Just joined this forum, have some newbie questions:/

[BaconStrip01]

Hello everyone! My name is Casey. I just joined this forum a few minutes ago. I have never been metal detecting before but have recently become very interested in it. I've always loved finding things while walking around. My mom calls me the eagle eye because I'm always finding change and stuff people have dropped on the ground! I need a new hobby, so I have decided to pick myself up a metal detector! Within a couple of weeks I will have ordered my first metal detector! I'm SOOO excited! I cant wait. I still have to save up a little bit more money until I can buy one. After reading a bunch of threads on this forum about which metal detector I should get being a beginner, I've decided I'm going to buy a Fisher F2.

Anyways one thing I see a lot of people taking about that is confusing me is the names of these coins you guys are finding. I keep hearing words like clad, and zinc penny, and wheatie penny, and all sorts off different dimes, like merc? and memorial? and silver coins, indian heads etc. Its very confusing

So if someone could explain all of these coin you guys are talking about that would be great!

Thanks!

p.s. sorry for the noob question.. oh, and dont worry there will be many more to come!!


I CANT WAIT TO GET MY METAL DETECTOR!!!!

 

[LIBear]

Welcome to the forum from Long Island NY.
If you look in General Hobby Discussion ( 1st post ) there is a whole list of Metal Detecting Lingo / Terms.
Here are some of the terms you asked about.

clad - any US coin that is "sandwiched" with alloys of different metals.
merc - mercury dime
rosie - silver roosevelt dime
wheatie - wheat back cent
injun - indian head cent
IH - indian head cent
Walker - Walking Liberty Half Dollar
cartwheel - silver dollar
mint mark - a special mark placed on coins to let you know where or who made it.

 

[slider]

First of all welcome to the forum. Hope you get your MDer soon. Best of luck to you. slider.... Panama Central America.

 

[robby4570]

Welcome aboard from NW Florida!!​

 

[Briman05]

welcome to the forum a zinc penny is a penny made after 1982 a memorial penny is the penny with the lincoln memorial on the back made from 1959 to 1982 when they started making them with zinc

 

[copperpenny]

Welcome from SoCal, HH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bergie]

Welcome from WV. HH

 

[HighFlyer]

In 1982 they made both zinc and copper pennies. The only way to tell the difference for certain is by weight. Copper pennies weigh more. You can make a simple little teeter-totter scale with a popsicle stick to help you separate your 1982 pennies into zinc and copper piles... if you're into that sort of thing (I sort them).

Other ways you can tell: zinc pennies will corrode badly over time.. copper pennies get crusty and turn funny colors but don't really corrode like zinc ones do. You'll find zinc pennies that look like they've had bites taken out of them. Some people call them "toasted" when they are all chewed up like that.

Also, the conductivity between the two types of pennies is different, so many detectors can tell you if you have a copper or zinc penny with pretty good accuracy.

Happy hunting!

 

[Skwerly]

Myself, like many others, went with the Fisher F2. There’s a terribly big long thread about it here started by respected member DIGGER27, and it alone convinced me it was a great machine.

Terribly big long thread here

After I got mine and used it a while, I wrote my own glowing review for Yahoo. Although the Fisher F2 is considered a beginner detector, it can *definitely* find the good stuff. DIGGER27 has a whole slew of gold rings nabbed by his F2, and I found a 1944 Walking Liberty half dollar at a ball park.

My glowing review on Yahoo here

You've chosen a GREAT machine, there; you are going to love it. Keep us posted on your finds!

 

[soughtseven1035]

No other hobby in the world will have you so excited over a quarter. Have fun out there!

 

[fogcity]

Welcome to the forum from Overland Park, Kansas !!!

 

[Diggin Funatic]

Welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy your F2 as much my family does ours. I would recommend that you purchase "The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins" which identifies and gives collector values for every type of US coin made. (The 'Blue Book' gives dealer prices for the coins). The Red Book can be found at most bookstores, or if you have a Hobby Lobby nearby I believe you can use their %40 off coupon to purchase the book if available. At the least check your local library, I'm sure they have a copy there you can study. Let us know how your first outing with the F2 goes. Happy Hunting!

 

[poppoplou]

Welcome from Long Island, New York,

 

[BaconStrip01]

Thanks!

Wow! This forum is awesome I want to thank all of you for your quick responses and the information you gave me. I can tell this forum is full of lots of people who are willing to help anyone who is in need.

Thanks again! I will hopefully get enough money soon for a metal detector, and I will be sure to keep you posted on my first hunt!

P.S. All donations for a detector are welcome!!

 

[JWalker3]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Skwerly]

Wow! This forum is awesome I want to thank all of you for your quick responses and the information you gave me. I can tell this forum is full of lots of people who are willing to help anyone who is in need.

Thanks again! I will hopefully get enough money soon for a metal detector, and I will be sure to keep you posted on my first hunt!

P.S. All donations for a detector are welcome!!

hahahahaha! i hear you, there.

 

[outlawdetector]

Welcome to the forum from Mililani Hawaii ,Aloha & HH