Today I got out to metal detect two different times. The first hunt was at a home that I have dug several wheat pennies. The home is one of the few remaining original homes in Rose Hill. The GIS map dates it as being built in 1889. The wheats I have found here have been all different ages. I have dug 30-40 coins out of the small yard but not one silver coin. Todays hunt at this site yielded a red Mercedes Tootsie Toy car and a little wire haired dog pin. I believe the little dog is gold. I have scratched it as deeply as I can and it still shows gold. The makers mark is Uncas manufacturing. They are the same jewelers that made the ring I found in Quick Silver. I wish the piece was marked 14k so that I would know for sure if it is gold or not. It seems too heavy to be brass or silver. It was a jumpy signal on the Ace between pulltab and one cent.. (Update.. I used a hacksaw to cut 1/16″ into the dogs belly and it seems to be solid! Woowoo)
The second hunt was at a home built in 1920. It is a very small yard with lots of Iron. I had dug 15-20 coins out of the front yard including a wheat from 1951 that was at about 6 inches. It was after filling this hole that I realized maybe the good coins were deeper than I thought. After digging the wheat I moved about three feet and got a sweet belltone at 8+ on the Ace. Once I pinpointed it it went to solid signal at 6 inches. I dug down and pulled a big 8″ plug up. I waved the Ace over the plug and the belltone was loud and clear, as I went to pull the plug apart I saw the reeded edge of a coin. It was about an inch from the bottom of the plug. This would have the coin at 7 inches. I pulled it out to find a fine lady liberty staring back at me on a 1941 liberty dime.
Overall I have a few observations to make about this weekends hunts.
1- I can’t imagine I will ever use a coil other than a DD. In iron infested sites the difference in target separation is necessary in my mind.
2- I am starting to be a firm believer in gridding an area. Over the last 2-3 months I have found keepers in places that I have hunted at least twice before. I am certain this is due to the removal of trash and clad. On Saturdays hunt the guy with the best finds focused his attention to a much smaller area than the rest of the group. Now when I ask permission to hunt a private residence if I feel it has potential to produce I ask if I can make multiple trips. So far it has payed off.
3- I am sad to say that I think I am reaching the limitations of the Ace 250. I would love to see how well a mid or high end machine would do in these yards when being swung by a detectorist who has learned their machine and knows how to use it. Please don’t think I am taking anything away from the Ace by this comment. I am still amazed that in dry conditions a $200 detector can find a silver dime at 6-7 inches, maybe deeper after a rain or in non-trashy areas.
4- I will definitely be hitting both of these sites again once we get some moisture. Heck if we don’t get rain I may offer to water and mow their yards for a couple of weeks. I think I would be the one benefiting!
Happy Hunting and thanks for reading!
Steve *\_
stevessunkentreasures.wordpress.com 
Love the Scotty