Strange numbers

[oldmoney]

Hoping someone can help me out here. Recently Ive been getting a 12 45 expecting silver or at least a clad quarter only to dig a penny, it can be very frustrating. Then last night I got a 12 37 12 36 dug it and out pops a solid silver mans bracelet..... very nice. but also very perplexing. So I checked the numbers again doing an air test and the same numbers came up. The bracelet is clearly marked, twice in fact, "Italy .925" on both ends of the chain, so I know its silver.

Is anyone else having this problem?

Worst part is if I get into an area where it seems like there is a lot of pennies, or what I think is pennies according to the number display, and i am short on time, I will pass them up. Now , I am wondering how much silver I left in the ground.

Any help is appreciated, Thank you

 

[IDXMonster]

Happens all the time. Sound is obviously first as it’s how you know you have something....but I rely heavily on the depth meter along with a numeric ID. You basically have to dig the high 30s to high 40s as worn silver comes in low sometimes. Big silver items can absolutely read lower as you saw,just how it’s calibrated and how the ID system works I guess. Using depth to hunt old coins is what I’ve had much success with but skipping shallow stuff will make you miss that bracelet too! So you see,if you WANT it all,you have to scoop up many things in that 30s to 40s range.

 

[PennyAtaTime]

The key here is You said chain. Every item I have found that had chain involved gave wonky numbers and wonky sound.
That includes silver, iron and brass. (still waiting for a gold chain).

 

[oldmoney]

Thanks IDXMonster and PennyAtaTime. Funny how we wall read these posts and and things seem obvious, but in the field, when it happens to you , you forget some of this. I guess its all part of learning the machine. Thanks again and HH

 

[Dale(Ia)]

Many "Italy" marked silver & gold jewelry items are not real............so I'm skeptical of any item thus marked.............

Iowa Dale

 

[u2robert]

Many "Italy" marked silver & gold jewelry items are not real............so I'm skeptical of any item thus marked.............

Iowa Dale

Why is that?

 

[Philber]

As Dale(la) noted, some of the stuff marked Italy 925 is bogus. They stamp it 925 to make people think it is silver when its not, so it may in fact be mostly copper based and thus your penny range reading on it. Also, why would it be stamped twice with 925? Once would be enough, unless you want to be absolutely sure your mark sees it so he thinks its silver! lol Of all the things I have found that truly are silver, none comes to mind that have been double marked 925. Your best bet is to take it to a pawn shop and have them test it, or buy a cheap acid test kit and see what it comes up as. Likely not silver given your original reading, combined with the Italy 925 markings.

 

[oldmoney]

Thanks for all the responses. I stated that it is marked twice - once with "Italy .925" and on the other end of the chain it reads ".925" . These markings are on the clasp only not the chain itself. I did clean it, and it looks worn in spots but not worn through the silver color. So I guess I am being cautiously optimistic that it is truly silver. I think its time to get an acid test kit nonetheless. I will let you know the outcome. Happy hunting- the thaw is coming soon........I hope.

 

[1hotwire]

I'm just curious didn't Andy cover those strange numbers in his $125.00 class ?

 

[oldmoney]

As a matter of fact he does cover strange numbers. He explains that there are many factors that can account for such numbers...anything from soil composition, the amount of moisture in the ground and other objects in the area of the one your after. However he can't tell what every number is going to be, or what every object is going to read or sound like. He is a wealth of information in regards to the E-trac and the 30-30, if you don't want to take advantage of his knowledge that is your choice. As for me I would take it again in a heart beat as I am unable to absorb and retain all information he gives in one of his classes. Now that I think about it, maybe I don't want you to take his class...It will mean more goodies left in the ground for me.

I would like to point out to you that my question was why would something labeled as silver, sound like a penny. Thinking that maybe something was wrong with my machine, since I had never come across this particular situation. I was hoping someone else had have this happen to them. Happy hunting.

 

[1hotwire]

Point taken and as I stated I was just curious , however it seems you have answered your own question as to why .. GL & HH

 

[metalpopper]

As a matter of fact he does cover strange numbers. He explains that there are many factors that can account for such numbers...anything from soil composition, the amount of moisture in the ground and other objects in the area of the one your after. However he can't tell what every number is going to be, or what every object is going to read or sound like. He is a wealth of information in regards to the E-trac and the 30-30, if you don't want to take advantage of his knowledge that is your choice. As for me I would take it again in a heart beat as I am unable to absorb and retain all information he gives in one of his classes. Now that I think about it, maybe I don't want you to take his class...It will mean more goodies left in the ground for me.

I would like to point out to you that my question was why would something labeled as silver, sound like a penny. Thinking that maybe something was wrong with my machine, since I had never come across this particular situation. I was hoping someone else had have this happen to them. Happy hunting.

***************************************​

VDI NUMBERS.......I JUST HOPE YOU LEARN ONE THING;


The VDI,analysis for ANY targets buried in the ground ......be they pennies, dollars, bullets, wads of silver paper, etc. is a summation of many interactive happenings (electrical).

So the VDI shown is the answer to a complex summation of many factors...THEY REPRESENT A NUMERICAL' CLUE'.... NOT DEFINITIVE ANSWERS (date, color, monetary-value, etc)

I.E. An ali-pull-tab and a low k gold ring can be analyzed as having the SAME VDI......you already know that if you're a competent detectorist......so why expect anything different for other target groups?

There are at least six factors making-up the VDI value. Learn about each, and you may one-day understand what your detector can do, ande why......matt

 

[oldmoney]

Metalpopper, Well said. Admittedly I have only been using the E-trac for 3 years now. I do seem to learn a bit every time out, one of those being that I defiantly dig those jumpy signals and STRANGE NUMBERS.