Metal detecting and treasure hunting is enjoying a resurgence, thanks to various “reality” TV shows. Despite what you may have seen on TV, most metal detectorists do not jump up and down and yell at every little find, but are quiet, considerate people who enjoy a hobby that is focused on discovery. Metal detecting can be broadly broken into two branches (which can still overlap) – History and Treasure.
Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting Guides
History
Some people take up metal detecting to learn more about the history of a place. This could be old homesteads, buildings, or churches that have long since disappeared, or places like ghost towns, or old military encampments. This activity can be broken down into two broad areas of focus: Coinshooting, and Relic Hunting. These two types of treasure hunting can be thought of as different focuses of the same activity. Treasure hunters looking for old coins that can shed light on the history of an area will doubtlessly find relics. Conversely, relic hunters will dig up coins, which they would consider being another relic.
Coinshooting
Perhaps the most popular area of metal detecting, coinshooting refers to hunting for coins. This could be searching for spilled change in a park, to hunting for old coins at old homesteads, churches, or anywhere people gathered. Search for forgotten towns or railroad whistle stops on old maps of your area. You might find them online, or find physical maps at your local library, historical society, or public records office.
Relic Hunting
Relic hunting is the search for old artifacts from previous eras. There is obviously far many types of relics in Europe than in America. Metal detectorists in the United Kingdom regularly find relics and old coins from the Roman era, through the Middle Ages, to early modern times. War relics are a special area of relic hunting, where bullets, swords, and buttons can be the targets.
Treasure
Other detectorists are focused on finding gold or silver nuggets, jewelry or even smartphones. While finding old coins or interesting relics is nice, the main focus is on a pay day. The two categories of “treasure hunters” are Beach and Water detecting, and Prospecting.
Beach Hunting
Beach hunters are after lost jewelry, dropped coins, and similar items. Experienced beachcombers known that smartphones that have shorted out from exposure to salt water can be sold for scrap. Many have paper money folded up and stored between the phone and its case.
Some treasure hunters, especially on the East Coast of the US, dream of Spanish shipwreck treasure, swept to shore by storms. Hunting on the shores of lakes, ponds, and rivers where people gather is a freshwater type of beach hunting.
Prospecting
Especially popular in Australia and the American West, prospectors use today's technology in historic gold-producing areas to uncover gold nuggets. This can be in remote areas in traditional gold bearing regions, to sweeping old mining camps.
One lucrative area for gold prospecting is the old "tailings piles" left over from old mining operations. Especially at old river dredging gold mines, very small nuggets could slip through the gratings, and larger nuggets hiding encased in rock would have been tossed out before they ever entered the sluice.
Getting Started
There is no need to find out everything about metal detecting the hard way. Search online for nearby metal detecting clubs. Attend a couple of meetings to find the club that suits your interests and preferences.
Respecting others is the #1 way to keep areas open to metal detecting. Review the “Metal Detecting Code of Ethics ” so that you don't end up in trouble, and don't give the hobby a bad name.
One way to enjoy metal detecting while doing good deeds is to join the Ring Finders database. Ring finders are metal detectorists that people can call on when they're lost a ring or piece of jewelry with sentimental value. By checking the Ring Finders site, these people can find someone who will come to them and use their metal detector to try to find their missing ring.
Finding Treasure the Easy Way
If spending your weekends sweeping a piece of equipment around and listening for beeps isn't your sort of thing, you can get your treasure the easy way here at Gainesville Coins. From modern bullion coins and bars to old gold and silver coins, to even ancient coins, you're sure to find something to make your day!
Photos courtesy of:
Garret Metal Detectors
Minelab Metal Detectors
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