Metal Detectors

[Doc]

How many of you people own and use a metal detector? Have you ever found anything of any value (other than lost aluminum arrows ..... lol)? What are your most targeted places ... foundations, old abandoned houses and farm buildings, playgrounds, beaches, parks, etc.?

[Rev Ev]

When I was in NC I had one and would comb the beaches. 80% was just loose change or junk. I never found anything of value. I would also go to city parks that would let you. Most cool places you would want to go, battlefields or historical places were either prohibited or you needed a permit. I would definitely try old homestead and work my way in concentric circles out from the house and try obvious pathways, like from front door to outhouse. I ended up pawning my detector after a summer of finding nothing. Probably could have stayed with it but it just didn't hold my interest. Maybe if I had a better quality one it would have been easier to find stuff.

[PREDATE]

I stick to foundations(cellar holes) and desolate "ghost towns". I dont like detecting parks and have never detected on a beach.

I find some neat stuff, but not super valuable. A few 1800's coins here and there, some foriegn coins, jewelry.

To date, my best find was a surface find. It was a sterling silver cigar box that was washed up in flood debris. It netted me a quick $200 from a local gold/silver buyer

Edited March 2, 2013 by PREDATE

[Nomad]

Oh 30 plus years ago... Old coins and tools. Along RR tracks near my house,fields,old churches. I'd get one again sometime.

[PREDATE]

There is a good forum that I belong to. It's called TreasureNet. There's quite alot of members from NY.

[Single_shot]

We have one,never found anything worth much yet.It's fun and get's you out of the house.We purchased a lower end unit and the best advise I could give would be to look at a list of different units from low to high,pick one you think you want,and buy the next better unit.The better the detector,the less agrivation and boredom you will encounter.

We found some coinage and silver spoons and forks...and stones that had some kind of metal content ? iron maybe?

[ants]

I've been thinking about getting into it. I started watching that show "Diggers". they go to historical sights ( Im sure they pay to do so) but they find cool stuff using metal detectors.

[backbeach]

Any detecting in national parks will result in loosing your gear.trespassing on private property using detectors usually doesn't go over with the owners I know from experience. those shows usually are more set ups and hype than real.I would make sure you know your laws in each area.

[josephmrtn]

i'd like to get one someday...

[Nomad]

Great for finding dropped keys, found a lost ring for one guy.Had a few ask me to find dropped lost stuff.

[Doc]

Some time in the early 1900's, two of the finger lakes had all of the houses and cottages ripped down, leaving nothing but foundations. I went over there and scanned a few of the foundations and came up with nothing. Of course who knows how many had already been over those same foundations hundreds of times all ready.

There was also an old foundation on a deserted road up back that yielded nothing. The reason? ..... All around the area was buried sheet metal roofing just about 2 inches under the dirt. Lot's of signals (everywhere!) but no way to isolate anything. I have another spot that I have to check out. Its the remnants of an old sugar-shack half way up our hill.

I want to get out a lot more this coming summer.

[nyslowhand]

And then there's the 7th century Anglo-Saxon horde found in England by a hobbyist metal detector in a farm field near a highway popularized by a recent TV documentary. Compared to that stroke of luck, around here you'd be lucky to find uniform buttons, belt buckles or an old muzzleloader. Gotta assume no one does it for profit..?

[Doc]

Gotta assume no one does it for profit..?

I would assume that most are in it as strictly a hobby activity. But I have seen some use metal detecting for finding gold. They were not getting rich by any means, but they were picking up some spending cash by playing with metal detecting as a hobby.

Watching that program "Diggers" on TV, you have to sift through all the goofy BS, but I did find it amazing at how low a value is placed on most of what they find. Some of those old coins that you would think should really be worth a lot of money turn out to be only a couple dollars. A lot of the other stuff that they find are just plain "junk".

However, when they are things that you have found yourself, they take on a different, non-monetary value. Depending on where you find stuff, it can take on a mini-historical value as you try to imagine the circumstances of who, how, when, it wound up where it did, and in some cases even trying to figure out exactly what a find really is can provide a little entertainment value.

[TPhunter]

My wife bought me one for Christmas 2 years ago and I haven't had time to use it much yet. There is an old foundation on our property that dates back to the late 1700's and I'm dying to get in there with the metal detector,. There is also an old road that used to be one of the main roads in to Watertown that runs by this foundation...I wonder how many coins could have been dropped on that old road?!?!?!?!?

[Single_shot]

Any detecting in national parks will result in loosing your gear.trespassing on private property using detectors usually doesn't go over with the owners I know from experience. those shows usually are more set ups and hype than real.I would make sure you know your laws in each area.

Also I can add that in Pa it is a no-no to use one on state game land.

I know of a mine entrance far off the grid where the miners actually "lived" around the clock.The cook had a big wood/coal stove[located very near the mine entrance] that was used,of which most has been picked up.But I would bet that back in the time period they were paid in cash and there would have been gold and silver dropped/lost from time to time over the years. That would be a prime area to detect,if it were not on game land.

[nyantler]

Although I just started a few years ago..It is my favorite of all my hobbies... I am a history buff so finding old stuff is exciting to me... I do mostly old old cellar holes and 19th century houses... I have found old coins in parks and on beaches as well... I have found numerous items from the 1800's... my oldest find so far is a 1798 silver 2 reale coin... I also have found an 1820 large cent... a civil war union eagle breast plate and half of a powder flask... an 1830 congressional campaign button... and much more. I have tubs full of old artifacts from the 19th century...and early 20th century. Last spring and summer I did so much metal detecing that I injured a nerve in my thumb from digging... took months to heal.. So, I just dug with my left hand..lol

I spend a lot of time researching old maps to find cellar holes... I am fortunate to have a close friend that has been metal detecting for over 35 years... he has a website http://www.metal-det...f-the-east.com/... he also has DVDs of his TV show on the site... we have a bunch of hunts planned for the spring and summer in some really historic areas of PA... and a copy colonial era sites as well in NY.

1st pic is the 1798 2 reale coin

2nd is a large stearling silver mexican ring

3rd is a 1913 Canadian silver quarter

Edited March 4, 2013 by nyantler

[PREDATE]

Although I just started a few years ago..It is my favorite of all my hobbies... I am a history buff so finding old stuff is exciting to me... I do mostly old old cellar holes and 19th century houses... I have found old coins in parks and on beaches as well... I have found numerous items from the 1800's... my oldest find so far is a 1798 silver 2 reale coin... I also have found an 1820 large cent... a civil war union eagle breast plate and half of a powder flask... an 1830 congressional campaign button... and much more. I have tubs full of old artifacts from the 19th century...and early 20th century. Last spring and summer I did so much metal detecing that I injured a nerve in my thumb from digging... took months to heal.. So, I just dug with my left hand..lol

I spend a lot of time researching old maps to find cellar holes... I am fortunate to have a close friend that has been metal detecting for over 35 years... he has a website http://www.metal-det...f-the-east.com/... he also has DVDs of his TV show on the site... we have a bunch of hunts planned for the spring and summer in some really historic areas of PA... and a copy colonial era sites as well in NY.

1st pic is the 1798 2 reale coin

2nd is a large stearling silver mexican ring

3rd is a 1913 Canadian silver quarter

I'm with ya totally on being a history buff. I've actually been to that link in the past while doing research.

There's tons of history in dem hills! It's awesomly interesting, to say the least! Did your friend also do a tv series titled, Cellar Holes Of The East?

[nyantler]

I'm with ya totally on being a history buff. I've actually been to that link in the past while doing research.

There's tons of history in dem hills! It's awesomly interesting, to say the least! Did your friend also do a tv series titled, Cellar Holes Of The East?

The Show was called Exploring History's Treasures... he did 3 different series... I don't remember the names of them all.. one was on the march to fort bull in Rome NY.. french & indian war time. Another was about finding an old wealthy resort town (cellar holes).. I don't remember what the third series was... we're working on putting another show together now... have to see where that goes.

[TPhunter]

THanks for the link nyantler...Good info on there for sure!!! And great finds BTW...I'm only hoping to find stuff that nice!

[fasteddie]

I bought a cheap metal detector about 40 years ago and later bought a Whites metal detector from the Swap Sheet . It was fun to use but I never found anything of great value . The Whites kinda crapped out and I bought a newer detector with a discriminator two years ago but havn't used it much .

Some kid ranger wannabe came riding in a pickup and stopped me from using it at a playground in Letchworth Park a long time ago . All he had to do was say I couldn't use it but he acted like a big deal . I went to the main office and reported the incident .

[nyantler]

In my opinion the Garrett Ace 250 is the best detector to start with... easy to use but still has all the bells and whistles.. thats what I started with and have never been disappointed.. I'm ready to upgrade to the Garrett AT Pro... just for underwater capability.

[nyslowhand]

I'm ready to upgrade to the Garrett AT Pro... just for underwater capability.

I'm impressed with your enthuasium, but you have to clarify for me.

We taking about ankle deep in the shoreline, creek or stream - or - scuba gear/wet suit...?

[josephmrtn]

im guessing either, right???

[greg54]

I just bought the Garrett Ace 350 and going to try my luck "hunting" once the weather finally breaks. Its a good way to get some fresh air and exercise, and you never know what you will find. Its a fun hobby.

[josephmrtn]

i dont know how or why the h*ck but look at this add that is on my computer screen... is this weird or what... right after greg posts about his new garret 350

there is an add for a garret 250

Edited March 5, 2013 by josephmrtn