What is foil?

[jmorton04]

Learned Detectorists,
I know this is probably a dumb question, but what is the source of the foil that is often mentioned? Is it like the wrappers on fast food or something else? Is it aluminum foil? Is the shiny Mylar wrappers "foil"? It never occurred to me that there might be so much foil in the ground. I also thought that sea water would eat up alum. foil pretty quickly.
Thanks in advance for the enlightenment,
John Morton

 

[BigCatDaddy]

All of those and a few more!!

 

[26cent]

foil is a pain in the behind when detecting

 

[bcoop]

Everything from gum wrappers to pull tabs and everything in between. On the beach you get several of those paper aluminum backed juice seals that you have to pull off before drinking. I have dug very small pieces of which looks like it came from gum wrappers or candy. You name it and people throw it down.


BCOOP

 

[khouse]

I think in the beginning it was mostly gum wrappers wadded in a ball and tossed on the ground. Now in addition to that it's medicine blister packs to yogurt tops. Just about any thin sheet of aluminum used on about anything. The problem with all the foil trash is this is where a lot of gold lives. So we're always digging it up if seriously hunting for gold jewelry.

 

[synthnut]

Foil comes in all sizes, weights , and shapes , and the numbers as with pull tabs , are ALL in the Gold range from bottom to top so you ears go up everytime you see a number or hear a tone in that range !!..... Not much you can do about it except DIG !!!.....Jim