Okay............I have put my time in and still no silver......1 indian, several wheats, and lots of clad but I can't seem to get the silver curse off of me. I basicaly started detecting this spring and mostly for civil war relics at that time but I have since decided I want to search for old coins. What's the process for finding a site that could produce silver? So far I have deteted 3 old homes build in the 30's, one old site from the 1800's, one from 1901, a couple old schools and fair grounds. Apparently I'm doing something wrong. Is there a certain type of house or location, town or rural sitting, size of house? Tough to keep coming home empty handed.
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Frustrated!!!
- Thread starter Sonora70
- Start date
I don't think your really doing anything wrong. Houses can be great or can be tough. The farmstead, old 1890's plus houses around here do not produce much silver. Some of the houses, I'd least suspect silver being at, has been better producers. Much of the areas and old houses may have already been hit multiple times.
I don't have any surefire answers except to encourage you to stick with it and just hunt as often and as many places that you can. Research and time are the keys, in my opinion, to the finds.
NebTrac
I don't have any surefire answers except to encourage you to stick with it and just hunt as often and as many places that you can. Research and time are the keys, in my opinion, to the finds.
NebTrac
That said....GO slow and dig your targets as they come...... What settings do you use on the E-Trac ??
Overlap, Slow way down and listen for the repeat targets sounds and confirm with the meter readings.. Silver can be a lot of different 12 readings.. and even 11 and some higher 13 14 45- 46- 47.. 11-47 48- 12 47 48 13-47 etc etc.. even lower numbers............
Overlap, Slow way down and listen for the repeat targets sounds and confirm with the meter readings.. Silver can be a lot of different 12 readings.. and even 11 and some higher 13 14 45- 46- 47.. 11-47 48- 12 47 48 13-47 etc etc.. even lower numbers............
i sympathize with you. i know it can be frustrating sometimes. you're out there trying, so youre not doing anything wrong. one thing i noticed you did not mention is old parks. find an old park that has had a lot of history pre-1964 (preferably heavily used in the 40's -50's era, and try the "out of the way" areas, NOT the "obvious" places. I can almost guarantee you will find at least one silver. I know sometimes it seems like old coins and silver just jump out of the ground if you own an Etrac - but its not like that for most people. You dont really say much about how you are finding the places that you have detected. Are you searching places that are obvious to anyone with a detector (ie, roadside sites?) expand your research, use the internet. find those out of the way sites. find the sites you cant see from the road. find the sites that you cant tell are old or had activity by just looking at them. you may know these things already, just trying to help. that is a long silver drought! good luck to you my friend, if i could plant you a silver roosie i would. 
I have had the best luck with homes built late 40's early 50's..seems like people were more prosperous during that time. Coinage was hard to come buy at the turn of the century due to shortages..see tokens.. The early 20's were prosperous but something happened called a Great Depression late 20's to mid 30's..then came the war and metals were being used for the war effort. Also you mentioned you have found several wheaties, I have found more than 20 without silver showing up..as of today, so far this year, my silver count is 75 , wheaties are 285 that equals 3.8 wheaties per silver so don't get frustrated it will come.
screw cap junky
New member
research/hours spent in the field/and luck in that order. dont worry about depth for coins I find some laying right on top of the ground ie. a standing quarter right in the middle of a well used path.
keep at it hh.
keep at it hh.
the one peice of advice i could give you is have fun and the rest will take care of itself from the sounds of it and the finds that you have made its only a matter of time old houses can be great or terrible you just never know your best bet would be to go where people have been just like you said you have good luck and i hope you will soon make your first of many silver finds dennis
ChicagoJohn
New member
You cant find old coin if its not there! I did at my late uncle's 1905 house and I don't find any old coins! Some house is good while other is poor! Some people are tight with money and fewer coins in that house. Other is might already clean up in the past! New lawn is other thing make coin go deeper! Found few 1960's coins at 6 or 7 inch deep! I have coin garden and I test my machine before I go out to hunt!
Bell-Two
Active member
It does seem that way sometimes, but the silver will come. Not all "good" sites have good things, you can't find what is not there. Meanwhile enjoy what you are finding get a coin book to fill with your found wheat cents so at least if you find one that fills a slot you have accomplished a goal. What are your priorities in hunting? I would rather find one Large Cent than 10 Roosevelt Silver dimes. You typically won't find a lot of silver coins around an old farm house but what you find might be old silver. The last two years my silver total has declined but what I have found has gotten more desirable. Patience, you have the right tool to find things and it will happen.
Thanks for all the input. My etrac is set to coin mode with the following settings I picked up online I think from Goes4ever:
Sens auto +3
Volume gain 29
Response Normal
Tone Id multi
Sounds conductive
Variability 29
Limits 29
Threshold pitch 29
Deep off
Trash high
ground difficult
I've also been experimenting around with TTF.
My research has basically included driving around and finding old sites. I've also looked at some historical maps.....have just started looking for the old school sites. I found one this past weekend but didn't get permission to dig. An older house is sitting where the old school was located based on the historical map. The schools I'm finding on the maps are probably the old 1 room school houses, not sure if they would be a good place to look or not (any opinions?). I really enjoy the hobby and the history lessons I'm getting in the process. I'm actually looking forward to some winter detecting.....no bugs, snakes, vegitation, etc..... I'm staying after it.
Sens auto +3
Volume gain 29
Response Normal
Tone Id multi
Sounds conductive
Variability 29
Limits 29
Threshold pitch 29
Deep off
Trash high
ground difficult
I've also been experimenting around with TTF.
My research has basically included driving around and finding old sites. I've also looked at some historical maps.....have just started looking for the old school sites. I found one this past weekend but didn't get permission to dig. An older house is sitting where the old school was located based on the historical map. The schools I'm finding on the maps are probably the old 1 room school houses, not sure if they would be a good place to look or not (any opinions?). I really enjoy the hobby and the history lessons I'm getting in the process. I'm actually looking forward to some winter detecting.....no bugs, snakes, vegitation, etc..... I'm staying after it.
Big Boys Hobbies
Well-known member
I do best by door knocking on houses. If you are finding wheats your in good spots. Slow your swing speed and keep at it. They will come!
I have hunted about 10 sites fitting that description. Out of the 10 only one (1) gave up anything worth finding.
Why.....I'm not sure..Maybe depth of lost items, maybe because in the old days kids didn't have the money ... or someone may have hunted them first.
Another thing that came into play was plowing........ If coins were plowed up, or were on the downside of the turn seems to make a big difference.. Note this is on active farmers fields only I am speaking of.
A regular VLF machine would do better on turned ground over the multi frequency.
The one site that produced anything was dormant and had not been turned. Indian Head pennies, V nickel's, and a few other finds came to light. This wasn't in abundance yet enough to keep me interested.
I have found old home sites produce more overall than old one room schools do. Field sites that had old homes at one time does OK too. That also depends on the site. Some have a lot...others have a few..and still others have none..... Look at Goes4ever posts------ he does exceptionally well on old field sites, and other areas ......... That said the man spends hours and hours detecting, researching...and I'm sure some bust spots he has hunted with nothing found for his time spent.
It's mostly the hunter..effort..spent...knowing your detector..having a good detector that can do what you ask of it and persistence. Unless your very lucky a few hours here and there detecting will not be fruitful in a big way. Sure something will turn up..but having a potential area that has the items were looking for will produce much more in the long run.............Bell two is another that does well in fields and areas of that nature..He also spends a lot of time detecting............ I can attest that Goes4ever settings on the E-trac work.. It also takes being able to interpret those signals using the settings and that takes a little time..
Keep detecting..keep trying new spots..slow down your swing (Critical) with FBS ..... and let it happen..You can not force find what isn't there......
Why.....I'm not sure..Maybe depth of lost items, maybe because in the old days kids didn't have the money ... or someone may have hunted them first.
Another thing that came into play was plowing........ If coins were plowed up, or were on the downside of the turn seems to make a big difference.. Note this is on active farmers fields only I am speaking of.
A regular VLF machine would do better on turned ground over the multi frequency.
The one site that produced anything was dormant and had not been turned. Indian Head pennies, V nickel's, and a few other finds came to light. This wasn't in abundance yet enough to keep me interested.
I have found old home sites produce more overall than old one room schools do. Field sites that had old homes at one time does OK too. That also depends on the site. Some have a lot...others have a few..and still others have none..... Look at Goes4ever posts------ he does exceptionally well on old field sites, and other areas ......... That said the man spends hours and hours detecting, researching...and I'm sure some bust spots he has hunted with nothing found for his time spent.
It's mostly the hunter..effort..spent...knowing your detector..having a good detector that can do what you ask of it and persistence. Unless your very lucky a few hours here and there detecting will not be fruitful in a big way. Sure something will turn up..but having a potential area that has the items were looking for will produce much more in the long run.............Bell two is another that does well in fields and areas of that nature..He also spends a lot of time detecting............ I can attest that Goes4ever settings on the E-trac work.. It also takes being able to interpret those signals using the settings and that takes a little time..
Keep detecting..keep trying new spots..slow down your swing (Critical) with FBS ..... and let it happen..You can not force find what isn't there......
Hello, I mentioned on my post (Jim D), Nov 30th I hadn't found any silver the last 4 times I had detected till Sat Nov,30th.
In Oct I found silver 4 straight times I was out.
I mainly hunt yards too and I try to find the older style houses where kids might have played (if your old enough
you may remember when kids played out side, hide and seek, Annie over, tin can alley, cowboys and Indians).
Anyway you need to hunt mainly where kids play because I believe the kids are the ones who loose 90% of the coins
in the yards. As G4e said awhile back he hadn't found any silver in the plowed fields where older houses were for quite
awhile but what he finds are very old (largie,s and older type coins).
You should find some in yard hunting.
Remember though you need your detector set on finding coins and not on civil war relics. That way you will eliminate a lot
digging.
The 1935 quarter and the Saint Christopher medal both read 47 on the conductive side and both were 6" The dime 1950
was 46 conductive 6"and all were very clear and sharp signals. The indian was a12- 35-36 .I hunted about 3 hrs overlapping
my swings about half a coil width.
I hope this may help you find some silver before hard winter sets in. Good Luck and Happy Hunting.
In Oct I found silver 4 straight times I was out.
I mainly hunt yards too and I try to find the older style houses where kids might have played (if your old enough
you may remember when kids played out side, hide and seek, Annie over, tin can alley, cowboys and Indians).
Anyway you need to hunt mainly where kids play because I believe the kids are the ones who loose 90% of the coins
in the yards. As G4e said awhile back he hadn't found any silver in the plowed fields where older houses were for quite
awhile but what he finds are very old (largie,s and older type coins).
You should find some in yard hunting. Remember though you need your detector set on finding coins and not on civil war relics. That way you will eliminate a lot
digging.
The 1935 quarter and the Saint Christopher medal both read 47 on the conductive side and both were 6" The dime 1950
was 46 conductive 6"and all were very clear and sharp signals. The indian was a12- 35-36 .I hunted about 3 hrs overlapping
my swings about half a coil width.
I hope this may help you find some silver before hard winter sets in. Good Luck and Happy Hunting.
1goldsniper
Member
One thing I have found and I don't know why. I will hunt an old homestead site and find nothing 2-3 times and the next time find a few good items. Just have to put in the time I guess!
Also I know from experience we are creature of habit. Ever found your self walking by the same item( rock , tin can etc) 2 or 3 times thinking you are on a new course!
Also I know from experience we are creature of habit. Ever found your self walking by the same item( rock , tin can etc) 2 or 3 times thinking you are on a new course!