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deFRAGer  
Posted : Saturday, 12 April 2014 11:19:49 PM(UTC)
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Hi guys, brand new to metal detecting (started a couple of days ago) bought an F4, thought I would make a thread to start posting some of my finds - assuming they continue!

Decided to test it out / learn in my (small) back yard, and in about 15 minutes I dug up these:



and



along with some bits of broken pipe and some other unidentified pieces of metal.

Not sure what I should do with coins? Should I clean them? As they are in the photos is how I dug them up, with some of the dirt removed, should I just do this a bit more?

deFRAGer
Fisher F4 / Garrett Pro-Pointer / Lesche Dig Tool | 2014 Totals: Silver coins: 9 / Spending: $7
goldhanded  
Posted : Sunday, 13 April 2014 12:45:42 AM(UTC)
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Nice one mate,I'd suggest just give them a light clean in water for now (so you can admire your new treasure )and see what feedback you get from the forum,don't wash them with any cleaning product anyway,can cause them to lose value,I'm sure you will get some good advice on what to do,congrats on a good start!
nzpoohbear40  
Posted : Sunday, 13 April 2014 9:16:48 AM(UTC)
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If the silvers are a none real valuble ones then I would say soak then in cloudy ammonia for about 5 or 10 minutes....it shines them up nicely ..I think that is what most of us use to clean our silvers....for the pennys and what not like that..soak them in olive oil for a week or two.or even longer if needed to clean them up a bit.
Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/
nzpoohbear40  
Posted : Sunday, 13 April 2014 9:16:58 AM(UTC)
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If the silvers are a none real valuble ones then I would say soak then in cloudy ammonia for about 5 or 10 minutes....it shines them up nicely ..I think that is what most of us use to clean our silvers....for the pennys and what not like that..soak them in olive oil for a week or two.or even longer if needed to clean them up a bit.
Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/
creamer  
Posted : Wednesday, 16 April 2014 8:42:58 AM(UTC)
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Hi there Defrager, a couple of of top first finds there. Not easy to come by those two items.
Water with a scrub from a tooth brush is a good way to start with pennies. And yip, soak the silver in cloudy ammonia for a bit then a light scrub. Not too hard as silver scratches easily. Good luck out there.

.
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deFRAGer  
Posted : Wednesday, 16 April 2014 10:40:56 AM(UTC)
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Thanks guys for your comments! I will buy some cloudy ammonia, and I am trying the olive oil trick currently.

I have done a tiny bit more metal detecting, and it became apparent that I will need a pin pointer, so I bought a pro pointer off amazon, just to have my order cancelled! Anyway I have reordered, and this time I am using YouShop who will forward it to me in NZ. Hopefully it gets here soon!

Edited by user Thursday, 17 April 2014 1:27:00 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Fisher F4 / Garrett Pro-Pointer / Lesche Dig Tool | 2014 Totals: Silver coins: 9 / Spending: $7
Iggyrulz  
Posted : Thursday, 17 April 2014 12:08:27 AM(UTC)
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Great finds and well done. I had to laugh when you mentioned the cancelled order on the Pro Pointer, had the same drama when I ordered mine. You will be sweet with You Shop and you will love the pointer. Keep up the posts.
Iggy
rgmcbrid  
Posted : Thursday, 17 April 2014 3:58:12 PM(UTC)
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It does not have to be cloudy ammonia, regular ammonia is fine, it is just that cloudy ammonia (ammonia with soap in it) is what you typically find at the shops.
PavelNew  
Posted : Thursday, 17 April 2014 10:00:31 PM(UTC)
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I brush my silver coins with lemon juice, or liquid ammonia.
deFRAGer  
Posted : Monday, 21 April 2014 7:59:36 PM(UTC)
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Hi Guys,

Nothing really exciting today, spent about an hour searching, still waiting on the pro pointer (Public holidays)...

I found a 1933 NZ Florin:



And I have also found a 1947 Florin which I accidentally put in the cloudy ammonia and ruined - oh well, should have checked and made sure I was putting the right one in! It now looks very orange.

I am finding a lot of 1 & 2 cent pieces, and some NZ pennies, which I am guessing are not worth much especially as the condition I am pulling them up from the ground isn't that great - Should I just chuck them out? Most of them I can only tell they are 1 or 2 cents by the size.

I also found my first (spendable) money - $2!
Fisher F4 / Garrett Pro-Pointer / Lesche Dig Tool | 2014 Totals: Silver coins: 9 / Spending: $7
mickey  
Posted : Monday, 21 April 2014 9:25:17 PM(UTC)
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hi deFRAGer,
my two cents stacked onto your interesting post.

please be excited about the 1933 florin you found today,
that's a great find fella, well done.
we will all go detecting without a solid 'wop' like that.

cleaning coins!
well, it's always good to know the era of the find in the field,
so, if you must, give it a spit laden VERY SOFT rub between your fingers,
to try and see the king/queen head, or better still, the date,
but leave it at that, and don't get too worried if it's unreadable.

once the coin is home,
the only thing you should be throwing at it is a NYLON brush.
remember, the coin has been sitting perfectly fine for 100 years in the soil.
it hasn't been subjected to = ammonia/ lemon juice/ etc.

leave your finds alone mate,
it's a dirty thing

regards
mickey









mickey ** XP-DEUS Distributor (NZ) ** http://www.xpdeus.co.nz/
coinnut  
Posted : Tuesday, 22 April 2014 10:17:10 AM(UTC)
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Hey deFRAGer you've had a pretty awesome start to your detectin career!! It can take ages to find your first half crown & florin so well done. As for the 1s,2s & penny's etc I just seperate them into ice cream containers, there are different dates & varieties/errors to look out for, The old decimal coins can be handed into the reserve bank for either face or half value, can't remember & the remainder will have a scrap value so don't throw them out!!
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deFRAGer  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 6:49:49 PM(UTC)
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Finally got my pro pointer today, and metal detected until my cheap 9v batteries died on me.

Found this stuff:



Unknown / undated stuff (if you know what this is, let me know):



Really love the pro pointer, covering way more ground! I taped over the speaker hole, and I am glad I did because the whole pointer got covered in mud by the end of the day.

I am having a little bit of trouble with the F4 however, 90% of the time it is fine, and 10% of the time it decides to go all freaky and beep away (all the beeps), even when the detector is not moving... If any one has had this, and knows how to fix it :-)
Fisher F4 / Garrett Pro-Pointer / Lesche Dig Tool | 2014 Totals: Silver coins: 9 / Spending: $7
roy1954  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 7:39:02 PM(UTC)
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silver coin is a standing britania florin somewhere around 1905 ,give the other coin a clean iam sure ive seen one before but no matches are coming to mind.
coinnut  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 7:58:12 PM(UTC)
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Wow you've found a Edward VII florin (two shillings)!! I still haven't found one yet, the date is easily worn off in this series but will be between 1902 - 1910 with the 05 being the rarest, awesome find man...are you hunting in hagley? I had a F4 and absolutely luved it but yeah sometimes it is prone to interference, try lowering the sensitivity or moving away from the immediate area.
Fisher F70 + X-Pointer
Metal Kiwi  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 8:11:48 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: deFRAGer Go to Quoted Post
Finally got my pro pointer today, and metal detected until my cheap 9v batteries died on me.

Found this stuff:



Unknown / undated stuff (if you know what this is, let me know):



Really love the pro pointer, covering way more ground! I taped over the speaker hole, and I am glad I did because the whole pointer got covered in mud by the end of the day.

I am having a little bit of trouble with the F4 however, 90% of the time it is fine, and 10% of the time it decides to go all freaky and beep away (all the beeps), even when the detector is not moving... If any one has had this, and knows how to fix it :-)


Has this started since you got your new pro pointer by any chance?

MK


deFRAGer  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 8:20:23 PM(UTC)
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Hi Guys,

No the beeping and crazy-ness started from before I got it. It keeps beeping and showing random numbers on the screen even when I hold it up in the air away from the ground and any metal, as I said, most of the time it is rock solid, and only beeps when it detects something (even when on full sensitivity)... I may have to take a video. Usually this crazyness seems to last about 30 seconds?? If I turn the detector on / off, it keeps doing it. It did this when I was at the beach, and in a field, away from any RF. The field is really good non-junky ground with only good targets in it (ratio to coins to junk is about 3 coins 1 junk).

Roy -

More photos:



Seems to be some kind of badly dented locket? It is covered in that white stuff, it could be an oxide lay though, and not paint, not really sure. I don't want to clean it any more in case I damage it, it is very soft metal, very shiny when I nicked it with the trowel. As you can see from the photos it seems to have a catch on it (at the top).

Edit: No, not hunting at hagley, I have heard that it is been over 100 times already. Have found a nice place that I intend to fully hunt :-)

Edited by user Wednesday, 23 April 2014 8:26:43 PM(UTC)  | Reason: stuff

Fisher F4 / Garrett Pro-Pointer / Lesche Dig Tool | 2014 Totals: Silver coins: 9 / Spending: $7
coinnut  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 8:56:46 PM(UTC)
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The round white thing is probably a lead post office seal, yeah I had exactly the same thing with my F4.....would usually do it in the same places, the worst place for me was by the sale yards in sth hagley. Pretty sure there's nothing wrong with it but give it a good dry out.....chuck it in the hot water cupboard for a day or so, also I used to tape over the speaker & headphone plug holes to keep out any moisture.
Fisher F70 + X-Pointer
Iggyrulz  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 9:45:44 PM(UTC)
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As mentioned above Defrag don't be sad, you have some sweet finds there. I have had a bit of trouble with my F4 around electric fences, it just goes mental around them, and yes the sensitivity may be a bit high. I find it helps to drop the sensitivity a little if I am getting false signals especially at the ends of the swing.

Good luck out there.
deFRAGer  
Posted : Wednesday, 23 April 2014 9:51:44 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Iggyrulz Go to Quoted Post
As mentioned above Defrag don't be sad, you have some sweet finds there. I have had a bit of trouble with my F4 around electric fences, it just goes mental around them, and yes the sensitivity may be a bit high. I find it helps to drop the sensitivity a little if I am getting false signals especially at the ends of the swing.

Good luck out there.


Thanks

I know what the false blips at the end of the swing sound like, but my problem is different, and seems to happen randomly. Also, no electric fences (or any fences). I am thinking maybe it has to do with the coil 'detecting' the coil cable?
Fisher F4 / Garrett Pro-Pointer / Lesche Dig Tool | 2014 Totals: Silver coins: 9 / Spending: $7
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