Nickel-Palooza

[Goes4ever]

today I went to the park and totally IGNORED everything BUT nickel range signals.
I dug everything from 01-12 to 14-17 range. This is the range I get most nickels. I dug for 90 minutes and have never dug this many nickels in such a short period. I am bound to get gold if I keep this up!

I got a 1936 buffalo
2 silver war nickels
1942, and 46 Jefferson
a "blue" nickel....lol no idea on that..
and 10 more asst yr jeffersons

today I really watched my screen, I have a hard time hearing the difference of nickel signals VS lower conductors like foil. To me it is not that big of a difference like from a penny to a silver coin. So I paid close attention to the numbers today, trying hard for nickels.

War nickel number 1, was 08-17, and the 2nd one was 12-16. War nickels are always a bit higher for me than other nickels. The buffalo was 08-14, the two 40's Jeffersons were 01-12, and 04-13.

Some of the newer shallower nickels were 12-13, but MOST of my nickels are NOT 12-12, or 12-13, they are always crazy signals. So I opened my disc up a LOT around the nickel area to accept anything even close. The e-trac is a nickel magnet for sure, but if your only digging 12-12 or 12-13, for nickels your MISSING a ton of 5 centers! Old parks are literally loaded with nickels, I'd say it is say to say they are the most abundant old coin left because VERY few hunters dig those signals.

 

[treasure sstate]

All of my shallow nickels will be a 12-13 even the 1 war nickel I found at 3 1/2 inches. I find the deeper the nickel the more erratic the numbers; every pass will give me different numbers. If I can get the CO numbers to bracket or hit CO 13 I dig it. My % on nickels from the total take has gone from 6.2% to 13.8% since I have got my E-Trac. Don't know why I just like finding nickels.

 

[Goes4ever]

All of my shallow nickels will be a 12-13 even the 1 war nickel I found at 3 1/2 inches. I find the deeper the nickel the more erratic the numbers; every pass will give me different numbers. If I can get the CO numbers to bracket or hit CO 13 I dig it. My % on nickels from the total take has gone from 6.2% to 13.8% since I have got my E-Trac. Don't know why I just like finding nickels.

so your saying if you don't see a 13 you DO NOT dig? If that is what you mean, your missing a lot of nickels, especially war nickels.

 

[treasure sstate]

The numbers jump a lot so 1st pass is a 11-10 next is 14-17 next is 12-14, etc. on a deep signals I will dig. Usually only dig 12-13 and 12-14 on shallow signals. Have given up on solid 12-12's though, getting tired of folded over beaver tails

 

[niterider_58]

Nice pile of nickels, I find nickels the same way you do lots of 1-12 4-17 or anything from1-18 I'm digging. Was you in TTF

 

[Goes4ever]

no TTF, this lil park is low in Iron

 

[mike4663]

Thanks for the info, some nice finds there WTG.

 

[Nick A]

Hmm... not so sure you'll get a lot of gold in that range. It's possible, but most of the gold items I've tested were either below or above the range you were digging. That's an unscientific analysis however. Gold is so variable as far as shape, karat, alloys... there's no predicting it. Pulltabs in comparison are pretty consistent as they are same alloy and standard shapes. Interested to see more of this experiment.

You should have taken a pic of the trash you dug to get the nickels... I'm curious to compare the trash to nickel ratio!

Also I used to do gangbusters on nickels with my old Fisher CZ-5, so I know I wasn't passing them up back then... so it's not all virgin nickel-finding territory out there in the parks. I think we just get lazy and the brain gets tired from sorting out nickel hits from the pulltabs, as few of us want to be digging a lot of pulltabs.

I agree with treasure sstate if you see a CO of 13 somewhere in the bounce, it's a better chance it's a nickel, but I've been digging old nickels lately that are way low on the CO scale.

 

[sandnsea49]

I love finding nickels too mostly because it might, just might be gold, but also because it beats digging five pennies.

 

[Goes4ever]

Nick, I counted my trash, I had like 17 pieces of junk so I was getting about 50% nickels, why would you say gold is not in that range? My wedding band is fairly thin, and is 14K and it is 12-12, my wife has several rings that are 14k I tested them and they came in around 12-08, to 12-10. all in the range I dig

 

[Nick A]

Nick, I counted my trash, I had like 17 pieces of junk so I was getting about 50% nickels, why would you say gold is not in that range? My wedding band is fairly thin, and is 14K and it is 12-12, my wife has several rings that are 14k I tested them and they came in around 12-08, to 12-10. all in the range I dig

So hang on, you're only looking for 14k rings? ;-) I tested around 30 pieces of jewelry, rings, pendants, 10k, 14k, 18k. I can't find my specific results now but very little was in the nickel range. The common plain men's wedding bands I tested were around 12-22, but orientation made a big difference in numbers. Rings were great if they were flat, but vertical or some quasi-vertical angle and the signals were all over.

50% nickels is a fantastic ratio. I'll be interested to see if other sites maintain that.

Besides, if I razz you about the gold, then you're all the more determined to prove me wrong. And if that gets some gold for you, I'm all for it!

 

[reltolbert]

Your in nickel heaven. Great finds. Congratulations.

 

[nge]

I was going to say the same thing.....The Fisher CZ-5 IS a nickel magnet. If it locks on Nickel, it IS a nickel. If it locked on Zinc and was 3 inches or deeper it was an indian cent or a very old wheat with verdigris.........NGE