New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

the same bodily function happens on other body parts to.....

lol

Sometimes. Keep an eye out for any low points on the beach (cuts, ripple troughs, darker or harder sand) and also any signs of erosion. These are potential gold mines. Browse back through this forum for tips on beach hunting to give you some ideas. The wet sand and in the water itself is normally much better then the dry because in the water is where most people loose jewelry and the sand is constantly moving thus exposing new finds. But you have to learn how to read your local beach to know where and when is the best time to hunt it.

Gotta use that waterproof AT Pro to its full potential!

Dont forget the high tide line, plenty of finds there if the sand is not too deep. If unaccesable, hit the low tide line for a buzz.

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Edited by user Wednesday, 25 September 2013 9:59:23 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Double up of post

The sov is a 1958 one so not that old, but on the same beach and day I also found a 1844 1/2 crown (different washout) and my oldest coin a 1806 penny was also found on a beach at a different time. These were from Waiheke Island which was populated in the 1840's - 1860's, so any beach close to a town of age would hold the same. Like nowadays the old timers also flocked to the beach to enjoy them on summer days to have picnics etc. When coins are buried deep in beach sand they are in an anaerobic conditions and since there is no oxygen they don't readily corrode despite the salt content of the sand. Its the shallow coins that corrode fast so if they are buried quickly after being dropped they can be in better condition then dirt finds. Of course the sov wouldn't corrode anyway being gold. In very deep cuts and spots of erosion the sand you dig up smells foul (anaerobic).

By the way the sov rings up exactly the same as an old 20c coin on the AT Pro, in fact that I was sure I was digging one up until I saw the glint of gold. So never ever ignore a 20c signal! :)

the gold i found the other day gave a 65/66 on ATpro!

Sounds like there might have been some black or mineralised sand around? The AT Pro works great with salt but falls over with mineralisation (this is where the AT Gold wins but it can't handle salt). Normally with mineralised sand my (old) AT Pro worked on the dry just fine but wouldn't GB on the wet.

All beaches are different in how much black sand they have, you could try manually setting the GB and changing the frequency might also help a little bit. But if it still plays up then it might mean changing beaches. At least you don't live in an area where they mine the sand for iron ore just up the road like I do! :)

You should get better GB on the pebble beaches as there shouldn't be so much black sand around. Same things apply as for sand - look for low points i.e. cuts, washouts or just a spot that is lower then the surrounding areas. Also like sand try to avoid any areas with a lot of seaweed or floatsom about since these are spots that are building up.

By the way if you do plan on hitting the pebbles then I recommend either getting a coil cover else coat the bottom of the coil with Plasti-Dip or spray on tape. These are available at Bunnings in the electrical department. Although the coil is solid epoxy it can still wear thus coating it will avoid any damage.

Andy - Plasti-Dip is whats on the bottom of yours, might need renewing every 6 months with that pumice sand.