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We spent a few days outside last week doing some metal detecting on the property and although we didn’t find anything noteworthy, we always have a lot of fun with that gadget! I think it’s the potential of the unexpected that is so engaging ... hearing that beep go off sets off renewed enthusiasm and you never know what you’re going to find! Assuming that no pirate sailed a few hundred miles inland, it’s a safe bet that a treasure chest of coins or valuable jewelry won’t be unearthed by us but it’s still fun to find colonial era, Civil War era and onward era relics. You read stories of someone (usually a 10 year old) who is given a metal detector as a gift and finds a fortune in coins on their first day out. They’re usually the same people who win millions of $$ after buying their very first lottery ticket.

Most of what we unearth are every day items from the past ... buttons, horseshoes, bullets, fragments of pails and tools, etc.

Even though the metal detector doesn’t catch them, sometimes while digging we come across Indian arrowheads and spearheads and also pottery and shards of broken china. I find china pieces quite often in one of the creek beds, usually after a heavy rain when leaves and other natural flotsam have been washed away. Once we found an old clay pipe too.

The more you find, the more it spurs you on and it’s a lot of fun on a gorgeous sunny & warm day.

Are there any other relic hunters here? What have your experiences been? Any interesting finds?

I have friends who are seriously into it. They live at the coast and the beach is one of their favourite haunts. Gotta get there before sunup they say. With the current price of scrap gold, a couple of 18ct wedding rings bring in a tidy sum. Lead fishing sinkers and anything brass is a "treasure" as the price of these metals is also good.

Ancient treasure like a hoard of Roman gold coins or jewellery are a once in a lifetime find but certainly do happen.

JJ, I thought about beach combers this morning when I was writing the OP and I've heard it can be profitable. Some comb the same stretch of beach every day and continually come up with loose change, watches, etc.

It's unlikely we'll ever find anything worth contacting the Smithsonian about but it's still fun! The detector has a setting to disregard nails but always in the back of my mind I'm wondering about the accuracy of that feature and if it might ignore something noteworthy along with the nails ... :-3

tabby;1446115 wrote: JJ, I thought about beach combers this morning when I was writing the OP and I've heard it can be profitable. Some comb the same stretch of beach every day and continually come up with loose change, watches, etc.

It's unlikely we'll ever find anything worth contacting the Smithsonian about but it's still fun! The detector has a setting to disregard nails but always in the back of my mind I'm wondering about the accuracy of that feature and if it might ignore something noteworthy along with the nails ... :-3


Yeah I personally wouldn't use that feature. Seeing is believing!

tabby;1446115 wrote: JJ, I thought about beach combers this morning when I was writing the OP and I've heard it can be profitable. Some comb the same stretch of beach every day and continually come up with loose change, watches, etc.

It's unlikely we'll ever find anything worth contacting the Smithsonian about but it's still fun! The detector has a setting to disregard nails but always in the back of my mind I'm wondering about the accuracy of that feature and if it might ignore something noteworthy along with the nails ... :-3


My Dad inherited the old homestead about 5 years ago. I have often thought of getting a detector of some kind and roaming the 500 or so acres to see what can be found. The original house was torn down around 10 years ago along with the barns, coralls, etc. etc.

What does a decent detector cost and are they easy to use?

YZGI;1446129 wrote: My Dad inherited the old homestead about 5 years ago. I have often thought of getting a detector of some kind and roaming the 500 or so acres to see what can be found. The original house was torn down around 10 years ago along with the barns, coralls, etc. etc.

What does a decent detector cost and are they easy to use?


I've seen them from $100 to $800 ... The el cheapo entry level ones don't last so I'd say start of with a mid range detector. Operating is fairly basic.

jones jones;1446134 wrote: I've seen them from $100 to $800 ... The el cheapo entry level ones don't last so I'd say start of with a mid range detector. Operating is fairly basic.


Cool, I think I may get one. The grand kids might like to do a little treasure hunting.

YZGI;1446135 wrote: Cool, I think I may get one. The grand kids might like to do a little treasure hunting.


I'm just going on heresy ... what my mates have told me but they seem to have a great time of it.

Ours is an X-Terra 305 and it's currently going for $399 on Ebay. I don't think we paid that much but we've had it a couple of years. It's lightweight which is a definite plus for me and the basic functions are easy to use.

New Minelab x Terra 305 Metal Detector Free Bonus Items Free Shipping | eBay

This Is a subject I am very Interested In but sadly have little time to get out with my metal detector these days...

I have In the past used one for many years though. I would find finding arrow heads just sooo exciting...

In the past I have found some 13th century Groat coins.... some Muskett balls...

Hawaiian beaches have plenty of metal detectors.

and they stay busy walking up & down the beach or in the water.

it's a profitable walk

Patsy

oscar;1446170 wrote: This Is a subject I am very Interested In but sadly have little time to get out with my metal detector these days...

I have In the past used one for many years though. I would find finding arrow heads just sooo exciting...

In the past I have found some 13th century Groat coins.... some Muskett balls...


I know what you mean about not having the time! We picked it back up after a few years of not having the opportunity and I had forgotten how much fun it is!

Patsy Warnick;1446189 wrote: Hawaiian beaches have plenty of metal detectors.

and they stay busy walking up & down the beach or in the water.

it's a profitable walk

Patsy


What a great setting for making some extra money! And the sand would be much easier to dig than soil.

Tabby

That's what I thought when I first watched - as years pasted with many visits to Hawaii the detector hobby has increased.

Last year there were two sisters each with their own detector we chatted for awhile.

They love the hobby & both had collected beautiful jewelry.

Beaches are the perfect place to hunt

have fun

Patsy

There are some remote beaches along the Pacific coast in the northwest. You have to hike to get to them. Some are famous because old bits of glass from shipwrecks wash ashore there. Some of the glass is from the 1800s or before. There are custom jewelry stores that buy this sea glass from those who hike down to the coves and beaches and search for it. Some of it (and the resultant jewelry) is quite beautiful.

Wandrin;1446294 wrote: There are some remote beaches along the Pacific coast in the northwest. You have to hike to get to them. Some are famous because old bits of glass from shipwrecks wash ashore there. Some of the glass is from the 1800s or before. There are custom jewelry stores that buy this sea glass from those who hike down to the coves and beaches and search for it. Some of it (and the resultant jewelry) is quite beautiful.


I bet it is! We have some sea glass on the east coast beaches but not a lot. I came across an article not too long ago about the sea glass on the Pacific coast but I can't remember where! It will come to me if I quit thinking about it!

Wandrin

The sea glass jewelry is beautiful

Many detector's sell to jewelry store and independent artist

I love the " one of a kind " jewelry pieces.

I walked with a couple of old farts up & down Waikiki Beach - they were collecting sea glass - which comes from the cruise Ships. not old still cool

Patsy

Patsy Warnick;1446480 wrote: Wandrin

The sea glass jewelry is beautiful

Many detector's sell to jewelry store and independent artist

I love the " one of a kind " jewelry pieces.

I walked with a couple of old farts up & down Waikiki Beach - they were collecting sea glass - which comes from the cruise Ships. not old still cool

Patsy


Yo Patsy ... if I swing your way with my detector ... will you gimme a place to crash?

jones jones;1446525 wrote: Yo Patsy ... if I swing your way with my detector ... will you gimme a place to crash?


If you come to Kansas I can assure you of finding a buffalo chip or two.

Is that like the same as Texas bullshit?

You get the drift.

JJ

I'm not in Hawaii

although I do have sand - as in desert sand:wah:

Aloha

Patsy

Patsy Warnick;1446746 wrote: JJ

I'm not in Hawaii

although I do have sand - as in desert sand:wah:

Aloha

Patsy


You not? Bummer.

So how ya doing hun?

Long time no chat!

JJ

We were in Hawaii for 3 weeks this year - Not sure if we'll go next year?

Ohau will be under construction - you won't be able to be on Waikiki Beach without hearing a jack hammers & trucks etc. Road closure - This construction will last for @ 5 years. I'll miss Hawaii - we've been vacationing there for 15 years.

The beaches have several detectors - people wear too much jewelry to the beach.

They'll take some jewelry off to go into the water - a strong breeze blows through - they're beach towel is tossed and the jewelry is in the sand some where?

A well occupied beach is a treasure trove for detectors.

If you have a detector - hit the beach.

Aloha

Patsy

Patsy Warnick;1446799 wrote: JJ

We were in Hawaii for 3 weeks this year - Not sure if we'll go next year?

Ohau will be under construction - you won't be able to be on Waikiki Beach without hearing a jack hammers & trucks etc. Road closure - This construction will last for @ 5 years. I'll miss Hawaii - we've been vacationing there for 15 years.

The beaches have several detectors - people wear too much jewelry to the beach.

They'll take some jewelry off to go into the water - a strong breeze blows through - they're beach towel is tossed and the jewelry is in the sand some where?

A well occupied beach is a treasure trove for detectors.

If you have a detector - hit the beach.


Strange ... Last night I dreamed I lost a gold ring on the beach and while I was looking for it, I found not only my own ring, bur three other gold rings.

But when I got back to the car park, I firstly couldn't find my car and when I did it was so parked in I couldn't moved it!

Not yet try that, but it sounds interesting.

We unearthed an old cat collar over the weekend ... just under a thin layer of old leaves. It must have been the tiny bell that set off the metal detector. Not the treasure we were hoping for but maybe next time ... :yh_shamrk