Metal Detecting & Prospecting

Metal detecting is an exciting and mentally relaxing pastime; it is truly treasure-hunting. Many new at the hobby, however, make some horrendous blunders.

The grass between the curb and the sidewalk is a good place to go metal detecting for coins and rings. Check out my tips for metal detecting sidewalk grass.

While you should always check your local laws before you go metal detecting anywhere, there are several places you can typically metal detect without permission.

Old swimming holes are great places to find rare coins and antique rings. Check out my tips for finding forgotten swimming holes and recovering cool stuff from them.

What most don't realize is that you can find gold, silver and gemstones near your own home. But there are a few reasons you probably won't.

If you want to try panning for gold, you might want to practice the techniques at home in your own yard.

New gold prospectors have a problem on their first gold club outing. They've heard about panning for gold, and maybe how to use recovery equipment, but on claim arrival finding a spot is a new story.

Some basic gold prospecting supplies are essential for large mining companies and the recreational gold-miner. Dry washers are a type of equipment useful in the dry southwest, particularly Arizona.

The AT Pro metal detector is capable of locating deep silver coins in the ground. Check out my tips for using this machine to find those deeper coins that others have missed.

Using the right digging tools for metal detecting makes cutting open dirt plugs a lot easier. Check out my recommendations for the best metal detecting digging tools that I personally use.

Finding old coins with a metal detector is a bit more challenging than finding modern coins that are often buried right below the surface. Check out my tips to help you find more old coins for your collection.

Finding gold in the wild is hard. Where to to pan for gold is of paramount importance. Whether placer gold deposits or hard rock gold, you need an edge. Here are some gold geological considerations.

Digging holes responsibly when metal detecting is respectful to both the property owner and the hobby itself. Learn how to recover objects from the ground without ruining grass and making a mess.

So, you want to search for gold ore. How do you identify good gold prospects? If your strategy involves crushing any and every rock you come across, you'll be crushing for the rest of your life and won't find a flake. Here are some simple field tests you can perform to help you narrow your search.

Asking a homeowner for permission to metal detect their yard might sound scary, but it's a lot easier than you think. With most public places already being hunted out, it's a lot easier to find rare coins and relics on private property.

Found coins are usually in too poor a state to be used unless they are cleaned up first. Even banks will not accept them. Metal detectorists all need to clean their treasures, but what are the best ways? Here we have a look at the various household liquids that can be used, as well as different rock tumbling machines and electrolysis.