Minelab Safari - New Machine - Need Your Advice on How to Find Old Stuff!

[BrettCo124]

Hey everybody!

So I just purchased a new Minelab Safari. I love the machine. I am new to metal detecting, but I've been doing good so far...
So whats my problem? I keep finding modern things. So my question to you all, is:

What should I be looking for on my Minelab Safari? I want to find old coins from the early 1700's on a site that William Penn frequented a lot. I know its hard to answer, but, I am detecting a park that is within 100 yards of the historic property, so is this area where you would all go to detect at to find old coins?

I'm having a hard time determining what area to detect at. I really just don't know, and I am getting tired of digging up coins from the 2000's! lol.
I have permission to hunt in a lot of parks nearby, including an old State Park in Bucks County, PA. Are these places where I should go and look? I really wouldn't feel comfortable asking strangers to hunt on their properties.

Lastly, does any Minelab Safari owners on here have any advice on when to dig? I seem to only want to dig anything 37 to 40. should I not be passing up everything else? Granted, I was only doing that to find silver (i researched that number as being silver).

Thanks everybody for the help. I appreciate it.

-Brett

 

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[dholland02]

Listen to the tones of the machine, don't even pay attention to those numbers till u learn it. I have dug silver from 36-39 and Indian head from 30-35. So learn what the safari is telling u by its beautiful minelab music lol ha.

 

[liftloop]

main thing is to have fun sound like your doing it....

 

[BC1969]

You will need to really learn your machine to be successful. Odds of finding silver in a park nowadays easily, is well not always so easy, coins from that time period would most likely be very deep, and certainly have trash above them.
I could say a lot more, but limited time at the moment, but you will need to put a couple hundred hours, minimum in my opinion to become proficient with your detector.
Odds are said parks have been hunted hard, considering the proximity to a historic location, and probably decades ago, though the new detectors especially the FBS detectors are pulling goodies us old timers left behind.
I'll post more later, got a jar of coins to find.

Mike

 

[Iron Patch]

A 100 yards might as well be a million yards and there's no real strategy to hunting a site you are not on. If you want to find old coins you actually have to dig on a site, not just be a 9 iron shot away.

 

[BrettCo124]

This is all great advice, and I am listening intently. I guess my biggest problem is figuring out WHERE to hunt. What do you do if you just simply cant figure out any place to hunt, BUT you want to search for OLD coins (or relics) and you have a few hours to kill? Take away going to peoples homes, what would be left? Is that state park nearby me a good idea? It had homes built on it in the 1800's. Would that be good to consider, or is it worthless being that it has already been hunted? How do all you professionals do it?! Thanks for all your advice, this site, and all of you, rock.

 

[BC1969]

No site is ever truly hunted out, it just becomes more of a challenge. I don't know much about your detector other than its a minelab, and newer than my explorer, so I'm guessing it will take quite awhile to learn it.
I would recommend starting out in your own or other family/friends yards, for multiple reasons, such as honing/learning good recovery methods since you mentioned wanting to hunt parks. Second most homes yards are normally not full of trash like almost all parks are.
I don't know if the safari sounds like a Celtic flute concert like my explorer does, but until I figured out iron mask and other issues, all them sounds were very frustrating at best.

Now like with anything we do in life, the more effort and hard work you put into something, generally the greater the reward!
That being said, a time tested ( 30+ years ) in my experiance , what works best for me for finding great locations to hunt, is talking to the old timers.
That in its self can be very rewarding, not only for you, but also for the old folks whom often do not have many people to talk to.
What I do is volunteer my time ( rainy days ) at retirement homes or other places were the target population congregates.
In doing so I have forged many great friendships over the years, as well as opened many many great locations to hunt, all private property that are just chock full of goodies ( most of the time ). You will be amazed to hear some of the stories folks tell, all to often, peoples parents get to old to live alone and they force them into retirement homes, and barely ever visit them, so to get to reminisce about days gone by is a great and much appreciated time for them.
Hearing about a Lil pond out in the woods where all the kids swam at...oh boy them glory holes!

One of the best ways to learn your machine, is to build a test garden, and fill it with the types of items you would hope to find. Put coins next to or below things like can slaw, pull tabs, bottle caps and other things, maybe there is a hunting club near you that has a garden that you could use, or a metal detector dealer in your area has one. I would suggest to Google it or check YouTube on how to build one if you were to go that route.

OK wall of text alert, feel free to PM me anytime you want some advice or would like some tips, I've been treasure hunting for the better part of the last 35 years, I've learned a lot.
Happy hunting.

Mike

 

[empty_pockets]

If you want to learn your machine, Andy Sabisch book on learning the Safari is the one to buy....I think everyone would agree on this...

 

[dholland02]

If you want to learn your machine, Andy Sabisch book on learning the Safari is the one to buy....I think everyone would agree on this...

If u can find it, I'm still looking for one.

 

[empty_pockets]

2 on ebay as of now.

 

[BC1969]

Nothing trumps hands on experience.

Mike