Tell me your secrets!!!

[jamin_03]

Okay, now that I have your attention, I would like to ask if you guys would share with me possible techniques that you have used to narrow down your searches of areas around cities to pinpoint locations that have more potential then others to have coins, relics, and jewelry. I want to know possible research techniques, reading the land, talking to people, anything that has helped you "strike it rich" at a location.

Jamin

 

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[mlayers]

rich oh yea I get rich everytime I go out to a place to detert. I lucky to pay for my gas when I get out. It not about getting rich it about what you find. If I want to get rich I would stay home and put my gas money in the bank.

 

[jcCALIF]

Continuously successful prospectors tend to keep their mouths shut. But here is where I would start:

1) UNDERSTAND your machine. Understand how your machine performs differently from others. What type of environments will your machine be most successful in (if you already own a machine).
2) What prospecting opportunities does your environment offer? Do you have a particular area that you can cost effectively hit over and over again.
3) Google for prospecting experiences in your particular area. What are reasonable expectations?
4) Dig, dig, and become excellent at handling your machine.
5) Maintain a good attitude as you pay the price of your apprenticeship.
6) Listen very carefully to any old timers you come across.

Best wishes to you!

 

[stefen]

Study people very closely...

Once you learn the habits of people, you will learn how and where they have a tendency to lose coins and jewelry...

 

[SusanMN]

My best advice is never ever assume that a place has been "hunted" out. If it's a public space, give it a shot, you just never know - found a 1923 canoe license just below the surface in a hard hit park last year. Found a 1891 seated dime this year in a school playground where I can hardly find clad. Found a 1968 class ring , lost in 1969 a few years back on a dried up beach that produced absolutely nothing else. Switch up where you hunt, try parks, playgrounds, ball fields and as much private land as you can get permission to hunt. And you don't need to necessarily dig everything, but you got to dig a whole lot. If you don't have a whole lot of patience and the belief that there is gold and silver somewhere under your feet, and all you need to do is to look hard enough to find it, then it's not the hobby for you.

 

[Frankn]

OK, Here's the simple answer! Go where the rich have lived in the past. I Hunt the house lots that use to be summer homes of the rich in Bel air Md. I will give you an idea of what you can find that I have found.
Gold and ruby ring
200 year old ax head
Old oil tags from the '20s
many coins

I got to be honest, the gold coin was found with some friends in a cache, not in a yard. Frank

 

[jamin_03]

rich oh yea I get rich everytime I go out to a place to detert. I lucky to pay for my gas when I get out. It not about getting rich it about what you find. If I want to get rich I would stay home and put my gas money in the bank.

Mlayers,

I'm just asking because all I've been able to find is 22 cents in clad and junk scrap metal.

 

[spartacus53]

First, throw away your metal detector, stop looking for any legendary lost treasures, or hidden caches.

Next.. Just study alchemy like I have and turn aluminum pull tabs into gold rings

 

[aquachigger]

First, throw away your metal detector, stop looking for any legendary lost treasures, or hidden caches.

Next.. Just study alchemy like I have and turn aluminum pull tabs into gold rings

You know that secret too!!! (in my best Cartman voice)

 

[deepskyal]

Old maps overlayed with Google Earth. Doesn't make me rich but I find some interesting places that have long disappeared. I have a fine collection of maps from various years for my area. Some highly detailed like the Sanborn fire insurance maps to the generalized, like the old topos that show where the horse race tracks, fair grounds etc...
Al

 

[U.K. Brian]

There's areas that you might not think of straight away/if at all. South facing views, land erosion areas, fords, wells/springs, prostitution/courting areas, sled runs, old camping sites, crossroads, footpaths to old Churches. There's loads if you really start thinking but first think to consider is that there was more walking in days past and the most direct route would be chosen, often off road. These should hold older finds if you have not been beaten to the punch. A little time studying how people lived, Where they went, what they did with their spare time always pays off.

 

[Moonrover]

... South facing views, ....

Enlighten me on how this can be a good spot. I'm not trying to be snarky, but just don't see how this is favored over North, etc.. Your other site recommendations are very logical. Thanks.

M

 

[U.K. Brian]

All views hold potential that people may stop and picnic but south facing in Britain tend to be warmer, get more sun and in the past were considered better sites for a home.

 

[kayden]

Mlayers,

I'm just asking because all I've been able to find is 22 cents in clad and junk scrap metal.

Read general discussion,todays finds & metal detecting forums for 1 week & I will gaurentee your finds will increase next week!

 

[ivan salis]

its quite simple really- lots of work but simple * there are a few hard and fast rules

#1 - know what your after --if you want old (silver or gold) coins well your going to need to be at where folks (pre 1964 for silver/ pre 1933 for gold) hung out at on a common basis --the more folks that were at a place the better the chances are someone lost something of value there -- high energy places are even better , swimming spots, playground / sports areas -- old (dirt) horse racing tracksand fairgrounds -- it pays to get to know your areas local hstory --where rev war or civil war battles fought close by? --was there old moonshiners or misers that lived in the area? the possible sources for leads to treasure are nearly endless --old newspapers might have tales of old bank robberys where the crook / crooks was caught or killed but the money was never recovered --old folks can be good sources of info that never made it "offically" on the record.

#2 learn your machine and how it "works" to learn what it is what it is telling you -your machne can not lie to you --it's circuits can however "misguess" what the coils return means --any metal detecting machine "guesses" what type oif metal and the depth of it by the electronic return it gets from the item in the ground -- sadly the electrical conductivity of some items are quite close (pulltabs / gold rings) --- (silver coins / aluminum bits ) and of course there are outside things like EMF and high mineral content that can effect your machine.

#3 sometimes you find stuff because of what is there today (say a modern swimming hole spot) --but most "good" finds are often found because of what "was" there in the past --what today is a empty feild with a bits of broken red brick and old plate and glass shards --might have been a old homestead or wagon stage stop - spend some time doing your research to find the old spots and what was where.

#4 old maps and old county land tax records (both to find out who owned what land and where places / buildings were at)-- in some cases the family still owns it if its been handed down --many times there are "dirty" secerts behind how the local wealthy folks familys "got rich" their grandpappy was a smuggler or moonshiner --their great great grandpappy dealt in hot goods --there is all sorts of ways to make "side" money most of em are not legal. --being what they were doing was "outside" the law , they could not just suddenly show up with a lot of "unexplainible" money and put it in the bank because then the IRS would go --uh excuse me but where did you get this money from ? because it was not reported on your taxes --so now your under areest for evading taxes and this money is "grabbed" ---so the money had to be hidden--- normally on land they "owned" to prevent folks snooping about for it ..--- this type of information can be highly useful.

ps you can turn aluminum into gold --save your aluminum cans and pulltabs you find while detecting (some folks are such slobs * )-- and when you get enough cash em in at the metal scrapers ---save the cash and when you get enough buy a $5 sized gold coin -- I call it "scrap" metal upgrading .

 

[Rob in KS]

Like they said above...research, research, research.
Google is your friend. On several occasions, I've looked through pages and pages and pages of search results.
Google Earth is a must too. Nice to be able to overlay an old map on top of the current land use.
Historic map works ( a proud sponsor of T-Net) has old plat maps. Sometimes the county tax records are online, but not always.
Did a local historian write a book about the area? Sometimes they can be found online but usually in your local library. Sometimes old newspapers will run a series of articles about the early days of the settlement of the area. Talk to old timers. If you find something that the owner can be identified, return it and let the local paper know. It builds good will and can lead to more places to hunt.
Read LOTS of posts on T-net

 

[Oddjob]

You will first need a moonshine still. Then make a ton of product, go to the beach on fathers day and give it all away for free. Wait until everyone left and then begin your hunt.

Try to include some activities:
Ring Toss: Player must provide own wedding ring (winner gets a free shot of moonshine)
Coin Toss: Player must provide own coins (winner gets a free shot of moonshine)
Necklace Jump Rope: Requires several players to connect multiple necklaces together, remember players provide the necklaces and the winning team gets a free shot of moonshine.

You can make up your own activities these are just suggestions to get you started.

Good luck and never give up.

 

[TerryC]

Jacob,
I don't remember if I told you in a PM... or in one of our phone chats but (this may sound over simplistic) WHEREVER PEOPLE GATHER. Got that stem fixed? Back out "on the hunt"? As you get better at hunting, patterns will start to emerge. Some good, some bad. Remember the good patterns. Success breeds success! Now, you just have to put in the time! One more thing.... listen to the sage advice given out by the people of Tnet!!! TTC

 

[TerryC]

Enlighten me on how this can be a good spot. I'm not trying to be snarky, but just don't see how this is favored over North, etc.. Your other site recommendations are very logical. Thanks.

M

During spring and fall, this side of a hill gets more people than other sides... to eat lunch and such. I completely agree with U K Brian on this one! TTC

 

[Chug And Red]

Spart Your Bad Chug!!!