Notes and Tips

Silver was used in the making of halves, quarters and dimes until 1964

Wartime silver nickels (1942-1945) - 
Most of them look unusually gray and have a big mintmark (P, D, or S) 
above the dome in back. I've found about a dozen of them - 
a 1942-P, 2 1943-Ps, a 1943-S, a 1944-P, 4 1945-Ps, a 1945-D, 
and 2 1945-Ss. These tend to be worth $.30 to $1, 
depending on condition. 
with 35% silver content and a value of at least $.50. 
Many of the non-silver issues are hard to find as well, 
like the 1938-D and -S, the 1939-D and -S, and the 1950-D. 
There's also a very small chance of finding Buffalo nickels, 
though I've had much better luck finding them in nickel slot machines. 

Golden Information: 

Karate System: A system of measurement based on 24 karats being "fine" or "pure" gold. 1 karat equals 1/24th fine gold by weight. This is the system used in the United States. 

Plumb Gold: Karat weights are usually determined with a small, fractional variance allowed. Karat gold which has no variance and is exactly the precise fractional karat weight is called "plumb" gold. 

European System: A system of measurement based on a fraction of 1,000; or the number of grams of gold in 1 kilogram of alloy. 

Karat Gold Parts Gold Percentage Gold Normal European Stamping 
9 kt 9 in 24 37.50% 375 
10 kt 10 in 24 41.67% 416 
12 kt 12 in 24 50% 500 
14 kt 14 in 24 58.33% 583 or 585 
18 kt 18 in 24 75% 750 
22 kt 22 in 24 91.67% 917 
24 kt 24 in 24 99.99% 999 or .99999 

Liberty Half Eagles
were produced from 1839 to 1908 these are the 5 dollar gold coins.

Golden Eagles
Minted in 22 Karat Solid Gold - American Eagles use the durable gold standard established for gold circulating coinage
over 350 years ago. Each gold coin is minted in 91.67% fine gold. This creates harder coins that resist scratching
and marring which can diminish resale value.

Most High School class rings are made of 10K Gold.

Vocabulary of Silver

Sterling Silver - an alloy, containing 925 parts pure silver and 75 parts copper.

Britannia Standard - the legal standard for all silver pieces produced between 1697 and 1720. It contained 958 parts pure silver - 33% more silver than sterling.

Martele Silver - Gorham Silver Company from 1899 to 1912 - it was 950 out of 1000 parts silver.

Assay - a test of the silver content in a piece to be sure it meets sterling standard.

Sheffield Plate - a cheaper substitute for sterling, produced by fusing sheets of silver to the top and bottom of a sheet of copper or base metal. This "silver sandwich" was then worked into finished pieces. At first it was only put on one side and later was on top and bottom.

Electroplate - the name given to articles coated with pure silver by electrolysis (electrical currents passed through a plating bath which deposit silver on the base metal). Today we call this type silverplate and pieces frequently bear the stamp EPNS (Electroplated Nickel Silver) and EPBM (Electroplated Britannia Metal).

Engraving - designs cut by use of sharp tools called scorpers or gravers which remove small amounts of metal.

Chasing - produces designs similar to engraving, but with a softer look. No metal is removed. Instead, lines are slightly depressed into the surface.

Repousse - the process of embossing metal from the back by hammering, then giving further definition to the relief by chasing up from the front.

Cut-Card - a decorative technique similar to appliqué work in sewing. Thin sheets of silver are cut into patterns which are then applied as ornamentation.

Patina - that special soft sheen, color and feel which only years of loving use can give to silver.

Troy Weight - the unit of weight employed by silversmiths. One pound Troy comprises 12 ounces of 20 pennyweights (dwts.) each. A troy ounce is equivalent to 1.097 ounces avoirdupois, or 31.1 grams.

Hallmarks - marks stamped into a piece to guarantee the sterling standard, maker, date, and city of origin.

Vermeil - silver which has been gilded with gold.

Coin Silver - made of coins. Premium, Dollar, Standard, Pure Coin or the letter C or D are all American terms, but some Irish makers used them as well. Some silversmiths only used their name.

Paktong - In the 18th Century paktong (alloy of nickel, zinc and copper) was imported into England from China and used in imitation of silver. Craftsmen used paktong to fashion objects such as chafing dishes, inkstands, sugar tongs, wine coasters and candlesticks.

Fer Ëules - Iron ring on a staff - Pearl handle with flatware with silver bands

English Silver Marks

The hall mark indicates the date of manufacture as well as the assay office where the silver was tested, the maker and standard of the silver. The English have been making and marking silver since 1300. The standard of sterling silver is set at 11 oz. 2 dwt. of fine silver or 18 dwt. of alloy to the Tray pound.

Britannia 11 oz. 10 dwt. of fine silver + 610 dwt. of alloy (usually copper) or 958 parts pure silver dwt. of 1000 from March 1697-1720. Standard ceased and went back to sterling.

In 1363 every gold and/or silversmith had to have a mark of his own. It could be a symbol such as a bird, flower, etc.

In 1697 the worker’s mark consisted of the first two letters of his surname. In 1739 that was changed to the initials of his Christian name and surname, a system that has continued to the present day.

Colonial Coins
Half Cents 
Liberty Cap (1793-1797) 
Draped Bust (1800-1808) 
Classic Head (1810-1836) 
Braided Hair (1840-1857) 
Large Cents 
Flowing Hair, Chain Reverse (1793) 
Flowing Hair, Wreath Reverse (1793) 
Liberty Cap (1793-1796) 
Draped Bust (1796-1807) 
Classic Head (1808-1814) 
Matron Head (1816-1839) 
Braided Hair (1839-1857) 
Small Cents 
Flying Eagle (1856-1858)
Indian Head (1859-1909)
Lincoln Head (1909-Date)
Two Cents 
Three Cents 
Silver (1851-1873)
Nickel (1865-1889)
Half Dimes 
Flowing Hair (1794-1795)
Draped Bust (1796-1805)
Capped Bust (1829-1837)
Seated Liberty (1837-1873)
Five Cents (Nickels) 
Shield (1866-1883) 
Liberty Head (1883-1913) 
Indian Head (or Buffalo) (1913-1938) 
Jefferson Head (1938-Date) 
Ten Cents (Dimes) 
Draped Bust (1796-1807) 
Capped Bust (1809-1837) 
Seated Liberty (1837-1891) 
Barber (1892-1916) 
"Mercury Head" (1916-1945) 
Roosevelt Head (1946-Date) 
Twenty Cents 
Quarter Dollars 
Draped Bust (1796-1807) 
Capped Bust (1815-1837) 
Seated Liberty (1838-1891) 
Barber (1892-1916) 
Standing Liberty (1916-1930) 
Washington Head (1932-Date) 
50 States Quarters™ 
Half Dollars 
Flowing Hair (1794-1795)
Draped Bust (1796-1807)
Capped Bust (1807-1839)
Seated Liberty (1839-1891)
Barber (1892-1915)
Walking Liberty (1916-1945)
Franklin Head (1948-1963)
Kennedy Head (1964-Date)
One Dollar (Silver) 
Flowing Hair (1794-1795)
Draped Bust (1796-1804)
Seated Liberty (1836-1873)
Trade (1873-1885)
Morgan (1878-1921)
Peace (1921-1935)
Eisenhower Head (1971-1978)
Susan B. Anthony (1979-1999)
One Dollar (Gold) 
Liberty Head (1849-1854)
Indian Princess (1854-1889)
$2-1/2 Gold (Quarter Eagles) 
Turban Head (1796-1807) 
Capped Bust (1808-1834) 
Classic Head (1834-1839) 
Liberty Head (1840-1907) 
Indian Head (1908-1929) 
$3 Gold 
$5 Gold (Half Eagles) 
Turban Head (1795-1807) 
Capped Bust (1807-1834) 
Classic Head (1834-1838) 
Liberty Head (1839-1908) 
Indian Head (1908-1929) 
$10 Gold (Eagles) 
Turban Head (1795-1804) 
Liberty Head (1839-1907) 
Indian Head (1907-1933) 
$20 Gold (Double Eagles) 
Liberty Head (1849-1907) 
Saint Gaudens (1907-1933) 

MINT MARKS

U.S. Mints & The Mint Marks you should know.. 
( P ) - Philadelphia
( D ) - Denver
( S ) - San Francisco
( W ) - West Point 

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Older coins may have letters other than "D" or "S."
These letters represent old closed down mints listed below.. 
( C ) for Charlotte, North Carolina (on gold coins only)..
( CC ) for Carson City, Nevada...
( D ) Dahlonega, Georgia-used only for gold coins minted from 1838-1861.
( 0 ) for New Orleans, Louisiana... 
On some gold coins
minted from 1838 to 1861, you may find the letter 
( D ) Showing the coin was minted at Dahlonega, Georgia..
the Denver Mint was not yet in operation. 

Listing of each type of US Coins and where to find their Mint Marks... 

Half Cents-All Half Cents were minted at the Philadelphia Mint, thus they had no mint mark..

Large Cents-All Large Cents were minted at the Philadelphia Mint, thus no mint mark..

Flying Eagle Cents-All Flying Eagle Cents were minted at the Philadelphian Mint, thus no mint mark..

Indian Cents-on only Two years, 1908 & 1909, under the wreath on the back of the coin..

Lincoln Cents-on the front, under the date..

Two Cent Piece-All Two Cent Pieces were minted at the Philadelphia Mint, thus no mint mark..

Three Cent Pieces-All Three Cent Pieces were minted at the Philadelphia Mint (no mint mark), except 1851 which were minted in New Orleans ( O ) mint mark on the back to the right of the Roman Number III)..

Shield Nickels-All of the Shield Nickels were minted at the Philadelphia Mint, thus no mint mark..

Liberty Nickels-All Liberty Nickels were minted at the Philadelphia Mint (no mint mark), except the 1912 that may have a D or S on the back to the left of the word CENTS..

Buffalo Nickels-found on the back under the words FIVE CENTS..

Jefferson Nickels-1938-1964 on he back to the right of the building..
1968 to present day on the front near the date..
1942-1945 (The War Years) Mint Mark above the Dome of the Monticello Building..

Half Dimes-on the back either in or below the wreath..

Bust Dimes-All bust Dimes were minted at the Philadelphian Mint, thus no mint mark..

Seated Dimes-on the back either in or just below the wreath..

Barber Dimes-on back centered on the bottom near rim..

Mercury Dimes-on back bottom left of the fasces (Looks like a pole)..

Roosevelt Dimes-1946-1964 on the back, the bottom left of the torch..
1968 and up on front above the date..

Twenty Cent Pieces-on back under the Eagle..

Bust Quarters-All Bust Quarters were minted at the Philadelphia Mint, thus no mint mark..

Seated Quarters-on back under the Eagle above Quarter Dollar..

Barber Quarters-on back under the Eagle above Quarter Dollar..

Standing Liberty Quarters-on front small mint mark above date just to the left..

Washington Quarters-1946-1964, on the back, centered under the Eagle..
1968 and up, on front to the right of the hair ribbon..

Bust Half Dollars-on the front above the date..

Seated Half Dollars-on the back just below the Eagle (above HALF DOLLAR)..

Barber Half Dollars-on the back just below the Eagle (above HALF DOLLAR)..

Standing Liberty Half Dollars-1916 & some 1917 on the front just below TRUST..
1917-1947, on back, lower left just below branch..

Ben Franklin Half Dollars-on back, centered above the Liberty Bell beam..

Kennedy Half Dollars-1964 on back to the left of the olive branch near claw..
1968 and up, on front centered above date near neck..

Bust Dollars-on the back under the Eagle..

Liberty Seated Dollars-on the back under the Eagle..

Morgan Dollars-on the back under the Eagle..

Peace Dollars-on back , left side at tip of Eagles Wing..

Trade Dollars-on back under the Eagle..

Beach Hunting Tips
PROFESSIONAL SECRETS OF METAL DETECTING A BEACH
By Larry R. and Juanita H. Williams

From page 24 of the June 1995 issue of Treasure Facts magazine. Copyright ©1995, 1998 Lost Treasure, Inc.
-------------------------------------------------
Treasure hunting and beach metal detecting lure both the professional treasure hunter and novice. The difference in results are simply knowing certain techniques and where to search for treasure. Any beach that is, or has been, populated by people is a perpetual gold mine. Storms and gales literally redeposit lost treasure on the beach.
When you have finally reached your destination at the beach, find the high tide mark and then the low tide mark. Then locate the very middle section between these tide marks. In your mind draw a line right down the center of the beach. From this point you will extend 10 to 12 feet on each side of the previously envisioned line. This area on each side of the line is your secret search zone.

The secret search zone is the area that is reloaded by mother nature every time there is a gale or storm. Why is this so? I have no idea. It was taught to me by my now deceased grandfather, and he told me he got the secret from an old seafarer.

After you have located the secret search zone, start a zig-zag search pattern and start walking up the beach with your metal detector. The zigzag method of search is the best method to utilize in this zone. Don't be uneasy about the possibility of missing some treasure. There is more treasure out there than you could imagine. Anyway, on your return trip you will locate some of the treasure you missed on your way out. Besides, the next storm will redeposit some new booty for you to find.

The other search zone my grandfather taught me to search was the area where people park their cars and play. This zone in particular should be searched at the end of the day when the swimmers and bathers have gone home. Simply put, they get a little up tight when you metal detect around their cars. They feel that their personal space has been invaded. Moreover, the end of the day provides a much cooler and enjoyable search time. It should be noted that this zone is not replenished by the ocean. It is replenished by the people who patronize the beach. Remember this!!!

I can recall one time when a child had gone into his mother's vehicle and started throwing anything he could reach onto the sand. This included an earring with a total diamond weight of two carats. She saw me metal detecting and asked me for help. I had found the earring within a couple of minutes, much to the relief of the lady.

One other time while searching this upper zone my metal detector went crazy with its audible tone. Within a four foot square, I was able to unearth almost $40 in quarters. Shortly after that a man' sapphire gold ring was recovered. Is this a hobby or what?????

The coasts of the United States are dotted by ancient shipwrecks. Its beaches are loaded with treasure. Some of the best beach metal detecting in the world is found right here in America. With the secret treasure hunting techniques presented in this article and an inexpensive metal detector, you too can get a share of the booty.
 

CT Laws from an older website by Vlad and Carol. These guys were awesome.

All Federal lands and National Parks are off limits. State forests are apparently okay, we've never had a problem there.
All sites, such has been designated "Historical" are off limits, including those places that have memorials, like on town greens.
All "Corp. of Engineers" parks, like the one in Naugatuck are off limits. They WILL take your detector away.
Most town property and town beaches are open, city parks and such, but when they start going in for Spring cleanup you have to ask permission if you see them working.
Cemeteries are off limits, that's private property you know. Each piece of land was bought by or for someone. We have heard of people detecting the paths with permission though, but not in Connecticut.
The "Eli Whitney Forest" is recreational areas to preserve water quality and owns 25,000 acres of forest in Southeastern CT that is off limits to metal detecting.

All State Parks have as standard list of "Rules & Regulations" posted at the entrance of the park. This includes a rule on "removing items from the park." Even though they're not specifically naming "metal detecting," they keep a close eye on the park since they're responsible for the maintenance and upkeep. They're pretty strict on the "closed at sundown" rule too. The best time to detect the State Parks is after the season closes.

BLACK ROCK STATE PARK: We stopped here one day just to check it out. It was cold and windy. The beach area of the park has a sharp 30 ft incline to it. You would think there would be a lot of stuff in the water, but all we found was a couple clad coins. It must get detected a lot. It didn't seem like the beach was that old, and the pond may be man-made. Here's a "picture" of the beach.


INDIAN WELL STATE PARK: This is the closest park to us in the area. It's pretty small and gets closed to swimming a lot in the summer due to high bacteria levels in the river, and they will not let you in the water even if you have a wet suit on. When we first got the XLT we went to this park all the time to practice. Most of the stuff we found dated from the 1950's and up. Last year they remodeled it, and dumped more sand on the beach. We've seen other people detecting here too. The photo is of the biggest thing that Carol has ever found on the beach. If you go there, you may find it too because we couldn't get it out. "Photo"


ROCKY NECK STATE PARK: Club members were informed of no metal detecting between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm during the summer. It's a nice park though, and the beach goes straight out. They charge during the summer too.


SILVER SANDS STATE PARK: We have detected here quite a bit and have not had a problem. It's open to fishermen after sundown. The beach is pretty littered with odd pieces of metal though, and was apparently used for a dump in the 1950's. We have found a lot of old bottles there. We were told recently there is a crazy guy that wanders the beach and harasses the detectorists because he thinks there is a sunken treasure ship there. So watch out for this guy, and if you see him, report him to the authorities.


GREENWICH POINT: This beach is a town beach and posted "Residents only." However, this is in court at the moment. We were told that we could detect below the "mean tide" line and in the water... only after December. We have been here only once. Carol detected the dry sand but only found pulltabs. At the north end of the beach by the high grass, she found alot of clad in poor condition. "Photo"


MILFORD TOWN BEACH: We've detected here several times, and not found much. During the summer it is maintained by a "sandsweeper." If you can find where they dump the stuff you might find something. We've searched the low tide line, but the best thing we found there was a couple marbles and a spoon.


FAIRFIELD BEACH: This place is pretty trashed with bottlecaps and pulltabs, and deeply buried pieces of iron. If it's getting hit by detectorists, then they are leaving the trash cause their is too much to pick up. The wet sand is like cement. Stay away from the Army Reserve beach that is further down. It's Federal Property.


SHORT BEACH: This beach is in Stratford. It is a town beach and they charge during the summer. But the good thing is that it's open till 10 pm. This place we know gets detected alot because whoever does it, pulls everything. But we've never seen anyone else detecting here. There's not a pulltab to be found. The low tide is a lot of rocks and fishing weights. We haven't ever found much here, but it's a nice beach.


LIGHTHOUSE POINT: This beach is definitely overhunted. Might as well take a pulse unit with you and dig everything.


HAMMONASSET BEACH: A lot of treasure hunters go here too. During "off" hours the gate gets locked at the entrance and you have to walk several miles to the beach. There's seasonal camping and we may just camp here sometime. The surf is usually pretty rough.


OCEAN BEACH: This beach is owned by the city of New London. We have never had a problem detecting here. The employees have always been friendly and courteous as long as you don't bother anyone and stay away from the beach blankets. Most people are curious and watch what your doing, so come prepared for a lot of conversations. They charge a $10.00 per car fee during the summer, or you can walk in and pay a $4.00 charge. They use sandsweeper a at Ocean Beach.
 

Minelab Explorer 2 notes from the web and elsewhere

Digital number readings for the Explorer 2

Coin Fer Cond
Large Cent:::::::::
Draped Bust 02 29

Small CentS:::::::::
Flying Eagle 08 11
Indian Head 07 25
Indian Head (Fatty) 08 12
Wheatie 04 28,29
Wheatie (Steel) 31 28
Memorial 06 27

Three Cents::::::::::::::
Silver 07 24
Nickel 11 02

Half Dime::::::::::::::
Seated Liberty 07 24

Five Cents (Nickel):::::::::::::
Shield 10 05
Liberty (V) 10 05,06
Indian (Buffalo) 10 05,06
Silver War Nickel 09 07
Jefferson 10 06

Ten Cents (Dime)::::::::::::::::::::::::
Seated Liberty 03 29
Barber 02 29
Mercury 03 29
Roosevelt (Silver) 03 29
Roosevelt (Clad) 03 29

Quarter Dollars::::::::::::::::::::
Seated Liberty 01 29
Standing Liberty 00 29
Washington (Silver) 00 29
Washington (Clad) 00 29
Statehood 00 29

Half Dollars:::::::::::::::::::::
Capped Bust 00 29
Walking Liberty 00 28
Franklin 00 28
Kennedy (Clad) 00 28

One Dollar (Silver):::::::::::::
Morgan 00 25,26
Eisenhower (Clad) 00 26,27
Susan B. Anthony 00 29
Sacagawea 00 29
Silver Eagle 00 15

Gold Currency::::::::::::::::::::;
1 Dollar 08 04
2.5 Dollars 08 10
5 Dollars 07 22
10 Dollars 07 27
20 Dollars 04 29

Spanish Reales::::::::::::::::::::::
Half Reale 07 27
One Reale 03 29
2 Reale 03 29

Misc. Trash:::::::::::::::::::::::
Pulltabs 08,09 08-10
Beaver Tails 10 04
Screw Caps 06,07 27,28
Foil

Jewelry:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;
*Readings change according to size and thickness of bands
Gold Rings Fer Cond
14 kt 10-12 00-06
18 kt 08-11 02-09

Silver Rings
.925 00-03 27-30

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to set up your Minelab for Deep Beach Hunting!

In reading some notes it seems depths achieved appear to lack the real depths achievable. "Goat grabber, your 10" can become 20"
Try these settings, just one of many you can use and/or combinations of others.

Turn On
Noise Cancel
Adjust Sens/Manual No Waver/To Wherever Beach Allows?
Select/Accept/Jewelry
Select Deep
IM to minus 14
Response/Audio 1 or 2
Sounds/Conduct
Gain 2
Tone 7
Var 6
Lim 5
Noise Cancel Again
Start finding deep gold
Dig anything from 1 upwards (Digital)

Historical Sites from Westchester Listed by Location for reference only

Do not hunt these sites without expressed written consent!


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Amenia:

Wethersfield Estate and Gardens - Box 444, Pugsley Hill Rd, Amenia, New York. (914)876-4818. Colonial residence with gardens and sculptures. Collection of carriages. Reservation necessary for house and carriage viewing. Open June 1 through September 30, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 12N to 5PM.


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Annandale-on-Hudson:

Montgomery Place - River Road, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504. (914)758-5461. A 23-room family estate from 1804. Has a garden, 434-acre wood, pick-your-own orchards and farm stand. Group tours by appointment. Handicapped accessible. Open year round, closed Tuesdays. Tours every 45 minutes.


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Arden:

Clove Furnace Historic Site - Arden, NY 10910. (914)351-4696. An iron mining museum, with a nineteenth century blast furnace. Handicapped accessible. Open year round, Monday through Friday 8AM to 12N and 1PM to 5PM.


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Beacon:

Mount Gulian Historic Site - 145 Sterling Street, Beacon, NY 12508. (914)831-8172. Served as the headquarters for General Baron von Steuben during the Revolutionary War. Built as Dutch Colonial Homestead (circa 1735). Group tours by appointment, year round. Open April through December, Wednesday and Sunday, 1PM until 5PM.


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Bedford:

Court House Museum - Route 22, Bedford, NY 10506. A restored 1829 schoolhouse. Group tours by appointment. Open April through December, Wednesday through Sunday 2PM to 5PM.


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Croton-on-Hudson:

Van Cortlandt Manor - South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. (914)631-8200. A restored manor house. Dutch-English, from the 1700's. Has brick making, open hearth cooking, picnic area, and gardens. Group tours available. Open April through December, closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, and December 25.


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Garrison-on-Hudson:

Boscobel - Route 9D, Garrison-on-Hudson New York. (914)265-3638. A restored Federal-style mansion from the early 1800's. Has period furnishings, and rose and herb gardens. Group tours by appointment. Guided tours every fifteen minutes. Open: April 1 through October 31, Wednesday through Monday 10AM until 4:15PM; November through December, 10AM to 3:15PM; March, Wednesday through Monday 10AM to 3:15PM. Closed January, February, Thanksgiving, December 25.


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Germantown:

Clermont State Historic Site - Woods Road, Germantown, NY 12526. (518)537-4240. The estate of the negotiator for the Louisiana Purchase, Robert R. Livingston. Has gardens and picnicking. Handicapped accessible. Tours every half hour - last one at 4PM. Open year round, call for hours.


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Goshen:

1841 Goshen Court House - 101 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924. (914)294-6644. Courthouse in use continuously since 1841. Exhibits on display which are changed monthly. Open daily, 9AM-5PM. Free admission. Open year round, daily 9AM to 4PM.

Goshen Historic Track - Park Place, Goshen, NY 10942. (914)294-5357 or (914)294-5333. The oldest harness track in the United States. Group tours available. Open year round, 9AM to 5PM.


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Hyde Park:

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site - Route 9G, Hyde Park, NY 12538. (914)229-9115. The private retreat of Eleanor Roosevelt. Free admission. Handicapped accessible. Oen March through December, call for hours.

Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site - Route 9, Hyde Park, New York. (914)229-9115. Franklin Roosevelt's birthplace and home. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt buried in the Rose Garden. Open year round: May through October open daily 9AM to 5PM; November through April, open Thursday through Monday 9AM to 5PM. Closed Thanksgiving and December 25.

Franklin D Roosevelt Library and Museum - Route 9, Hyde Park, New York. (914)229-8114. Has a museum on premises. Exhibits on Franklin Roosevelt and family. Building designed by him. Open year round, daily 9AM to 6PM. Closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.

Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site - 519 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538. (914)229-9115. Call for hours. Handicapped accessible.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hudson:

Olana State Historic Site - Route 9G, Hudson, New York. (518)828-0135. National Historic Landmark. Estate of Frederic Church, River School artist. Has a pond, gardens, carriage trails. Group tours by appointment. Grounds open daily, 8AM to sunset.

Robert Jenkins Home - 113 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534. (518)851-9049. Federal-style home from the nineteenth century with military artifacts dating from the Revolutionary War to WWII. Group tours by appointment. Open July through August, Sunday and Monday 1PM to 3PM.


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Katonah:

John Jay Homestead - Box 832, 400 Route 22, Katonah, NY 10536. (914)232-5651. Has furnishings and portraits. Picnicking. Open April 15 through October 29.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kinderhook:

Ichabod Crane School House - Route 9H, Kinderhook, NY 12106. (518)758-9265. One room school house. Open June through August, Wednesday through Saturday 11AM to 5PM, Sunday 1PM to 5PM.

James Vanderpool House - 16 Broad St, Kinderhook, New York. (518)758-9265. Home and furnishings from the Federal period. Group tours available. Handicapped accessible. Closed holidays.

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site - Route 9H, Kinderhook, NY 12106. (518)758-9689. Martin Van Buren's home after retirement. Group tours available. Open mid-May through December, daily 9AM until 5PM. Closed December 25 and Monday and Tuesday in November.

Van Alen House - Route 9H, Kinderhook, New York. (518)758-9265. An eighteenth century Dutch house with paintings and antiques from the Hudson Valley. Group tours. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Thursday through Saturday 11AM to 5PM, Sunday 1PM to 5PM.


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Millbrook:

Wing's Castle - Bangall Road, Millbrook, NY 12545. (914)667-9085. Castle of stone with a moat and seven towers. Has many antiques. Open May 30 through December.


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Montgomery:

Hill Hold - Route 416, Montgomery, NY 12549. (914)294-7661. A restored stone house from 1769. Open May through mid-October, Wednesday to Sunday 10AM to 4:30PM.


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Mount Vernon:

St Paul's Church National Historic Site - 897 South Columbus Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York. (914)667-4116. A colonial period church with a cemetery. Group tours by appointment. Free admission. Open year round, Tuesday through Friday 9AM until 5PM, Saturday 12N to 4PM. Closed legal holidays.


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New Lebanon:

Mount Lebanon Shaker Village - Route 20, New Lebanon, New York. (518)794-9500. A 1787 25-building Shaker settlement. Exhibits of artifacts, history, furniture. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day daily, Labor Day through October weekends, 9:30AM until 5PM.


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New Windsor:

Knox Headquarters - PO Box 207, New Windsor, NY 12584. (914)561-5498. The headquarters of Wasington's COs in the Revolution. Group tours by appointment. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Wednesday and Sunday 1PM to 5PM.


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Newburgh:

Crawford House - 189 Montgomery Street, Newburgh, New York. (914)561-2585. On the National Registry of Historic Places. Has a maritime collection.

New Windsor Cantonment - Temple Hill Road, Newburgh, NY 12551. (914)561-1765. State Historic Site. Site of Continental Army encampment circa 1782-1783. Open May through October, Wednesday through Saturday 10AM until 5PM, Sunday 1PM until 5PM. Free admission.

Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site - 84 Liberty Street, Newburgh, NY 12551. (914)562-1195. National Landmark, State Historic Site. Home of Jonathan Hasbrouck, headquarters of George Washington circa 1782-1783. House and adjacent museum. Open mid-April through October, Wednesday through Saturday 10AM until 5PM, Sunday 1PM until 5PM. Free admission. Handicapped accessible.


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Nyack:

Edward Hopper House - 82 North Broadwayk, Nyack, NY 10960. (914)358-0774. A New York State Historic Site. Has a restored garden. Free admission. Open Saturday and Sunday, 1PM to 5PM.


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Orangeburg:

Camp Shanks World War I Museum - South Greenbush Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962. (914)638-5244. Has recreated barracks. Open Spring through Fall, Saturday and Sunday 10kAM to 3PM.


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Ossining:

Ossining Urban Cultural Park Visitors Center - 95 Broadway, Route 9, Ossining, NY 10562. (914)941-3189. An exhibit from the 1800's on social welfare and public health. Group tours by appointment. Open year round, Tuesday through Saturday, 10AM until 4PM.


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Pawling:

1764 Friends Meeting House - Quaker Hill Road, Pawling, NY 12564. (914)855-9316. Turned into a Revolutionary War hospital in 1778. Group tours by appointment. Open May 15 through October 15, Saturday through Sunday, daily 8AM to dark.

John Kane House - 126 East Main Street, Pawling, New York. (914)855-1448. Washington's headquarters during the fall of 1778. Museum on premises. Free admission. Group tours by appointment. Open May through October, Saturday and Sunday 2PM to 4PM.


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Poughkeepsie:

Bardavon 1869 Opera House - 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. (914)473-2072. The oldest opera house in New York State. Tours. Group tours by appointment. Handicapped accessible. Open September through July, Monday through Friday 10AM until 5PM.

Barrett House - 55 Noxon Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. (914)471-2550. An art gallery in a Greek Revival building. Open year round, closed holidays.

Clinton House State Historical Site - 549 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602. (914)471-1630. Named for George Clinton, New York's first governor. Has a research center and a museum. Open year round, Tuesday through Friday 10AM to 3PM by appointment.

Locust Grove - PO Box 1649, 370 South Pearl Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. (914)454-4500. The Tuscan Villa (1853). Telegraphy exhibits, furnitures. Home of Samuel F B Morse. Open Memorial Day through September, Wednesday through Sunday, 10AM until 4PM.

Post Office - 55 Mansion Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. (914)452-3421. National Historic Landmark. Has nationally recognized murals. Free admission. Open year round.


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Rhinebeck:

Beekman Arms - Box 42, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. (914)876-7077. Hotel has been operating continuously since circa 1766. Oldest in the United States. Restaurant on premises. Handicapped accessible.

Wilderstein Preservation - PO Box 383, Morton Rd, Rhineback, NY 12572. (914)876-4818. Victorian mansion. Tours of the first floor. Open May through October, Thursday through Sunday, 12N to 4PM.


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Somers:

Muscoot Farm - Route 100, Somers, New York. (914)232-7118. Has farm buildings for animals from about 1900. Group tours by appointment. Free admission. Handicapped accessible. Open year round, daily 10AM until 4PM, summer 10AM until 6PM.


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Staatsburg:

Mills Mansion State Historic Site - Old Albany Post Road, Staatsburg, NY 12580. (914)889-8851. National Register of Historic Places. Has period furnishings, paintings, and seventy-nine rooms. Group tours. Open: mid-April through Labor Day and mid-December until December 31, Wednesday through Saturday 10AM until 5PM, Sunday 12N until 5PM; Labor Day through October,j Wednesday until Sunday 12N to 5PM.


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Stony Point:

Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site - Route 9W, Stony Point, NY 10980. (914)786-2521. Revolutionary War battlefield. Has a museum, musket demos, and the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River. Guided and self-guided tours. Free admission. Handicapped accessible. Open April 15 through October 31, Wednesday through Saturday 10AM until 5PM.


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Tappan:

George Washington Masonic Historic Site - 20 Livingston Avenue, Tappan, NY 10983. (914)359-1359. George Washington memorabilia. DeWint house from the early 1700s. Open year round, daily 10AM untill 4PM.


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Tarrytown:

Kykuit: The Rockefeller House and Gardens - Tarrytown, NY 10591. For information only (914)631-8200, for ticket reservations call (914) 631-9491. Has many antiques including old automobiles and a coach barn. Four generations of Rockefellers lived at this estate. Tours: May 4 through October, Monday through Thursday 10AM until 3PM, weekends 10AM until 4PM.

Lyndhurst - 635 Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591. (914)631-4481. Fourteen building, Gothic Revival estate is the former home of Jay Gould, financier. Has period furnishings. Handicaped accessible. Group tours availble. Open May through October, Tuesday through Sunday 10AM until 5PM; November through April, weekends 10AM until 5PM.

Philipsburg Manor - North Broadway, Route 9, Tarrytown, NY 10591. (914)631-3992. Has a stone manor house, gristmill, gift shop, farm animals, and costumed guides. Site of an early trading center. Group tours. Open March through December, daily 10AM until 5PM. Closed Thanksgiving and December 25.

Sunnyside - West Sunnyside Lane, Route 9, Tarrytown, NY 10591. (914)631-8200. Home of Washington Irving, nineteenth century author. Has gardens. Group tours available. Open March through December, Wednesday through Monday 10AM until 5PM. Closed Thanksgiving and December 25.

Union Church of Pocantico Hills - Bedford Road, Tarrytown, NY 10491. (914)631-8200. Stained glass windows. Group tours available. Open Aptil through December, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 11AM until 5PM. Closed Thanksgiving and December 25.


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West Point:

Constitution Island - South Dock, West Point, New York. (914)446-8676. The site of the original Revolutionary War fortification. Boat rides across the Hudson on a ferry to the Warner house, a Victorian era 17-room house with the original furnishings. Gift shop. Open June through October, Wednesday through Thursday.

West Point Military Academy - Visitors Center, Bldg 2107, West Point, NY 10996. (914)938-2638 or (914)938-7049. Cadet parades, Military Museum, Hotel Thayer, Revolutionary War Fort Putnam. Founded 1802. Free admission. Handicap accessable. Closed Thanksgiving, December 25, January 1.


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Yonkers:

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site - Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10702. (914)965-4027. Seventeenth century home of the Philipse family. Converted to a history and art museum. Free admission. Group tours by appointment. Open year round, call for hours.
 

Metal Detecting Terms

- Glossary Of Terms For Metal Detector Users

Air Test: A test performed by moving various sized metal samples beneath the metal detector searchcoil to check the detector's features and target response. This test is not an accurate indicator of ground depth penetration capability.

Alkaline: A type of battery able to sustain longer periods of current drain with greater storage life when compared to the standard carbon-zinc type.

All Metal: Any operating mode or control setting which allows total acceptance of any type of metal targets. Usually associated with the Ground Balance mode.

Audio ID: See Tone ID.

Audio Response: See Target Response.

Auto Tune: Circuitry which continuously retunes the detector's threshold to the initial manually tuned audio level. The retuning rate following target rejection or drift can be preset or variable.

Back Reading: A false signal, when operating in the discriminate mode, caused by a rejected target coming within one inch of or contacting the searchcoil bottom.

Bench Test: An air test to determine at what approximate discriminate settings various metal samples are rejected or accepted. The test is conducted in a non- metallic area.

Black Sand: One of the most extreme components of nonconductive, negative ground minerals. Also called magnetite (Fe30) or magnetic iron oxide.

Body Mount: A configuration whereby the control housing is separated from the control shaft and fastened to the operator's body lessening arm fatigue and expanding usability for shallow water hunting. Also known as hip mount.

Cache: Any intentionally buried or secret hoard of valuables.

Carbon-Zinc: The most common standard dry cell battery type.

Coil: See Searchcoil. Coin Depth Indicator: A visual indicator used in conjunction with calibrated circuitry to indicate depth of buried coins in inches or millimeters.

Concentric: A searchcoil configuration using one or more transmit and one receive windings having unequal diameters aligned on a common center; most recently arranged on the same plane and called coplanar concentric.

Conductive Salts: One of the major mineral types which make up the positive ground matrix. Wet, ocean-salt sand produces a positive rise or metallic type response on an air tuned threshold.

Conductivity: The measure of a metal target's ability to allow eddy current generation on its surface.

Control Housing: A metal or plastic box which holds circuit boards, indicators, meter, controls and power supply.

Convertible/Combination: A metal detector configuration allowing versatility in operator handling, i.e., hand held to body mount.

Coplanar: Any searchcoil configuration in which transmit and receive windings occupy the same level or plane.

Crystal Controlled Oscillator: A transmit oscillator employing a crystal to maintain stable output frequency.

Depth Penetration: The greatest measure of metal detector's ability to transmit an electromagnetic field into the soil matrix and produce a target signal.

Detection Pattern: The densest or strongest region of the searchcoil's electromagnetic field where detection occurs. Its shape is balloon and changes in size directly proportional to target surface area.

Detuning: Adjusting the audio threshold into the null or less sensitivity tuning zone. Also a method of narrowing a target signal width manually for precise pinpointing. This is accomplished by retuning to audio threshold over the target response area.

DISC: See Discrimination. Discrimination: Adjustable circuitry which ignores or nulls audio responses from a specific conductivity range allowing positive responses to be heard from metals higher in conductivity above the discriminate control setting. Designed primarily to eliminate audio response from trash metals. See also Motion Discriminator.

Double Blip: A signal characteristic common to elongated ferrous targets such as nails or coins lying close to the surface detected in the All Metal no-motion mode.

Double D or 2 D: See Wide Scan. Drift: A loss of threshold tuning stability caused by temperature change, battery condition, ground mineral content or detector design.

Eddy Currents: Small circulating currents produced on the surface of metal by the transmitted electromagnetic field. These currents then produce a secondary electromagnetic field which is then detected by the search coil receiver windings resulting in inductive imbalance between the windings.

Electromagnetic Field: An invisible force extending from top and bottom of the searchcoil created by the flow of alternating oscillator frequency current around the transmit winding. See also Detection Pattern.

Electronic Pinpointing: An automated detuning feature which narrows signal response for the purpose of target pinpointing.

Elliptical Coil: A searchcoil with an ellipse shape. This coil can be either concentric or widescan type.

Faint Signal: A sound characteristic of targets that are sometimes deeply buried or very small in size.

False Signal: An erroneous signal created by over shoot, ground voids or highly mineralized hot rocks. See also Back-Reading.

Faraday-Shield: A metal foil wrapping of the searchcoil windings or metallically painted searchcoil housing interior for the purpose of eliminating electrostatic interference caused by wet vegetation.

Ferrous: Descriptive of any iron or iron bearing material.

Ferrous Oxide: An oxidized particle of iron which generally becomes nonconductive and makes up the natural negative ground mineral matrix. Hematite, which is also iron oxide (Fe 203) will respond as positive or metallic. See also Black Sand.

Frequency: The number of complete alternating current cycles produced by the transmit oscillator per second. Measured in cycles per second. VLF Very Low Frequency = 3 to 30 kHz; LF Low Frequency = 30 to 300 kHz;MF Medium Frequency = 300 to 3000 kHz; HF High Frequency = 3 to 30 MHz.

Frequency Shift: A feature which suppresses the audio interference (cross-talk) between two detectors using identical transmit frequencies in close proximity.

Ground Balance: A state of operation using specialized circuitry to ignore the masking effect that iron ground minerals have over metal targets.

Ground Balance - Factory Preset: A feature which eliminates the manual ground balance control and its adjustment from the operator's setup procedure. This adjustment is performed internally by the factory to optimize operation over an average range of nonconductive soils.

Ground Balance - Manual Adjusted: A feature requiring a manual control adjustment procedure to neutralize the effects of negative minerals in the search matrix.

Ground Balance - Self Adjusting: A feature which senses change in ground mineral content and continuously readjusts the ground balance while in operation. Sometimes called Ground Tracking or Automatic Ground Balance.

Ground Filter: Complex circuitry found in motion-type detectors which separates mineral signal from the metal signal al- lowing it to be further processed by the discrimination circuitry.

Hand Held: A metal detector configuration whereby the operator holds a shaft or handle which supports the searchcoil and control housing. Also called pole mount.

Head: See Searchcoil.

Hz or Hertz: Cycles per second. See also Frequency. Hip Mount: See Body Mount.

Hot Rock: A rock which contains a higher concentration of nonconductive ground minerals than the surrounding matrix to which the detector is balanced. A metallic (positive) response will be heard in the motion and non-motion modes and a null or negative drop in threshold is heard in the all-metal, ground balance mode over these rocks.

Isolator: A nonmetal stem which attaches the searchcoil to the control shaft eliminating metallic interference in the detection pattern. On some detectors, the en- tire lower shaft is made of a nonmetal substance.

kHz or Kilohertz: 1000 cycles per second. See also Frequency.

LCD or Liquid Crystal Display: Used on a metal detector as a graphic visual indicator same as a meter/needle indicator.

LED or Light Emitting Diode: A semiconductor which produces an illuminated visual response.

Loop: See Searchcoil.

Matrix: Refers to the total volume of ground penetrated by the transmitted electromagnetic field-which may contain varying amounts and combinations of minerals, metals, salts and moisture.

Metal: Metallic substances such as iron, foil, nickel, aluminum, gold, brass, lead, copper, silver, etc.

Metal Detectorist: A person operating a metal detector in the field. This name is preferred by many over Treasure Hunter.

Meter: A detector component that provides visual information to aid in target identification. Meters feature either an LCD or needle indicator which may display intensity of signal, target depth, target identification, type of metal, or battery condition.

Mineral-Free Discriminator: Any metal detector that can reject or ignore trash metals while simultaneously balancing ground mineralization.

Mineralized Ground: Any soil that contains conductive or nonconductive components.

Mode: A condition of operation, selected by the operator, for specific desired function(s).

Motion Discriminator: A detector type that requires searchcoil motion to activate its simultaneous ground balance and discriminate functions. See also Mineral-Free Discriminator and VLF/TR.

Narrow Response: A target that produces an audio response so short that pinpointing is almost not needed.

Negative Ground: Soil that contains non-conductive minerals which have a negative or nulling effect on an air-tuned thresh- old.

Neutral Ground: Soil that has no nonconductive or conductive mineral properties. Lacks mineralization.

Ni-Cad or Nickel-Cadmium: A rechargeable type of battery cell.

Non-Ferrous: Not of iron. Metals of the precious class (i.e., gold, silver, copper, etc.)

No-Motion: Refers to any mode of operation that does not require searchcoil motion to trigger target response. Also called non-motion.

Notch Accept: Operation whereby all target responses are "tuned-out" except those the instrument is adjusted to accept in the notch "window."

Notch Discrimination: Filtering circuitry which allows a "window" of desirable targets to be accepted within the entire rejection range of unaccepted targets, i.e., rejecting nails, foil and pulltabs while accepting nickels and gold rings of the same conductivity. This circuitry can also be adjusted to reject all metal targets while accepting only a specific conductivity range.

Notch Level: A control used to select the target level or target conductivity which the notch filter will act upon.

Notch Reject: Operation whereby all tar- gets within the notch width at chosen notch level will be "tuned-out."

Notch Width: A finite discrimination range of target conductivities ("window") at the chosen notch level.

Null: The zone just below audible threshold in metal detector tuning. This also refers to the momentary drop or quiet response of threshold sound as the searchcoil passes over a discriminated or rejected target.

Overlap: The amount of searchcoil swing advance not greater than the searchcoil's physical diameter.

Overshoot: A common false signal heard as the searchcoil passes over a rejected target when using a no-motion All Metal mode in conjunction with automatic retuning. Excessive tuning restoration pushes the audio above threshold level creating a positive response at the edges of target detection periphery.

Phase Response: The length of time between eddy current generation sustained on a metal's surface and the resultant secondary electromagnetic field effect on the searchcoil's receive winding. Related to target conductivity.

Pinpointing: Finding the exact target location with respect to a searchcoil's designated center. Accomplished by interpreting the centers of audio response width in perpendicular directions or scans. See also Detuning.

Positive Ground: Soil which contains conductive minerals or moist salts which have a positive or upward effect on an air-tuned threshold.

PI or Pulse Induction: A mode of operation where the transmitter circuit pulses an electrical current into the ground be fore it quickly shuts down. The eddy cur rents dissipate immediately from poor conductors such as wet salt sand and ground minerals. Metals hold eddy cur rents because they are better conductors. When the receiver circuit comes on, it picks up the returning signal from metal; the eddy currents in the ground minerals have already disappeared.

Quick Response: A short time period between metal sensing and peak audio/ visual indicator indication usually associated with all frequency ranges of TR detectors.

Rejection: An indication of target nonacceptance by a null in threshold or broken sound while operating in a discriminate mode.

RF-Two Box: A radio frequency detector having its own transmit and receive windings separate and in an orthogonal con- figuration. This detector is capable of deep large object detection while naturally ignoring small targets such as nails and individual coins.

Scan: Refers to 1) the effective searchcoil detection width or 2) searchcoil movement over the ground.

Scrubbing: The searchcoil is pressed and held in contact with the ground while searching to maintain even audio thresh- old. With newer detectors, this technique is used to gain depth.

Searchcoil: A circular (or other shaped) plastic housing containing single or multiple transmit and receive windings (wire coils) in a specific configuration. A search- coil emits and receives signals from the ground and metal targets. Also called loop, coil or head.

Searchcoil Cable: An electrostatically shielded cable of conductors (wires) which convey signals to and from the searchcoil and control housing.

Sensitivity: The capacity of a metal detector to perceive changes in conductivity within the detection pattern. Generally, the more sensitivity a detector can smoothly provide, the more depth it will achieve in sensing targets.

Signal: An audio response or visual indication alerting the operator that a target has been detected.

Signal Width: The total distance of ground an audio signal is sustained during search- coil travel or scan.

Silent Search: Refers to detectors capable of producing a target signal while operating below the threshold audio. Also called silent operation.

Scuff Cover: A protective cover for the searchcoil bottom. Also called coil cover or skid plate.

Slow Motion: A description of searchcoil speed required to operate the motion discriminate mode.

Stability: The ability of a metal detector to maintain manually adjusted tuning thresh- old under the effects of outside interference. See also Drift.

Surface Area: Refers to the area of a target closest to the searchcoil where eddy current generation can take place.

Surface Mount: The art of mounting electronic components on the surface of a printed circuit board rather than using the "through board" method. This allows more technology in a much smaller space and with much higher tolerances.

Sweep: The motion employed in moving the searchcoil across the ground.

Target: Refers to any object that causes an audio or visual response in a detector.

Target Masking: When large sizes or high concentrations of trash metals drive the threshold into the null zone suppressing weaker, positive responses from deeper or smaller targets.

Target Response: See Signal.

Ten-Turn: A control which can be manually rotated ten times to cover the full electrical range of the function. Usually associated with tuning or ground balance function.

Test Garden: A mapped plot of buried targets at various depths to aid in learning characteristic target responses and in com- paring metal detector performances under a given ground mineral content. Also called test plot or test bed.

TH'er,TH'ing: Universal word contractions for treasure hunter and treasure hunting. Also known as Metal Detectorist.

Threshold: Continuous tone that establishes a reference point for tuning the detector to ground balance it. The thresh- old tone also establishes the minimum sound level for deep targets in the discriminate mode.

Tone ID: Circuitry producing different audio tones for each target's conductivity range, i.e., low tone for nickel, high tone for coins.

TR or Transmitter-Receiver: Term describing method of operation of early detectors. Some manufacturers still pro- duce this type of detector. Electromagnetic field distortion caused by mineralized ground interferes with depth penetration as this type of detector does not ground compensate. It does balance conductive salt water effects so, it is primarily used in salt water and on low mineral salt water beaches or low mineral inland locations.

Visual ID: A feature in which a visual indication is produced to help identify the target.

Visual Indicator: A meter, LCD or LED that signals a target's presence.

VLF or Very Low Frequency: see Frequency.

VLF/DISC: Term associated with detectors capable of mineral-free operation in both the Discriminate and All Metal modes.

VLF/TR: A class of detector that can operate in both the All Metal, Ground Balance mode and the No-Motion Discriminate, Non-Ground Balance mode.

Wide Response: A target that produces an audio signal over an area wider than the searchcoil diameter.

Wide Scan: A coplanar searchcoil with two "D" shaped transmit and receive windings positioned back to back and overlapping. This searchcoil type is capable of detecting a target across at least its full diameter. Also called Double-D or 2-D.

Zero Discrimination: Used to describe detectors whose discrimination control allows the acceptance of all metals at zero setting.

How to clean coins safely
Susan Headly

To clean coins is not recommended, but if you really feel you must be cleaning your coins, follow the steps described below to minimize the risk of damaging them. Never use metal polish to clean your coins!
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: About 10 - 15 minutes to clean a batch of 10 coins
Here's How:
Wash your hands with soap.
Washing up will remove the oils and tiny grit from your fingers.

Lay down a soft towel.
Place a soft cloth or towel, folded over a couple of times, on your working surface to catch coins you might drop, and to provide a space for them to dry.

Set up your soapy bath.
Fill a small plastic container with warm tap water. Do not use glass, china, or metal, as these hard surfaces can scratch your coins! Disposable food storage containers are perfect for this. Just don't store your coins in them permanently.

Prepare your final rinse bath.
Fill a second plastic container with distilled water, for the final rinse. Although distilled water is by far the best, you can substitute any quality bottled water.

Put in some mild detergent.
Add a small amout of mild dish-washing detergent to the container filled with warm water. Don't overdo it -- all you need is a tiny squirt.

Clean the coin.
Pick up the first coin, and immerse it in the soapy water. Gently rub both sides of the coin between your fingers, paying attention to any stickiness or gunk. Don't put all of your coins in the water at once! Do them one at a time, to avoid their coming in contact with each other and causing scratch marks on the surfaces.

Rinse the coin.
Rinse the coin under running water, gently rubbing until all soap residue is gone.

Do the finishing rinse.
Swish the coin around in the distilled water, to remove the chlorine residue and other contaminants that are found in tap water. Hold it by the edges and agitate gently. At this point, you should no longer touch the coin on its faces. Touch it only by the edges when using your bare fingers.

Allow the coin to dry.
Set the coin on the towel to air dry. If you use a distilled water rinse, the coin should dry spot-free, because distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and other impurities.

Repeat until finished.
Now wash the rest of your coins, one at a time, following Steps 6 through 9 carefully.

Buff the coins, if desired.
When your coins are all dry, you might want to buff them a little to bring up the shine. Use a soft cotton cloth to gently rub the coins. Be careful to touch only the edges, or wear cotton gloves, so that you don't get oil from your skin on your nice, clean coins.

Store your coins.
Make sure your coins are absolutely dry before putting them away. Damp coins can suffer damage over time.

Tips:
Never try to remove the natural oxidation from coins, such as the tarnish on silver. This is called "toning" and the coin is worth more with it intact. Removing it will damage the coin's surface and greatly reduce its value.
What You Need:
Two small plastic containers
Mild dish detergent
A soft towel
Access to running tap water
Some bottled, preferably distilled, water
A soft cotton cloth for buffing (optional)

Top 7 Ways to Ruin Your Coins
Susan Headly
 

The seven best ways to ruin your coins are things that many beginning collectors do without even thinking about them. I've even seen expert coin dealers spitting on their coins! If you care about protecting the investment you're making in your coin collection, take the time to learn how to properly handle, clean, store, and protect your rare coins.
 

1) Touch Your Coins
Just touching your coins with your bare fingers is enough to cause damage to them, especially if you collect higher grade coins. And you will definitely damage them if your fingers come in contact with mint-state and proof coins. Your fingers contain oils and miniscule pieces of grit that will adhere to the coins and cause them to discolor or suffer microscopic scratching. When you handle your coins, wear cotton or latex gloves, and handle only the edges.
 

2) Clean Your Coins
With the exception of freshly dug-up detector finds, cleaning or polishing your coins will do more harm than good. Once metal has been exposed to the air, it is natural for it to oxidize, or tone. If you strip the coin of this toning, not only will you lose any remaining mint luster, the coin will appear harsh and unappealing, and suffer microscopic abrasions that lower its grade. Plus, toned coins are worth more than stripped coins. If you really must clean them, clean coins safely.
 

3) Spit on Your Coins
Talking about your coins can do just as much damage as touching them or cleaning them, if you do so with the coins exposed while you chatter away. Little bits of saliva escape from your mouth when you talk, and these can cause spotting and discolorations that are difficult to remove. Many uncirculated and mint-state coins have been ruined this way. Say whatever you want about your coin collection, just make sure your coins are safe when you say it!
 

4) Break Their Holders
You are certain to greatly decrease the value of your mint set and proof set coins by removing them from the mint-issued holders they come in. The holders, along with the box and literature (if any) are part of the "set" and should be kept intact and pristine. Similarly, coins that have been slabbed are worth a premium in their protective cases. Never remove coins from these types of permanent holders.
 

5) Expose Them to Acid
Storing your coins in envelopes, wrapped in paper, with your notations beside the coins, or in cardboard boxes is a good way to damage them unless you are careful to use acid-free paper materials. Over time, the paper material breaks down, releasing acidic chemicals around your coins. This causes spotting, discoloration, and can promote oxidation (toning) of your bright, mint surfaces. Be sure to buy only acid-free paper and cardboard supplies for your coin collection.
 

6) Coat Your Coins in Green Slime
Another good way to cause spotting and degraded surfaces is to store your coins in PVC-based plastic flips, holders, and boxes. Similar to the way the acid in paper can harm your coins, the chemical by-product of certain plastics can damage your coins over time. If you store coins in those handy food-grade plastic containers, or in soft, pliable coin flips, your coins will eventually develop a slimy green coating on their surfaces which will damage them permanently.
 

7) Expose Them to the Elements
If you store your coins in the attic or basement, you are probably exposing them to extremes of temperature and humidity that will promote their oxidation. In addition, these conditions will more quickly break down the storage materials (such as flips, paper and cardboard, plastic containers, etc.) your coins are organized in. To protect your collection the best, store it in a dark, dry, temperature-controlled environment (such as a safe deposit box or specialized coin cabinet.)

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American Coins  and their sizes *You will eventually need this info if into coin collecting*
 

13mm - Gold $1 (Type 1)

14mm - Silver Three Cent

15mm - Half Dimes 1829 ~ 1873 | Commemorative Gold $1 | Gold $1 (Type 2 & 3)

16mm - American Eagle $5 Gold | 1/10 oz. $10 Platinum Eagle | Half Dime 1794 ~ 1805

18mm - US dimes 1829 ~ present | Nickel Three Cent | Gold $2 1/2 (including commemorative) 

19mm - US Cents 1858 ~ present | Bust Dime 1796 ~ 1828 

20mm - Shield Nickel | Gold $2 1/2 (1795 ~ 1808) | Gold $3

21mm - Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels | Gold $5 1839 ~ 1929 

22mm - ¼ oz. American Eagle $10 Gold | ¼ oz. $25 Platinum Eagle | Half Cent Liberty Cap 1793 | Twenty Cent (1875 ~ 1878) | Gold $4 | Gold $5 (1834 ~ 1838)

 23mm - Half Cents 1794 ~ 1857 | Two Cent | Gold $5 (1829 ~ 1834)

24mm - US Quarters 1828 ~ present 

25mm - Gold $5 (1795 ~ 1829)

26mm - Sacagawea Dollar | Susan B. Anthony Dollar | Lg. Cent Chain | Lg. Cent Wreath 

27mm - ½ oz. American Eagle $25 Gold | ½ oz. $50 Platinum Eagle |Large Cent Chain | Lg. Cent Cornet (1837 ~ 1857) | Quarters (1796 ~ 1828) | Gold $10 (1838 ~ 1933)

 28mm - Lg. Cent Wreath | Lg. Cent Cornet (1816 ~ 1836)

29mm - Lg. Cent Lib. Cap (1793 ~ 1796) | Lg. Cent Bust (1796 ~ 1807) | Lg. Cent Classic (1808 ~ 1814) | Lg. Cent Cornet (1816 ~ 1836)

30mm - US Half Dollars 1837 ~ present 

32mm - 1 oz. American Eagle $50 Gold | 1 oz. Gold Buffalo | 1 oz. $100 Platinum Eagle | US Half Dollars (1794 ~ 1836)

33mm - Gold $10 (1795 ~ 1804)

34mm - St. Gaudens Gold $20

37mm - $7 Silver Strike casino token. 

38mm - Morgan, Peace, Eisenhower Dollars 

39mm - US Dollars (1794 ~ 1839) - Common Casino Chips & Tokens

40mm - American Silver Eagle Dollar | US Dollars 1794 ~ 1839 | Commemorative Gold $50