Ten years ago today, I dug my first ever silver coin. This was the first occasion I ever metal detected outside of my own yard, and back then I was very self conscious about being seen detecting in public. I am much bolder now, lol.
The coin was an extremely worn Mercury dime, so worn that the last digit in the date is missing. I suspect it's a 1920, and it's arguably the worst condition Mercury dime I've ever found. I found it with my favorite Etrac at an old school less than half a block from my house. It was located at the base of a tree, very shallow, and was accompanied by two or three nearby wheat cents. I dug the wheat cents first, and based on the signal was expecting another wheat cent, instead of a razor thin silver dime. Incidentally, that particular tree was removed by the city the following year. I can only assume those coins would have been destroyed by a stump grinder if I hadn't gotten them first.
Finding a silver coin on my first day gave me the false impression that finding more silver coins would be easy. I only found another three silver dimes in the months before I started this thread. I currently have dug 521 U.S. silver coins, which equals almost exactly one per week over the last ten years. Finds have been slowing down in recent times, and I would be delighted to find a comparable amount over the next ten years.
Today I visited two old Chicago parks that I had never been to before. The first park was no good. The second park had five old baseball diamonds; but, only one of the diamonds seemed to contain silver coins. I dug a 1935 Mercury dime, 1962-D dime, 1943 quarter, and two wheat cents. I have dug several 1943 quarters over the years. This is the nicest condition 1943 that I have ever found.
Ten wheat cents and a silver ring today. I visited two new sites in Chicago and also returned to my best site from last week. I dug five deep wheat cents within 15 minutes of arrival at the first new site. I really had great expectations for the place after that; but, two additional wheat cents over the next three hours were all that I could find there.
Sounds like it started off very promising. Hopefully the next time you're out is full of silver. Maybe wait for a heavy rain to see if it opens things up.
@Bayard1908 said:
Ten wheat cents and a silver ring today. I visited two new sites in Chicago and also returned to my best site from last week. I dug five deep wheat cents within 15 minutes of arrival at the first new site. I really had great expectations for the place after that; but, two additional wheat cents over the next three hours were all that I could find there.
If you are in an area that gets a hard Winter freeze next Spring may be a good time to re-check the site. The freeze and thaw can change target positions considerably.
Good luck.
Had a strange dream that I found a smashed up old parking meter that was full of silver coins, including a Columbian half dollar. While finding a Columbian half dollar wouldn't be impossible, I have already detected the site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition and was thoroughly disappointed by the lack of original dirt. I mention this dream just in case it foreshadows the future, lol.
@pcgs69 said:
Have you had much time with the Vanquish? How do you like it?
I have many hours on the Vanquish 540. It's a nice machine, comparable performance to an Equinox in mild soil, with better ergonomics, although it falses more than I would like in mineralized soil.
I prefer the Etrac to both the Equinox and the Vanquish for finding deep silver coins; but, they are good for finding masked coins and shallow coins.
I've been too busy to make a serious attempt at metal detecting for several weeks. Taking a break from my work, I spent less than an hour on Sunday with the Vanquish 540 and managed find a wheat cent at the old school down the street from my house.
@Bayard1908 said:
I used my Vanquish 540 on a relatively short hunt close to home today. I dug 6 wheat cents, most of which were barely detectable due to masking.
How are those Vanqnish detector been looking at one although I already own 4 detectors wife probably won't be thrilled about it
Yesterday's silver dime was about 6 inches deep and the signal was screaming. Unless the ground is highly mineralized or full of iron trash, I think the Vanquish is equal in performance to an Equinox. The site where the silver dime came from has been pounded with my Etrac in the past btw.
I visited another old Chicago park today and found two silver coins: 1942 quarter and a 1930 Irish Florin. When I first saw a quick glimpse of the Florin, I initially thought it was a commemorative half dollar. I also dug nine wheat cents, a silver ring, a copper or bronze George Washington token, and a clad half dollar.
Yesterday I went to my out of town site for 90 minutes with a newly acquired XP Deus 2. After quickly reviewing the owner's manual, I was able to find a wheat cent and a few modern coins over the course of 90 minutes. I definitely prefer the Deus 2 to the original Deus that I owned several years ago; however, I'm not yet sure that I want to keep the machine.
Today I took an Etrac to Chicago and managed to find two Mercury dimes. They are both 1943-D, despite being found at different sites. I also dug 7 wheat cents today. The Chicago Marathon blocked traffic and interfered with my day.
I know people say the processors and such are better on the equinox/manticore but something about the etrac and ctx 3030 felt better when in your hand. I can’t pinpoint how but at least on land i feel they pick up targets better.
@pcgs69 said:
I know people say the processors and such are better on the equinox/manticore but something about the etrac and ctx 3030 felt better when in your hand. I can’t pinpoint how but at least on land i feel they pick up targets better.
I have never used a CTX3030 or a Manticore; however, I can say from years of experience with both machines that the Etrac has better target ID on deep coins than the Equinox. The Etrac will continue to be my primary detector for finding deep silver coins until something unquestionably better comes along, and I am not sure that will happen anytime soon, if ever.
I took my Vanquish 540 to a couple of hunted out sites yesterday. The only old coin I found was a deep 1912 wheat cent that was covered with sticky green sludge on both sides.
Here in Fl it frosted last night. How cold is that!
Just joking I’m from Illinois , so I am only thinking the weather is nice in winter.
In the summer, it is to hot for my tastes. Interestingly enough, my detecting season is in the winter, not the summer.
I took my Equinox 600 to a trashy park in Chicago today, thinking that I could find a few interesting items amongst the trash. I managed to find a 1939 Mercury dime and six wheat cents.
I forgot to mention that I found an interesting coin spill yesterday, a 1939 nickel with a 1940-D nickel. The coins are nothing special; but, that's an old coin spill. Wish that guy had lost a dime instead of two nickels, lol.
I visited another new site in Chicago yesterday. I couldn't find any wheat cents at this place; but, I did manage to find three silver coins: 1935-D Mercury dime, 1947 dime, and 1962-D dime. This was a huge piece of land and the silver coins were all from different sections of the property.
I detected five new places in Chicago yesterday, but couldn't find any old coins. The only good things I found were a two-piece sterling religious medallion and a sterling ring with some heavy gold electroplate.
I wasn't satisfied with yesterday's finds; so, I decided to go detecting again today. The weather was great, temperatures in the 50s. My girlfriend wanted me to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner, which ruled out going to Chicago with my electric bike. Instead, I decided to drive to the place where I did really well in late 2019. Since I drove, I took my favorite Etrac instead of my bike Etrac.
I had a great day today: 1952-D dime, 1957-D dime, two V nickels, a Buffalo nickel, 7 wheat cents, and a small 14K gold religious medallion. One of the V nickels is 1902. The other is almost worn smooth, but looks like it's from the 1880s. These are the first old nickels that I've found in nearly two years. My favorite Etrac is much better at finding nickels than my bike Etrac for some reason.
Comments
Ten years ago today, I dug my first ever silver coin. This was the first occasion I ever metal detected outside of my own yard, and back then I was very self conscious about being seen detecting in public. I am much bolder now, lol.
The coin was an extremely worn Mercury dime, so worn that the last digit in the date is missing. I suspect it's a 1920, and it's arguably the worst condition Mercury dime I've ever found. I found it with my favorite Etrac at an old school less than half a block from my house. It was located at the base of a tree, very shallow, and was accompanied by two or three nearby wheat cents. I dug the wheat cents first, and based on the signal was expecting another wheat cent, instead of a razor thin silver dime. Incidentally, that particular tree was removed by the city the following year. I can only assume those coins would have been destroyed by a stump grinder if I hadn't gotten them first.
Finding a silver coin on my first day gave me the false impression that finding more silver coins would be easy. I only found another three silver dimes in the months before I started this thread. I currently have dug 521 U.S. silver coins, which equals almost exactly one per week over the last ten years. Finds have been slowing down in recent times, and I would be delighted to find a comparable amount over the next ten years.
That’s a sweet-looking dime!
Nice finds... That dime is in really good condition. Cheers, RickO
haha, at least the good thing is that gold is gold.
I still remember the first silver coin that my dad and I found. It was in the woods near a river and pulled out a 1948 Roosevelt dime.
Congrats on 10 years of silver and cheers to 10 more!
Today I visited two old Chicago parks that I had never been to before. The first park was no good. The second park had five old baseball diamonds; but, only one of the diamonds seemed to contain silver coins. I dug a 1935 Mercury dime, 1962-D dime, 1943 quarter, and two wheat cents. I have dug several 1943 quarters over the years. This is the nicest condition 1943 that I have ever found.
@Bayard1908... That second ball diamond deserves another visit - or two. Nice silver finds. Cheers, RickO
Three baseball diamonds are a lot of ground to cover in one visit… definitely sounds like they have potential for another visit or two!
@Bayard1908 ... Nice looking silver coins.... Definitely more to be found there. Good luck, Cheers, RickO
Ten wheat cents and a silver ring today. I visited two new sites in Chicago and also returned to my best site from last week. I dug five deep wheat cents within 15 minutes of arrival at the first new site. I really had great expectations for the place after that; but, two additional wheat cents over the next three hours were all that I could find there.
Sounds like it started off very promising. Hopefully the next time you're out is full of silver. Maybe wait for a heavy rain to see if it opens things up.
If you are in an area that gets a hard Winter freeze next Spring may be a good time to re-check the site. The freeze and thaw can change target positions considerably.
Good luck.
Two new sites in Chicago, five wheat cents before I got rained out.
Had a strange dream that I found a smashed up old parking meter that was full of silver coins, including a Columbian half dollar. While finding a Columbian half dollar wouldn't be impossible, I have already detected the site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition and was thoroughly disappointed by the lack of original dirt. I mention this dream just in case it foreshadows the future, lol.
I used my Vanquish 540 on a relatively short hunt close to home today. I dug 6 wheat cents, most of which were barely detectable due to masking.
Have you had much time with the Vanquish? How do you like it?
Any parking meters with silver today?
I have many hours on the Vanquish 540. It's a nice machine, comparable performance to an Equinox in mild soil, with better ergonomics, although it falses more than I would like in mineralized soil.
I prefer the Etrac to both the Equinox and the Vanquish for finding deep silver coins; but, they are good for finding masked coins and shallow coins.
I've been too busy to make a serious attempt at metal detecting for several weeks. Taking a break from my work, I spent less than an hour on Sunday with the Vanquish 540 and managed find a wheat cent at the old school down the street from my house.
How are those Vanqnish detector been looking at one although I already own 4 detectors wife probably won't be thrilled about it
Amazing performance for a small amount of money.
I used my Vanquish 540 today: 1947-D dime and one wheat cent.
How is it on deep targets?
Yesterday's silver dime was about 6 inches deep and the signal was screaming. Unless the ground is highly mineralized or full of iron trash, I think the Vanquish is equal in performance to an Equinox. The site where the silver dime came from has been pounded with my Etrac in the past btw.
I visited six old parks in Chicago yesterday. I only got three wheat cents and a pile of deep clad.
I visited another old Chicago park today and found two silver coins: 1942 quarter and a 1930 Irish Florin. When I first saw a quick glimpse of the Florin, I initially thought it was a commemorative half dollar. I also dug nine wheat cents, a silver ring, a copper or bronze George Washington token, and a clad half dollar.
@Bayard1908 wouldn't mind seeing the GW token any pics? Edit :and the ring
seems like silver larger than dimes is getting scarcer.
Yesterday I went to my out of town site for 90 minutes with a newly acquired XP Deus 2. After quickly reviewing the owner's manual, I was able to find a wheat cent and a few modern coins over the course of 90 minutes. I definitely prefer the Deus 2 to the original Deus that I owned several years ago; however, I'm not yet sure that I want to keep the machine.
Today I took an Etrac to Chicago and managed to find two Mercury dimes. They are both 1943-D, despite being found at different sites. I also dug 7 wheat cents today. The Chicago Marathon blocked traffic and interfered with my day.
I know people say the processors and such are better on the equinox/manticore but something about the etrac and ctx 3030 felt better when in your hand. I can’t pinpoint how but at least on land i feel they pick up targets better.
I have never used a CTX3030 or a Manticore; however, I can say from years of experience with both machines that the Etrac has better target ID on deep coins than the Equinox. The Etrac will continue to be my primary detector for finding deep silver coins until something unquestionably better comes along, and I am not sure that will happen anytime soon, if ever.
I had a productive time in Chicago today: 1957 dime, 1942 quarter, 1952-D quarter, and 8 wheat cents.
Well done! I haven’t made it out much over the last month-plus, so it’s good to see some productive stories out there.
That's a good hunt. Silver larger than a dime is getting scarcer.
I visited another three old parks in Chicago today: 1937-S Mercury dime and 7 wheat cents.
I believe that this is the 200th Mercury dime that I've dug.
I went back to one of my favorite Chicago parks today, plus a couple of new ones: 1964-D dime, nine wheat cents, and two silver rings.
I detected three new Chicago parks today: seven wheat cents plus a huge old aluminum token from about a foot deep.
Back to Chicago for another seven wheat cents, but no silver. Four of the wheat cents were a coin spill and dated from 1925 into the mid 1950s.
I took my Vanquish 540 to a couple of hunted out sites yesterday. The only old coin I found was a deep 1912 wheat cent that was covered with sticky green sludge on both sides.
How has the weather been? I visited my mom for Thanksgiving and the ground was covered with snow.
I saw a headline the other day that said temperatures are about 30 degrees warmer than normal.
Here in Fl it frosted last night. How cold is that!
Just joking I’m from Illinois
, so I am only thinking the weather is nice in winter.
In the summer, it is to hot for my tastes. Interestingly enough, my detecting season is in the winter, not the summer.
Cheers, and God Bless, CRHer700
I took my Equinox 600 to a trashy park in Chicago today, thinking that I could find a few interesting items amongst the trash. I managed to find a 1939 Mercury dime and six wheat cents.
I forgot to mention that I found an interesting coin spill yesterday, a 1939 nickel with a 1940-D nickel. The coins are nothing special; but, that's an old coin spill. Wish that guy had lost a dime instead of two nickels, lol.
I visited another new site in Chicago yesterday. I couldn't find any wheat cents at this place; but, I did manage to find three silver coins: 1935-D Mercury dime, 1947 dime, and 1962-D dime. This was a huge piece of land and the silver coins were all from different sections of the property.
I detected five new places in Chicago yesterday, but couldn't find any old coins. The only good things I found were a two-piece sterling religious medallion and a sterling ring with some heavy gold electroplate.
I wasn't satisfied with yesterday's finds; so, I decided to go detecting again today. The weather was great, temperatures in the 50s. My girlfriend wanted me to get home at a reasonable hour for dinner, which ruled out going to Chicago with my electric bike. Instead, I decided to drive to the place where I did really well in late 2019. Since I drove, I took my favorite Etrac instead of my bike Etrac.
I had a great day today: 1952-D dime, 1957-D dime, two V nickels, a Buffalo nickel, 7 wheat cents, and a small 14K gold religious medallion. One of the V nickels is 1902. The other is almost worn smooth, but looks like it's from the 1880s. These are the first old nickels that I've found in nearly two years. My favorite Etrac is much better at finding nickels than my bike Etrac for some reason.