I came across an interesting way to find coins mixed in the dirt/mud and thought I'd post it since I'd not seen it anywhere else.
I was out with the 250 today working an area with wood chips and fairly soft (but wet/muddy dirt). There were quite a few coins and they were difficult to separate and eyeball because the dirt an mud were caked on pretty heavily an most of the coins seemed brown with age to boot. After picking through all the dirt and trying to spot the coins visually I realized there was an easier way to locate them.
kneeling down now...
After digging, I'd identify the pile of dirt containing the coin. Then pick up the pile with one hand, making sure the coin was now in my hand. With the 250 in my other hand, I raised it about 2 inches above the ground and started slowly crumbling the dirt I was holding and letting it fall onto/through the top of the coil. You get the beep as soon as the coin (or trash) drops near the coil and most of the time there it is, lying right on the top of the soil and easier to spot. Admitedly, not a terribly high tech isolation approach but it really sped up the search for me once I got the hang of doing it efficiently.
It was a fun day having found a variety of 42 clad coins including a 1944 wheat penny and a indian/buffalo nickle whose date is unreadable.
Great hobby and I'm happy to find anything.
I was out with the 250 today working an area with wood chips and fairly soft (but wet/muddy dirt). There were quite a few coins and they were difficult to separate and eyeball because the dirt an mud were caked on pretty heavily an most of the coins seemed brown with age to boot. After picking through all the dirt and trying to spot the coins visually I realized there was an easier way to locate them.
kneeling down now...
After digging, I'd identify the pile of dirt containing the coin. Then pick up the pile with one hand, making sure the coin was now in my hand. With the 250 in my other hand, I raised it about 2 inches above the ground and started slowly crumbling the dirt I was holding and letting it fall onto/through the top of the coil. You get the beep as soon as the coin (or trash) drops near the coil and most of the time there it is, lying right on the top of the soil and easier to spot. Admitedly, not a terribly high tech isolation approach but it really sped up the search for me once I got the hang of doing it efficiently.
It was a fun day having found a variety of 42 clad coins including a 1944 wheat penny and a indian/buffalo nickle whose date is unreadable.
Great hobby and I'm happy to find anything.
Thanks, FrankG.