Things You Can Find Metal Detecting

When people decide to try metal detecting as a hobby, they may have their own reasoning to do so, such as: Getting a Little More Exercise, Meeting New People, or simply to Explore Local History (all future blog topics) just to name a few.  However, one thing most people have in common is to go find treasure!

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Oh… and I promise, if you decide to stick with this hobby long enough and have the willingness to learn, you will find treasure! 

In this blog post, we’ll talk about the things you find metal detecting, both valuable and some that are not so… well, I let you be the judge.

Various rings I found in 2014 while metal detecting.

Now the phrase above comes with an *asterisk because what qualifies as “treasure” for one person may not be the case for another. 

Perhaps all I ever wanted to find was a mere wheat penny or a civil war bullet and that would have been my holy grail of treasure finds within the hobby, but for you, nothing short of Saxon gold would do and you’ll keep digging until you get it… I have.

Clearly, that leaves a lot of targets to dig and find in between, but what does that include and what do you do with those things once you find them?  Well, here is a list of some common and not so common things you may find metal detecting.

Behold - The mighty pull tab

Pull Tabs

SPOILER ALERT - You will find these just about anywhere you go, so just get used to it and embrace these little tokens as a sign that there could be gold left behind.  Why? 

Because pull tabs have the same general conductivity as gold and will sound very similar to how a gold ring and/or nickel will on your machine. 

This means that if you are hoping to find gold or nickels of any kind, you’ll most likely be digging for pull tabs, so you might as well make your peace with them and enjoy finding these little tokens!

For this reason, I call them “Beach Tokens” to make it seem a little more rewarding when I dig one (even if I’m not on the beach).

Coins

One of my favorite things to find metal detecting are the “high” tones I hear (if your detector has multiple tones/pitches) because those usually indicate a good target such as a coin. 

Metal containing copper, silver, zinc, bronze, and aluminum will typically all have that “higher” sounding tone/pitch as well as show up with a higher Visual Display Indicator (VDI) on your detector; if it comes with that option.

So you should consider digging those hight tone targets should you come across them as it could be a nice, collectable coin.

It amazes me how many coins have been lost in so many places.

Silver and Gold Jewelry

With great power comes great treasures!

You may be shocked at how many jewelry items are lost in the water, at the beach, in the grass at parks, around outdoor sport courts and fields, and even along public sidewalks. 

You wouldn’t think these are one of the things found metal detecting because if they are so valuable, wouldn’t it make sense for people to take extra care and caution not to lose them?

Regardless, one of my passions in metal detecting is to help reunite people with their lost keepsakes just like the story that was featured on Fox 17 News, see below:

Be sure to watch this Fox 17 news story from when I found and returned this class ring that was lost for 35 years!

Make sure to study and learn your machine so that you understand what it is trying to tell you. This way, when you come across a signal, you are able to recognize possible silver and gold targets as you swing over them and they aren’t one of the things you pass by with your metal detector, because lets face it, nobody wants to miss out on finding a gold ring.

One way to test this is to do an “air test” at home.  Simply find a silver ring (marked 925 or sterling on the inside band) and gold ring (marked 10k, 14k, 18k) that you or a friend may already own and hold each one in a hand. 

Move your hand back and forth across the search coil and take note of the VDI numbers your machine produces along with the sound of the tone produced.  *Note that different karat gold rings will sound slightly different as well as have slightly different VDI numbers depending on the purity of the ring as well as size of the ring.

Using the “air test” may help you start to recognize those signals more clearly when you’re out metal detecting, but note that soil conditions and depth will slightly alter these readings when out digging in natural elements.

Toys

New or old, Tootsie cars equal rusty gold!

Kids are one of the biggest depositors when it comes to leaving “treasures” out there to find when metal detecting.  One of those common treasures ends up being random toys. 

Some common items in the toy category you may find include: Matchbox or Tootsie cars, action figures, dolls, toy soldiers, Cracker Jack toys, etc. There are several Matchbox cars that are worth some serious money, so if you find one, make sure to look it up or better yet, go back and check your collection that you had as a kid yourself (hoping you didn’t lose them).

Let’s face it, kids aren’t always that great at picking up after themselves and love to play hide and seek, even if that means with their toys or childhood collections. 

Marbles

It may seem like an odd thing to find since marbles are very seldom made of metal, but for whatever reason when you are digging a target, a marble will just happen to pop out of the ground or end up in your scoop as well. 

It makes sense when you break it down and this could fall under the kids’ toy category, but marbles are a small item that can easily fall out of a pocket or be lost or forgotten on the ground when playing. 

I actually really enjoy finding marbles because they are so unexpected and can be very unique in their own right. 

Fun fact: Google “marble values” and you’ll be amazed at what some marble collections can bring in monetarily and the many different styles that you can collect, which you can read about in this book, Collecting Marbles: A Beginner's Guide.

Just like coins, finding the right marbles are also collectable if you know what to look for.

This is not the type of Grillz you cook on.

Hearing Aids & Teeth

These are items I never imagined finding or even looking for when I started to metal detect for a hobby.  I can understand a hearing aid falling out if someone is doing an activity and moving around, but teeth? 

The teeth can include what the cool kids call “Grillz” and are meant to go over your front teeth for added style or flare as you can get them in sterling or even gold!  Other types of finds include real gold teeth and/or gold fillings that have fallen out of someone’s mouth possibly from an unfortunate accident.

Urns with Ashes

Sadly, there are instances where you will find something that was meant to stay buried.  By no fault of your own however, it happens.  Loved ones help complete a final wish for their friends and family members by taking them to a spot that they loved in life.  These tiny burial urns often contain ashes of those who have passed but wished to have a part of them remain in this place that they cherished so much.

Other times, a pendant like the keepsake cremation urn pictured above, is lost like any other piece of jewelry and it was not intended by the carrier. It’s not your fault should you find one of these while digging, but just make sure to honor that by placing it back how you found it and try not to disturb the area any more than needed.

Keepsake cremation pendants are often worn or kept by a family member to remember a loved on.

Guns and Weapons

This gun was found in my backyard while I was building a shed foundation.

These can be thrilling and even scary finds depending on the situation.  Finding a gun could be dangerous and needs to be approached with caution because that gun could be loaded.  Not only could the gun be loaded, but it could have been used to commit a crime and is actually part of the evidence. 

For example, take the story of when I found an M16 buried in a trash bag in my own backyard from the new house I had recently purchased.  Now, I’m no where near a gun expert, as the video obviously shows, hence I called the police to investigate this find. 

Other items you may come across could include various pocket knives from say a hunting multitool or boy scout Swiss Army Knives.  If you’re really lucky, you may come across a military bayonet from an old rifle that was used in the battlefield. 

Whatever item you find in this category, please handle it with care and caution, especially if you are not an expert on a certain find. I have seen other cases where someone has found a live WWII grenade or bomb from a fighter plane.

These items must be handled with extreme caution and you should call in the proper authorities to help dispose of it for everyone’s safety.

What’s-Its

You will find plenty of items where you simply don’t know what it is or what it was.  Often times, nature has decomposed it so much that it is no longer identifiable or it was from a time where you may not be familiar with what the product was meant to be. 

A good way to get more information is to ask other “detectorists” that frequent online forums such as the Friendly Detecting Forum. Here you can find the Help ID My Finds section and post a picture to hopefully get some more information on that unique piece of history you’ve unearthed.

Finding something unknown or uncommon is quite a treat as that allows for extra research and you may end up learning more about the location you were hunting as a result of this unknown find, which will cause you to want to visit this site again to see what else is left to find. So… because we do not know what we have here, these items have earned the title “Whats-Its.”

With the help of some forum member at Friendly Detecting Forum, we figured it out! Do you know what is pictured above?

Birth Control Packaging & Adult Intimacy Items

There’s a reason to wear gloves when you dig and this is one of them!  While not necessarily sharp when picking it up, you still wouldn’t want to find yourself touching it and for that matter, this type of target usually remains where it lay per the “let sleeping dogs lie” rule.  Besides, why would those things be on the public beaches anyways!?

In Summary

No matter what things you find metal detecting, make sure to enjoy the day outdoors and hopefully you’re spending time with others, digging to your hearts content! Be sure to take care by following the Metal Detecting Code of Ethics and to always practice Cutting A Plug cleanly, so as to be a good steward to the hobby.

What weird items or things have you found while metal detecting? Leave a comment below or submit your story in the contact page to be featured in an upcoming blog here at the Metal Detecting Life.

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