I'm trying to become a cache specialist

[AVXVA]

(This thread is a more focused continuation of a previous thread--Why has the Earth turned to foil?--to focus more on the cache hunting topic.

Stasys wrote:

"To dig large iron objects with FBS detectors is very easy at least with explorer ,but what I see etrac works the same. if you use open screen in ferrous you will never get high repetitive tone from small item in different angles, its only my experience and its only about old 1050 coil, because pro coil have only for short time -but its looks similar. so if you get high ,but a bit different sound -similar to copper but a bit different for not able to hear object borders and little bit similar to hot rock repetitive signal from different angle you can get large iron very deep. dont want to lie about how deep you can get but last my hunt found rusty plow 50x30cmsize and 3mm thick 60cm or a bit more deeper. I was using audio 1 and was not able to understand what was going because plow was under big stone. I dug and found stone? I checked with detector signal< i thought hot rock, cover it back with earth and was thinking to leave it, but decided to listen again and it was repetitive signal-have to add it was dark, I dug again and took stone off and got signal even deeper, it was big old Plow at least 100 years old and I suspect it was hided by original owner, because it was all in order and it was usual thing to do when people had to move from wars. but its my second plow treasure ,first was near friend farm house,we found where his grandfather in 1944 hided 4plows and bunch of horseshoe when Red army pushed back nazis from Lithuania and brought chaos and deportation to Saberia. No one in the family new about grandfathers secret. Good luck all in digging deep , Stasys"

The depth indicator is not accurate on large, deep, iron objects is it?

Bronc

 

[stasys]

i never look screen how deep target is and cant say what is on the screen about large iron, but its very clear how deep and not deep iron sings if no discrimination-in ferrous, first its look without clear borders, second its very high signal, you can try your self with metal pole its similar. I think using audio 1 you can get cleaner signal on iron. but its more fatigue. I dont know how to concentrate on hunting exceptionaly cache, but now in old places I get more serious about deep iron target. because sometimes you can found something interest like plow Stasys

 

[NebTrac]

Your depth indicator on the E-Trac is based on coin size objects. That is why a smashed aluminum pop can can at 12", can show up like a 6" quarter. I don't want to know what a hubcap sounds like at 2

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

You might want to look in to the "Two Box" style metal detectors - they will find very deep metal objects and they are not that expensive.
You can see the different models on the internet.

Good Luck !

 

[AVXVA]

I've now accumulated 1100 pre-1982 (copper) pennies and placed them in a cloth sack. 1100 pre-1982 pennies weighs 7 pounds 8.7 oz = 3.421 kilograms. (The mass of a single [pristine] pre-1982 penny is 3.11 grams x 1100 = 3.421 kilograms, so I'm right on.) Now the volume of 1100 pennies is quite close to the size of an average-sized grapefruit. (The diameter of a single penny being 19mm.)

The closest American gold coin to a penny (in diameter) is the $2.5 Quarter Eagle at 18mm. The mass of 1 [pristine] $2.5 gold piece = 4.18 grams. 1100 x 4.18 = 4.598 kilograms = 10.136 pounds and I suspect that 1100 of them would be the size of a very large orange. (The coin value of 1100 $2.5 Quarter Eagles would be astronomical by the way.)

Thinking bigger--much bigger:

$100,000 in $20 gold pieces would equal 167.18 kilograms = 368.56 pounds. (5,000 x 33.436 grams per coin = 167.18 kilograms = 368.56 pounds)

$100,000 in $10 gold pieces would also equal 167.18 kilograms = 368.56 pounds. (10,000 x 16.718 grams per coin = 167.18 kilograms = 368.56 pounds)

ALL middle 19th century American gold coins break down along these lines. $1,000 in gold coins OF ANY DENOMINATION weighs 1.6718 kilograms = 3.685 pounds

A nickel at 21.2 mm is the closest current coin (in size) to the $5.00 gold piece at 22.5 mm. $10 of nickels = 200 nickels which has the volume of a very large orange. 200 x $5 = $1000. So again, 200 x 8.359 grams = 1.6718 kilograms = 3.685 pounds.

When the numismatic value of each individual coin is factored in, there can be one hell of a lot of money in a very small--but kinda heavy--package.

Bronc

 

[Jason in Enid]

Just remember, if you want to find caches, you are going to have to dig a LOT of junk becuase a cache could be buried in any type of container.

 

[dmitchstevens]

you better have leather knees and a crow bar for a back bone

 

[AVXVA]

The first step in finding a cache is historical research, I believe. Fundementally, you have to be on a site that has the potential for a cache.

After that, there appears to be two courses of action: 1) A "Brute Force Attack" where the site is detect up and down and back and forth on transect lines in a grid until the site has been completely detected, or 2) A "Finesse Approach" where the search is based on human behavior so only the likely spots are detected i.e.: around the big tree, next to the rock wall, next to the footing of the outhouse, in the cellar, next to the well.

Each approach has it's advantages, I suppose, but which is best?

Bronc

 

[utahshovelhead]

This is just my 2 cents on the subject.

I would not limit yourself to the two approaches. Research is the First key to get you near a cash but now you have to think like the guy hiding it. A search pattern would be a huge waste of time as the guy hiding it will not hide it that random. I mean you would not want to metal detect his front yard just so you can say its clear as to find his gold coins you know he wont hide them there right?

On the Other hand the finesse of searching the most probable locations will need to be in some type of pattern so you can limit down the duplication of searching the same areas.

With a cash the time limit becomes ridiculous and a person may search forever because the facts he has about the cash weather true or not will persuade or dissuade the searcher.

If there is any typical method or cash hunting I would think it is more likely just dogged determination with a methodical search using your best HIDING sense. What I mean by this is that a guy who spends allot of time in the garage will likely hide things in that garage. A guy who spends alto of time in side the house will likely hide something in the house.

One cash of Silver dollars in the 100K range came out of metal drawers a machinist made that was related to me...all the family searched for the suspected silver but only the nephew cleaning up the machinist shop found the cash. I have searched for a cash of 60 gold coins known to have been held by a Friends brother with no results. Likely the person who bought the house has found that cash in the walls of the home of a carpenter. The family would not open any walls in the home trying to save money while most likely loosing the value of the hidden gold. I have spent some time searching for these and other cashes and success is limited but I certainly would deep trying given the right facts...any day over work.

I would be very interested in how your search goes.


good luck,
utahshovelhead

 

[Jason in Enid]

When searching for a cache, research is king. While many, many caches are hidden, most are also retrieved. You need the find rare instances where a cache could have been abandoned. These typically involve tragedy and sudden death. But you also have to search the relative of the dead cache hider. Did any of them suddenly move away, buy a lots of brand new things like cars, houses, etc. If you find any indication that someone related to the person or the location came into sudden wealth, you have to abandon your search and find a new target.

 

[AVXVA]

If a hypothetical iron strong box (15" x 10" x 6") that weighs 100 pounds is buried 12" in the ground, how far will it sink/settle in the soil over the years?

Also, soil will accumulate over the top of the cache as well.

What are all the dynamics at play here?

Robert

 

[Jason in Enid]

Unless its a place that because completely saturated with water, it won't sink at all. In fact, depending on location, the ground freeze could heave it up to the surface. How much does a house weigh? Do you ever see old houses sinking into the ground?

Soil deposition is extremely slow. I have read the numbers from the experts, but I can't remember the stats. I just remember that they were vey slow.

 

[AVXVA]

In one location I'm detecting, I'm finding material that dates to 1910-15 at 20+" (the wheel and wheel hub and axle of a Model T.) I'm also finding different material at 6"- 8" (an older style coyote trap and shovel head.)

Bronc

 

[Jason in Enid]

Are you searching in farmland that is / was regularly tilled / plowed?

 

[Idaho PRB]

Unless its a place that because completely saturated with water, it won't sink at all. In fact, depending on location, the ground freeze could heave it up to the surface. How much does a house weigh? Do you ever see old houses sinking into the ground?

Soil deposition is extremely slow. I have read the numbers from the experts, but I can't remember the stats. I just remember that they were vey slow.

I read somewhere that accumulation of soil is about 1/16th of an inch a year so every 16 years = 1 inch accumulation. My house was built in 1920 (90 years) so 90 /16= 5.62 inches. That appears to be really close to the level of soil/sod over the original curb at the street. I'm sure this varies from location to location but is a good guesstimate for averaging.
Idaho PRB

 

[utahshovelhead]

The Sinking or lifting of an item in the ground is not the same area to area. You can ask any Geologist. In some parts of the DIRT it freezes every year and can lift items out of the ground even large rocks. In Utah we have to put foundations in the dirt a minimum of 30 inches in the SL Valley so that the frost wont HEAVE the house. In Park City its 48 inches and in Palm Springs California a footing is just that ONE foot in the ground ( no frost) . Also how dusty is it in your area compared to mine. ext.
Sinking at the beach occurs because of the soft sand and the motion of the ocean...not the same in the red rocks of canyons.

Only one way to establish that in each area and that is dig and check it out.

 

[lost goon]

If you want to search for caches, research has to be along the lines of "What was hidden, why was it hidden,
who hid it, and what areas did they frequent?" Most caches are totally undocumented, because they were
small and hidden as a savings. In the case of caches around homesites, most likely it would
be hidden at a spot in plain view, a place that the owner could see from his/her front door, back door, or a
window. A few have been hidden in the walls or under the floors. A fireplace hearthstone should never go
unchecked. I knew a fellow from the Adirondacks that told of a few small caches having been detected in
ancient trees, where a hole would have been drilled, coins inserted, and a plug whittled. According to his
story, a man cut down a tree for firewood, split the wood, out flew some gold coins. The man studied the growth
around the cavity and saw it had been fitted with a plug. He bought a metal detector and searched other trees
on his property and recovered over $2000 face value in gold coins from the mid to late 1800's. This took place
in the early 1960's. Very possible he missed a few.
In the area of my home, within 100 miles every direction, are over 300 treasure stories, with over 100 of these
stories published. Also, here in Oklahoma we were a "dry" state until 1959. There are countless moonshine
still sites, most have evidence such as mash drums with axe marks and cooker parts. Some could well have a
small cache, or "poke" of money hidden nearby for supplies. Also some could easily have "coin spills" from
someone who sampled the product. Good luck in whatever you pursue.
-bill-

 

[AVXVA]

Welcome aboard, Bill and thank you for that VERY insightful post. I agree, there is definitely a "psychology" to hiding caches and finding them. And that is THE most interesting part of the search for me.

Bronc

 

[lost goon]

Bronc, I highly recommend you seek out the series of books by Thomas P. Terry.
Treasure Atlas of the United States. It usually has three states per book, alphabetical.
The book containing your state might include two other states many miles away, but
it lists caches and stories and lost mines. It is an excellent resource for the serious
researcher. Living in Oklahoma, I have not found a single pirate story in my state, but
a story of a steamboat sank by Confederate Choctaws, the Union steamer, the J.S.Williams
is listed. A limited amount of details on most stories, but also listings on ghost towns.
Keep in mind that most things are on private property. When I was a child growing up in the
sixties and seventies, a lot of old timers were here that are now gone. Time was where you
could visit a nursing home and get a lot of first hand accounts of stories popular in their youth.
Alas, these opportunities are mostly a thing of the past. I also suggest you seek out info.
through the wide variety of treasure forums on the internet. Weather is an important motivation.
It will drive some of us absolutely nuts if we don't at least research a little. Take the opportunity
every chance you get to befriend landowners, especially ones who own large tracts of land in
your area. You need them to be your friends and you need to be friends with them, because
not only is it wise to have friends, old homesteads and other such sites are mostly on private
property and a friend can help you get permission on his neighbor sometimes easier than you
can get permission by yourself. Stay safe out there....-bill-

 

[EladSwerdna]

Given the rarity of caches, I would think that being a cache hunter only would be very impracticale.

To each his own I suppose... if that's what you want then go for it!

If you have the funds, you should check out OKM products. They would be suited to your needs, if you are serious about it. I know for certain that If had loads of extra money, I would definitely have an array of thier stuff.

HH!