The fine art of metal detecting

[Sideshow Spock]

Anyone ever have a metal detector as a kid? I went through a faze back then where I really wanted one (maybe they were advertised heavily in the '70s? I don't remember..), but it never happened.

When I see one at a store nowadays, I still feel like it would be a fun thing to have. Who doesn't love treasure hunting? I just wouldn't wanna be that guy with one at the beach..

Anyone have one now? Ever find anything besides nails and bottlecaps?

[Mikey]

I used to have one about 20 years ago.

All I ever found were rusty nails

[monkey tennis]

Were they old Roman rusty nails ?

[Mikey]

Were they old Roman rusty nails ?

Nahh

Here in the US, I don't there were too many Romans back then

[monkey tennis]

I just wouldn't wanna be that guy with one at the beach

True.

[Mikey]

Not sure if they're better today (probably)

But the old ones (like mine) couldn't even detect aluminum

[monkey tennis]

I just wouldn't wanna be that guy with one at the beach

Very true



Bill Wyman looking for Mick's money

"you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes
you find you get what you need"

[theantiquetiger]

With all the Civil War battle fields in my area, I always wanted to try one day.

[Adam West]

We have a lot of Civil War sites up here as well. You are not allowed to use a metal detector on a designated Civil War battle field but there is privately owned land right next to those sites and sometimes the owner won't mind if you poke around for some stuff especially if it is a farm or something that won't mess up their back yard.

I have a friend whose father used to come out once or twice a week to a catering place I used to work for and use his metal detector to find loose change or lost jewelry. The owners basically told him he could keep any change but if he found any jewelry, he was to hand it over to the front office in lost and found...if no one claimed it in a month, it was his. I once saw all the stuff he found and was able to keep and it was enough to open a jewelry store.

As teenagers, we all laughed at him because we thought what a cheapo to spend all that time metal detecting to reap the benefits of someone else's loss but I guess it would otherwise be lost forever or found by someone else. I think he had an old style metal detector that really couldn't tell the difference between different types of metals to determine whether or not it was worthwhile to dig so we used to take pennies and nickels and bury them deep enough in the ground to make it a major pain to claim his prize as we snickered watching him dig and dig only to find a penny.

[toys2cool]

I always wanted one but my mom always said no for some reason

[batmanrocks]

Actually me and my friend go metal detecting, honestly it is a very good work out, but like any hobby if yopu put the time in you will always find stuff, I know we have both found a good amount of stuff i.e. gold/silver and such. I have no problem being the guy on the beach with the detector, basically cause I don't give a crap what people think either.

[SUP-Ronin]

You have to be careful with certainfederal and state laws about collecting artifacts >50 yo. Out here (Wyoming) people do a lot of surface collecting of projectile points (Arrowheads) which is illegal unless you are on private land and have the owners permission. Everyone does it anyway on federal land and the law doesn't have many teeth unless you get caught actually digging in the ground. Then they confiscate your truck/car, tools what ever and the fines are pretty stiff. This would hold true for the historic trails, and Homesteads, battlefields and what not. I don't know the laws in the east, but I am sure if you want to loot a civil war battlefield, you would do well to have written permission from the land owner.

[Mikey]

In the East, besides Cival War battlefields (we have Gettysburg) ... we also have a TON of Revolutionary War sites.
Most are on State land but there are some that aren't.
Not sure what the laws are.

When I was a kid, I found an arrowhead inside of the skeleton of a rabbit.
It was on the bank of a ditch that got washed out after a heavy rain.
Pretty cool.
Almost wish I didn't disturb it--- but as a kid, you don't think of those things.

[Adam West]

I have been to Gettysburg at least 40-50 times and it is against the law not only to use a metal detector but say you stumble across a cannon ball or even a stray bullet that might be in a wooded area and surfaced. You are not allowed to touch it.

However, there are good finds all over the place on private land. A battle didn't have to take place. Just marching along a path, I'm sure all kinds of things fell to the ground that are allowed to be collected as long as the landowner gives you the ok.

There are souvenir shops all around Gettysburg that carry authentic items and most were unearthed on private land around the battlefield.

[Mikey]

I make it a point to go to Gettysburg at least 3 times a year.

My fav place is Devils Den

Everytime I go, I discover something new

Ever been to the NY memorial ?
I never knew it existed until I found it tucked away in the woods..

Also,
How bout climbing them look-out towers ?
That tall one almost gave me a heart-attack going up the steps

Guilty pleasure alert.
I miss the REAL Gettysburg Tower
The giant one they blew up
When they knocked it down, I almost cried