Post: #26

^ Dude, thats awesome!!!

Post: #27

Book, A Battlefield Atlas of the American Revolution.
Marching routes of the British and Continental army's.
Good for NY, PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA and the Carolina's.

I'm trying to upload more pictures of maps for you guys but I'm having a difficult time.

Post: #28

This is a really cool thread. Its great you're getting exercise, getting to nerd out on history stuff, and making a bit of financial profit all from the one hobby.

I'd wager whatever was near you that night in the woods was a human rather than anything animal if it knew to not have you facing it, and to hide its tracks. That probably makes it almost creepier, though.

Post: #29

^ whats even worse is if you look up the state record for largest black bear ever taken in PA. It was over 900 lbs and near the same area that I was in. Near the Poconos. Thats all I kept thinking about that night.

Post: #30

I did some metal detecting years ago but I couldn't get the technique down right. It's a lot harder than it looks. But this thread makes me want to give it another try, especially being from New England.

Post: #31

This is something that has peaked my interest for a while and a friend of mine who is a bit of a History buff does mention it sometimes in passing.

Thanks for the information, will be giving this a go sometime in the near future.

Care to share any more tales?

Post: #32

Great thread, Schlep! I've been in and out of metal detecting for many years but I really got into it hard core when I left the States and moved to Latin America. I use an At Pro for land and fresh water hunting and an Fisher CZ-21 for salt water beaches, shallow salt water, and diving.

In my first Latin American country where I lived, a buddy and I would head out a couple of weekends per month to the jungle and search for long-lost Spanish settlements and it was a blast. We usually needed to hike for many hours just to find our spot (if we found it) and we'd camp in hammocks with mosquito netting under the jungle canopy. The most dangerous things to look out for were the snakes and jaguars. It is exhausting (the hiking and the the actual detecting in that climate) and has to be a labor of love since, as you know, you don't always find something of value. However, like you said, when you finally pull a coin or relic out of the ground that hasn't been touched in 150, 250, or 350 years, it gives you a buzz like no other. It's definitely an addiction for me- the research (which should be 80% of the effort), the preparation for the trip, and then the hunt itself. My experience has been that if you have a love of history and enjoy exercise, you can make a few bucks here and there by selling your finds. I tend to keep mine, though.

There is an unbelievable amount of historic maps and other information online nowadays and the Spanish archives are online and free. In the States, there is a website called "historic aerials" where you can look up your hometown, find an aerial or topo map from years past and then lay it over a current map to find old structures, etc.

I've now taken the hobby to Colombia and occasionally get out with some guys here. Metal detecting is in its infancy in most of Latin America and there's lots of potential. If you ever get to Bogota, look me up and we can get a beer. I know a couple of pretty good spots to search as well. I've attached a few Spanish silver cobs I recently found in Colombia:
   
   
   

Post: #33

Damn this is a great thread. I love these buried treasure stories. I wish I had some to tell, but I've never done this. I did find a real Indian arrowhead once, as well as a Civil War "minie ball." It's a conical slug of about .50 caliber that was used for rifles. Not much, but still cool.


Can any of you guys give critiques of various metal detectors? Maybe like a "metal detector data sheet"?

Post: #34

If you guys want another great book to read. It's called Buried Treasure you can find. It has listings for all the states and exciting events that took place in every state. Locations of ghost towns in the midwent and cool shit like that.

Someone made a comment about metal detecting being harder then it looks. Damn right it is.

Here's why. Do not go where everyone else goes. That park you see that always has lots of people in it. Looks like a great spot right? Wrong.... all your going to find is modern coins and tons of junk. Trust me, I wasted way to many hours doing this. Do you want to find coins from 1985 or 1785? Think outside the box.

More tips: Depths of coins are determined by the amount of rainfall your location receives. A 100 year old coin in Massachusetts is going to be deeper then a coin in Kansas. The harder the soil, the less it sinks.

Also, if your going to purchase a metal detector do not go cheap. You do not want a cheap radio shack 75$ one. You can find good ones used on ebay for 400$. Just make sure it comes with an instruction manual.

Your worst enemy: it's you......
Your new detector is going to come with a computer screen. With buttons, knobs and cool bells and whistles. It will tell you what kind of metal is in the ground and how deep it is. Do not trust this. That was always my mistake.

Hunt with your ears not your eyes. When you go out you will get a hit. Then look down at your screen to see what it is. Awesome!!! It says silver coin at 4 inches. Lol....wrong, bottle cap at 2 inches. If your getting a strong loud signal. Just keep on walking. Its modern trash. Again, you want to focus on those weak signals. Faint...hard to hear. Deep...bingo

Post: #35

Now, I understand this is confusing you guys. This is an awesome hobby. But, the most confusing hobby you will encounter. Let me explain.

Items lost over time are at different depths. 200 year old items at 10 inches. 100 year old items at 5 - 7 inches. Then all your modern crap near the surface. Newer coins, pull tabs, nails, foil and bottle caps.

That big park near your place. Is there old coins there. Damn right there are. But, your never going to find them. Why? Because of all that modern crap near the surface. Your detector is going to pickup the closest target.

Now, lets say you took a bull dozer in that park and scraped off the first 4 inches of topsoil. Guess what? Fucking gold mine!!

Post: #36

@ UM

How about I tell you the story of me coming home from detecting one day and opened my basement door and throwing my metal detector down the basement steps in frustration. Like I mentioned before, this is a very confusing hobby. You will have many bad days in the field. But, my problem was always me. Early on I was not hunting with my ears.

Great location to hunt. Lets say your driving around and see that old stone farmhouse thats 200 years old. Look out into the fields and tell me what you see? Nothing...perfect. no modern junk. Okay, how many times a year do they plow those fields? 2 times a year. That means those fields have been plowed about 400 times right. You don't think farmers and kids dropped things in those fields over the years. Damn right they have. Buttons, coins, trade tokens.

Best time to hunt those fields. Right after they have been plowed while the soil is still soft.

Post: #37

(07-27-2016 03:17 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  I had a buddy who made a shitload of money in the summer hunting mushrooms and he said the same thing as you, get maps.

Did your buddy look like this guy?



This is a great thread by the way. Seriously. I don't think I could ever sell the items I find unless we were talking big big money. I'm too sentimental about things like this.

Post: #38

I will give you guys an example of one of my best days I have ever had metal detecting.

I like to do most of my research in the winter months and take detailed notes. Then in early spring head out to start searching.

One evening while following General Howe's movements through Northeastern PA. I was pouring over my maps with a magnified glass. It was very easy following his line of march. I was looking for any kind of land mark, roads, rivers, creeks. Anything I could find as a landmark to matchup with my modern maps. After a couple hours I found it. Two small streams located about a half mile apart from each other. Directly in his line of march. Jackpot.....

I knew from experience that all I had to do was put boots on the ground. Locate those two small streams. Find a flat area on high ground. And, I was almost certain an encampment would be located. How right I was.

Made plans to investigate that weekend. Set my alarm clock for 4am. All my gear ready to go. My goal was to be in the area at first light.

It took me about 3 1/2 hours to finally locate the streams. They were located deep in the woods. I spent a total of 8 hours on my first day there. Then also hit the area on three more occasions. I found so many British regimental buttons that I could stand there and tell you exactly were each regiment camped. Buttons of the 18th, 43rd, 5th, and 47th regiments of foote. Probably found about 125 musket balls and 27 British and Spanish coins. Till this day I have no idea why British solders were carrying spanish coins?? Strange..

Post: #39

Would you mind sharing the value of some of your finds?

Post: #40

(07-28-2016 02:58 AM)Schlep Wrote:  I will give you guys an example of one of my best days I have ever had metal detecting.

I like to do most of my research in the winter months and take detailed notes. Then in early spring head out to start searching.

One evening while following General Howe's movements through Northeastern PA. I was pouring over my maps with a magnified glass. It was very easy following his line of march. I was looking for any kind of land mark, roads, rivers, creeks. Anything I could find as a landmark to matchup with my modern maps. After a couple hours I found it. Two small streams located about a half mile apart from each other. Directly in his line of march. Jackpot.....

I knew from experience that all I had to do was put boots on the ground. Locate those two small streams. Find a flat area on high ground. And, I was almost certain an encampment would be located. How right I was.

Made plans to investigate that weekend. Set my alarm clock for 4am. All my gear ready to go. My goal was to be in the area at first light.

It took me about 3 1/2 hours to finally locate the streams. They were located deep in the woods. I spent a total of 8 hours on my first day there. Then also hit the area on three more occasions. I found so many British regimental buttons that I could stand there and tell you exactly were each regiment camped. Buttons of the 18th, 43rd, 5th, and 47th regiments of foote. Probably found about 125 musket balls and 27 British and Spanish coins. Till this day I have no idea why British solders were carrying spanish coins?? Strange..

Spanish pieces of 8 were considered universal tender in those days. Heck you could pay your taxes with them up until the civil war. Considering that the coins were made with real metal, gold is gold is gold. The british probably paid soldiers salaries with a mix of spanish minted coins and english coins.

How much gold and silver did you find? Most of it copper?

This thread and the vagrant thread seem strangely linked to me for some reason!

Post: #41

@ zoom
Like I mentioned before. Depending on the condition of a regimenal button upwards of 500$ apiece. If it doesn't have a shank on the back. Then about 200$. A British king George copper coin in good condition is about 40 - 50$.

To be honest with you guys I don't really like to talk about the money I made off of these finds because I never intended to sell any of those finds. Especially the regimental buttons. They were personal for me. But, I'm leaving in acouple months to start my new life of being an expat. Needed the money to purchase my first apartment.

@ Thebeast1

Almost of the the coins were Copper. In all different conditions.
One of the coolest items I found was a serving spoon of the 18th British regiment of foote. And that beautiful gold British coin. The serving spoon was found in a big mond of dirt on one of the marching routes near a town called Paoli near Philadelphia. The gold coin was located acouple miles from the same place.

Google: British camp at Trudruffin.

Post: #42

Great thread! I was interested in this hobby as a kid, but I've never did for lack of money for a good metal detector. "Is there a brand or specify model to buy, if money not a issue"

Post: #43

One of the things you want to look for over the Internet is British solders diary entries. They will be difficult to find and buried. But, they are there. Alot of times towns and roads will be miss spelled.

I was following General Howe's line of march in the Southeastern part of PA. Found a diary entry from a soldier.

" marched in the boiling sun for eleven miles along the Phila pike. (Philadelphia pike) finally arriving in the town of Norrisville
(Norristown) bivouaced (camped) for the night a mile north of the town. Finding a refreshing farmers pond and spend the night there.)

Did you read all that? I knew they were marching east. All I had to do was follow that road to Norristown. Go a mile north and find that pond. If I could locate that pond I knew relics would be all over that place.

I spend three weeks looking for that damn pond. But, unfortunately I could never locate it.

Thats how things go sometimes. Just do your research and put the clues together.

Post: #44

@ urbannomad

You can find a good used one on ebay for 400 or so.

I would recommend a White's XLT or a White's DXL

Post: #45

I almost purchased a metal detector, but here (Germany) you will get a serious fine if they catch you. Several people have been convicted for digging out stuff... Do people ever see you in the forest? Not sure if you could do it stealthily enough.

Post: #46

Metal detecting is illegal in Germany?

Post: #47

This thread should be moved to the lifestyle section and tagged with making money.

Post: #48

(07-28-2016 09:02 PM)innocent21 Wrote:  This thread should be moved to the lifestyle section and tagged with making money.

Since this thread is titled "How to make money using a metal detector" can I ask how much per hour you guys are making metal detecting or selling mushrooms after taking out expenses?

I am curious how is compares to working an hour of OT if we are strictly talking $$$. Are we talking hundreds of dollars per hour or pennies?

Post: #49

Seems like you had a pack of wild dogs come near. That is why your dog acted so strangely. Had the same thing happen with me and my black lab back in the day in North East Ohio near a beaver pond. Spooky as fuck, completely different. I was running a trapline and went and saw the dog tracks in the snow when I got my nerve back. Completely different than a bear encounter, have had hundreds of bear encounters here in Alaska, including one 4 days ago on a dog walk. Dogs know the difference. The dog encounter in North East Ohio was probably my tensest outdoor moment.

Post: #50

@ IvanDrago
Yeah, wasn't sure what section to put the thread in. And I'm not really sure how to answer your question properly. I made quite a bit of money doing this. But, with the hundreds of hours spend out in the field and studying maps, books. You have to have a love for the hobby and history.