Southern California metal detecting help

[Jonnymiller7]

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?

 

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[Mackaydon]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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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]

.... 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.