Who Came up with the modern metal detector?

DizzyDigger

Gold Member
Dec 9, 2012
5,787
11,447
Concrete, WA
Detector(s) used
Nokta FoRs Gold, a Gold Cube, 2 Keene Sluices and Lord only knows how many pans....not to mention a load of other gear my wife still doesn't know about!
Primary Interest:
Prospecting

SD51

Silver Member
Aug 24, 2016
4,829
9,950
MI
Detector(s) used
E-TRAC
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Here I thought it was either Chuck Norris or Al Gore...
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,157
130,947
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I think... errr... would bet... the very first "metal detector"...

was in fact nothing more than a magnet tied to a stick.

No joke.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,305
54,467
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know who started the hobby and brought it to the average person, Stu Auerbach who founded Kellyco in 1955. After making a bulk purchase of surplus military mine detectors he started selling them out of the trunk of his car at the local beaches before starting a store.
 

Last edited:

Exhuminator

Jr. Member
Jan 13, 2021
54
70
Georgia, USA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Vanquish 540, Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I believe it was Charles Garret who brought on the modern revolution of the metal detector. No he did not invent the first metal detector, but he paved the way for its refinement into what we have today.
 

Clad2Silver

Bronze Member
Jul 17, 2018
2,052
5,648
Eastern Connecticut
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Max/ Garrett AT Pro/ Garrett Ace 400/ Garrett Pro Pointer 2 / Garrett Z-Lynk AT Propointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Everything I've ever read credited Gerhard Fisher with developing the first modern metal detector.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Great imfo and video.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
The earliest machine I’ve seen was an old Western Auto machine.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top