CTX addiction

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George III Half penny short hair is 29 mm and 9.5 grams proclamation coin used in the early 1800's could easily found it's way to Melbourne.
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cheers db
 
just wish I could get some number or letters off the coin... but you're correct Deepblue it would only have to be in circulation for something like 30-40 years then it could be dropped a couple of kms from the GPO.
 
I agree Silver - some people on this forum seem to be florin magnets ;)
I just hope to find a pre 1945 florin so I can have a sterling silver ring made out of it. I have 2 florins, one from a beach and the other near central Melbourne but both are 1947s!
 
Robert Le Mal said:
I agree Silver - some people on this forum seem to be florin magnets ;)
I just hope to find a pre 1945 florin so I can have a sterling silver ring made out of it. I have 2 florins, one from a beach and the other near central Melbourne but both are 1947s!
I hope you get that florin a lot sooner than you think Robert. ;)
 
Robert Le Mal said:
tried a different corner of the army camp I've hunted a fair bit, again trying to concentrate on gates and paths - this part has a lot more trees and grass so it's hard to see where the tracks were. Also a lot more modern rubbish in the ground.
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/2546/1440993944_30_aug_2015.jpg

With your Copper/Bronze Coins DO NOT get them wet, Instead soak them in a Tray covering them In Olive Oil for about 5 or 6 hours or more and then take them out and gently wipe the oil off them and that will help preserve the finish and make some if the letters stand out, but never get them wet with water or all of the detail will peel off with the junk, ok

On the Copper coins with dirt on them and very little corrosion, After they have soaked in the oil use a soft tooth brush and gently wipe the dirt away, DON'T Scrub them with it and then put them back In the oil for a minute and then wipe off the excess with a soft cloth and they will come up looking good,

good luck,, john
 
Robert Le Mal said:
Goldpick - you already have 2? I don't feel so special anymore :(

Ridge Runner - havent used olive oil before but will on stuff that looks old from now on. Thank you for the advice.

Any coin that pre-dates Melbourne, SA or Adelaide settlement is pretty special in my book. The first George III hp I found had a square nail hole through it, and was most likely tacked onto a front gate as a good luck charm (Irish), so sometimes they turn up in the strangest of places. :)
 
Mcurban (aka Andrew) on this forum is getting a CTX this Saturday, and no doubt he is counting the hours until he is standing at the store counter with said detector in his grubby little hands. I salute him by the way.
So he's asked for some tips on the CTX and since I haven't used it for some weeks I thought I should take it for a spin at Altona beach.

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Altona beach - 38 US one cent pieces! u wot m8!
Cool looking bracelet is junk unfortunately but will keep it and add it to my pirate 'man bling'.

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a message in a bottle. Actually 3 messages. The metal caps attracted the detector. Only the bottle filled with white sand was reasonably dry. Each bottle had several pages. Each was addressed to a different person (male names). Very intimate stuff. I strongly suggest that "if" you write letters of regret of a deeply personal and intimate nature ...BURN THEM! Otherwise some turd with a metal detector will find them.
BTW "Jake" I feel dirty having read those pages but whoever she was ... totally into you man despite your behaviour.
 
I have found something like 10 x US 1 cent pieces at Williamstown beach when the sand had shifted. I've also found what I suspect are religious offerings/tokens at both Altona & Mordialloc piers. I am wondering if the US coins are part of that? No other explanation at the moment. On the upside I really love the target ID that the CTX gives me - miss that on the Deus.
 
so took the CTX out last night to a new area which looked promising. The target ID's were all over the place, very hard to get it to sit on anything. Probably wasted a good 45 minutes of the hunt thinking "I forgot how to use this thing" - then a roo penny. That should have sent the CTX wild at something like 8cm.
Had to hunt by sound alone and alot of guess work. Not happy. I noticed that the skid plate was a little warped and had flattened it against the coil with some zip ties. Now the cover is going to come off, coil will get a clean - reassemble and test.
Anyone had issues with junk getting between coil & skid plate?

So here's the finds. 1946 Florin didn't get the CTX excited at all (nearly didn't dig it) so I know there's definitely a problem.
1443922611_3_oct_15_cp_ctxb.jpg
 
Hey Robert, I've never had junk get in between the coil and skid plate, sand and dirt for sure but nothing metallic. Might have been ground that is more mineralised than previous hunts maybe? I find sometimes different ground will give slightly different Target ID's or make targets less pronounced now and then. Maybe do a factory reset and see how it goes then with some air tests.
 
Heatho - the ground was physically hot after the warm day - bare earth in some spots. Not sure if that contributes to the problem.
But yes will pull apart, clean etc. Might reset but will test known targets in the "dirt box" tm to see if the CTX behaves after some attention.
 
At least you still scored Robert,...plenty of coins and a florin to boot. :D
 
Tis a bit strange, the florin should have made the CTX do a song and dance, usually one of the hardest coins to miss. :eek:

Every couple of hunts I remove the skid plate and totally clean things out, maybe something to do with previous excursions into salty areas?
 
ok so got about a tea spoon of sand out from under the coil, toothbrushed it clean, replace cover and tape on since the plastic is buckled and I suspect the sand got in that way. Tested ok so I'm happy.

I took the Deus back to the same spot that gave the CTX so much trouble and it's loaded with iron. Each swing was getting 3-4 hits. Didn't get much either so I suspect it was combination of sand trapped under the coil and a seriously junky spot.
 
CTX and big coil last night.

Needless to say I think I found where some of the tents were pitched....
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Very happy with this. Thought it was a Queen Vic penny since I could only make out the date & the reverse was caked in hard dirt.
Apparently (thank you internet) the coin was minted in England for a merchant in Tasmania, ends up in Melbourne? Worth one penny - at his shop, which is no where near Melbourne.
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Can't figure out if this is a "VR" button? Crown suggests it might be. Very small button. Any suggestions?
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