Denny W. made his first silver coin discovery with the XP Deus II after years of hunting the same historic location with other detectors. His story shows how different metal detectors can find coins that others miss, even in well-hunted areas.
The Hunt Location and Previous Attempts
This small grassy patch sits in the oldest part of town, dating back to the late 1850s. It's the kind of spot that draws detectorists - old enough for good finds but accessible enough to hunt regularly.
Denny had already worked this area thoroughly with several high-end machines: a Minelab Explorer with SEF 10x12 coil, Garrett ATX, and Minelab CTX 3030. The CTX did particularly well, pulling out seated coins, barber coins, and mercury dimes over multiple hunts.
But Denny suspected more silver remained - coins sitting at difficult angles or masked by iron that even these capable detectors couldn't isolate.
First Hunt with the XP Deus II
On March 10, 2022, Denny decided to try the same patch with his new XP Deus II using the #12 Beach P program. The choice of Beach program for an inland site might seem odd, but many detectorists find it effective for coin hunting because of its recovery speed and sensitivity to silver targets.
The results came fast. Within minutes, he pulled a 1920s wheat penny from 7 inches deep - a good sign that the detector was seeing targets the others had missed.
The Silver Discovery
Just moments after the wheatie, the Deus II gave another signal. At 7 inches down, Denny uncovered an 1887-S seated liberty dime - his first silver coin with the detector.
The coin shows heavy chemical damage from fertilizers, which explains why it might have been passed over before. Fertilizer can create a patina that changes how a coin responds to different detector frequencies, and the Deus II's multi-frequency technology likely helped it identify the target despite the surface corrosion.
A couple feet away, he dug a 1916-S buffalo nickel - another nice find that rounds out a successful first hunt with the new machine.
Why the XP Deus II Found What Others Missed
Several factors likely contributed to the Deus II's success in this well-hunted spot:
- Multi-frequency technology: The Deus II runs multiple frequencies simultaneously, which can reveal targets that single-frequency machines miss
- Fast recovery speed: In trashy areas, faster recovery helps separate good targets from iron
- Different processing: Each detector brand processes signals differently, and what sounds like trash to one machine might register as a good target to another
- Coil design: The standard coil on the Deus II has different characteristics than the aftermarket SEF coil used on the Explorer
The Beach Program for Coin Hunting
Denny's success with the #12 Beach P program demonstrates how programs designed for one environment often work well in others. Beach programs typically offer:
- High sensitivity to silver targets
- Fast recovery speed for trashy conditions
- Ground tracking that adapts to changing conditions
- Reduced salt interference (which also helps with some types of soil mineralization)
The "square and pitch tones" that Denny mentions are characteristic of the Deus II's audio system, giving detectorists clear information about target depth and conductivity.
Lessons for Other Detectorists
This find illustrates several important points about metal detecting:
- No detector finds everything: Even after thorough hunting with quality machines, targets remain
- Edge coins exist: Silver coins sitting at difficult angles respond differently to various detector technologies
- Chemical damage affects detection: Fertilizer corrosion can mask a coin's normal signature
- Program experimentation pays off: Don't just stick to "coin" programs - beach settings can excel in inland hunting
For detectorists hunting historic areas with multiple machines, this story reinforces the value of trying different technologies on the same ground. What one detector misses, another might find.
By: Denny W.
