Took my BH505 out first time today!

[Vess1]

It was 37 degrees and windy, but it was the first time all the snow has been gone this winter. Just a couple weeks ago, had over a foot of snow covering everything.

So, I took it out around the house a bit. For about an hour. Found the following:

I knew the pull tab would be a pull tab, but I wanted to find it anyway, for the fun of it. I skipped over several others. The white strip of metal was giving me all kinds of readings so I decided to dig it.

Then I found the 2004 quarter by the sidewalk. It pointed to 25 cents. Really rough shape. I soaked it in acetone but it didn't do anything for it.

Then I found the 1967 between the house and the sidewalk.

I have a couple questions though. I followed the directions and set the discriminate on several things before I got started. I did this outside. Sometimes the detector gives some wild readings. You can go over the same spot and it will read all over the place.
Why does it do that?

I've noticed that a coin gives off a very strong, solid return compared to other stuff.

Are coins typically found looking like this? Where you can't wash the dirt off? How do you get them cleaned up? Water and acetone got these this far. They're like permanently tarnished this dark color. Do you guys think the soil was just hard on them compared to other areas?

This was a good test run.

 

[jabbo]

A rock tumbler is the easiest way to clean a bunch of dirty coins, but don't mix in pennies, clean them seperately or the other coins will turn copper color. Jumpy meter readings? Maybe more than one piece of metal under the coil. Try air testing coins by putting them on top of a cardboard box and swing the coil over them to see what the meter is doing. Good ground balancing when searching outside helps stabilize the machine. Meters tend to be jumpy over the soil.

 

[TABAGO]

As Jabbo said , A rock tumbler is the best way to clean tarnished coins, the best way I have found is to use pee gravel or (Plain Aquarium gravel) An liquid laundry detergent (it's low foaming) dish detergent foams to much, fill the tumbler about 2/3 full with coins an gravel more gravel than coins, add water just to the top of the grave You should not see the water an a few drops of liquid laundry detergent an tumbler about 8 to 12 hours, an change your cleaner an repeat till they are shiny depending on the coins this may take two or three time to do, but they will look like new, Here is just a few I cleaned that way .They look much better in real, this pic was done using a scanner an that's not the best way to take pictures of coins, but gives you the ideal, the pennies are from the 60s Thu the 82 date all were very bad when found, the pennies are all copper, the quarters to 1993, but look like new,, It is very important to change your cleaning detergent several times,, if you don't the coins will take on a gray color, from the dirt an soap, and don't clean valuable coins ruins the value they say, but i rather have my nice an clean to look at, but i have not found any real old coins yet the oldest is 1918 wheat penny, its still dirty LOL
And like jabbo said don't mix the pennies with the silver clad, the silver will turn to copper color if you do, Also the copper pennies are getting harder to find a an the zinc pennies are plentiful so I separate them an keep the copper ones 1982 was the end of the copper ones how ever some 1983 were copper Also

 

[DrJoeprime]

Coinstar "gladly" accepts them too.

HH Joe

 

[GoGoGopher]

Do not use harsh chemicals like acetone on your coins...this will pit the coins and make any valuable coin worthless...Modern clad coinage will turn black in the soil if it has been there for any length of time at all...Fertilizers chew zinc pennies to shreds, and can turn coins a multitude of colors...

HH,