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Some free advice and some advice needed.

cwilk

New member
Maybe interesting maybe not and I have to be careful how much I say. Here is some advice for how to handle a situation that has happened to me twice in the past week. If you get approached by a fellow detector(s) play it as dumb as your ego allows. For example. If somebody says they've found 40 silver coins, 3 silver rings, and almost 100 bucks in clad so far this year, gasp and say that's a lot of coins. If you are in somebodies hunting spot, tell them that they must be very skilled because you aren't finding much. I was recently given 5 proven, public 1800s silver coin producing spots that I never would have found by a fellow trying to help out a newbie. I had to sit (stand really) through a small classroom about my poor technique and the guy told me if I follow his advice I might find a thousand coins some year. I did get one good pointer and, of course some new territory, at least new to me. Nothing much on my 4 hour hunt except 2 wheats (see below) and 126 coins for $15.50. Shhhhhhh. Don't tell.

The advice I need is how to read the date on a wheat where the numbers are all there but they are all very worn. I am usually good at this but this one is giving me fits. It is 191_ D. I think it's a 12, 16, or 18. Sometimes I think I see a 4 though and as we all know that is a key date. I went over that area pretty carefully but didn't score anything else old.

Sorry no photos. I passed 2000 quarters for 2008 and I'm on my way to 2500 with my GTI 2500. I'll easily find 2500 of all denominations except nickels in 2008. Might get lucky and hit 1000 nickels. I still haven't hit my 2007 nickel total and I'm way past all other coin types.

Chris

To add. One guy last week told me I need a real detector and that my GTI 2500 was junk. I honestly never told him I was having trouble with it nor did I have to lie and say I don't find much. All I did was marvel at his almost $80 so far in 2008 along with a few rings and a nice collection of old silver. He really did prefer a different type of hunting than I do. His best story concerned an old fountain he found in the woods near a park that he said produced 40 pre 1900 silver coins and many small cents. He said it took him weeks of searching just to find it but that it was worth it and I agreed. He gave me 3 or 4 ideas for places to hunt and I gave him nothing.
 
Maybe he did find what he said ,maybe not..Some people like to embellish their finds to make you feel inferior. Next time tell him you'd like to see these finds and he'll probably find an excuse ,about showing them .
I personally don't like people who say that my detector is junk. Show how small their thinking is..
I think you came out ahead in that meeting.
 
YeahI ran into a dork like that some years ago ( that I had been tailing through the park ) I usually don't waste my time talking to idiots like that but this guy claimed my detector was an inferior brand, my methods were all wrong, and that his was the machine of the century.

I asked to see the finds made with his Whiz Bang Special. He proudly displayed about a buck and a half. I said, " Gee whiz, that's great." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a fist full of coins and said, " I only found about eight bucks, two silver coins, and two gold rings, most of it following behind you with my old junker detector."

Poor fellow looked stunned, muttered something unintelligible, and headed for his car.

Bill
 
Regarding your wheat date. Carefully clean it as best you can, then try using a strong magnifying glass---a jewelers loop is best if you have one or can borrow one---in bright light. The magnifier should help you figure out the missing number. I recently got a state quarter with no mint letter. Knowing that all new quarters have mint letters, P, D, or S, I thought I had an error coin. Even under a good light with a magnifier there was no indication of a mint mark. When I used a jewelers loop I was able to make out a very faint discoloration of a P in the metal of the coin. Researching told me the mint mark was probably obscured by a blot of grease when the coin was minted. But from this experience I have used the jewelers loop to help me identify faint daes on old coins I have found. Try it, it might help out.

Good luck.
 
If you have a scanner and a photo editing program you can scan the coin at high resolution (300 to 600 dpi) then zoom in on the date. Adjust the light/dark balance and or contrast and you'll be surprised what pops out. Be careful not to scratch the glass of your scanner bed.

Hope this helps,
Steve in PA
 
As William Shakspere once said, "He who truly knows need not shout".
 
I tried your advice and confirmed my original guess. 1921D. This morning I looked at it as soon as I got up and in that particular light with my eyes well rested there it was pretty clear. A nice semi-key date but isn pretty poor condition. I'd grade it AG. Still a great addition to my book.

Chris
 
This coin is so worn and so little of the date is there that bright light overpowers it and even my weakest 10x loupe washes out all of the details that remain. I finally got it with my eyes rested and confirmed it by taking a nice photograph and messing around with the contrast. Just like CSI. It's a 1912 D which is my oldest wheat penny found. Thanks for the advice.

Chris
 
I have had detectorists come up to me and tell me they found "all the silver coins here years ago" I put the "goodies" in my back pocket and keep some crusty zinc pennies and trash in my treasure apron.If they ask what I've found I show them the crusty zincs and trash.They usually just laugh and leave.I never dig a coin in front of another detectorist.I'll pop out a pulltab or nail.I don't want to be dishonest but I don't want to advertise either.Most of the parks and schools around here have been pounded.If it's easy to get to and hunt it gets detected.The old places that are out of the way or hard to find are my honey holes.
 
kickback said:
I have had detectorists come up to me and tell me they found "all the silver coins here years ago" I put the "goodies" in my back pocket and keep some crusty zinc pennies and trash in my treasure apron.If they ask what I've found I show them the crusty zincs and trash.They usually just laugh and leave.I never dig a coin in front of another detectorist.I'll pop out a pulltab or nail.I don't want to be dishonest but I don't want to advertise either.Most of the parks and schools around here have been pounded.If it's easy to get to and hunt it gets detected.The old places that are out of the way or hard to find are my honey holes.
I like your style. About like mine.
 
awhitster
I have a spot that has given up Liberty half's,silver dimes,buffalo nickels,wheaties,war nickels and jewelry.I have found 4 clad coins there.It's far enough off the highway nobody can see me.Everytime I go there I find old coins.Not as many as when I first started hunting it.It's an old elementary school that burned down in 1957.None of the local detectorists know it exists.I found it on an original plat book then researched it in the old newspaper archives.I won't give this spot up for anything.Everytime they mow the area I found more silver.
 
I have an old closed elementary school site that is terrible. Come to find out this local MD club hit it every weekend for one solid summer after it closed and really did a good job of it. I still find stuff there but have to go off the beaten path. I also saw a black bear there early one morning so I usually wait until later in the day now!

Chris

You should see the stuff they left in the classrooms. Furniture. Books. Toys. TVs. Movie Projectors and on and on. The security guard lives across the street.
 
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