If you could live anywhere in the world for the metal detecting hobby?

[Dr. Syn]

Look I'm nailed to a post out here in the field, so I'd have to go somewhere where the pickings are easy. Maybe Fort Knox, or one of the mints.
Be willing to bet I find some stuff in any of them. Okay, so getting away with it may be a problem. I'll work on that and get back to you.

Oh wait, I know I want to go to that secret warehouse where the U.S Govt. has all the "don't exist" things crated up. That would be fun.

 

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[DougDigs]

Laws?

Is there anywhere on this site that refers to an up to date list of current international laws regarding metal detecting by country? Would like to travel with my XP Deus but need to make some smart decisions. Thanks in advance for your direction.

Hi all,

I started metal detecting when I was working and living on the isthmus of Panama, which, in my opinion, is one of the best places in the world to practice our hobby with the incredible history, numerous places to detect both on land and water, and relatively safe to do so. Now I live in Bogota, Colombia but it really isn't a good place to detect considering petty crime is rampant and there is a good chance you'll lose your detector if you pull it out (whether by street thugs or the corrupt police). When I visit the Chicago suburbs (where I am from), I quickly see it is also not a good place to detect (lack of history, ridiculous laws against metal detecting, etc.).

I work in a field that I can pretty much choose where I live for a couple of years at a time and this got me thinking- If you could live (not visit but live) for a couple of years anywhere in the world to practice the hobby, where would you go? Obviously, the place would have to have an abundance of incredible history, but variables like safety (ability to detect) and quality of life are factors, also.

For me, places like:

Panama
Southern United Stated near civil war battlefields (I see all the places NuggetNoggin' has at his disposal and it is hard not to be envious).
Various Florida beaches
England
Italy
Peru
Ecuador
Various Caribbean islands

So where would be your dream place to live to practice the hobby?

 

[perdidogringo]

Is there anywhere on this site that refers to an up to date list of current international laws regarding metal detecting by country? Would like to travel with my XP Deus but need to make some smart decisions. Thanks in advance for your direction.

That's a great idea, Doug! I have not seen a master list, though. Laws about metal detecting in numerous countries simply don't exist, they change rapidly, or there may be laws but they aren't known by the vast majority of residents, including law enforcement officials, or simply aren't enforced. Of course, I'm talking mostly about 3rd world countries (non-western countries).

 

[aa battery]

fort orde

 

[bill_wabo]

For really old relics: England, France, Norway and Russia
For American history: Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the East Coast
For lost jewelry: Any Florida beach, Ibiza and Dubaï
For gold nuggets: Alaska or Yukon
For old coins: Any public park older than 150 yo

 

[mikeraydj]

I agree with Bill. But it would be pretty hard to leave my beautiful Montana skies and mountains. Having elbow room and mostly sane people is a treasure in itself.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Is there anywhere on this site that refers to an up to date list of current international laws regarding metal detecting by country? Would like to travel with my XP Deus but need to make some smart decisions. Thanks in advance for your direction.

That would be impossible, not to mention unusable as laws are constantly changing, and at the whim of the officer you interact with. It may be technically illegal in many countries/states/provinces/etc to detect but it has been going on every week an nobody cares. It could also be perfectly legal somewhere and a cop still throws you out. Many countries have a lot of corruption and "arrest" charges are fabricated to generate bribes to not go to jail.

 

[rodbuilder]

I'm gonna go out on limb here and say Fort Knox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How much ya' think I could rent a room for there?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Is there anywhere on this site that refers to an up to date list of current international laws regarding metal detecting by country? Would like to travel with my XP Deus but need to make some smart decisions. Thanks in advance for your direction.

As Jason says, this is nearly impossible to do. Although various lists have circulated, they all have their weaknesses. Example: There is a list that tried to compile the laws of the various European countries. But .... although some (except England) had "dire sounding rules", yet whatever rules you read about there, only applied to public land. And not private land. So you could do whatever-the-heck you wanted on private farm fields, since that's outside the scope of laws governing public land.

Yet ..... you might not conclude that upon reading the list, since things sound so "dire". And there's no shortage of hobbyists in those countries, so long as you use some common sense and avoid obvious historic sensitive monuments. Same for the list people tried to make for the USA state-by-state compendium (for just state parks). Some of it was beneficial (cited actual laws). But other replies handed down by state persons quizzed for that list, gave oddball answers about "no because of cultural heritage" or "no because of disturbing foilage", when .... truth be told, it had never been an issue before. So someone trying to assemble such a list, is at the whims of a lot of personal interpretation (ie.: depending on what you exactly found, if you "damaged" anything, blah blah blah)

 

[Phishfarmer]

I moved to Virginia from Florida about a year ago. I detected Florida beaches and found a lot of modern coins, not very interesting. The first place I detected in Virginia, (an old bus stop) I was looking for coins I found a civil war bullet and another, and other cw stuff and so on. Virginia has its' share of relics still. Patience, research and a little thought go a long way.

 

[scruggs]

I would move back to my home town...Williamsport, Pa.

 

[Kuntzy]

I would go to Russia. Went over there for a joint service exercise and they have gold and gems that are still undiscovered. That would be my dream