Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| Selection of Tokens Used in Experiment. |
As I mentioned not too long ago, I took my Equinox detector down to a very trashy spot along the Indian River Lagoon and started picking through the trash. There is so much trash that it is very difficult to metal detect there at all. If I was conducting a serious hunt there, I would do some site preparation and remove a lot of the trash, but picking through the trash provided a couple of benefits. I learned more about the detector and especially the conductivity numbers by going over so many different types of targets and so much trash.
The conductivity numbers aren't of much use when you have a great hot spot - you just dig every target. But if you are trying to pick through trash and don't have much time, or you have some type of physical problem or limitation, you might want to do whatever you can to make the best use of your time and energy. You probably know that I generally recommend digging everything (I won't get into all of that again now), but there can be times when it pays to discriminate.
I know the common conductivity numbers for most common coins as well as silver cobs, so I decided to experiment with a category of targets that are similar to coins, but not exactly the same. I selected the tokens shown above from a bag of found tokens for the experiment. The sample included (left to right and top to bottom) the following tokens: Time Out, Cloverleaf, Ice Machine, Say No To Drugs, Chuckie Cheese, Parking, Race O Rama, Cine Mark, Zone, Metro Transit, Garden State Turnpike, and Broad Causeway.
Here are the conductivity numbers I got for the test targets listed in the same order - 26, 22, 22, 22, 24, 24, 22, 23, 22, 21, 14 and 19. Of course there was some variability. Not all the numbers were rock solid. But that is a fairly small range considering the differences in size and metallic composition of the tokens. The largest token gave the highest number, but it also seemed to be made of a lighter metal. The smallest token did not give the smallest conductivity number, although it did give the second lowest conductivity number. Nearly eight percent of the tokens fell within the range of 21 - 24, which is a small range, and all of the tokens resulted in numbers ranging from 14 to 26.
I can think of a larger token that I could have and perhaps should have have tested. I bet it would have produced a higher number. Maybe I'll do that.
The range of good targets that you can encounter in the field is huge. Gold rings can produce anything from single digits to very high numbers. The gold ring numbers overlap with the numbers produced for coins, silver cobs and tokens. Overall, I find the conductivity numbers somewhat useful in some situations, but when I want to make sure I don't miss anything that might be good, they are of little use. If you are searching for a specific item or specific category of items, the conductivity numbers can be helpful.
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I didn't know the silver coin cleaning topic would run on for so long. I've personally used the procedure described by Bill P. for a long time with excellent results, but there are some little tweaks that people sometimes make.
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A Coin Cleaned By The Muriatic Acid
Photo by JamminJack.
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JamminJack said electrolysis wasn't working well on the coin shown above, but the Muriatic acid did the job.
Like with electrolysis there are a lot of little differences in how people use the Muriatic acid . Containers are one thing that people play with.
JamminJack said The best way I found was getting a wood clothespin and clip on edge of coin. Lay it in container so you can retrieve and stir the coin.
I often use the top of a spray paint container, as shown below.
Top of Spray Paint Can
For Cleaning Coins With Muriatic Acid.
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There are some things I like about using a spray paint can top. One is the small inner cup. If you have one or two half reales, just fill the small inner compartment. You normally don't need any more acid than is necessary to cover the coin - at least to start. No sense using a lot of it when you don't need it.
The inner cup also allows you to separate items if you are doing more than one. That can be important if you are not absolutely certain of the metallic composition of one of the items and want to keep it separate.
But the thing I like most is you can lean the coins against the walls so that every surface of the coin is exposed to the acid. I've just always found that type of container available, disposable and convenient. I have a pair of needle nose pliers with rubber coated tips that I sometime use to remove the coins, but it is just as easy to pour the acid into another cup, and then rinse the coins before removing them. The same acid can be poured right back into the cap if you want to continue the acid immersion and don't need to change the acid.
But the thing I like most is you can lean the coins against the walls so that every surface of the coin is exposed to the acid. I've just always found that type of container available, disposable and convenient. I have a pair of needle nose pliers with rubber coated tips that I sometime use to remove the coins, but it is just as easy to pour the acid into another cup, and then rinse the coins before removing them. The same acid can be poured right back into the cap if you want to continue the acid immersion and don't need to change the acid.
JamminJack said, The best way I found was getting a wood clothespin and clip on edge of coin. Lay it in container so you can retrieve and stir the coin.
Good idea.
I'll just add one or two more thoughts on this topic today.
Below is a closeup view of an acid-cleaned four-reale. I just began use of a baking soda paste but hadn't done much of it, maybe rubbing just a very few times before taking the photo.
If you look at the high (shiny) surfaces you can actually see the direction of my last swipe. It is most clear on the finger just below center pointing right. The stroke was top to bottom or bottom to top. You can see the streaks of some of the soda paste that I hadn't wiped off.
Below is a closeup view of an acid-cleaned four-reale. I just began use of a baking soda paste but hadn't done much of it, maybe rubbing just a very few times before taking the photo.
If you look at the high (shiny) surfaces you can actually see the direction of my last swipe. It is most clear on the finger just below center pointing right. The stroke was top to bottom or bottom to top. You can see the streaks of some of the soda paste that I hadn't wiped off.
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| Closeup of Surface Of Silver Reale After Acid Cleaning and A Little Rubbing With Baking Soda Paste. |
You might think of it as a good thing or a bad thing, depending upon how you want your coin to look, but when you rub the coin with a baking soda paste, the most pressure will obviously be applied to the raised areas. You might like that because it creates a shinier surface on the high spots and brings out the details more.
One thing I very recently discovered is that by covering the coin in a baking soda paste wrapped in aluminum foil and leaving it overnight (which I did by accident), the brightening was more uniform than when it was rubbed. I was impressed by how well that worked, but it is up to you if you like that better or not.
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I've been looking for pictures of centuries old screws. Anyone know where I can find some photos?
One thing I very recently discovered is that by covering the coin in a baking soda paste wrapped in aluminum foil and leaving it overnight (which I did by accident), the brightening was more uniform than when it was rubbed. I was impressed by how well that worked, but it is up to you if you like that better or not.
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I've been looking for pictures of centuries old screws. Anyone know where I can find some photos?
Have you noticed that on the Yes To The Dress program that the popular mermaid style dresses often look more like manatee style dresses when they try them on?
It looks like nothing but 2 - 3 foot surf on the Treasure Coast beaches for a few more days.
Be well,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
Be well,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net