Coin Shooting - A Treasure Finder's Hobby

In this the concluding article of a three part series, we will discuss techniques and equipment that will enhance the hobbyist's success in finding coins from the ground. Remember that this article is not about treasure hunting, but treasure finding. Having the right mindset with the right equipment and techniques will cause a detector user to outperform his counterparts having equal or even superior equipment. You may wonder why other detector users seem to have all the "luck". Having the best equipment and a hunting site where good targets can be found is very important, but does not guarantee success.

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military coins
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Soil conditions play a most significant, but often never realized, role in coin-shooting success. There are two methods of reading the detecting site's soil conditions. First is visually and second is electronically. Both can contribute to your success. The first method is truly an art. The infinite possibilities of soil conditions will determine how deep aged-targets will be found. If the site has exposed rock croppings, granite, hard clay, coral or other very hard material, it is unlikely that coins and other valuables will be very deep and the recovery techniques will require patience and skill to prevent damage. Heavy carpeted like grass areas have a tendency for targets to be found somewhat deeper, bringing in to consideration the concept of sinking rate of targets. I personally will not throw this concept away, but am not a believer that items have sinking rates in any kind of soil. I have found large cents and Seated Half dollars in near perfect condition in soft soil types at less than an inch deep. In those same sites I have dug up wheat cents and modern silver coinage at 6 to 10 inches deep. The actions of man over time probably play a more important role than nature, on the depth of most coin items.

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Electronic analysis of soil conditions is the best method for a detector user. Take a sample of the deeper targets at a site. If the deeper items are fairly new, there is a high probability that this site consists of fill dirt or was bulldozed. Go to another site where the deeper targets show more age. This is not just on the coins dug but all targets, as the trash (including iron nails) will identify the age of the property being searched. Here is a very important tip I learned many years ago. Pull tabs from soda cans were invented in 1962. If the area or site you are hunting predates this time frame and has had little or no known human activity, then dig up all pull tab readings and foil readings because gold rings, other gold jewelry and bullets will also read as foil or pull tabs.

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military coins
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It is essential that we all face the reality that never hunted sites are fewer to be found than 40 to 50 years ago when this hobby of electronic location was in its infancy. Hunting is now more of a challenge and three factors are essential to success. If you enter a site with the mindset and education of knowing this site has already been hunted by many others, and have the attitude (the third ingredient) that there are still good targets to be found here, your probability for success is greatly increased. In 1971, I found my oldest US regularly minted coin, a rough looking 1812 large cent. I found this one at a natural spring watering hole used by stagecoaches and military troops during the early and mid 1800's, in what is now Palm Harbor. I hunted that site with my best equipment, time and time again, and over the years found only modern era and clad coins because many teens still used it for swimming. Nothing else from pre 1900, trash or treasure was retrieved from here until last Fall when I came back one more time before the area was closed off completely to metal detecting by developers. Using no discrimination and a mini coil, I recovered my best half dollar find ever, a nearly uncirculated 1861 Seated Liberty Half Dollar.