Mercury dime reading

[kellogg]

I know for a fact that there are smarter people than me on here, so hopefully someone can help me understand this.
So far this year I've had 3 mercury dimes register at 12-40. Another guy I hunt with has had it twice this year, once when I was with. The tone was right on them though. I was just curious why these dime came in at 12-40 not 12-43.

Thanks in advance
Steve
,

 

[Jason in Enid]

Several possible reasons. The most common thing I've seen with low reading dimes is they had been worn thin.

 

[utahshovelhead]

I dont know if this will work for everyone but I have noticed that silver, when fairly deep, will give a 12 and close to 44 like 12 39 12 40 12 all the way to 45 but will hit a 13 when I stop swinging. I dont know if this works for everone or just in my hunting spot but i will get a 13 ...whatever close to 44 or 45 and I predict silver most of the time. and this is with, say out of 5 swings, only one time it hits 13. This is not the case with a penny.

You try it and see. if I had to id guess this happens when the silver is 5 inches to 9 inches. After that depth if I see any signal even close to the 12 line I just dig it anyway and am usually happy I did. Deep stuff for me will start with all kinds of wierd numbers, but if the sound is good and the red dot is small I tend to ignore the nubmers and dig to see whats hiding down there.

 

[TrpnBils]

What Jason said... my first seated dime was so worn only the date was visible and it came in at a low 12-39 at only a couple of inches deep with no other targets around it.

 

[kellogg]

Several possible reasons. The most common thing I've seen with low reading dimes is they had been worn thin.

I bet you're right. Never thought about them being worn.

 

[PryorCreekJoe]

What Jason said... my first seated dime was so worn only the date was visible and it came in at a low 12-39 at only a couple of inches deep with no other targets around it.

Piggy backing on TrpnBils and Jason, I have dug lots of slick dimes (seated, barbers and mercs) that were between 12-38 and 12-40. Numbers don't mean nearly as much as tone.

 

[jim tn]

Yeah, guys, and it is not only the CTX that will i d worn silver coins a few points less then usual. Nice surprises, though, aren't they? HH jim tn

 

[PryorCreekJoe]

Yeah, guys, and it is not only the CTX that will i d worn silver coins a few points less then usual. Nice surprises, though, aren't they? HH jim tn

Jim,

A well know "French" model will do it too! (several points swing) Again, tone and the roundness of the tone are "dig me" crys. Any and all detectors can only give an approximation of target ID based on the data that it has received from the ground. That can be skewed in so many ways including the ware on the target, orientation of the target, mineralization of the soil, masking by adjacent targets, depth, etc, etc, etc...Just saying, it's a wonder that the IDs are as good as they are when you really look at the "Big Picture". And this is assuming that the operator has their detector set up PERFECTLY.
Like you say, they ALL vary on the numbers.

PCJ