When does a coin mask a target?

[BarberBill]

Had an interesting thing happen yesterday evening. I was hunting a park/playground that I haven't hunted before. Using the DeLeon, I hit a solid 95, copper penny, silver, quarter etc. signal. When I retrieved the target, it was a nickel. As I started to go, it dawned on me that it wasn't a nickel signal that I'd dug so I passed the coil over the spot again. Bingo, the silver signal was still there and I retrieved a quarter. First time I've had a coin masked by another coin. I would have found it anyway as I always rescan an area before moving on, but I though this was an interesting case of masking.
BB

 

[jmaryt]

many ,many, times over a thirty two year span!
this is why it is of utmost importance to recheck your hole!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[silversmith]

Absolutely.....! I once found a mint Indian head at an old "house of ill repute" and didn't check the hole. Later the people I was detecting with went over the area and coughed up a big ladies silver ring with a nice diamond in it, in the same hole. That was a hard won lesson....

 

[slingshot]

Not only that -the ID can be fooled. Try covering a dime with a couple of nickels. Pulltab! Sometimes a zinc cent ID.

 

[jim tn]

Yes, I have had it happen numerous times over the years. Like for many, I don't enjoy digging zincs, but if I am jewelry hunting on tot lots or spots that have the potential for older coins, I do. More then once a zinc cent or another type of newer coin has masked an older coin or jewelry item. HH jim tn

 

[chuck ky]

if you get a signal then the other targets aren't really masked.

 

[BarberBill]

Chuck, I guess technically you're right. I've mentioned in a post or two that hunting in all metal, if you can stand it in trashy places, does have the advantage of giving a signal where discrimination would not. If the signal is trash masking a goody, the goody that would otherwise be missed will hopefully be retrieved along with the trash item. If one sweeps in all metal and switches to a preset disc. level when a signal is encountered the hunter can try to determine whether to dig or not, but at least knows there is a target of some sort there.
BB

 

[Monte]

Part of the "difference" I am referring to is your particular detector and the VDI display.

Using the DeLeon, I hit a solid 95, copper penny, silver, quarter etc. signal. When I retrieved the target, it was a nickel. As I started to go, it dawned on me that it wasn't a nickel signal that I'd dug so I passed the coil over the spot again. Bingo, the silver signal was still there and I retrieved a quarter. First time I've had a coin masked by another coin. I would have found it anyway as I always rescan an area before moving on, but I though this was an interesting case of masking.BB

Honestly, it is not an uncommon event, especially if you're hunting a location that's prone to have a lot of coins lost.

Then, too, it can happen from a simple "pocket spill" ... and the better ones are from folks who were maybe picnicking back in the 40's or 50's as some of that 'spill' could be silver!

Even when hunting in popular sites, such as wood-chip and sand-filled playgrounds or at a beach around a camp fire i will frequently encounter more than one coin in a 'spill' or just lost very close (with) another coin or two. There will be time when the coins are very close, maybe not quite together, and you can actually see some fluctuation in the VDI display or TID display. Sometimes. Also, a larger and higher-conductive coin that is closer to the coil might have the primary influence and the secondary coin is simply a bargain for re-checking the hole.

As for detector models and displays, I mention this because you're using the DeLe