Can a paper clip hid a coin or?

[Bill in Texas]

Something like this may have been posted before, but for people who have never tried it, here is a simple air test to perform with the metal detector that you are using. Take a used large plastic pill container or other plastic container (without any metal) and tape a coin on one end and a paper clip on the other as shown below. Now set your detector the discrimination to between foil and a nickel and turn it on. Then with the coin toward the coil test to be sure that you have a good solid sound at about 4 inches. Now turn the pill container with the paper clip about an inch away from the coil. Does the detector read the coin? Now I will let you try other angles or what ever you want to do. This test is why I hunt gold rings in the lowest discriminate setting and dig everything. This test is also why when I find an old coin or other good target I make about a 10 foot radius circle and dig all the trash, and then listen for deep targets.

 

[twalton]

This confirms what happened to me a few weeks back. Got a strong signal about 2" down, meter indicated pull tab. Cut a plug and dug down another inch, sure enough it was a pull tab. Swung the coil over the hole again just to double check and got a hit for penny. Dug down about 2" more and found a wheat and a memorial cent next to each other. Quite shocked! Newer trash does hide deeper stuff, no doubt about it. If you think a site is "hunted out" just because you have pulled a lot of trash, hit it again and go slow. We all have missed some good stuff I'm sure.

HH, twalton

 

[BarberBill]

I've done similar tests and sometimes you get the same results with the trash item beside (rather than over) the good target. Too, I did a test with several tid machines in response to a post that the person mentioned that every time their machine indicated a 1/2 dollar, they'd dig up aluminum so they decided to ignore those indications. I ran both machines over a fairly large, man's silver and turquoise ring and the ids indicated a 1/2 dollar every time. A smaller gold ring indicated nickel every time and a lighter yet gold ring consistently read foil. Just goes to show that the only true Id and positive discrimination is to dig and eyeball the target. Have to wonder how many possible rings are ignored and missed?
HH
BB

 

[Bill in Texas]

Yep I got similar results, but thought I would let others do the test and find out for themselves. A paper clip at one inch deep will hide a gold ring at 6 inches deep in about a 10 to 12 inch diameter circle. I am no newbie at detecting. I started with one of the first BFO Jetco Treasure Hawks, so you know how long I have been at it. I got disgusted a couple of years ago because of all the hunters that were digging indicator coins only and leaving good hunting sites with all the trash so that very hard to find these good sites. The detector companies at one time would talk about this, but I don't here it much anymore. It seems like they are only interested in selling detectors now. I have started hunting again, but I have some physical disabilities and can not get up and down like I once did. I now pull a "garden seat behind me and when I pinpoint a target i sit on it to dig. Where there is a will (William) there's a way. Bill

 

[jabbo]

Here's another tip. Back in the 1970's we dug a lot of silver coins in the parks. The old coins were easy to find back then, pulltabs were very few and far between. They got off to a slow start in 1965. During the past 30 years the number of tabs really became a nightmare. Chances are, any old silver that remains is now under a piece of trash.

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

MD'ing is fun, because strange things do happen. This came in as silver quarter at 4". It is a 69 silver class ring with a metal cap rusted to it. They were hard to get separated.

[attachment 99402 3-26-08Bcapring.jpg]

 

[bustercrab]

My Compass 77b Professional 100khz will see through the paper clip and pick up the coin....

 

[Bill in Texas]

Even when the coin is 4 inches directly underneath the paper clip in the discrimination mode? All of my detectors will pick it up if at the same depth or in all metal. Of course you can't tell what it is then. I got a signal in all metal this morning, but not in the discrimination. I dug it anyway and there was a rusty nail at about 2 inches. I rechecked and there was another target there slightly off to one side. I put the MD in the Discrimination and it acted like a coin. I dug it and and it was (down about 6 inches). I had a Compass detector for awhile but don't own it now. My favorite detectors are Tesoro because of how they read silver and gold. I am a firm ping and dig hunter so I dig a lot of trash. I have converted several others to that form of hunting after they see what I dig from time to time. A buddy and myself have two promising sites located (after a lot of research) and plan to work them as the weather permits. I have dug about 20 coins off of one and am in the process of cleaning one area of trash. I think that there might be some gold there. I have to pull along a little cart now to sit on while I dig as my hips are bad, but it works OK. Keep enjoying the hobby. I also enjoy slingshots and won the nationals in 2003 and 2004. Bill In Texas

 

[Tin Nugget]

You may have already seen this and I am sure you have experienced it. Here is a good article on masking.

http://www.dankowskidetectors.com/behindthemask.htm

 

[Boris]

I will have to say that this article was definately an eye opener for me, thanks for posting it.

 

[Bill in Texas]

Hey Tin Nugget, I had never read that article. I have known about masking for many years, but have never had a MD PI machine. I have found deep silver and Gold with a old 840 Bounty hunter after getting rid of the trash. Years ago I found many good items with a BFO after cleaning the trash out of my yard. I found a 1/2 dime @ 7 inches with that old BFO and a the large coil in that Yard. Fantastic article, thanks for calling it to my attention. I have a modern machine, but still hunt the same basic way. Bill in texas