and 12,13 on the CO scale maybe once in a few passes they maybe hit higher but come right back to 12,13 CO generally.

When I opened up the coins pattern or used TTF the nickles popped right out at me. When hunting in the stock coins pattern you may only get a small blip of a lower sounding signal just higher than the lowest iron sound so you have to stop and investigate further. Got my ears tuned real well to that sound now so I go to the wide open quick mask screen with one push of the quick mask button to check and they will come right in numbers wise now for you. I do the quick mask check on all questionable targets to see if the numbers improve and where that little cursor goes on the screen so if you get questionable numbers try that and it should make them more consistent and come in better for ya.