Where are the nickels?

MasonDixonMding

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I was reading a recent post and one of the things that where found was a shield nickel. This made me realized I have not found a single nickel by its self. I found dozens of Jefferson’s a Buffalo and a v nickel but all with other coins. I hunt mostly old house and I dig any signal that repeats. Does anyone have this problem?
 
This is odd. Nickels are out there and I’ve found plenty by themselves. Old homesites often have a lot of trash. I find that I typically get tired of digging trash that registers in the nickel range and just stop digging them. Are you certain you’re digging all repeatable signals?
 
I dig anything above iron. I found lots of trash two gold rings many 22 shell lots of thing in the low numbers. I use no disc. Not sure what is going on maybe just bad luck? I’m not complaining I have found a lot of amazing stuff just realized that the nickels are alluding me.
 
I find nickels by cherry picking the exact VDI the nickel is supposed to be, on any machine I use. That makes a tight VDI range, and I surely miss odd nickels and some gold rings, but I find it simpler and more relaxing to just dig a solid 13 on the Equinox, as an example. Most all detectors have one sweet VDI number. I simply use that number, and walk past a ton of pull tabs and beavertails, and surely some actual good nickels too. Anyway, that is my way.
 
I found more with my old Tesoro beep and dig Mojave than my Equinox. Unless I am in a park or school the nickel-ish signals are almost never nickels and sometimes I don't dig them.
 
It has become apparent to me that if you want to dig nickels, you have to dig trash along with them. Over the past 3 years I have dug at least 1000 nickels using my Equinox. Only a handful of times were they part of a spill consisting of other coins. But I am also sure I have dug at least 3X as many pulltabs, beavertails and bits of can slaw masquerading as nickels. As I go back over sites I have hunted in the past, I am digging almost every deep non ferrous signal, even if they are faint or inconsistent. That focus has rewarded me with 5 V nickels, the oldest being an 1884, and 15 Buffalos this year, all except 1 in places I have hunted extensively prior. One would think a war nickel would show up now and again but I have only dug 1 this year and maybe 8 in total ever. The lone war nickel this year was at the edge of detectable depth and rang up a faint but repeatable 17-18. It air tests the same. One of these days that deep "nickel" is going to be a golden surprise.
 
If you're digging every signal above iron and finding .22 shells you should be detecting nickels too. They are larger than dimes and pennies and you usually don't get many when you get change back from a purchase so I don't think as many get lost. But I do find them.
 
I've found plenty of Jefferson's, a couple of V's, a handful of war nickels but it took me over 4 years to find my first buff. My kid would tick me off and come home from work and hand me buffs he got working the register at Walgreens a few years back but for the life of me I couldn't find one on my own. Have yet to find a SLQ. Just weird how some things happen.
 
It was the oddest thing at one beach hunt this past summer. I happened across a nickel spill, at least a rolls worth, spread out about 15ft. Nothing but nickels & solid 13 beeps. Would have preferred quarters but will take a pocket full of nickels any time.
 
Nickle's are gone, by people seeking gold!

Not true, around here mid-tones are pretty much the only signals left. The high conductor targets are long gone in the parks I hunt in. In 2019 I dug 453 nickels 20 was a bad year all around with only 157 and this year I'm well over 200. Maybe on the beach but definitely not in the parks. Mark
 
Not true, around here mid-tones are pretty much the only signals left. The high conductor targets are long gone in the parks I hunt in. In 2019 I dug 453 nickels 20 was a bad year all around with only 157 and this year I'm well over 200. Maybe on the beach but definitely not in the parks. Mark

SEE

The OP asked this question in 2021! L@@K how many you took out alone!
 
I was reading a recent post and one of the things that where found was a shield nickel. This made me realized I have not found a single nickel by its self. I found dozens of Jefferson’s a Buffalo and a v nickel but all with other coins. I hunt mostly old house and I dig any signal that repeats. Does anyone have this problem?

If your digging mid-tones the nickels should be there. When I use an AT Pro if i remember nickels came in anywhere from 48 to 52 and didn't dig alot of them because I was new to the hobby and more inclined to chase high tones. With the etrac nickels would read 12-12 or 12-13 and I started to dig those signals hoping for gold, well I did find a bunch of nickels. And then with the Equinox it started slamming nickels. You didn't mention what rig your using, maybe slow down a little and give those mid-tones a chance to lock on. Good luck, Mark
 
I find nickels by cherry picking the exact VDI the nickel is supposed to be, on any machine I use. That makes a tight VDI range, and I surely miss odd nickels and some gold rings, but I find it simpler and more relaxing to just dig a solid 13 on the Equinox, as an example. Most all detectors have one sweet VDI number. I simply use that number, and walk past a ton of pull tabs and beavertails, and surely some actual good nickels too. Anyway, that is my way.

Great post here.
 
Nice to see a thread dedicated to nickels! I am lucky that I have gotten to hunt numerous times with markinswpa and I can attest to his nickel prowess. I love my 600 but hunting with Mark has certainly shown me where the 800 has an advantage over the 600 in its settings. Being able to create a tone bank specifically for nickels really makes a difference especially when you are hunting old parks in areas laden with low to mid conductor trash. There is no doubt I am missing some of them. I know passing up nickels for some is probably not a huge concern, but if you are looking for every possible advantage that will help you pull more good targets from the ground I think this is certainly one option to consider. If I had to replace the 600 tomorrow I'd buy an 800 in a minute just for this very reason. Just my personal experience.
 
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