I forgot to mention that on Sunday, I dug a half dollar size aluminum token from about 15 inches deep. The signal was a barely perceptible squeak, consistently repeatable though. The token is political, encouraging people to vote for Peter Hoffman for Cook County Sheriff. Hoffman left office as Sheriff in 1926.
I wonder what else is 15 inches deep at this site, probably lots of silver dimes that can't be heard.
In one of the old Piers Anthony books (On A Pale Horse, I believe), someone has a ring that can point the owner to lost money. The catch was that the money found would never add up to the price you paid for the ring. I wonder if that's true for most of the people who get metal detectors -- though it must surely be a kick to find something!
@horseyride said:
In one of the old Piers Anthony books (On A Pale Horse, I believe), someone has a ring that can point the owner to lost money. The catch was that the money found would never add up to the price you paid for the ring. I wonder if that's true for most of the people who get metal detectors -- though it must surely be a kick to find something!
Metal detectors designed for finding gold nuggets usually pay for themselves, and often quite quickly. The same holds true for beach metal detectors used for finding gold jewelry.
Metal detectors used for finding coins on land can easily pay for themselves over the course of several years, although this has nothing to do with why I go metal detecting.
@horseyride said:
In one of the old Piers Anthony books (On A Pale Horse, I believe), someone has a ring that can point the owner to lost money. The catch was that the money found would never add up to the price you paid for the ring. I wonder if that's true for most of the people who get metal detectors -- though it must surely be a kick to find something!
Metal detectors designed for finding gold nuggets usually pay for themselves, and often quite quickly. The same holds true for beach metal detectors used for finding gold jewelry.
Metal detectors used for finding coins on land can easily pay for themselves over the course of several years, although this has nothing to do with why I go metal detecting.
Agree with Bayard. The reasons for metal detecting are many and varied. Exercising in a manner you enjoy and saving you a few trips to the doctor are some great hidden reasons. Plus, you might just get rich!
My results this year were almost identical to last year. I found 26 silver coins, 25 from the U.S and one foreign.
Although I still enjoy metal detecting, this is my third mediocre year in a row for finding silver. The finds break down as follows:
Silver:
1 Barber dime
9 Mercury dimes
11 Silver Roosevelt dimes
4 Silver Washington quarters
A 1930 Irish Florin
A small quantity of silver jewelry
Obsolete non-silver coins:
2 Liberty nickels (including a key date 1886)
1 Buffalo nickel
Approximately 127 Wheat cents
One gold ring
One gold religious medallion
I didn't find any old nickels until the last hunt of the year, and I found those with my favorite Etrac instead of the Etrac that I use with my electric bike. The bike Etrac isn't good at finding nickels for some reason, and I am going to replace it with a different Etrac before my next detecting trip. I can't remember the last time that I found a war nickel.
Most of this year's finds came from rough neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. The best site I discovered this year gave me 9 silver coins. 3 silver coins was the best I did at any other site.
that's a respectable total for the year. How many times did you get out? The 1886 V nickel is a nice bonus too.
I was hoping to get out in January but we actually hit a cold stretch here in New England... might be some time until I can get out again.
@pcgs69 said:
that's a respectable total for the year. How many times did you get out? The 1886 V nickel is a nice bonus too.
I was hoping to get out in January but we actually hit a cold stretch here in New England... might be some time until I can get out again.
Reviewing this thread, it looks like I went detecting 31 times last year. It's negative 13 degrees here today and tomorrow.
The weather was beautiful today, temperatures in the low 40s and sunny. I drove to a site that I haven't visited for several years and took my favorite Etrac. I dug a dateless Standing Liberty quarter, a high condition 1943-P war nickel, three wheat cents, and a deep old Army button.
This was a nice start to the year. I can't remember the last time that I dug either a Standing Liberty quarter or a war nickel.
Not a bad hunt - SLQs are a scarce find. I have Sundays off and every sunday has either been cold, rainy, snowy or a combination of those. Would be nice to get out again at some point.
Well done… SLQs are a great find. I’ve recovered @ 6-7 since I began detecting 3 years ago, with all but one being dateless. That one is dated 1920 and in @ AU condition, found at a 1915-build property @ 2 1/2 yrs ago. Date or no-date… each one is a special find.
Today I drove to a site that I hadn't been to in years. In the past, this site has produced some nice old coins, including the two best Mercury dimes that I've ever dug.
Today I dug a beautiful condition 1923 Mercury dime, a 1900 Liberty nickel, and two wheat cents.
Today I revisited the site where I detected one week ago with my favorite Etrac. This time I brought my Equinox 600, hoping to find some masked coins and old nickels.
I found two Buffalo nickels, a wheat cent, and a huge sterling silver ring. The Buffalo nickels, dated 1924 and 1927, were about 18 inches apart. They were at slightly different depths; so, I'm not sure if they were a coin spill.
The wheat cent was right next to a large nail, easily detected by the Equinox but probably masked to most other detectors.
Today I revisited the site where I successfully detected last Wednesday. I had the greatest day of finding old nickels ever. In addition to finding a 1946-D dime and a wheat cent, I also found a 1911 Liberty nickel and seven Buffalo nickels. I found everything with my Equinox 600.
These are the nickels that I found on February 3rd and 10th. The 1900 Liberty nickel has been fully chemically cleaned. The 1924 and 1927 Buffalo nickels are at an intermediate stage of cleaning and have yet to turn from pink to gray.
@Bayard1908 said:
These are the nickels that I found on February 3rd and 10th. The 1900 Liberty nickel has been fully chemically cleaned. The 1924 and 1927 Buffalo nickels are at an intermediate stage of cleaning and have yet to turn from pink to gray.
Today I went back to the site where I found a bunch of old nickels on Valentine's Day. I was not able to find anything old with my Equinox 600. After a few hours, I switched to my favorite Etrac and found a 1943-S war nickel plus an early wheat cent. After today's difficulties, I think I am going to let that site rest again for a few more years.
These are my Valentine's Day finds. I originally thought the dime was 1946-D; but, it's actually 1946-S. The Liberty nickel is a 1911. I can't read the date on one of the Buffalo nickels; but, the other six range from 1913 (Type 1) to 1923. It's going to take a while to get these all properly cleaned with acid.
@Bayard1908 said:
These are my Valentine's Day finds. I originally thought the dime was 1946-D; but, it's actually 1946-S. The Liberty nickel is a 1911. I can't read the date on one of the Buffalo nickels; but, the other six range from 1913 (Type 1) to 1923. It's going to take a while to get these all properly cleaned with acid.
I started this thread exactly ten years ago. I probably won't go detecting today, although I recently took delivery on a Minelab Manticore that I have yet to use outside.
Please share your feedback on the Manticore. I’ve thought about getting one also. I picked up a EQ900 (which I believe is more similar to the Manticore than an EQ800) about a year ago, but my experience with that machine hasn’t been good - very noisy w/constant chatter that doesn’t tone or notch off, making it very difficult to pick out/focus on potentially good targets.
Yesterday I went to a hard hunted site with the intention of testing out my two most recently acquired detectors: a Minelab Manticore and a Minelab Vanquish 340 fitted with a V12 coil instead of the standard V10 coil.
The Vanquish 340 is similar to the 540 that I already own, although it is missing two significant features, pinpointing and notching. I found that a pinpoint button wasn't really needed. I could easily X the target with 90 degree sweeps to accurately pinpoint it. The lack of notching meant that I had to listen to junk low tones and that I also got high tones for Zincolns. I'm sure that I wasted some time investigating these signals that I have notched out on my 540. Overall though, I didn't think using the 340 was much of a handicap compared to a 440 or 540. I found 3 wheat cents with the 340.
I was on a dealer waitlist to buy a Manticore over a year ago. When my name came to the top of the list, I decided not to buy. I know a detectorist who seems to run hot and cold in this hobby. He will buy a detector, lose interest, sell the detector, then buy another detector and repeat the cycle all over again. I've bought several Etracs from this guy over the years, plus at least one Equinox. Recently he sold me his Manticore for a price that I couldn't resist.
I set up the Manticore using the recommended settings of NASA Tom Dankowski. The Manticore locked onto a number of clad dimes and also found 2 wheat cents. I didn't have any serious problems with iron falsing. I dug up one nail chasing a deep iffy signal. The ergonomics of the Manticore are far superior to the Equinox, which has the arm cuff set too low. I cannot use an Equinox without an arm strap because of this problem. The Manticore was a pleasure to swing by comparison. The telescoping shaft was also a nice convenience.
The Manticore seems like a capable detector; however, I am not amazed by it so far. In contrast, when I began using an Equinox six years ago, I was quickly amazed by its ability to find masked silver on sites that I had hammered previously with my Etrac. After customizing the settings to my preferences, I'll probably try out the Manticore again soon on a real hunt.
I have been given a Whites Spectra V3i, I currently use a AT Pro and a Simplex+ does anyone use the V3i? Is there anything I should look out for, taking it out for the first time today any input would be greatly appreciated
@Conshyboy said:
I have been given a Whites Spectra V3i, I currently use a AT Pro and a Simplex+ does anyone use the V3i? Is there anything I should look out for, taking it out for the first time today any input would be greatly appreciated
The V3i is arguably the most adjustable detector ever made. It's a simultaneous multi-frequency machine. I believe Whites licensed the technology from Minelab. The V3i is a very credible machine, but has a reputation for not going very deep. Prices are fairly strong, especially since Whites went out of business. If I owned a V3i, I would probably sell it and buy an Equinox with the proceeds.
Today I took my Manticore to two formerly good sites that I have cleaned out over the years using my Etracs and Equinox. I wanted to see if the Manticore could find any masked silver that my other detectors had missed. The Manticore didn't find anything old at the first site. At the second site, I found a beautiful condition 1946 quarter and a wheat cent.
The masked silver quarter signal was subtle, definitely not obvious or screaming. The signal was similar to a fringe depth silver signal on the Etrac, although today's 1946 quarter was not especially deep. I think I might keep the Manticore for a while longer.
@CharlotteDude said:
Nice find Bayard. Were you able to determine what was masking the quarter?
I didn't dig out whatever was masking it, don't think it was in the plug. The masking item(s) threw the pinpoint way off. Instead of the coin being in the center of the hole, it was at the 7 or 8 o'clock position.
Looks like you're having some success with the Manticore. I'm on the fence if it's much better than the CTX on land, but on the beach it's definitely deeper.
@pcgs69 said:
Looks like you're having some success with the Manticore. I'm on the fence if it's much better than the CTX on land, but on the beach it's definitely deeper.
The Manticore is doing OK, still not convinced that I am going to keep it. My Equinox 600 will let silver coins and wheat cents squeak through with a choppy signal. In contrast, the Manticore lets rusty nails squeak through with a choppy signal. In that respect, the Manticore is more like a Vanquish than an Equinox 600.
The Manticore might end up replacing my Equinox 600. I seriously doubt that it's going to replace my Etracs though, as long as I have the strength and stamina to swing them.
I have found two silver coins with the Manticore so far. Neither silver signal was very good. Without my years of experience using Minelab detectors, these two signals would have been ignored. In that respect alone, I find the Manticore to be less than amazing. When I first started using the Equinox 600, over six years ago, it gave obvious and compelling signals on masked silver coins, which amazed me at the time.
Comments
After a chemical soak, I can now see that the very worn V nickel from yesterday is a key date, 1886.
Great finds. Finding old silver and nicks is already tough, and finding locations these days that still “hold” treasures like this is even tougher.
These are my Chicago finds from December 17th. Although not a super rare date, this is the first 1935-D Mercury dime that I've dug.
I forgot to mention that on Sunday, I dug a half dollar size aluminum token from about 15 inches deep. The signal was a barely perceptible squeak, consistently repeatable though. The token is political, encouraging people to vote for Peter Hoffman for Cook County Sheriff. Hoffman left office as Sheriff in 1926.
I wonder what else is 15 inches deep at this site, probably lots of silver dimes that can't be heard.
In one of the old Piers Anthony books (On A Pale Horse, I believe), someone has a ring that can point the owner to lost money. The catch was that the money found would never add up to the price you paid for the ring. I wonder if that's true for most of the people who get metal detectors -- though it must surely be a kick to find something!
Metal detectors designed for finding gold nuggets usually pay for themselves, and often quite quickly. The same holds true for beach metal detectors used for finding gold jewelry.
Metal detectors used for finding coins on land can easily pay for themselves over the course of several years, although this has nothing to do with why I go metal detecting.
Agree with Bayard. The reasons for metal detecting are many and varied. Exercising in a manner you enjoy and saving you a few trips to the doctor are some great hidden reasons. Plus, you might just get rich!
My results this year were almost identical to last year. I found 26 silver coins, 25 from the U.S and one foreign.
Although I still enjoy metal detecting, this is my third mediocre year in a row for finding silver. The finds break down as follows:
Silver:
1 Barber dime
9 Mercury dimes
11 Silver Roosevelt dimes
4 Silver Washington quarters
A 1930 Irish Florin
A small quantity of silver jewelry
Obsolete non-silver coins:
2 Liberty nickels (including a key date 1886)
1 Buffalo nickel
Approximately 127 Wheat cents
One gold ring
One gold religious medallion
I didn't find any old nickels until the last hunt of the year, and I found those with my favorite Etrac instead of the Etrac that I use with my electric bike. The bike Etrac isn't good at finding nickels for some reason, and I am going to replace it with a different Etrac before my next detecting trip. I can't remember the last time that I found a war nickel.
Most of this year's finds came from rough neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. The best site I discovered this year gave me 9 silver coins. 3 silver coins was the best I did at any other site.
Love this “Dirt Fishing “
Lafayette Grading Set
These are my Christmas Eve finds. The nickel on the left is 1886.
that's a respectable total for the year. How many times did you get out? The 1886 V nickel is a nice bonus too.
I was hoping to get out in January but we actually hit a cold stretch here in New England... might be some time until I can get out again.
Reviewing this thread, it looks like I went detecting 31 times last year. It's negative 13 degrees here today and tomorrow.
The weather was beautiful today, temperatures in the low 40s and sunny. I drove to a site that I haven't visited for several years and took my favorite Etrac. I dug a dateless Standing Liberty quarter, a high condition 1943-P war nickel, three wheat cents, and a deep old Army button.
This was a nice start to the year. I can't remember the last time that I dug either a Standing Liberty quarter or a war nickel.
Not a bad hunt - SLQs are a scarce find. I have Sundays off and every sunday has either been cold, rainy, snowy or a combination of those. Would be nice to get out again at some point.
Well done… SLQs are a great find. I’ve recovered @ 6-7 since I began detecting 3 years ago, with all but one being dateless. That one is dated 1920 and in @ AU condition, found at a 1915-build property @ 2 1/2 yrs ago. Date or no-date… each one is a special find.
Today I drove to a site that I hadn't been to in years. In the past, this site has produced some nice old coins, including the two best Mercury dimes that I've ever dug.
Today I dug a beautiful condition 1923 Mercury dime, a 1900 Liberty nickel, and two wheat cents.
Nice finds,,, looking forward to seeing pics.
THAT is a lovely Merc!!
Today I revisited the site where I detected one week ago with my favorite Etrac. This time I brought my Equinox 600, hoping to find some masked coins and old nickels.
I found two Buffalo nickels, a wheat cent, and a huge sterling silver ring. The Buffalo nickels, dated 1924 and 1927, were about 18 inches apart. They were at slightly different depths; so, I'm not sure if they were a coin spill.
The wheat cent was right next to a large nail, easily detected by the Equinox but probably masked to most other detectors.
I think this is the heaviest silver ring I've ever found, more than half an ounce.
Great find… THAT is a chunk of ring!
Today I revisited the site where I successfully detected last Wednesday. I had the greatest day of finding old nickels ever. In addition to finding a 1946-D dime and a wheat cent, I also found a 1911 Liberty nickel and seven Buffalo nickels. I found everything with my Equinox 600.
These are the nickels that I found on February 3rd and 10th. The 1900 Liberty nickel has been fully chemically cleaned. The 1924 and 1927 Buffalo nickels are at an intermediate stage of cleaning and have yet to turn from pink to gray.
What did you use on them?
Cheers, and God Bless, CRHer700
wow, that silver ring is a beast.
Today I went back to the site where I found a bunch of old nickels on Valentine's Day. I was not able to find anything old with my Equinox 600. After a few hours, I switched to my favorite Etrac and found a 1943-S war nickel plus an early wheat cent. After today's difficulties, I think I am going to let that site rest again for a few more years.
These are my Valentine's Day finds. I originally thought the dime was 1946-D; but, it's actually 1946-S. The Liberty nickel is a 1911. I can't read the date on one of the Buffalo nickels; but, the other six range from 1913 (Type 1) to 1923. It's going to take a while to get these all properly cleaned with acid.
This 1943-S war nickel was my best find from yesterday. It's time to find a new site.
On Tuesday I went to Chicago and visited my best site from last year. I found a 1946 dime and six wheat cents.
What kind of acid do you use?
Cheers, and God Bless, CRHer700
Phosphoric acid
I believe that I have dug up more 1946 dimes than any other type of silver coin.
I started this thread exactly ten years ago. I probably won't go detecting today, although I recently took delivery on a Minelab Manticore that I have yet to use outside.
Please share your feedback on the Manticore. I’ve thought about getting one also. I picked up a EQ900 (which I believe is more similar to the Manticore than an EQ800) about a year ago, but my experience with that machine hasn’t been good - very noisy w/constant chatter that doesn’t tone or notch off, making it very difficult to pick out/focus on potentially good targets.
Yesterday I went to a hard hunted site with the intention of testing out my two most recently acquired detectors: a Minelab Manticore and a Minelab Vanquish 340 fitted with a V12 coil instead of the standard V10 coil.
The Vanquish 340 is similar to the 540 that I already own, although it is missing two significant features, pinpointing and notching. I found that a pinpoint button wasn't really needed. I could easily X the target with 90 degree sweeps to accurately pinpoint it. The lack of notching meant that I had to listen to junk low tones and that I also got high tones for Zincolns. I'm sure that I wasted some time investigating these signals that I have notched out on my 540. Overall though, I didn't think using the 340 was much of a handicap compared to a 440 or 540. I found 3 wheat cents with the 340.
I was on a dealer waitlist to buy a Manticore over a year ago. When my name came to the top of the list, I decided not to buy. I know a detectorist who seems to run hot and cold in this hobby. He will buy a detector, lose interest, sell the detector, then buy another detector and repeat the cycle all over again. I've bought several Etracs from this guy over the years, plus at least one Equinox. Recently he sold me his Manticore for a price that I couldn't resist.
I set up the Manticore using the recommended settings of NASA Tom Dankowski. The Manticore locked onto a number of clad dimes and also found 2 wheat cents. I didn't have any serious problems with iron falsing. I dug up one nail chasing a deep iffy signal. The ergonomics of the Manticore are far superior to the Equinox, which has the arm cuff set too low. I cannot use an Equinox without an arm strap because of this problem. The Manticore was a pleasure to swing by comparison. The telescoping shaft was also a nice convenience.
The Manticore seems like a capable detector; however, I am not amazed by it so far. In contrast, when I began using an Equinox six years ago, I was quickly amazed by its ability to find masked silver on sites that I had hammered previously with my Etrac. After customizing the settings to my preferences, I'll probably try out the Manticore again soon on a real hunt.
I have been given a Whites Spectra V3i, I currently use a AT Pro and a Simplex+ does anyone use the V3i? Is there anything I should look out for, taking it out for the first time today any input would be greatly appreciated
The V3i is arguably the most adjustable detector ever made. It's a simultaneous multi-frequency machine. I believe Whites licensed the technology from Minelab. The V3i is a very credible machine, but has a reputation for not going very deep. Prices are fairly strong, especially since Whites went out of business. If I owned a V3i, I would probably sell it and buy an Equinox with the proceeds.
Today I took my Manticore to two formerly good sites that I have cleaned out over the years using my Etracs and Equinox. I wanted to see if the Manticore could find any masked silver that my other detectors had missed. The Manticore didn't find anything old at the first site. At the second site, I found a beautiful condition 1946 quarter and a wheat cent.
The masked silver quarter signal was subtle, definitely not obvious or screaming. The signal was similar to a fringe depth silver signal on the Etrac, although today's 1946 quarter was not especially deep. I think I might keep the Manticore for a while longer.
Nice find Bayard. Were you able to determine what was masking the quarter?
I didn't dig out whatever was masking it, don't think it was in the plug. The masking item(s) threw the pinpoint way off. Instead of the coin being in the center of the hole, it was at the 7 or 8 o'clock position.
Today I took my Manticore back to the hard hunted site where I went just over a month ago. This time I managed to find a 1942 Mercury dime.
Good to see the Manticore is yielding good finds in a well-hunted area. Love finding Mercs… can you share a pic?
Looks like you're having some success with the Manticore. I'm on the fence if it's much better than the CTX on land, but on the beach it's definitely deeper.
The Manticore is doing OK, still not convinced that I am going to keep it. My Equinox 600 will let silver coins and wheat cents squeak through with a choppy signal. In contrast, the Manticore lets rusty nails squeak through with a choppy signal. In that respect, the Manticore is more like a Vanquish than an Equinox 600.
The Manticore might end up replacing my Equinox 600. I seriously doubt that it's going to replace my Etracs though, as long as I have the strength and stamina to swing them.
I have found two silver coins with the Manticore so far. Neither silver signal was very good. Without my years of experience using Minelab detectors, these two signals would have been ignored. In that respect alone, I find the Manticore to be less than amazing. When I first started using the Equinox 600, over six years ago, it gave obvious and compelling signals on masked silver coins, which amazed me at the time.
Very nice!