Metal Detectors in the Gold Fields of the Developing World?

OwenT

Hero Member
Feb 11, 2015
572
858
Moses Lake WA & Provo UT
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
It always interests me to hear about metal detecting in developing parts of the world where there are relatively untapped gold deposits as well as few resources to obtain technology such as metal detectors. I found this article from someone who went to Africa with a detector and found several ounces of gold! Recently I was contacted through Facebook by a man in Cameroon who is trying to get his hand on a metal detector. He says that those with detectors find plenty of gold but few have them. Of course, who knows how much they really find.

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I bet there are places you could still go and do pretty well. I've seen comments made on other forums about people taking prospecting trips to places like Brazil or Peru, but I feel like it would be a little bit dangerous if a White guy like me showed up in a place somewhere like Africa with an expensive machine competing with locals for gold. That's why I wonder if there's any money to be made by helping people get access to equipment like detectors, maybe even renting them out or some other program where they could pay it back with the gold. It would just be hard to ensure that you would ever get your money or detector back.

I think someone here once commented something about people in Mali spending their weekends detecting with cheap metal detectors. Of course, the Boot of Cortez was reportedly found with a Radioshack metal detector. Maybe there's a cheap, simply operated detector that would work well enough to merit some investment in certain areas.

Does anyone have any good stories about going after the gold in some of these places?
 

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cpomike13

Full Member
Jul 11, 2015
184
157
SoCal
Detector(s) used
Whites SST
Whites GoldMaster e series
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The Mojave Nugget was also found with a "radio shack" detector.
There must be a way to some of those guys detectors. I know that with Minelab, their prices are fixed, so no dealer can raise or lower their prices, or lose the dealership. Might be that way of selling used machines, but renting , I feel few could afford to put security deposit on them. Any my 2 cents.
 

cpomike13

Full Member
Jul 11, 2015
184
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Thats the pup I got, the GM1Kis the best onshallow ground, but I'm hearing the 6k is the gold finder of all. Lil stuff in a couple inches to 18"+ on half ounce or bigger!
 

Crabs

Jr. Member
Nov 19, 2014
37
72
Folsom, California
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Probably doesn't matter which "under-developed" country you went to, unless you brought an elite security team to protect you, your life expectancy would likely be measured in hours.
One the first gold was found, the locals would make it their priority to remove you from the equation.

Parker Schnavel and the Hoffman group of Gold Rush have both run into scary trouble in third world countries. Parker was told to leave some parts of Guyana and the Hoffmans were literally tossed out of the gold region of Peru at gunpoint. Imagine little old you all by your lonesome with a container full of expensive metal detectors waltzing into one of these hotbeds of trouble.

There's still lots and lots of gold to be discovered here in North America, and although there are probably areas where you would not be welcomed with open arms, you would likely survive the experience.

'Crabs
 

crashbandicoot

Gold Member
Sep 27, 2020
12,129
27,098
Dumas,AR
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gotta agree with crab on this one.Most of these countries have little to no police as we define them and the natives don,t always like Americans,especially if they have a bunch of expensive equipment.Also has to be said,if you,re light skinned you stand out.
 

cpomike13

Full Member
Jul 11, 2015
184
157
SoCal
Detector(s) used
Whites SST
Whites GoldMaster e series
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I would think bringing 6-10 backwater type guys with ya, should discourage most bad behavior, besides, their every movement won't be filmed, unlike gold mining shows someone referenced.
Make the machines available to businesses who deal in gold prospecting equipment, sell used machines(that way avoiding minelab firm price fix.
 

phrunt

Tenderfoot
Nov 28, 2018
9
16
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Minelabs biggest market for gold prospecting metal detectors is Africa. They have no trouble accessing equipment, the GPX 5000 is the best seller there and the GPX 6000 was built to target their market, so was the Gold Monster 1000, you only need to look at the photos on the Minelab website of the people using the detectors in the marketing of the GPZ and GPX to see their primary market. The USA is a very small market for Minelab by comparison.
 

russau

Gold Member
May 29, 2005
7,250
6,700
St. Louis, missouri
On foreign travel to prospect for gold is : what is your end cost for foreign travel , renting a vehicle , fuel , shots, security ?? passport VRS. just buying gold from places like Goldbay .com or some place similar ?? Yes I understand it's NOT just the gold BUT the adventure in finding it . BUT to me the bottom line is the determining factor ! AND as stated previously , getting robbed , beat up or worse yet KILLED by thieves makes me think about it ! Yes all this could happen right here just down the street by your home BUT that's life ! I guess I'm a "willy nilly" about this but my life is kinda sacred to me ! Yep I probley missed out on a LOT of adventure in my life ! this subject is not for me!8-)8-)
 

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