Question on finding old nickels.

[treasurefiend]

I was wondering, do all nickels ring up the same? What I mean is, say a V-Nickel, Buffalo, and a Jefferson do they have the same composition??? Out in the woods I dig every solid Nickel signal I get, but most of the time it is tin foil or something else. When I find nickels out in the woods, they are reddish in color. I found a 1939 Jefferson that came up as a nickel signal at 5 or 6 inches deep. But I also found a reddish Buffalo on the surface, but I can't remember, I think it bounced around on me, I looked only because it said 2 inches deep (just under the leaves). Should I dig all of the bouncy signals for nickels???

I want to find more Buffalo and some V-Nickels!!!

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

They ring up very similar to each other. Jefferson nickels are 75% copper and 25% nickel. The Jefferson war nickels 1942 - 1945 are .560 copper, .350 silver, and .090 maganese. Buffs are 75% copper and 25% nickel, "V"'s are 75 - 25 like buffs, and Shield nickels are same. The shield is slightly smaller so will give off a slightly different signal, but on most machines they are the same. Because the war nickel has silver it too can ring up a little different but on most machines the same. I use an Explorer, so I can see the differences. If you want to dig more old nickels, dig all nickel signals!

 

[treasurefiend]

I was also wondering if the red patina might affect or fool the detector into thinking its something else?

I'm asking because I am finding a lot of older coins (well, under 100 years old, and that old for me) pennies, dimes, quarters, but I have only found 3 old nickels. A 1937 buffalo, 1939 Jefferson, 3 war nickels( and I think they came up as dimes or quarters). I am thinking I should be finding more nickels because the site where I hunt has tin foil all over the place that rings up as a solid nickel. I honestly dug up over 200 targets, but I only found the 3 actual nickels. With so many false targets, I was thinking that most people would notch them out all together. In the past I have notched them out because I couldn't walk 5 feet without getting at least 4 or 5 solid nickel signals.

 

[scubadetector]

Nickles are down there. All the detectors I have had will not find a deep nickle. Silver and copper can be found deep but not nickles because of the metal. I have a friend with a Minelab SE and he finds deep nickles all the time. He says the signals are iffy.

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

the patina should not affect it. If you notch them out you will lose most gold too. I think most of us find less nickels than the other coins.
You will find more!

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

a lot of deep nickels with my Explorer. They are solid just like any shotgun shell.

 

[steve in so la]

On my Fisher , just sounds - I find a lot of nickels - over 400 so far this year. They sound a little less than a penny/dime. Basically, I dig most sounds, the patina shouldn't matter. steve i nso az

 

[Magyar]

is that the coins have a different sound in the ground as opposed to the ocean and I am having a difficult time adjusting to the varience in sound.

I think the more I dirt hunt, the better I will be able to distinguish...at least I hope so

 

[Goes4ever]

if nickels are 75% copper why do they not ring higher on the scale??

 

[Mike Chgo area]

n/t