Relic or Coin Depth

[Nhill]

What determines how deep an object will sink over the years? I understand that weight and age are the main determiners, but is there a certin point that an object will stop sinking? Will things go thru the topsoil, then stop at the clay? Does anyone know the actual process and variables of this?

 

[Physiksgeek]

Newtonian physiks dictate that F=ma......sorry, could not resist.

Awful lot of variables to that question but I bet someone has a great "rule of thumb" to give you.

 

[Nhill]

I would think that a physics geek would know the answer.

 

[Crow Terminator]

There ain't one that I know of.

I've been in sites that hadn't been tampered with (via plow or whatever) and found Civil War bullets laying on top of the ground and dug modern shotgun shells at 4-6 inches. Those bullets have been there nearly 150 years and weigh around an ounce. Of course you know what a shotgun shell hull weighs, close to nothing.

In gold prospecting in creeks you go to the bed rock or the clay layer where things can't sink any more to find most of the bigger gold. In relic and coin hunting...heck I don't know. I've dug bullets 12-15 inches deep and found them on top of the ground. I found an 1883 Indian Head penny in an old park one time that was on top of the ground, and then later on I was digging modern memorial pennies and wheat cents from the 1950s from 4-6 inches deep.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

Objects don't so much sink as get covered up .There are way too many conditions and varibles to give one set #. Crow covered the subject pretty good.To add just alittle.Objects in loose soil can perkulate,come to the surface during wet weather.I've been to sites that have been gone over several times and found metal artifacts and arrowheads on or close to the surface.

 

[Anonymous]

Objects don't so much sink as get covered up .There are way too many conditions and varibles to give one set #. Crow covered the subject pretty good.To add just alittle.Objects in loose soil can perkulate,come to the surface during wet weather.I've been to sites that have been gone over several times and found metal artifacts and arrowheads on or close to the surface.

just what i was going to say, plus this has been a good spring, with all the rain we have had

 

[Nhill]

I think I got the answers I was looking for. Thanks guys.

 

[Crow Terminator]

Yeah and don't forget the freezing and thawing action during the winter, that can also push things to the surface.

To be honest...and this is gonna sound REALLY crazy. But here goes. Some of my relic sites I have hunted for years, I now use as test areas. Just those spots you go to when you get a new machine to get a feel for it and try to find something you've missed. When you find something in a place like this, it is a major accomplishment. Well here goes the crazy part. On certain moon phases I've had REALLY good luck at finding stuff in places like this. The full moon phase especially. I don't know if it has anything to do with some kind of electrical deal that makes the detector more sensitive, or if it pushes things closer to the surface or what. I've literally dug signals that turned into relics out of my own boot tracks in areas totally VOID of signals of any kind a week or month before. A bullet or two and you could say that I just missed them. But I've gone into one site in particular and dug over 10 of 'em and then some in such an area. Weird stuff.

 

[LadyMarlin]

My son told me the other day, that go at least four inches down and that will cover most metal objects.
how he came up with that I dunno, but the boy has been teaching me a bunch he is gettin from his schoolin.

My hubby found a gold/ruby ring just under the surface of the soil not too long ago. Working on an old building, replacing some of the foundation blocks.
That sucker fits my little finger like a charm, after it got a good cleaning.
no tellin how old it is, nor how long it had been there.