I am not one usually to say much about depth, since the vast majority of all my old colonial and federation era coins are usually found 4-7 inches, and rarely more than 8 inches. Well, my 7 year old stock coil has seen better days, it has been epoxied twice at the mounting ears and has been falsing for about two years now due to numerous holes in the cable from greenbriar hits and seepage of moisture thru those "hidden" cracks in the sealant.
Anyway, on Monday I used the Stock coil at a new site and got a 1738 KGII, 1748 Pillar One Real, and a messed up 1802-1808 Half Cent. All those coins were rather deep, at least 6-8 inches or more. But I wanted a break from the weight and the falsing once it gets in wet grass or brush so today I went out with the ML 8 inch coil, which over the past 5 out of 7 years using the XS has been my favored coil.
Well, I started the day with a nice Tombac button at about 7 inches, and next to it was a large copper, same depth. I ended up getting 3 more old coppers after that, but it was the 4th one that amazed me. I use the Super Gator Digger and the last coin was as deep as most of the Gator Digger is long. I know it in the solid dirt at least 10 inches down plus since I my initial reading was a erratic cross hair, but something in the tone told me a possible coin, remembering others over the many years like that. I used the Sun Ray probe constantly and each time I scooped more dirt out it was still in solid ground beneath. For a while I thought it was going to end up being a piece of deeply buried iron which sometimes gives that type of erratic reading, but it wasn't. I did recover it, and did not even scratch it.
The coin was heavily encrusted in mineralized dirt and the edges all blue, not a good sign, but after cleaning to the best of my ability it ended up being a 1734 King George II Halfpenny.
Two hunts this week there, and actually 8 coins, if I count the 1917 Wheatie, but wow, 7 old coins at one site and so far two nice large buttons, one a 30mm Tombac, and one a 33mm large flattie.
Next hunt, I will continue with the ML 8 inch coil, I just feel that it is picking out the coins much better at this particular site.
Don
Anyway, on Monday I used the Stock coil at a new site and got a 1738 KGII, 1748 Pillar One Real, and a messed up 1802-1808 Half Cent. All those coins were rather deep, at least 6-8 inches or more. But I wanted a break from the weight and the falsing once it gets in wet grass or brush so today I went out with the ML 8 inch coil, which over the past 5 out of 7 years using the XS has been my favored coil.
Well, I started the day with a nice Tombac button at about 7 inches, and next to it was a large copper, same depth. I ended up getting 3 more old coppers after that, but it was the 4th one that amazed me. I use the Super Gator Digger and the last coin was as deep as most of the Gator Digger is long. I know it in the solid dirt at least 10 inches down plus since I my initial reading was a erratic cross hair, but something in the tone told me a possible coin, remembering others over the many years like that. I used the Sun Ray probe constantly and each time I scooped more dirt out it was still in solid ground beneath. For a while I thought it was going to end up being a piece of deeply buried iron which sometimes gives that type of erratic reading, but it wasn't. I did recover it, and did not even scratch it.
The coin was heavily encrusted in mineralized dirt and the edges all blue, not a good sign, but after cleaning to the best of my ability it ended up being a 1734 King George II Halfpenny.Two hunts this week there, and actually 8 coins, if I count the 1917 Wheatie, but wow, 7 old coins at one site and so far two nice large buttons, one a 30mm Tombac, and one a 33mm large flattie.
Next hunt, I will continue with the ML 8 inch coil, I just feel that it is picking out the coins much better at this particular site.
Don
We do get reales out here (since we were spanish/mexican colony prior to the 1850s), but not much of the other stuff you guys get. Do gold coins surface out there often?