Southern California metal detecting help

Jonnymiller7

Newbie
Nov 19, 2017
1
0
Ventura, Ca
Detector(s) used
Garret at pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I got into metal detecting when I lived in Latvia in Europe. You could walk across a field and find coins from the 1500’s with ease, Viking jewelry, world war 2 relics. I would love some advise on where to go here to find SOMETHING interesting. All I seem to find is new pennies at the park and a plethora of bottle caps :(. I have tried the beach, some old gold mine towns and no luck. Anyone up for a trip?
 

Mackaydon

Gold Member
Oct 26, 2004
23,981
22,627
N. San Diego Pic of my 2 best 'finds'; son & g/son
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer
Primary Interest:
Shipwrecks
Welcome to TreasureNet !!
Use your imagination.........Where would people have congregated fifty or more years ago in California? Research for that information then continue your research regarding what, if anything has been built on that land in the meantime. If nothing, then research how you can get permission to hunt that area. As you know, California has no abundance of buried coins of the 1500s, Viking jewelry or WW I relics (perhaps a few, yes--from training areas, not battle fields). Be prepared to rarely find coins that predate 1900;but, yes, tokens, plenty of clad coins, pull tabs and metalic trash between each 'something interesting' find.
A suggestion in addition to doing research; join your local TH club; they may have staked claims that may produce flakes or even small nugget; and their members can give you additional places on where to search for interesting things.
Don..
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
I got into metal detecting when I lived in Latvia in Europe. You could walk across a field and find coins from the 1500’s with ease, Viking jewelry, world war 2 relics. I would love some advise on where to go here to find SOMETHING interesting. All I seem to find is new pennies at the park and a plethora of bottle caps :(. I have tried the beach, some old gold mine towns and no luck. Anyone up for a trip?

There are people in the Ventura and So. CA area who are routinely finding old coins. But to ask them "Show me where to find old coins" is not going to be like your European experiences. In Europe, it's probably no big deal for hobbyists to show each other fields that produce. Since there is SO much history, that you will probably never run out of productive spots.

But to ask that here is different. It would be like asking a fisherman to show you his secret trout stream hole. Since it's non-renewing old targets, those hunters tend to stay tight-lipped, and hunt with their select friends. You can usually get yourself invited along with the old-pro's, if you have something to reciprocate with . Ie.: a site giving up oldies, will catch the attention of guys who are finding oldies. And they will tend to trade tit-for-tat. Yeah I know that sounds like a catch-22.

There used to be a club, and perhaps still is, in Oxnard. Not sure if it's still going on. But if you find local md'rs, pay attention to who's finding old stuff (and not just clad from the beach and sandboxes). Perhaps some will invite you to a good spot, and/or show you the ropes to sniff silver out of the hammered parks.

You can also hit your beaches after storms and swells erode. Old coins surface when the right conditions combine to erode.
 

hbru123

Bronze Member
Jun 4, 2016
1,120
1,023
San Diego California
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
There are a lot of places here to try in Southern California, I completely agree with what Tom_in_CA and Mackaydon said. I would also say to try out the old mining towns again and if that does not work try out some homesteads and stagecoach roads.
 

Mackaydon

Gold Member
Oct 26, 2004
23,981
22,627
N. San Diego Pic of my 2 best 'finds'; son & g/son
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer
Primary Interest:
Shipwrecks
As Tom in Ca. stated: "You can usually get yourself invited along with the old-pro's, if you have something to reciprocate with."
I suggest offering to bring or buy the beer on your first hunt.
Don.......
 

RustyGold

Gold Member
Aug 16, 2013
9,372
10,901
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XP Deus I & II
Xterra Pro
Primary Interest:
Other
One thing about California is that properties are divided up with fencing and it's even tough to find an old field to detect on much less a schoolyard etc. that isn't completely fenced in.
Unlike when I went to PA where beautiful properties flowed from one yard to the next with no fencing to interrupt the landscape.
 

redcobra8u

Bronze Member
Jan 24, 2014
1,221
1,336
Los Angeles
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Garrett AT Pro, CTX3030
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1511545749.023777.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1511545771.110950.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1511545790.808887.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1511545808.190137.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1511545825.587604.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1511545839.614695.jpg

As Tom said, old coins can be found at the beach. I found 100 silver in a heavily eroded spot in Malibu, this year in 6-7 hours. Probably another 30-40 wheat cents too.

I don't usually hunt in dirt but I'd be up to it. There are some places I'd like to try in mind too.
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
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As Tom said, old coins can be found at the beach. I found 100 silver in a heavily eroded spot in Malibu, this year in 6-7 hours. Probably another 30-40 wheat cents too.

I don't usually hunt in dirt but I'd be up to it. There are some places I'd like to try in mind too.

100-ish in a single hunt ? You bested me ! My best was 46 silver in a day (and over 100 wheaties). That was Marina CA beach (north of Monterey) during the '97-98 El Nino storms.

I have heard of 3 other beach hunters (so you now make the 4th) who was able to do 100 or more silver in a day after beach erosion. Rare, but it can happen.
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
.... much less a schoolyard etc. that isn't completely fenced in....

Fences started appearing around our area schools in the late 1970s to early 1980s (litigious concern reasons?). But ...we still hunt those schools. There's invariably a turn-style, or propped open gate somewhere.
 

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