Metal Detecting Coin & Relics Success Stories, Treasure Seakers Metal Detecting, Minelab Metal Detectors, Gold Metal Detector, Metal Detector Accessories, Treasure Seekers

Last week I had a bit of spare time after finishing work. I arranged to meet a detecting buddy, Brian, for a quick detecting session on one of my fields. The field has produced a few medieval hammered coins and some nice artifacts in the past so we were hopeful that something would come up in the short time we had.
The weather was fine and the ground was quite dry so we took my jeep to the field to save time. We arrived, had a quick chat, wished each other luck and then headed off to see what we could find. The stubble is quite long this year so the going was a bit tough. Towards the end of the session we met up to compare finds, a few copper coins, one musket ball and some artifacts but nothing too exciting. I said to Brian that we only had ten minutes left and we set off again ever hopeful that something was going to turn up. I picked a direction and thought I would head off that way for five minutes and then turn and come back. My next signal was an iffy one which was jumping about all over the place, and was showing deep on the E-TRAC screen so I thought it might be deep iron. I decided to dig it anyway though and after a few minutes and about fourteen inches down I caught my first glimpse of the vessel rim, I’ve had a few vessel fragments out of the same field in the past so assumed this was another one. I then cleaned some more soil from around the rim and could see that it extended down a fair bit, my excitement started to build at this point. A few minutes later I had removed the complete vessel form the ground. At this point Brian was making his way over to pack up for the day. As soon as he saw me holding the vessel he came running over to have a look.

We now had a quandary, it was time to pack up and leave but the vessel had obviously sustained an impact from the plough at some point and we wanted to have a scan about for the missing parts of the handle, we also decided to have a quick look inside to see if the vessel had been buried empty or not. The soil was quite loose and when we turned the vessel upside down a small group of coins and a ring brooch came out, at this point I decided that we should leave the rest of the contents for the experts to empty. We then had a five minute scan around the area and recovered four pieces of handle and rim which had been broken by the plough.

The vessel and contents are now at the Treasure Trove Unit in Edinburgh, I have had confirmation that the vessel has been X-rayed and that there are no more artifacts or coins inside so it appears that the hoard consisted of nine hammered coins and one silver ring brooch. The ring brooch has an inscription but I decided to leave the cleaning to the experts so I don’t know what it says yet, the coins appear to be Edward 1st but again I am waiting for confirmation from the Treasure Trove Unit.

D. Booth - Stirlingshire, UK

I had invited a friend from Indiana Roger, to come sometime and hunt with my regular hunting partner Doug and me. We went to the old park and Doug and his son Malachi joined us. We started out a bit slow then Roger hit a spot where he picked up three Wheaties with 1910 being the oldest. Doug made it and quickly got us going with a 1945 P war nickel, Roger then struck silver with a 1936 Merc. Doug doubled up on silver with a 1946 Rosey.

I was feeling a bit left out when I got a sort of jumpy 12-43 12-44 signal that when I turned 90 degrees gave me a 12-38. But the tone was high and it was at 5 inches so I dug it and found a 1942 D Merc as my reward. It was on edge. Doug and Roger were getting Wheaties and I got a penny type signal reading 6 inches and found I was digging in fill dirt to find at the bottom of the hole a nice 1917 Wheatie, just a foot or so over I repeated digging in the fill and this time it was a 1946 Wheatie.

Circling around a big old tree stump I got a weird signal ranging from 12-38 to 12-44 and very jumpy but the tone sounded so nice I dug it and found a rusted bottle cap, a piece of foil, a piece of silvery looking metal that said made in Hong Kong and a silver disk in the bottom of the hole and I could see on the back One Dime. I called the others over and we were thinking could this be my first seated coin? Well being a realist I said it’s probably a Barber and that was verified but it was a sweet 1912 Barber Dime. My last good find was a Wheatie, 1914. no D of course. So we finished the day with a lot of Wheat's and 5 silvers and a very good time together. Doug and I use E-TRACs and Roger an Explorer SE, I had been told by many others that the "Old Park" has been hunted out, but we have proved it different. We have found at least 16 silver coins, 1 Indian Head and over 75 early Wheaties.
No park is hunted out until it's "Minelabed Out"!

Tony Mantia – Ohio, USA

I received my new Safari on Tuesday December 7th. I had to wait until the following Sunday before I could take her out, seemed like a month and not five days. I charged the batteries and read the manual cover to cover countless times.

Myself and a friend arrived at the stubble field at 7am on a very cold Sunday morning, what greeted us was a very frozen 40 acre field. Whilst drinking a coffee we admired the Safari and then got ourselves down to business. Setting it up seemed second nature after reading the manual and looking at different forums on the net.

My friend hit the middle of the field whilst I decided to walk the tractor trails. My first signal was a 1908 Halfpenny, followed quite quickly by a thimble from the 1800's. I was approaching the bottom of the hill and the end of the tractor tracks, and I was about to turn around when I got that banging signal, I will never forget that sound and meter reading as long as I live. I pushed my spade in and took a spade full of earth and corn stubble out, I scanned the hole with the machine and it was still there.

Put the Safari down and probed the cold frozen hole with my pinpointer, it sounded just off centre, as I nudged the earth away I saw that unmistakable glint of yellow. I sat back on my backside and thought "no way", I reached in and pulled the yellow disc out. As I gently brushed the dirt away there she was, a very young Queen Victoria. Shaking I got myself to my feet and ran halfway across the field to where my friend was happily beavering away with his E-TRAC.

As I ran towards him holding this yellow object out like an offering to the Gods he looked up, sensing I had found something good he put the machine down and dropped his headphones. "What ya got Jerry?" I was shaking inside and I’m not quite sure what I said, as I handed it to him he just said "wow". After what seemed an eternity (probably 30 seconds) we both agreed on its identity. An 1846 Young Head Queen Victoria Full Gold Sovereign.

First day out and 3rd good signal with the Safari. What a machine, and what a day, to add to it we also found a handfull of Silver Hammered coins of Edward Ist (1280's) between us. I can’t fault the Safari, very user friendly and can sniff the finds out with the best of them.
Thanks for reading Jerry.

Jeremy Stanford – Somerset, UK

My father passed away on June 5th, 2008. He was almost 83 years old. He and my mother raised 12 children. I am the 3rd oldest of the 12 children. My name is Stevie White. We live in a little town in Southern West Virginia called Fayetteville. Fayetteville is known for its New River Gorge Bridge, which is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It is closed each year for Bridge Day so parachute jumpers can jump off of it. It is 876 feet above the New River.

Our family was terribly stunned by our fathers death. My mother and father were together nearly 65 years. My mother and older sister seemed to be grieving the most. I thought it would be a good idea to take them away from home for awhile to a more relaxing environment. I thought a trip to the beach would be a nice place to relax and help them to cope with our fathers passing.

We decided on Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the trip. I’m an avid treasure hunter, so I packed the Minelab Sovereign and a homemade sand scoop. The weather was beautiful so I hunted the beach every day. Some days I would hunt 15 hours without stopping. I found many coins, rings, earrings, and even a cell phone. The Sovereign proved to be an awesome beach detector. I have been using the Sovereign for about 7 years.

After seven days of beach hunting, the trip was winding down. I was still trying to get every minute of detecting in that I could. On June 29th, I was hunting on my last evening. I had found three silver rings but no gold rings. As I detected, I was talking to my deceased father, whom I deeply miss. I told him “The next ring is for you Pa”. At that very instant, I hit a target. I dug down 3 inches and pulled up a very large mens ring. My first thought was that I had found the ring of a Roman Emperor. I cleaned the sand off the ring, and on the side it read “Eleven Straight on the Road.” It was engraved so nicely, I figured it was too modern for a Roman ring. I saw a name on the other side of it, but still did not know what kind of ring it was. I knew it was an expensive ring since the top of it was covered in diamonds. I put it in my pocket and started to search again where I had found the ring. I stayed at this location for two additional hours and searched every square foot of this area. I figured someone would come out and say that they had lost a ring. I would have returned it to them if they could have identified it properly. No one showed up, so I started to head toward our hotel. As I was walking, I took the ring out and cleaned it again. I noticed the ring had an NFL logo on the side with the words “Super Bowl”. I was astounded that I had found some type of Superbowl ring. As I continued walking, several college students from Va. Tech stopped me on the beach and asked me if I was having any luck. I replied “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” They said “Let’s see what ya got”. I showed them the Superbowl ring and they were amazed. They informed me that it was this years Superbowl ring. They said “You are the luckiest man we’ve ever seen.”

I immediately called my brother John who lives in Charlotte, N.C. I told him “You will never believe what I found on the beach with my Sovereign metal detector. He replied “The Titanic?” I laughed and told him I had found a Superbowl ring from this year’s Superbowl. He immediately went online and looked up Superbowl Ring. He asked me to explain what it looked like. I told him it was covered with diamonds on top and had the NY Giants logo on it. I told him it had three trophies on it with three large football-shaped diamonds. It had “World Champions” on the top and a date of 2/3/08 on the side with Superbowl XLII on it. He asked me what was engraved inside the band. I told him it said “Tiffany & Co.” He replied “You’ve got the real thing.” I was ecstatic. I hurried to our hotel room excited to tell my mother and sister what I had found.

When I came in the room, my mother asked me if I had found anything today. I told my mother and sister to sit on the bed because I had found something unbelievable while detecting. When I told them I had found a Superbowl ring, they were absolutely amazed and could not take their eyes off the ring.
After further research, we determined that the rings value was in the $25,000 range. The ring has 67 small diamonds and 3 larger diamonds on the top of it. It weighs nearly 2.5 ounces and is 18ct white gold. A committee of NY Giants assisted in the design of the ring. Eli Manning and Michael Strahan were among the members of the committee. Michael Strahan, a NY Giants standout, indicated that he wanted the ring to be a 10 table ring - A ring that could be seen from 10 tables away. The ring is extremely large, as you will see in the pictures. We have been offered $10,000 cash for the ring to date, but I could not sell this players ring. I feel the Lord and my Pa would want me to return the ring to its owner. We contacted the NY Giants to arrange getting the ring back to its original owner. The ring was returned to it’s owner, in person, on October 4, 2008. The rookie player was thrilled to get his Super Bowl ring back. He would not disclose how he lost the ring on the beach. The only reward I got was the thrill of seeing him get his ring back. If I lost a Superbowl ring, I would hope that someone would return it back to me.

Note: The players name on the Superbowl ring was kept confidential for several reasons.

PS: Keep Your Loops Swinging My Friends - Dream Treasures Really Are Found !!!! Believe Me!!

Stevie White – WV, USA

“Jamie! “
“Yes Dad?”
“You can’t spend all day inside on that console, let’s go outside. It’s good for you!”
“Outside is boooooring! There’s nothing to do.”
“How about we grab the Minelab and go and search the woods?”
“aaaaaw …..”
“Come-on, it’ll be fun!”
“aaaaaw ….OK.”

Such started a strange chain of events one Sunday morning. We grabbed our boots, gloves and shovels and set off into the woods that back onto our garden. A normal autumn morning, with the dog bouncing along next to us. To be fair, all I’d ever found in the woods were shotgun cartridges. But this was really about getting some time to do “stuff” with Jamie, and even digging “shotties” outdoors would be better for him than staring at that blasted screen all day.

We tramped over roots, tripped on blackberry bushes; all the while waiting for the ever-elusive tone that takes the cross-hairs to North North East on the display! Woooooo-Woop, Woooooo-Woop, Woooooo-Woop. Over and over again we had signals and dug them.

“Dad, it’s juuuust another shottie!” “We’re NEVER going to find anything!”
“C’mon J’, let’s keep trying. You never know”

We moved deeper into the woods, amongst the larger trees when suddenly the XS went off like a rocket. ‘Gotta be tin foil’ I thought to myself but let’s dig it nonetheless... We checked the depth and figured on about eight inches. Did our pinpoint ‘X marks the spot’ thing, and plunged the shovel into the decaying leaf litter. I made a nice little circle around the spot and popped the root-infested plug to one side. Jamie, on his knees, peered into the pocket in the dark soil and reached in. I was preparing for another let-down and the eventuality that would mean us giving-up and returning home empty-handed; Jamie brain-dead in front of a zombie screen again.

“Dad”
“mmmm?”
“DAAAAD?”
“mmmmm, what?”
“Dad, look. I think it’s gold!”

Gold! Now there’s a word that can wake even the sleepiest person. I spun ‘round. I looked down at Jamie. Cupped in his hands was a large thin disc, and between the bits of soil that clung to it I could clearly see what appeared to be gold metal flashing in the dappled light of the woods. At this point, I must say, it is far better to be ten years old holding something you totally believe to be gold, than to be a forty two year old adult who is trying to find reasons why it can’t be. I decided to indulge Jamie’s fantasy and we called it gold all the way home.

Jamie was over-the-moon. I was sceptical! But we’d had great fun in the woods, and after all, that was why we’d gone there. I mean, who ACTUALLY believes they WILL find treasure? Turns out the 10 year old was right.

A report from the UKFD (United Kingdom Finds Database) based on the image we submitted returned this:

“An Anglo-Saxon period copper-alloy disc (Circa 8th - early 9th century AD) with incised and applied decoration. The front of the disc has a voided cross pommée with interlace decoration in the four angles. At the centre of the cross, and the pommée end of each arm, a copper-alloy rivet with a protruding spherical head has been fitted. The back of the disc has the corroded remains of an iron strip, riveted (via the two small rivets visible on the front of the disc) slightly off-centre and spanning the full diameter. The disc has been gilded and much of the gilt surface survives."

That night I tucked Jamie into bed. I’m sure I could still hear him fizzing with excitement!

“Goodnight mate”
“Goodnight Dad”…
… “Dad?”
“mmmmm”
“When can we go Metal Detecting again?

Garb– Wiltshire, UK

Ever since I had started using detectors when I was 19 in the Military I wanted to get my own for hobby use to find some shipwreck coins or treasure on one of the beaches or fields near home in Cornwall England after all I have heard of so many stories of the old wreckers here and such treasures lost here that dreams are made of. I sometimes found coins using my military detector to my great delight. I bought series of detectors over my 7 years in the Army and searched my local beaches finding mostly modern and Victorian coins. When I left the military I bought a Minelab Explorer. My finds drastically improved and I started to find deeper finds most too crusty or corroded too recognize from the beach sites and to be honest I have only ever found one gold modern ring on the beach.

My dreams of finding a real shipwreck coin was seeming so distant too me now and it was like a kids dream had been crushed surly the sea didn't eat all the coins and treasure out there. I had been getting dreams of my adventures in Scotland when panning and one dream merged into the next and I found myself digging in a hole and shouting to my girl "quick come over here I’ve found a pirate coin" to my supreme joy.

I had been thinking of upgrading to a more professional detector of late and decided it’s time to see if I can make my ideas and dreams come true so I bought the new GPX 5000. I had been watching a few of the clips on here and reading about the detectors salt timings. After this I kept dreaming about using one and travelling to the far reaches of the globe to prospect as I have had some great luck last week already searching my local hill finding a Celtic Romano sword and many roman coins when I missed all this with previous detectors used! So all excited and with the warm weather here I packed the jeep with my GPX, camping gear, fishing gear and set off to a beach just a few miles away on the Cornish coast here to spend the night camping and enjoying the munched welcome warm weather after such a long cold spell. Last Sunday was my 36th birthday and my choice was to spend it at the beach detecting and fishing. Beers later in outside the tent next to BBQ!

Reading my notes taken from the Treasure Talk forum on salt timings I set off to have a fish and later detect when the beach when had calmed down with people started to home, leaving the beach for me to search. I caught one small fish so not so good on the fishing front but better than others present. I kept willing the tide to go out as I sat there waiting for a bite that was a long time waiting.

By this time the wind had picked up and the tide had gone out, I looked down from the pier where I had been sitting and noticed a long strip of black sand near the surface. I remember this spot being too difficult to search with one of my old detectors still rated as one of the best and thought I could start just above here and see what I get and gradually move down closer to the dark sand. Knowing this area is heavy in mineralization I prayed the GPX in salt timing would be ok and that I would not need to reduce my gain and settings if it got too loud or unstable as other detectors I used did.

I set off in Fixed after doing a GB and she was silent running to my relief, as I went down I picked my first signal a small 5p coin at 16" using my 11" Double-D coil. Wow I thought after my partners detector tried and got nothing! The next signal an old coin encrusted sat within the black layers and it was Roman! After I got home to electrolysis the crust off. This was a surprise I had not found a Roman on the beach before. This again was deep with the black thick sand! at about 12" I was almost at the water’s edge when I got a loud signal clear and clean so fighting with the sand as it collapsed into the hole I was digging frantically I pulled out a coin shaped encrustation again very deep I put this in my pocket not then knowing what I had within that encrustation and then a wave got me or my rear end just as I was standing up! Oh nice I thought feeling that Atlantic breeze between my shorts lol.

I found many more old coins some I am still carefully removing the encrustations off. To my extreme surprise my new GPX has rewarded me with my first PIRATE coin a 1740 Hispanic silver coin most likely from a Cornish wreck. This is the coin details.1740 Mexico city minted, 4 Reales (piece of four), Phillip V (Spain 1740-46 Felipe V).
Obverse : Crowned Arms, MF at left and 8 at right
Reverse : Crowned globes flanked by crowned and bannered pillars with royal crowns over water ( bigger ); "VTRA QUE VNUM"; (date) below, between roses, Mint Mark o over M at left and right

Thus my dreams of finding real pirate treasure all these years has come true finally and on my birthday to boot. I can’t express how happy I felt by this. This machine is worth more than my car and was my largest single spend, I can’t part with this coin to get the coil I have had my eye on as my girl said I should sell it as it’s like a magic coin and sign for me, a boys now man's dream come true I know now these things are really there for me to find now as I show it off to my work colleges and friends exclaiming I knew the old tales were true I knew it! This birthday will be one I remember for sure!

After this last weekend I have planned many more such to such beaches all my old notes and stories I have collected up seem worth while following up now and not leaving in my old folder of pirate ships and stories. My girl is now saying, "I'm buying one! Teach me how to use yours" ha ha so now we have to save all over again. Before it was slightly different knowing I already had a good Minelab and how she was complaining about costs etc especially in this time of economic doom. But I said well I don't smoke and drink rarely and it’s now my only hobby apart from gold panning love etc so she thankfully gave in and now I'm happy knowing I have the technology to find and make my dreams come true. I'm Chris from Cornwall in the UK telling my story. Good luck everyone in realizing your dreams too!

‘Midas Chris’ – Cornwall, UK

Finally got out with my new Explorer SE Pro that I have been dying to swing. A buddy and I went for a 2-hour hunt to a couple of spots he had permission to hunt at. First, was an older house where we picked up some clad and I got a wheatie. I am still trying to get used to the SE, as I had the XS before, and the iron mask was different, the pinpointing was definitely different, and I am trying to get used to the Ferrous numbers, as I have not used them before. We moved on to the next spot, and right off the bat, my buddy picks up a well worn Barber quarter. We thought, hmmm, this spot could have potential.

He dug another target, and it was 3 clad quarters in one hole. Meanwhile, I dug a clad dime, a zinc penny, some can slaw, and just kinda wandered around hoping to get some kind of a solid signal. I swung the coil next to a bush, and got a solid 00 25 on the SE. Thinking it was maybe a wheatie or Indian I kneeled down, dug the plug, and scooped out the first handful of dirt. Stuck the probe in the pile and was delighted to find a 1910 Canadian Quarter. I was pleasantly surprised to get my first older Canadian silver coin. I called my buddy over to show him, and then put the coin in my pouch. I stuck the probe back in the hole and she sang out again. I said, oh boy, there's more in here! I reached in and took another handful of dirt out, and mixed in the dirt were 5 or 6 more silver coins, some quarters and a half, I think. Now, I started getting shaky... I looked down in the hole, and I could see more coins in there stacked together, but horizontally in the hole, with the reeded edges sticking up. Now I was excited. I dug some more dirt out around them and scooped them out of the hole. By the time I was done, I had 21 silver coins laying beside the hole! Totally awesome!! Final tally was: 3 Barber Halves, 2 Walking Liberty Halves, 4 Barber Quarters, 6 Standing Liberty Quarters(2 with dates), 5 Washington Quarters, and the first 1910 Canadian Quarter. Oldest coin was semi-key date 1897"O" Barber Half and the newest coin was a 1936. My first ever Cache and it’s something I will never forget! It is why I love this hobby and these Minelab detectors so much!

Mike Palmer – ND, USA

TIt was a warm sunny day in April when I had a day off from my job as a hospital chef, here in the West country, I decided to go out for the day. Arriving at one of my farms down in Somerset, I could see that my farmer had ploughed, and was rolling one of the far fields. That’s the one for today I thought. So after kitting up, and checking the batteries on my Minelab Explorer II, I started to cut across two grass fields, detecting as I went. Coming into the second field I got a sharp clear signal on my Explorer II that meant a good find. Digging down, there in my hand was a silver Roman Siliqua.

Now I had had one of these the year before further up the field. Now I had a second, so without giving it much thought I went on detecting, and then bang, I had another.

This could only mean one thing, a hoard, probably a purse loss. In the next six hours I found over thirty. Each one giving me a great signal, even though some of them were ten inches down. Mixed in with the whole ones were a few bits, some only quarters. After showing and telling my farmer that I had to report them, I got off home and let my Finds Liaison officer and the local Coroner know. During the next week I went twice more and found another twenty odd, but by now the only signals were very faint and just deep bits, but the Explorer was still giving a good signal, and I was getting further and further away from the area of the coins.

Then on the third day I had a funny signal very faint, and not very clear, and the display was jumping around not locking on at all. Now the Explorer II is a really great machine, but like all machines it can be fooled by deep iron, and that’s what I thought it was, but after twenty two years detecting experience I just had to check it out. Six inches down in a small hole, nothing, then another six inches and still nothing, time to get out the probe, still nothing. By this time I am convinced it’s a bit of deep iron, and I am cursing large horseshoes ploughshares, and Ironsmiths in general.

Then it's time for another spade full, and nothing in the spoil heap, except clay, showing I am well into the sub soil. So down on my knees and try the probe again, at last a signal, its only two inches away at the most. Time for the gentle approach, out comes the knife. Gently prising up a large chunk of clay I find a piece of black pottery, but no metal. Another chunk, and as I turned it over there stuck in the clay is a small Roman radiate coin. I quickly pull out another handful of clay, and on this piece are about ten coins.

It's at this point I realise I had found another Roman hoard, and I just sat back on my heels and shouted “I have done it“. Twenty two years detecting and I have found two hoards in three days. When I had got over the shock, I decided to leave it to the archaeologists, that was the hardest decision I have ever made. I did not know what exactly I had found, it, could have been a small pot of a few hundred coins, but in the end it was the size of a beer barrel containing 52,503 Roman coins.

The biggest ever hoard of Roman coins were found in 1978 at Cunetio by Marlborough in Wiltshire, and that was 55,000 coins, but these were apparently in two pots, before they were mixed up and taken home.

Seeing the coins coming out over a three day period was fantastic. They were all covered in thick green gunk, and you had a hard job to tell what type of coins they were. But it was fairly obvious that the majority of them were going to be bronze Radiates.

So with fifty two and a half thousand Roman coins under my belt, this means I am the finder of the biggest single hoard of Roman coins ever.

I never did get to detect in that ploughed field, but that will still be there next year.

Would I have found the hoard with one of my other detectors? No, I don’t believe I would have, it was just too deep.

The full story is on Our Clubs website

Good Luck, Dave - UK

Today Mr Stuff (Dave) drove up to hunt with me, and wow....we both had a KILLER day!

We hunted sidewalk curb strips and a couple old houses. Our finds were just awesome today. He was kicking my butt on silver and I grumbled that I had not YET dug a silver coin yet today and the very next signal was a solid 12-45 at 4-5"...........I cut the plug and opened it up. I saw a silver dime, pulled it out of the hole and right away I saw it was a merc....cool. I yelled at Dave, "hey I finally got a silver!" then I looked at it and saw the 1916, and nervously flipped it over and saw the D.....instantly I started shaking. I am still in utter amazement, this is a once in a lifetime find. Thank God I did not scratch it.

It got rinsed very gingerly with water, and took it straight to the bank safety deposit box until I can send it in to be graded and slabbed.

Other than that the rest of my finds were awesome, I ended up getting a silver trifecta, 1946 rosie, the 1916D merc, and a 1905 barber dime.

3 injuns, bunch of wheats, best being a 1909. A good luck token, buffalo nickel, play coin. Lead soldier, and bunch of clad as well.

I am still amazed, I took dirty pictures of the 1916-D and rinsed pictures as well. I can't wait to send it in, any ideas what it will grade?

Mr. Stuff had an awesome silver day.....I think he got a double trifecta of silver dimes as well as a silver half. What a DREAM hunt! Thanks to everyone for looking!!!!!

Terry Barnhart - Ohio, USA

Who would have thought that a hobby like metal detecting would pay off with a $40,000 “Easter egg?”
Here’s my story!

It was Easter morning 2011 while we were on vacation in southern Florida with our youngest son and his family, when I found it. We would normally not frequent a hotel of this caliber but since we were invited to spend time with our distant family and new granddaughter we jumped at the opportunity. We figured that "babysitting" on our vacation would allow us to grow closer and bond as a family. When we arrived we got checked into our room and met our family for dinner. Everything was just as we had imagined and we looked forward to our time together.

Next day, it was beautiful Easter morning. I remember the splendor of the sunrise over the calm ocean waves as they reflected the first light of day. I sat on the hotel balcony and enjoyed a cup of coffee while I read my bible and prayed before going out for a couple hours to look for treasure’s that others may have lost in the sand or ocean waves.

My Minelab Excalibur is a great water detector and I would usually spend my time in the water’s edge where I have found lots of jewelry and coins on past excursions. But this time I was limited in where I could search. I couldn't pack my long handled scoop on the flight from our home in Virginia. At the last minute I grabbed a small plastic scoop from my hobby shelf only because it fit in our luggage just fine. So this trip most of my metal detecting time was spent on the dry sand part of the beach.

I found lots of old corroded coins just deep enough that most detectors would miss the signal but not my Excalibur. It wasn't long until I became tired of so much digging with my little plastic scoop. I felt a little embarrassed when other hobbyist came by searching and carrying their long handled scoops. I followed right behind them picking up coins that they had missed.

After about two hours I decided I would head back and get a bite to eat with the family. That's when I got the signal; a strong clear tone that I knew would be a good target. I scooped several layers of sand before I felt it in my scoop. I didn't even have to look; I knew it was a ring from the sound of shaking out the sand. When I looked into the scoop I saw a large dull stone on top. My first thought was it looks too big to be real. And it is probably a Cubic Zirconia like most people would wear to the beach. I guess it was also a little dull from settling about ten inches down in the sand for who knows how long. I quickly estimated that the ring could be worth a few hundred and would be added to the many others I had found. Boy was I ever wrong!

When I got back to our hotel I took a little time to clean the stone and study the characteristics of the ring and the setting. The engraving inside the band was "platinum." The more I looked, the more I realized it was a good find; no, it was an "excellent" find.

I spent the next few days searching even harder for more treasure. I found two more rings, a gold coin, a watch, earing, and about $15 worth of change. All the time I was searching, I couldn't help but think about the big sparkling ring I found on Easter morning.

One of the other rings I found was "English" gold with a plate of arms and several numbers engraved inside. It was probably worth $400-$500 but now I'm beginning to think that the stone in the sparkling ring could be "diamond" instead of CZ. That could make it worth a couple thousand, I thought. It was big and I couldn't be sure until I got an expert to look at it.

I checked the area hotels lost and found and went on Craigslist looking to see if anyone had reported losing a ring of this description. I figured that the depth in the sand indicated it could have been lost some time ago. Finally after exhausting my options for finding an owner, I decided I’d take it home. All the way home my wife and I talked about what to do with it. She wanted to wear it regardless. Even though she never accepted that it was a real diamond until our first stop at a jewelry store in our local mall.

The woman behind the counter immediately blurted out "that can't be real, it's too big." I felt a real disappointment take over thinking that the value was back in the hundreds again. She placed the ring under a counter top microscope to get a better look. Both my wife and I looked at each other when the expression on her face changed. She took the ring and showed it to another woman seated at a desk. They both ran over to another counter and took out an instrument and touched it to the stone. We could see a green light glow but we had no idea what that was all about. They both came back to the microscope and took another look.

Her next words were "it's real, and its clarity makes it worth about $30-$40 thousand dollars. My heart sank deep in my chest and I almost cried with happiness. We were both speechless for some brief time until we gathered our thoughts. I felt like I needed to get an armored car to escort us out of the mall. I was both happy and scared at the same time.

In the days following we spent time trying to find an honest Graduate Gemologist to give us a fair appraisal and a jeweler to resize it to fit my wife's hand. We had been married for 40 years and she felt like it would make a great "Anniversary" present.

The two+ Carat stone appraisal came back at $40,000 and we added the ring to our insurance policy. I thought of all the things we could do with the money if we sold it. I guess you can figure out who got their way because today my wife is still wearing it. Everywhere we go people comment on the "big rock" and usually the story gets around to me finding it in the sand with my Minelab metal detector. I have always enjoyed the time spent using the Minelab detectors. I’ve been using them since their introduction back in the early 1990’s. I was a dealer for a number of years and I’ve used several different models and brands of detectors. I’ve never doubted the capability of these machines and I’ll be willing to bet that if you see me on the beach, I’ll have a Minelab detector in my hand.

What a find! Someday this story will be handed down to our grandchildren along with the precious $40,000 “Easter egg” that grandpa found on Easter morning 2011. I’ll probably hand down my detector too. I can’t see selling it, regardless of the age. I was sure glad that I took time to pray before going out that Easter morning. What a Blessing for a beautiful Blessed day.

Gary Witt - Virginia, USA

Last year (2008) I bought a Bounty Hunter Quick Draw 2 and went to a yard where my brother lost his class ring back in 1955. Went over the yard pretty good, but didn't find it. Got signals of pennies and dimes close to the surface, maybe 2-3 inches, but nothing else.

This summer my son bought an E-TRAC. I liked it so much, but couldn't afford the price. My wife let me buy an X-TERRA 30. I can't believe the stuff I've found with it. I find nickels now, before, I never found one nickel. Anyway, I am still in the process of going over the yard looking for my brother's ring. I just wanted to let everyone know, MINELAB

IS THE BEST! By the way, this is my latest from that yard - 25 cts.

W. Shipley – Ohio, USA

We've all heard it before, no site is hunted out. That statement rang true to me one Sunday Morning in September when I decided to hunt a site I had been to many times and had always came home with something for my finds collection. I decided to head to an area that I had only searched minimally because it was usually overgrown, but this year it was surprisingly easy to detect.

I had been there only 10 minutes when I got a good dime signal that bounced only a little between 30-36 very clear and was down about 4+ inches. I cut a plug and checked, no signal, checked my hole, still in there. I went down a little deeper and pulled out a handful of soil, it was there. I fished around the pile and found the target, at first I was disappointed it looked like a clump of foil, and then I looked again and blew the dirt off...it was a New England Tree coin! The find of a lifetime in my eyes.

I hurried home shaking in disbelief; I got home took out my reference book and found that it was an Oak Tree Sixpence. The details were all clear and readable. The coin is now being graded after being examined by an expert the opinion is that the coin is in EF condition but may have some environmental damage. This coin values at 18,000 in EF condition!!! Thank You Minelab for making my find of a lifetime!

Tammie G. – New Hampshire, USA

I have been detecting close to 20 years, and have never been metal detecting in the water. After reading a Sovereign book by James Clynick, I gained the confidence to set up my Sovereign GT for water hunting. I went to a lake that I have fished in before and thought to myself "wow that large overhanging tree must have been a great rope swing back in the day".

It was a quick trial and error getting in the water for the first time with the Sovereign GT, and everything went well equipment wise. It was one of those days that you go detecting with not too much optimism and you have to fight off the thoughts of errands, and priorities, that have to be done back home.

Well, I was shocked and elated to find these three great finds. Shocked that I found hardly any trash, and elated that this is my first silver dollar. I must tell

Here is a recent exciting find made in Europe with an X-TERRA 505.

Minelab User

I couldn't believe my luck! After many disappointments from asking and writing to various local farmers for permission to detect on their land, I had been given the go ahead to search a large estate in Hampshire. The land was of interest to me due to the fact that to my knowledge it had never been detected on before and had roman activity in the area. I couldn't wait to get started.

Two weeks before the awful foot and mouth situation took a hold I got my chance and descended on the estate armed with all necessary supplies for a days detecting. As usual I made myself known to the landowner who took great pleasure in telling me I wouldn't find anything, as it had never been inhabited. Not to be put off, I set off with my trusty Minelab Explorer purchased from Detecnicks to do some serious searching.

Several hours had passed and I began to think the landowner was right there was nothing of any great interest here. Just about to call it a day when I got a signal that sounded promising. On digging, I was again rather dispirited to find three old fifty pence pieces stuck together! Not the sort of treasure I had hoped for! Working my way down the field towards the river I discovered several more old decimal coins and decided at that point to call it a day. Taking a different path across the field to my car I passed some molehills. I have always been under the impression that you would have more chance of winning the lottery than finding anything of interest in a molehill, but today I thought I'd give it a go.

After sweeping across several molehills, I received a positive signal. I paused briefly to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I knocked the topsoil over to reveal a ring seemingly crying out to be rediscovered. From the condition of the metal I knew it had to be gold and could not wait to get back to my car and home for further inspection. After careful cleaning with warm soapy water at home I found the ring to be even more interesting and beautiful than I first thought. Inside was inscribed "Louisa Dunn born 7th February 1854 died 10th December 1863". My Wife, Lynne and myself were strangely obsessed with finding out more about this little girl and also, how the ring got to be where it was. We set off a chain of events that no one could have predicted. Lynne and I spent a very cold morning searching the local Churchyard for Louisa's grave but to no avail. The next step was the Hampshire Records Office in Winchester; maybe we were presuming too much in that she was a local girl.

We discovered that the name Dunn was not common to Hampshire and had no luck finding our Louisa. As a last resort we were advised to search the National Records, which Winchester had a limited amount of. After looking intently at microfiche for hour after hour, my stomach lurched as I saw in print the name Louisa Dunn, born 7th February 1854 in Marylebone, London! I stared in amazement; one little piece found in the puzzle, at last we knew where she came from but however did the ring get to be where I found it?

The record office advised us that there was enough information on the ring to request birth and death certificates, which we could obtain for a fee from the General Register Office in Southport, Merseyside. This would give us a fuller picture of Louisa's background.

Because I always take any remotely interesting finds to Liaison Officer, Sally Worrell (Portable Antiquities) at Winchester museum thought I'd take the ring along for her opinion. Sally knew how intrigued I had become with the story behind the ring and asked if I would be interested
in taking part in a new television programme called Revealing Secrets from Channel 4. They could hopefully discover more than I could alone. We knew there was no financial gain to be had from this little ring, but could not rest until we had all the facts.

Two days later I was contacted by the Revealing Secrets research team who were most interested in my tale and requested the ring and information I had already collated to be sent to them. Hopefully they would be able to fit the pieces together and give me the whole picture.

I had already informed the landowner of the find and kept him up to date with the proceedings. He was very pleased to know that it was to be featured on television. To read more and see the ring and it’s finding by the Channel 4 Team go to Youtube .Paul Mc Taggart - Hampshire, UK

A short time ago I was detecting on the beach with my Sovereign GT when suddenly out of the blue I got a strong wide signal. After a lengthy period of digging, there emerged from the sand, a large black disc-shaped object. After cleaning it with sea water, it was clear to me that there was an image of a hand holding a sword. It went straight into my finds bag and into my jacket and after looking for another hour or two without a notable find, I headed home. Interested in discovering more about my find, I cleaned it more thoroughly with distilled water and dental tools and as I did so, it became clearer and more identifiable, the disc had two metal screws and a bronze plate on it. It looked to me like it was handcrafted metal work....

Minelab User

Got out for a few hours with the 705 yesterday. First I did some target comparisons between my 70 & the 705, and then just hunted with the 705 for the remainder of the hunt. Two hours hunting and this diamond ring was one of the results.

The ring made my day. Usually finds of this nature are made at the beach. This is my first gold diamond ring ever at a park. 14K with 24 - 1 point baguettes that I believe are diamonds. The 705 read it as a nickel (10/12 target ID but also bounced to 8 & 14). Four inches down I expected to get a nickel and was very pleasantly surprised to get the ring.

Minelab Field Tester

Thirty-one years of detecting over 300,000 holes dug and I finely dug my first gold coin on March 28 2009. It is an 1878 U.S. Five Dollar Gold coin found with my new E-TRAC detector. The best of the best detectors I have ever used and this along with many other great finds that I have found with my new E-TRAC. I have some great detecting locations that I have used my Explorer at and I have found many great finds extremely deep but the E-TRAC is in a category all of its own. The machine loves deep targets and is able to see buttons better then any detector I have ever owned. If it can see buttons then finding old deep coins is easy for this machine. The detector is so steady that a major industrial plant, an electrical fence, an underground power line and many hot rocks in the area I hunt don't affect the search results. This machine operates just great without any issues and without any interference from the hot rocks or power lines.

Just a super detector with great depth and stability, and with the ability to find targets that other detectors miss. If you want I can provide many other pictures of fines found with the E-TRAC including many large cents and early U.S. State coins and many many very early buttons.

James T. Bucki - New York, USA

My wife always says: old socks are no longer mended - they are thrown in the garbage! In the past however, women took the time to sew and to embroider, and if my finds are anything to go by, the women would sew in the forests, clearings and meadows. Thanks to the metal detectors, I have been able to find these lost (or discarded) thimbles.

Throughout history, thimbles have been made from various materials: gold, silver, bronze and copper, or in other alloys and even non-metallic materials. The oldest thimbles were made from bone, horn or ivory but they are not detectable because they are not metallic.

The thimbles I have found are more or less ancient. For example, thimbles with triangular imprints made out of bronze

"Just as harvest had been in operation for some weeks I decided to pay a visit to a local field, with Steve, that had only been harrowed a few days before. In the past this field yielded little to the many determined searchers who trod its surface. Detecting is a combination of research skill, a great detector and of course Lady Luck. Combined these three come under numerous other permutations when considering frame of mind and weather. Anyway for some possible 700 years something had indeed been lost on this most "tight" of terrains. In the last 40 years no local detectorist was gifted the right permutation of factors to find this buried thing. But on this day in late August, armed with my Safari, the combination of elusive factors would fuse together

Digging amongst the ankle shaving clusters of Rape stalks and uneven hard pack clay lumps I prized out a clod of earth. No thin edge of a coin just visible here, for there stuck on the edge of the clod was a Half Noble of Edward 111...it glinted in the sun which itself had been for this summer almost as rare

I woke up to go to work on April 4, 2003. I'm a roofing contractor and when I headed to my truck, I realized someone had broken into my toolbox, stealing several nail guns and a saw. Well, I was mad to say the least, so after giving my report to the police, I decided to take the morning off, do some detecting to cool down and relax.

I grabbed my old beat up reliable Sovereign with the Sunray S-12 coil and headed to some houses that are in the process of being moved. The houses are up in the air on blocks, so it is easy to stand upright under them and hunt. The first signal I got was a loud high-pitched signal that was breaking up. It read 180 on my meter, but I thought it may be a big chunk of iron causing it to be false. Well, I plunged my Letch in the dirt, popped out a big chunk of dirt and I see this BIG gold disc in the dirt. My first thought was that it must be some kids play money. Well, I picked it up, felt the weight and about the same time I knocked some dirt off and almost soiled myself when I saw the date - 1890! I flipped it over and read "20 dollars" with a S mint mark. I had a real hard time containing myself.

I continued to hunt for over an hour or so and every signal I got after that I would think "alright, maybe this is another one", but I only got a couple of wheats and an Australian half penny. Well, that was my story, thanks for letting me share my best find ever with ya.

Ray S. - California, USA

THE BEST DETECTOR I HAVE USED!

Dear Minelab,

Several times a year I travel to Poland to visit my girlfriend. While visiting her, I always take my Sovereign GT and go detecting on the beach near where she lives. I consistently find enough money to pay the costs for the trip enabling me to see her more often.

I have really enjoyed using the Sovereign and have found a great deal of treasure with it. In fact, after owning the Sovereign for only a short while, I found enough treasure to pay for it. This is the best detector I've used. It handles mineralization and salt extremely well, enabling me to find targets that other treasure hunters have missed.

The depth of the Sovereign is absolutely amazing. I have recovered many treasures from depths of up to 14 inches in heavily mineralized soil. I have found in Valkenisse, an Old Dutch village, treasures dated between the years of 1375 and 1500.

Once again, I really enjoy using the Sovereign GT. Thank you for producing such a fantastic detector.

Sincerely, John V.

TODAY THE E-TRAC GRADUATED.

E-TRAC

FINDS FROM THE BRONZE AGE

SAFARI

A few months ago whilst using my Safari I had the great luck and pleasure in finding a Bronze Age object. This was later identified as the base section of a Bronze Age sword scabbard chape. The signal had come from about 8 inches down and registered loud and clear. The Safari then went on to locate a fragment of Bronze Age axe-head, but afterwards it was the chape that fascinated me...I could conjure up images of the chieftain or tribal leader who had once been so powerful and influential to be able to own a sword. I wondered at what he may have been called and marvelled that today’s technology could

locate this incredible object that had not been handled for 3500 years

Just recently I was detecting about two fields away when in amongst a load of shotgun tips and the odd Georgian coin I received a different sounding signal, this came from a fluted edged object that looked to be slightly silvered. Gently cleaning my find I was amazed to see that it was a second Bronze Age chape but of a different style. Incredibly packed into the base hollow of each object is heat-blackened sand I can only assume that aftert R. – UK

SAFARI EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS IN THE FIELD

I used it on a good Roman site, removing all discrimination from the 'Coin & Jewellery' mode (making it an 'All Metal' with conduct sounds), and found coin after coin that a friend's Explorer II couldn't hear.

GH - UK

From the outset I liked the look of this latest model. It was tested on a wide variety of soils and conditions and produced superb results on a quantity of non-ferrous objects. Quality was here too, in the form of the ancient Celtic coin being found. With its easy to use control panel format, this is definitely the latest Minelab detector to appeal to both new-starters and old hands alike.
It is vital for a detectorist to have confidence in his or her machine...in using the Safari such a confidence is quickly established and with continual use will be firmly built-on to achieve desired results. But don't take my word for it that this is indeed a superb detector...try one for yourself!
Whilst Field Testing the new Minelab "Safari" (which means travel) with a colleague, he found an ancient Celtic coin that had been transported to Britain from France and I located a button from the Great Eastern railway, rather ironic finds, from what proved to be a fantastic detector.

JEH - UK

Last year and again this year, Stan V. won the Detectorist of the Year award from the Brisbane Detector Club. He is very methodical and passionate about his detecting, enjoying the hobby for over 15 years. Stan has located an old army hospital site from WW2, now part of a dairy farm, south of Brisbane. The hospital site covers 12-15 acres and Stan uses a spray of paint on the trees every 5-6 meters so he can keep track of where he has detected.

The Sovereign has been a terrific machine for him finding literally thousands and thousands of coins, badges, rings and other artefacts. One of his most exciting finds has been two US Army dog tags. Stan has even been able to locate one of the owners and returned the dog tag to him 62 years later.

Bob L. was posted to Australia as part of the US Army Red Arrow division. For part of that time Bob was stationed at the US Army hospital site that Stan has recently been detecting. Through lengthy investigation on the internet and through American contacts, Stan was finally able to get in contact with Bob who is now 83, returning the lost dog-tag and picking up an appreciative pen-pal in the process. In addition to this Stan has now found another dog tag

SAFARI'S PERFORMANCE IS EXCELLENT AND SO EASY TO USE!

It seems everyone prefers the "all metal" mode to get extra depth but I prefer to have some discrimination as I love the silence! My previous Fisher F75 eventually drove me crazy with all the sounds and constant chatter so I love the Safari for its quietness and already have more confidence in it than the F75. My preferred setting is based on the Coin & Jewellery mode, although with a few homemade changes, giving similar discrimination as the Relic mode because I like the coin/ring symbols.

I must say I do LOVE this machine for several reasons, the performance is excellent, and it's so EASY to use! I have total faith in it and now enjoy my time detecting rather than fiddling and changing settings and then worrying about whether I've got it right or not. I also like the "C" and "F" symbols showing the audio responses when I change modes.

Mr. Paul Williams – Exeter, Devon ENGLAND

I found my very first Gold Sovereign in the park the other day. This coin had a very faint high tone to it, but I thought that it sounded interesting, so I dug it. The coin was almost 9" down and was shining like a full moon at me. I was thrilled to find it.

Thanks for making a great machine Minelab.

Steven Reidy - New Zealand

Well I must say this new X-TERRA 305 is fantastic! It’s a big improvement over the previous X-TERRA 30. I think it's the best buy out there at the moment. So far, in less than one month of ownership, I have found 3 rings, plenty of dimes, quarters and nickels and even a US dollar coin and some foreign coins. The X-TERRA 305 has great depth, very good target ID stability and great battery life. Thanks Minelab!

Minelab User

SURPRISE SUCCESS

One of my sites is a very good site but what I would also describe as my "nightmare site!" It's of Roman origins and has a mass of iron and pockets of mineralization so severe it is difficult to work and pull anything out of!

Walking in, I stayed at the edge of the field for a while trying to get used to the new X-TERRA 505 detector. I soon found several small targets embedded in the layers and folds of the ploughed surface including a pigeon ring, some shotgun cartridges, a lead weight and yes...a few Roman grots.

Having summoned up the courage I then headed for one of the worst spots. Lowering the coil to the ground I did a manual ground balance procedure, difficult mind you to get the machine to even out but I accomplished this by reducing the sensitivity down to about three quarters of the power and slowly began to work the area.

Moments later I was rewarded with a 'clatter' sound, small and sharp and soon pin pointed where the sound was coming from and recovered a very nice Roman bronze coin. Soon a few more of the same targets came up and I began to get more confident about the abilities of the 505 to work in such terrible ground conditions. The iron was easier to distinguish than with my other motion machine as it rarely gave repeatable sounds and blanked a lot so I ignored those sounds and didn't dig much of it.

After a while I stopped to take a break and examined the finds: I had a Denarii, 12 Roman bronzes, some more grots, part of a Roman fibula, a thin bent silver disc, a pewter button, a few pieces of lead and the others mentioned earlier.

This was my best day on this site and I will be returning soon to give it another go.

Dave Turner - Hants UK

This was my first detector. I had been looking for something to do ever since I was put on short time at work.

I found everything about the X-TERRA 305 straight-up, easy to understand and uncomplicated to use. The Instruction Manual was almost too good and there are lots of diagrams. When the signals were solid and the meter display showed a consistent number I was rarely disappointed and the sound was usually a coin.

Of course I did get fooled a bit on the first few days as I wasn't used to the sounds or the numbers. But I soon caught on and more and more outings turned profitable. I soon learned that the low blaat sound and when the screen showed a minus slash that the sound was coming from scrap iron. I also learned to dig very neat holes to recover the finds because the pin point button function was easy to use and when the circles were black it was right on top of the find.

My best day was at a car boot-sale field: the coins were numerous and the 305 developed a love affair with "chubbies" (£ coins). Twenty-two pound coins, two two-pound coins, numerous 20 pence pieces and a nice silver ring went into my pocket that day. It was easy to spot the coins as the numbers they gave off were always the same and it was also easier to ignore all the rubbish that people had dropped. I am very happy with my 305 and am finding loads of spendable money.

T. Hartley - Kent, UK

August 2009 I just recently bought a Minelab Sovereign GT and we have just had a week away at the beach and while the boys were fishing I was getting used to my new Sovereign GT. It was a quiet beach really not a lot of sunbathers mostly fishermen so I really didn't expect to find much but it was a good exercise in getting used to how it worked and my shyness at being out there and using it as I hadn't used one before.To my surprise I started to find some coins $1, $2, 20c, and 2 & 1 cent all pretty green and sand coated and then I got a different sound and low and behold I had found someones mobile phone (didn't work of course) and then a key (guess they had to get another one), a piece of jewellery, a couple of drink cans and pieces of silver paper and foil lined drink cartons, fish hooks and sinkers these were fairly new so replaced the ones my husband was loosing. One afternoon I got this really loud beep and the further I went down the louder it got really thought I was on to something the fishermen stopped fishing to come and see what I had found and about 70cm down we scraped some rusting metal had to investigate it so scraped around it and it was a large sledge hammer head well I guess it just goes to show that whatever the noise is you should investigate anyway when you are just learning but I was amazed at how loud the beep was even though the hammer head was 70cm down in the sand. Next I am off to try it out in gold country watch this space.....

Nanthegran

I decided to go with the new Minelab Musketeer Advantage, having good success with the older style (Green) Musketeer in the past I knew it would be a great detector for hunting Civil War Relics. I had permission to hunt a Civil War Confederate Cavalry Camp about an hour away. I had hunted this site several times in the past with lots of different brand's of top of the line detector's. To be honest I did not have much hope of finding too much since that particular site had been detected pretty hard in the past.

After arriving, within just a few minutes, I heard my first response and it sounded like a good target so I got out my digger. Since I had hunted this site several times in the past I knew how deep most of the relics were going to be, or so I thought, after retrieving a target which was about two inches deeper than anything that I had ever dug at this site before...it was like hunting the site for the first time...Oh yeah I forgot to mention the first target that I got with the Advantage was a CW pistol bullet... I've used it at several of my old detecting sites in the past 30 days from Dalton, GA to Atlanta, GA - I'm amazed each time that I use it. Thanks for a great detector.

In the photo you will see a few items that my wife Leslie and I found (don't forget, family hobby) while out metal detecting in February of 2003. While out using our Minelab Musketeer Advantage (with a 10" coil), these items were all found at sites that we have hunted in the past. The round item in the center was found at a site where we have found Civil War Relics in the past, but I do not know what it is for sure yet. It's made of brass and it has some type of crystal or marble in the center of it (could be a rosette or hat pin). The item below it is a Civil War belt buckle keeper, there is a number in the top left hand corner that will match the number on the belt buckle (when we find it). This belt buckle keeper was found at an old home site.

One item that I really like in the photo is the ladies silver wedding band which was also found at an old house site (being small and thin like this ladies sterling silver wedding band proves a great metal detector). This house site goes way back, I could tell by the metal that we were digging. They did not have electric and they did not have a car, this was a old site that we found with our Advantage. Also in the photo you will see flat buttons, Indian head pennies, Civil War bullets, pocket watch parts, knapsack parts, etc. All of these items were dug in the North GA area.

Minelab User - GA, USA

April 19th started out as a normal Sunday morning dig with my local detecting group. We were revisiting a field that we had detected on quite a number of occasions near Lichfield, Staffordshire and good targets were in short supply as many different types of detector had been over this land. I had been experimenting with some new settings on my Explorer SE Pro and so I was detecting very slowly and carefully trying to make sure I understood the different sounds from my new settings and didn’t miss anything.

For a while I found nothing of great interest but then I picked up a faint signal that excited my curiosity. It was a bit iffy so I removed some earth to see if the signal improved, which indeed it did. Putting the spade in to a full blade depth I removed a clod of earth towards the bottom of which was a denarius of Carausius in a really nice condition. I knew that Carausius denarii were seldom found but I had no idea the amount of interest that this coin would create.

Initially I sent the pictures to UKDFD and Rod Blunt responded almost instantly confirming the identification but commenting that this particular design on the reverse was not listed but was similar to another design where Britannia was holding a standard alongside the Emperor.

As I happened to be visiting London shortly after this, I popped into the British Museum and showed the denarius to the Roman coin expert there. He examined the coin and then told me that the coin was indeed previously unknown and to his knowledge unique. It shares the same obverse as the coin mentioned by Rod but the reverse is different to any known design with Britannia handing a wreath or patera to the Emperor over an altar. He said he considered it to be a find of National significance and that if he had had a bottle of champagne (which he hadn’t!), he would have opened it there and then. He is currently revising the listings of known Roman coins and will be including this new type in the revised volume.

The coin has been recorded on the PAS database ref WMID-02BDE6.

Ken Petch - England

The Minelab Advantage detector I purchased from you on Tuesday was a huge hit with the family. We went to an old school site in Kapunda that has a reputation for being haunted and within six feet of the gate we found $1.15, some old brass belt buckles and other old relics. Very pleased with the purchase and thank you for your friendly service and knowledge.

....We have continued to gain experience with the detector and over the past week we have found three very old brass thimbles, a 1924 penny , a 1922 shilling (really deep in the ground too) and three old dog tags. I have sent a photo of them. They are dated 1907, 1908 and 1927. It is unbelievable what and where these things turn up.

Thank you again.

Minelab User

Having been a staunch user of a competing brand detector, I realized I was missing something... more stable target identification, better depth, and expandability. I decided on the Minelab X-Terra 70 right at the beginning of 2009. After a few months of on again off again use, I got more and more comfortable with the detector each time out. Watching the DVD and reading forum users input certainly helped me along. Well, today I acquired permission to hunt a place I've had my eye on for a while. The forecast called for rain, but for some reason or other it was a nice evening... too nice to sit inside and wait for the rain! With my X-Terra 70 in hand, out the door I went.Arriving at the site (original house built circa 1870), I decided to stick with the stock coil over the optional deeper coil. I figured the stock coil would give me the best clue as to what might be here and was a good place to start. Immediately, I started hitting coins. Lots and lots of coins! All modern, but they were literally all over the place. Having dug about 10 wheat pennies, I finally made my first nice find of the night. At only 3 inches deep were 3 local bus tokens from the 1950's / 60's, along with a nickel and a wheat penny. This gave me hope that the place indeed hasn't been detected like the owner told me! A short time later I received a solid 42 - 44 hit with the X-Terra 70. Showing in the 6 inch range, I carefully made my plug and sure enough out popped a 1944 Washington Quarter! First silver of the hunt!Several modern coins and wheat pennies later, I dug yet another silver Washington Quarter... 1959! Very nearby this quarter I received another solid mark with the detector, leading me to believe I had found a silver dime. Sure enough, about 7 inches deep, a 1914 Barber Dime! And after that, a 1959 silver Roosevelt Dime! The rain/storms finally began to move in and after a few more modern coins in my pocket, it was time to head home. A total of 57 coins, plus the 3 bus tokens were dug! This was by far my most productive day with this awesome detector! Hands down, this is the best detector I've laid hands on. I have about 7 years of detecting experience under my belt and this detector has really invigorated my passion for the hobby! I still have a lot of ground to cover at this place, and eventually plan on hitting it with the deeper coil to see what I might be missing. Minelab... you have an excellent detector in the X-Terra! Thanks for building a great detector that is not only easy to learn, but goes deep and finds the good stuff!

Bill Bertke - USA

I've owned my X-TERRA 30 for the better part of 6 months now. In my neck of the woods I've found most of what is expected - modern clad, occasional early 1900's coins, a few rings, and LOTS of trash. But Thanksgiving Day here in 2008 was the day that changed all of that. I'm a casual metal detector user, and the X-TERRA 30 really fits me well (though I'm really aching to get my hands on a Safari), and to me, finding something out of the usual really gets the blood pumping.

On Thanksgiving morning, I packed the X-TERRA 30 into the car, and off to my girlfriends parents house we went. Thankfully, they don't mind me digging in their yard. I had done it on only one other occasion, and happened to pull a WWII era US Army Air Corps enlisted lapel pin out of their front yard. But this

My first hit out registered a +36, typically a dime or a wheat penny. Sure enough, out comes a 1944 Wheat Penny. I meandered around awhile, hitting a few trash targets hoping for the best. But then I got a strange signal. It was jumping around from +32, hitting +36, then up to +40... very erratic. My first instinct was that I had found some silver. I dug down about 5 inches and pulled out a dirt packed disc. A slight brushing off, and I recognized it was a button... with 13 stars, an eagle, and an anchor. This screamed US Navy! Being ex-military myself, I knew this was no modern button though. So I hit the Internet and my favourite metal detecting forum on the web inquiring. I could see the back of the button read, "Benedict & Coe." Turns out that was the name of the Waterbury, Connecticut Button Co around 1829-1832. My eyes lit up... pre-civil war military button!!! A little more research, and an ID from an Albert's guide, shows it to be a early 1830s Federal Navy Button (NA 86A1 13 Stars/Benedict & Coe).

Not only is it my oldest find, but by far one of the most interesting. Turns out the dirt in the back yard was fill dirt from an old area of Portsmouth, Virginia... which was, and still is a very active port. My X-TERRA 30 really shined that day, and made me even more sure of it's ability than I already was. The machine is great for entry-level users with a midrange budget, it pinpoints very accurately, and the VDI is nearly always spot on.

Thanks for the great product Minelab!

James Lambert - Virginia, USA

This is my first metal detector, and after much research, I decided the Minelab was the detector I wanted. Because I had a limited budget, I bought the X-TERRA 30.

This unit assembled easily, and was very simple to operate for a novice like me! The first time out I just tried it in my back yard, over a path I walked many times. No sooner had I turned the unit on, I walked two steps, and the detector gave a good strong signal. The pinpoint mode placed me right over it, and after pushing the dirt aside; a shiny dime was staring back at me! Not bad for just a minute's work.

I highly recommend this entry-level detector to anyone just starting out. Now it's off to the beach!

JCRS - Florida, USA

My son works at a local golf course was using my metal detector to locate sprinkler heads. When one of the members lost a very valuable ring he asked my son to see if he could find it. The ring was a gift from business partners is valued at over $10,000. He lost it while cleaning snow from his car after the first major snowfall of the year. The ring was on the street and had been under snow packed by passing vehicles. My son picked up my new Minelab X-TERRA 30 and found the ring in less than five minutes, which resulted in a healthy bonus for him.

MY FIRST MINELAB DETECTOR

MUSKETEER ADVANTAGE

I have enjoyed the hobby of metal detecting since 1974. I suffered a spinal injury a few years ago, and have not been able to metal detect due to my physical impairment. When Minelab came out with the new Advantage, I read about the lightweight thin coils and hip mount capability and decided that these features may allow me to once again participate in the hobby I relished for so for many years. A hobby that I had only enjoyed in my dreams since the injury. My doctor encouraged me to give it a try as the physical exercise will benefit my cardiovascular, not to mention the psychological benefits of being outside in the fresh air. Like he said, I know my

physical limitations. What I can do and what I can't. So, I decided to give it a try.

I bought the new Minelab Advantage with the additional accessories offered in the Pro Pack. I have used many different brands over the past 29 years, but this is my first Minelab product. Although I have only had it a few months, I will say that it is very well balanced and the hip mount allows me to detect without putting undue stress on my body. The Advantage is, without a doubt, the deepest seeking detector I have ever owned. It is a pleasure to use. I am quite pleased with the new Advantage. Let me tell you why.

Living in the Midwest, I don't have access to the early coins of the 1700's or the old battlefields I read about. My part of the state was not settled until the mid 1850's, so digging Indian cents and Barber dimes makes for a good day. Finding an occasional Seated Liberty is very exciting. I spend a lot of time in the winter months reading about and researching places where early settlers may have congregated. Old Chautauqua Grounds, Fair Grounds and Picnic areas are among my favourites. I might still stop by an old school ground or abandoned church yard, but most of my time is spent in places that to the "normal person" appear as a corn field or pasture. This is where I like to hunt. I don't have to worry about tuning out pull tabs because these areas were long forgotten when aluminium came into the marketplace.

I'm out there in the field, literally, where the only noises are meadowlarks and my detector telling me that I may have found a good one. There is an old picnic area about a short drive from my house that I had searched thoroughly back in the late 70's. A relatively small parcel of ground, surrounded by pastures and a creek. I had only been there once in the past five years, but had found a couple of Barber dimes during my last visit. I was anxious to get back there with the new Advantage and see just what was buried "beyond the reach" of my previous detectors. We have had quite a bit of rain here the past month, so the soil is very damp and easy digging. I arrived at the site and strapped on the Advantage. I connected the 10" coil, hoping to find some of the deeper coins that had avoided my earlier trips.

After searching for about 30 minutes, I got my first signal. It was a clad quarter, about two inches deep. Finding this newer coin told me that, although this site was abandoned, there had been others here in the recent past. Possibly other metal detectors! So much for my "secret place". During the next half hour I found a memorial cent, making me wonder if this area was "hunted out", as so many seem to be. Feeling fatigued, I decided to switch to my 8" coil to lighten the load. I had only walked about 30 feet when I got a sweet - solid signal.

I checked the discriminator to make sure I had it advanced to null out the occasional piece of junk and found that it was running full discriminate. This had to be a good target. I carefully dug a hole to a depth of seven inches and removed the plug of soil (I know it was seven inches because my digging tool is marked for depth). I rescanned the area and found the target was still in the hole. I dug down another couple of inches and there it was, glimmering in the sunlight. The distinctive reeded edge of a silver coin. Not just a silver coin, but THE silver coin that had eluded me and undoubtedly others in our previous hunts.

During the past 29 years, I have found hundreds of old silver dimes, quarters and half dollars. But this was not a dime, quarter or half-dollar. This was a beautiful 1888 O Morgan silver dollar and it was in excellent condition. My first Morgan silver dollar, found in an area that I (and countless others) had missed during our previous hunts. I have no doubt that I had walked over this coin several times in my previous hunts and had not gotten a signal. Why was today the day that she decided to give herself up? Was it the deep-seeking characteristics of the Advantage or was it fate? I'll leave that for you to decide. All I know is that the Minelab Advantage paid for itself many times over with that one find. A beautiful day to be alive - a Minelab Advantage and a Morgan silver dollar that had avoided detection for over 100 years.

Thank you for building the lightweight, deep-seeking Minelab Advantage. An affordable machine that allowed me the opportunity to rediscover my dreams, in more ways than one.

Randy H. - Iowa, USA

BENEFITS OF THE HF DD X-TERRA COIL

Recently I had the opportunity to support a first for the island, and in particular the Carisbrooke Castle. The English Heritage archaeological dig is the first excavation within the Castle, and aims to gain knowledge of the Privy Garden history from Saxon, Norman and medieval periods.

Carisbrooke Castle started as a Roman fortification, and extended through the Saxon period to the 11th and 12th centuries when it became a Norman Motte and Bailey Castle.

The area around the 11th century chapel, which since about 1700 had shown to be gardens could reveal evidence of what was a high status cemetery since Saxon times through to medieval.

I was asked if I could assist during the dig by scanning all the spoil heaps for any possible artefacts. Obviously discrimination wasn't really necessary as all metals were part of the information being gathered, providing a rare insight of the Castles development over the centuries.

Having already decided that the X-TERRA 70 was the ideal detector to use for this project, it only remained for me to decide what coil would be suitable in the conditions likely to be encountered. Clearly with the many coil frequency options at my disposal detecting was a matter of versatility. You might think that my choice was likely to be a standard concentric for greater pinpointing, well no I decided to use the new 10.5'' inch DD round high frequency 18.75 kHz coil.

I felt that the DD coil would give me greater coverage and better rejection of ground noise, especially as this ground was likely to be quite mineralised. Well what I did find, was that the ground was covered with many metal items. Worrying at first, but it was possible to reduce the sensitivity and at the same time reduce any possible confusion. I was able to separate and pick up every signal; the meter reading gave me all the valuations.

My god how sensitive this coil is, it picked up every little metal item in the ground and soon the trays were getting filled up with a whole range of valuable archaeological information from many centuries - I finally just left the setting on pinpoint only and continued just searching every mound all day.
Judging by the exhausted looks on the faces of other searchers with their machines, and the fact that they gave up after just a couple of hours, suggested they were having a few problems dealing with the conditions.

Many thanks for making this experience possible, my detecting in the field has been equally rewarding; so the X-TERRA 70 is always taken to rallies along side my Explorer not for relaxation but as an equal to my detecting day.

Kind regards,

John Williams

I had located a few sites near my home town where one-room school houses had stood in the early 1900's and had gotten permission to hunt several of the sites. One was now choked with newer pine trees and dense underbrush; however, after finding a 1926 Mercury dime on my second sweep, I knew the area had potential. The targets were deep - at least 7" or more - and the ground was mineralized clay common in this part of the Carolinas but the Quattro was doing quite well ferreting out coins and a few other trinkets. After a few hours I headed home with 34 wheat cents, 4 silver dimes and a few things such as Cracker Jack prizes and a well-worn watch fob. As usual for this area the wheats usually come out totally grungy so after checking for the infamous 1931S and 1909S VDB (of course they were noticeably absent), I proceeded to clean the rest of the stuff I'd found over the last week or so.

When I was done I went through the coins to see if I had any filler dates for the few remaining holes in my Whitman folders (actually on my 3rd set of Lincoln cents). Well, one was a 1922 but there was no 1922 hole in the book... only a 1922D. Pulled my Whitman pricing guide and what I found was that there were no pennies minted in Philadelphia in 1922 - only in Denver. It appears that there were some minted where the "D" on the die was filled up with debris and the mint mark was not struck on the coins.

The value according to PCGS... it ranged from $400 in Good condition to $25,000+ in MS condition! Considering it was circulated and the ground did take a toll on the surface, it will probably appraise in the $500 to $800 range which is tough to beat for a penny!

The Quattro worked flawlessly at the site and had no problem detecting the coin at close to 9 inches. Not bad for a true "turn-on-and-go" detector!

Andy Sabisch - USA

The ring shown above was found on November 4, 2004 using a Minelab Explorer with stock 10" coil. I had been hoping to find gold so I was making a point to dig all signals that hit in the nickel and pull tab range, knowing that gold rings often give similar signals. It was getting late and sunlight was fading when I got a perfect "pull tab" signal. I almost passed it up hoping to get a "good" signal before darkness set in. I took a step past then decided to stick with my original game plan to dig all pull-tab signals. I pinpointed the signal and quickly dug the target. I knew immediately that this was no pull-tab but because of the dirt and failing light I didn't know just how nice of a find I had until I got it home.

The ring is 14k gold with 45 diamonds. The marquise stone is 1/3 c with 10 round cut stones and 34 baguettes totalling another 1.5 c. (total of just under 2c). The stones were tested by a jewller and verified to be diamonds. I did not pay for a complete appraisal ($45) so I didn't get a dollar value for the ring. However my wife is wearing it..

Unnnn-believable! Sighhhhh. I don't think I would have believed this story had I not dug it myself. I went to the latest field where there are numerous detectorists there everyday. After searching the lower grass area for a while and finding nothing of note I moved toward the far right corner where I had found my two good bullets the other day. I got a good signal on one of the banks leading towards the railroad track and found another nice confederate Gardner bullet about 6 inches down.

I had no idea what I was about to find. I made my way up to the very corner of the field and saw a dug hole there. This was an almost perfectly cylindrical hole about 6 inches across and about 9 inches deep. Now, about half the time when I'm out there and I come across a hole, filled in or not, I run my coil over it to see if the previous digger missed something. I did this with this hole and got a very loud tone that sounded like a surface soda can.

" Wow", I said. "What the heck is that and why didn't they dig it up?" I thought may be the digger had found some junk and left it in the bottom of the hole but I felt down to the bottom and felt undug, packed earth. I then stuck my probe in the hole to see if I could pin point where the object was. The sound was strong over the entire bottom of the hole.

" What in the world?" Taking my shovel, I started to open up the perimeter of the backside of the hole to see if I could get a better approach to what was in there. Digging deep and behind the signal I started to bring up the shovel full of dirt when I saw something come up. I sat there stunned for a second trying to comprehend what I was looking at as I was looking at the backside. I plucked the item up and turned it over.

What I was staring at was a Union (most likely officer's) sword belt plate. The plate is in great shape with just the backside hook being broken; probably the reason why it was discarded. Someone actually left this in the ground??? The only thing I can gather is that maybe the digger had started digging this hole when it was getting dark, they didn't have a flashlight, and they didn't have a probe.
But would anyone actually leave a signal that strong in a civil war relic field that was 10 inches in the ground? I guess so. And I thought finding the 1819 Large Cent around other holes in that field was amazing. All I could keep saying all the way home was "Unbelievable", and "Thank you God."

Bearbqd - WV, USA

I have been metal detecting for almost 30 years and I have owned a Minelab detector for over two years. Six months ago I upgraded from an Explorer XS to the Explorer II and I am just writing to congratulate you on such a brilliant machine. I never cease to find more ways to configure and operate my machine to suit my particular needs.

I live in an area where other detectors just simply will not work due to the ground effect but the Explorer II just tunes it out. I thought my XS was the best machine ever but upgrading to the Explorer II has prompted me to put pen to paper, (or should I say fingers to keyboard), and pat you on the back. It is hard to know what you can do to improve on this brilliant machine.

Congratulations Minelab, a big pat on the back.

Martin S. - Isle of Mull, Scotland

I was on day 11 of a 14-day detecting vacation in Colchester, England. I was with a group of 5 friends and already a 1500 BC Bronze Age Axe hoard was found, a hoard of 3 gold starters, 1 single axe head, and some nice hammered silver. I was afraid I was going to get skunked on finding something special. I was using the Explorer II at a field we'd be on three separate times.My friend Shawn had a feeling about this field, and he was right. I was in a corner of the field with few targets being found when I got a signal and dug a plug. At first I thought it was a button until I picked it up and realized it was a gold coin. Of course no one was in earshot and I had to enjoy the moment by myself. This is the only picture I have of the coin (it's still in England awaiting an export license.) It's officially classified as a Gallo Belgic E Stater, C. 56BC class 2 of the type.

Gary B. - Texas, USA

I found this silver watch fob at an old fair ground/race track. The signal was iffy, but came in mostly as a high "coin" tone on my Explorer II. I was disappointed when I dug up a large squashed rusty can. I thought, "This isn't what I heard". Sure enough, a few inches over was that sweet high tone. I recovered this beauty at about 8 inches.

The Parlin & Orendorff Co. was in business from around 1850 to 1919 when International Harvester bought them out. The maker of the fob was F.H. Noble and Co (tiny writing on the back). They have an interesting history of making love tokens that caused some trouble.

Rob B. - Michigan, USA

I was detecting in one of our locally hunted out parks when my Explorer II picked up a deep nickel-sounding target. The park had produced a number of century old coins over the years so my hopes were high that it was something good. After digging an 8" deep plug, I spotted a gold circle gleaming in the bottom of the hole. I picked it up and saw that it was a lady's gold signet ring engraved with the initials "MK". I judged from the style that it was probably made in the early 1900's. I imagine that "MK" has long sense passed away so it saddens me to know that I will never have the privilege of returning her ring. Perhaps, someday, I will solve the mystery of who she was.

Dave H. - New York, USA

A MUST HAVE FOR THE DEDICATED DETECTORIST

Minelab has certainly done their homework with the Sovereign Elite. Here at last we have a detector that not only looks good but also it's performance in the field has improved beyond my wildest expectations. The new Tornado coil has totally transformed the Sovereign Elite - it's sharp, fast and accurate pinpointing of targets was what pleased me most about this machine. On the most extremely mineralised and iron infested soil I have yet searched on I didn't dig one ferrous item from the ground.

In addition to this, no longer do we experience control boxes falling off the stem or battery compartment covers coming adrift - the redesigned control box with its unique method of attachment to the stem that incorporates a battery system that locks into position, combined with the ability to totally ignore iron, make this detector a leader in its class. Equally at home on the beach or inland, the thought that Minelab have put into the detail of this transformed Sovereign more than compensate for the heavier than average weight and make it a "must have" for the dedicated detectorist.

Minelab User

I recently purchased a new Minelab Sovereign Elite and am delighted to say I was taken completely by surprise! When it arrived I opened the box to reveal this highly streamlined metal detector and could not wait to try it out. After assembling the Elite and adjusting the settings, I went off to one of my usual haunts to try it out. Upon arrival at site, I turned the Elite on and took two steps into the field, only to receive a positive signal straight away. I dug down to retrieve the target and turned the sod over and checked through it for my prize, but it was still in the hole. I then dug down a further spades depth and to my surprise a beautiful silver hammered coin at over 9 inches!

The Minelab Sovereign Elite is a lovely, lightweight and well-balanced machine, which makes it more comfortable in detecting for long periods of time. It is super deep and has excellent discrimination and quick target retrieval. This is the best Minelab Sovereign ever thanks to Minelab's new BBS Technology, this machine is a must for every detectorist!

Thank you Minelab.

Danny M. - Northern Ireland

THE SOVEREIGN PRO HAS MADE COIN-HUNTING AN ADVENTURE AGAIN!

I have used many kinds of detectors over the years. I used to think detectors featuring target ID were state-of-the-art. But after using a Minelab Sovereign Pro, I have realized I was wrong. This detector can be adjusted to flawlessly distinguish good targets from bad, even in heavily trashy areas. The key I found was to set the level of discrimination to the point where you get a broken audio response on screw caps and other objects you dig up which your preliminary settings fail to discriminate.

Even at higher levels of discrimination, the Sovereign Pro could clearly detect pennies and dimes at 9 inches down, even when surrounded by trash objects. I had never experienced this level of accuracy in trashy areas with other, single-frequency detectors before. Pinpointing was also accurate, fast and easy whenever the target was "X"ed in all-metals mode. I averaged coin recovery at about one every 30 seconds in a park where trash had been such a problem that previously it had been hard to distinguish good targets from bad ones. It was almost like walking around and picking coins up off the ground! I was using the 10" (1000) coil during the test. With other detectors, I discovered that this size coil was usually too large to distinguish trash from treasure in heavily trashy areas.With the 17 frequencies of the Sovereign Pro, I had no problem accurately detecting and pinpointing good targets among undesirable ones, quickly and easily. The Sovereign Pro has made coin-hunting an adventure again, because of the high rate of good target recovery and minimal level of frustration due to false signals. The ability to mount the control box underneath the rear of the handle balances the heavier 1000 coil, and the heavy-duty construction enables the Sovereign Pro to stand up to heavy use.

Congratulations Minelab for a job well done!

Fred P. - Colorado, USA

In August/September of 1814, several violent clashes occurred between US Infantry and Artillery Regiments and the British, Canadian and their allied Native warriors. The siege of the American-held Fort Erie lasted several miserable months until the night of 15 August when a 02:00 am attack was mounted by British forces. One flanking attack was directed at a sandy mound called Snake Hill where Towson's artillery commanded the field along the Lake Erie shore. The advancing forces were ordered to remove their flints from their muskets lest an accidental shot alert the pickets. They were decimated as they approached the redoubt.

September 19th 2004, I got a sweet coin tone on my Explorer XS hard up against the low ferrous tone of an iron target. Down between some large rocks I dug a handful of dirt and out with it came a large rusty object. I began banging it against my shovel blade to remove the rust and crud from what I thought was an old door hinge but which looked oddly familiar. What a wonderful surprise as I recognized it for what it was! In my delight at finding this Musket 'hammer', I don't even think I pursued the coin tone...just might have to go back and see what it was. If that coin tone hadn't shone through the iron tone, I would never have recovered this artifact. Thank you Minelab for a quality product that never ceases to amaze.

Thomas F. - New York, USA

This coin is a 1606 hammer struck Douzain from the reign of Henry IV (August 2 1589 - May 14 1610). The Douzains were collected by the French Government in the late 1600's, re-pressed as a new coin, counter-stamped with the Fleur De Lis and sent for circulation in Canada, Louisiana and other New World colonies. This find was made with an Explorer XS and in an area which was heavily hunted, but obviously worth the time it took to dig a handful of targets. It is my oldest coin find to date and I don't expect to see anything older without travel, but who knows. 1606 wasn't within reach until I found it.

Chris C. - Canada

MINELAB ROCKS

To all at Minelab,

You guys are the best, I just bought the new Explorer SE and I love it, I am a big fan of Minelab detectors and always will be. The Explorer SE will join my other four Minelab detectors. Thanks for making the most advanced detectors out there.

MINELAB ROCKS! Thanks.

Johnny - NJ

Dear Minelab,

In the last nine years what has really been new that hasn't come from Minelab? You are the only company that is offering us new products.

The Explorer when it was launched was a new concept, innovative, exciting, sheer technological brilliance. A multi frequency detector offering greater depth and improved identification on small targets, and much more besides.

Explorer has been my main detecting platform now for a number of years; and further more it has been reliable throughout all this time, being used over the whole spectrum of detecting conditions, especially on beaches where it has no equal.

Some have said it was a bit on the heavy side, and others have stated that it had a slow recovery speed. Yes, it was a little heavy, but I've been used to heavier detectors in the past. For a detector of this calibre you don't let it worry you, because you get completely engrossed in your detecting and hitting the targets. But you are listening, clearly Minelab listened to the feed back and responded to those minor criticisms, and reacted, - reaction that has manifested itself in the lighter and added performance of the Explorer SE.

Although the SE looks like its predecessor, there are a number of additional benefits that have greatly enhanced the way it operates, now transforming a good detector into an even greater one. The black styling although only aesthetic does give the SE a smart professional look, which really appealed to me. It didn't take long to try it out either, it did seem different; the feel and balance are great, this is obviously a result of the lighter coil, but not just that, the grip now thicker offers more reassuring handling, and swing capabilities, it's the comfort zone.

I've never had difficulties in setting the Explorer up, but the changes made to the menu structure on the SE make access to key programming functions a lot quicker and more user friendly, especially for those people buying this great detector for the first time, you lucky lot, we didn't have anything like this when I started!

I am so pleased with the changes to the audio tones and especially the pin point mode. If it was only those two functions that had been changed I would have been a happy man anyway - but to have the many other well considered improvements; correlation of iron mask settings with digital readout values, finer threshold stability in trashy environments, and a faster more powerful processor makes it a perfect winner for me.

Well more about the audio tones and how they affected my detecting experience. My first outing on pasture with the SE prompted me to use Iron Mask as I usually do, with just a little iron discrimination. Sensitivity set to 24, manual, and Pitch Hold to start, with deep recovery. The idea of the audio pitch increasing on the threshold tone, similar to the target signal, and especially those not rejected, definitely helped to discern the unwanted targets when the threshold blanked. I don't think it would be suitable on a trashier site where the threshold would change constantly. But, there's something for everyone, I was very pleased with the way it worked. Other audio sounds, normal, long and smooth give you greater control than the old sounds.

The new Pin Point function was fantastic and picked out every target with ease; this in unison with the depth information was one of the highlights of the new SE for me. What am I going to do with my rather expensive probe attachment - ah I forgot the detector is also lighter for not having it.

Quality has always been the maxim for me in anything I've purchased; it's that reassuring point that somebody has put time and effort into achieving something good. Minelab has done that with their detectors, the clarity of their manuals, and Explorer SE definitely. Does it show that I think you've done it once again, for me this is a winner!

I will keep you updated on the results of my detecting trips and successes, I'm sure there will be plenty of these in the coming months.

Regards,

John Williams

On October 22, 2006 I was relic hunting near Fredericksburg, Virginia. I had just dug three Confederate Gardner bullets and received another signal on my Explorer XS that sounded and IDed like another bullet.

After dumpung my second shovelful of dirt I was surprised to see a small silver coin on top of the dirt pile. I thought I had just dug a piece of Spanish silver but when I picked up the coin I knew I was wrong.I couldn't believe my eyes. I was holding a worn 1792 half disme! I knew I had found something special but it wasn't until I went home and did some research did I realize how special it was. The 1792 half disme was the first coin minted by the United States.

There were 1500 minted of which around 250 are known to exist today. It is reported that the silver used to mint this coin came from George Washington in the form of his silver serving set. Thomas Jefferson hand delivered the freshly minted half dismes to George Washington and he dispersed them to dignitaries and friends. Some found their way into circulation as is evident by the wear on mine and others. Estimated price on my find is US$10,000 .

I am thrilled to have found this piece of our nations past. In October 2004 I dug a 1916 D mercury dime. I never dreamed I would ever top that find but I did. Thank you Minelab!

Marc Sciance - USA

I have been metal detecting now for about five years. Got a cheap metal detector at first and found a 1783 penny in the first dig. This gave me the bug so I went out and got myself a Minelab and never looked back.

What a metal detector! It's won me the "Find of the Month" in most months at my metal detecting club, which is the South Hams Metal Detecting Club here in England. The latest find is a very nice gold noble.

Hammy Barry - England

Most of these finds were found in supposedly worked out parks. There's still
a lot of treasure in the ground, at least for SE users!

Thanks for a great machine.

John - Plymouth, Michigan, USA

Hi to the folks at Minelab,I'm a proud owner of a Minelab Quattro, and on a trip to the lake I found a 1955 Australian silver six pence. It is a long way from home and was down around five inches at the edge of the shoreline. The story it could tell...thank you so much. I LOVE my Quattro and if I ever get another metal detector it will be the X-TERRA 70.To me, metal detecting is like Christmas, you just don't know what you will find. Happy hunting and thank you for making such a GREAT line of metal detectors.

Mr. Steven King - Oregon U.S.A.

ALL THIS IN JUST 2 WEEKS!

Hey guys and girls, my name is Luke. I'm 22 and have just started metal detecting for a hobby. Just thought I'd let you know I recently got a Minelab X-TERRA 30 and this little machine is awesome.

In 2 weeks I've found:
· An 18ct gold diamond ring;
· A 9ct gold ring;
· Old silver chain with clasp;
· Silver bar;
· 2 old medallions (one is a 1919 end of war peace medal);
· About 20 different pennies, half pennies and three pence’s aging from 1864 to 1961;
· About 10 dollars in various new coins;
· A 1974 dog tag;
· Old Pierre Cardin zippo lighter;
· Old brass cufflinks, old key and;
· Lots of 1 and 2 cent pieces.

In the mean time while digging for stuff, I've come across old marbles aging from as old as the 1850's. I'm just amazed at what this machine has found! I recommend the X-TERRA 30 as a good starting point. After two weeks of owning mine I'm very impressed and just can't believe it.

Take care!

Lukey 9 - NSW, Australia

I had a great time with this machine. I was only going to buy a second-hand Excalibur in case my other one broke. But I ended buying a new Sovereign XS-2a Pro for $950AU.

I was working in Tom Price when I bought this. Three nights at two to three hours a night after work got me $62 in $2 and $1 coins. A bit later I had 2 weeks R&R and drove up to my old Excalibur grounds between Port Headland. I had 13 days off with pay (you beauty!).

Well within 12 days I had found enough gold coins to pay for the detector. Thirteen days of detecting with the XS-2a Pro got me over $1,000 in gold coins in the same areas which I'd already been over with the Excalibur. My best with this detector is $403 in six hours. Detecting a grassed area near a swimming pool I would have got more but my ears were ringing after six hours so I walked away.

Paul H. - Australia

This to me is much the same as the XS2a Pro except it has a few extras. Sometimes I think I may be getting a tad more depth with the Sovereign Elite. I haven't used this as much as the XS-2a, which I traded in on the Elite but it's doing extremely well.

I detected 2 different swimming pools for a total of $560 dollars. 3 race tracks for $223 and 2 spots on the same ground as the XS-2a Pro for $94. In Whim Creek I found $20 on the pub lawn and 9 pre-decimal coins from 1880 to 1920.

I've stopped counting the coins now. I just love the hobby/ lifestyle. I know I can go travelling, fishing, detecting and it's not going to cost me a red cent. It doesn't get any better than that but then again who knows what riches you will find. There are bucket loads out there.

The reason I was sceptical about giving up my experience was the concern of people who follow not doing the right thing. I do not dig holes on grassed areas. I use a screwdriver and prod for the coin. Once pin-pointed there's no need to dig holes and if you do, you'll stuff it up for me and everybody else.

I could rabbit on for hours about the things I learnt about these machines the amount of coins still amazes me. There are bucket loads of them out there old and new. Research in local libraries led me to a lot of old coins and finding coins over 100 years old is the biggest buzz of detecting for me.

Paul H. - Australia

It sure made my day finding this presidential campaign badge. I've never found anything like it before. It was 8-9 inches deep, and I found it on Aug 28th 2004 with an original Explorer XS. I also found 3 Indian head pennies that day, but I would rather find something like this over common date Indian head pennies anytime. My two hunting partners using Explorer II's found barber dimes and Indian head pennies that day also. We all agreed that my campaign badge was more than likely the rarest find that day. It's a piece of history that I might not ever see unless I dig it up thanks to my Explorer XS.

Phil S. - Illinois, USA

THE "ELITE" STRIKES A HAMMERED CHORD

These photos show my 1st Hammered coin with the New Sovereign Elite. I first started detecting in the early 1970's and until the advent of the Minelab Explorer, I had used Whites Detectors for the last ten years. I felt that with the new technology "Multi Frequency" I would be able to revisit all those sites that had previously been worked to death, The Explorer sure lived up to its name, in the last two years I have never found as many hammered coins.

Alas, the only problem I had, with old age catching me up fast, was the weight of the Explorer which was reintroducing my Tennis Elbow, previously gained by many years of sweeping those motion machines and being told that the faster you sweep the more the rewards shall be. I decided that I just had to change to a Hip Mount system, I did try an American Hip Mount conversion kit for the Explorer, but it turned out not to be ideal, you cannot beat a manufacturer's genuine Hipmount system.

Whites kindly offered to convert one of the new DFX's for me, but the dual frequency along with the extremely difficult learning curve (Different Settings required for almost each site) just didn't match the raw processing power of the Explorer.

And then a light suddenly appeared at the end of the tunnel, my copy of both the "Treasure Hunting" & "The Searcher" magazine came through the letterbox, and in true Minelab tradition, with no previous mention on their internet site was this advert for the "The New Sovereign Elite", and yes it had 17 Frequencies and more importantly it was either Chest or Hip Mountable.

The machine was supplied to me by Crawford Metal Detectors from Scunthorpe, who covered all the controls in no time, showing me the best way to maximise the system. Next having recently moved I needed to acquire some local land to detect upon and then my wonderful wife informed me of her long lost cousin, who just happened to be married to a local farmer..."No problem ", he said, go anywhere you like and so today 3rd December 2002, I arrived at one of his fields.

Remembering the simplicity of the controls shown to me by Crawfords, I set the machine in Variable Tone / Auto Sensitivity / All Metal and started to detect, the very 1st signal that I received was the coin as illustrated, a Hammered Silver 3d of Elizabeth I. Over the next two hours I was amazed at the loudness of the signals received, even better than the Explorer, and with far less weight, many of the finds were coming from beyond 7" in depth and were just minute buttons. The machine really is in an Elite category all by itself, its ease of use in the field, with the ability to just flick a switch between "All Metal" & "Discriminate" Mode / "Fixed" & "Variable" Tone ID, plus the boon of either Hip or Chest Mounting must surely make this another winner for both Minelab and you.

Finally I come from a Computer Background and therefore understand all this new jargon surrounding some of the new top of the range detector systems, In fact, many people having realised how complicated these systems are, have exploited us by writing books on how, by pressing this button, turning off this feature, upping this sensitivity, turning up the preamp gain etc., you will be able to go that extra centimetre or so.

I feel that after 30 years detecting, that what most of us really don't want to do is learn to become a Computer Technician, or start tweaking all those setting to get the best from the machine.

Now with the "New Minelab Elite", it's back to how it was in the old days with all the latest technology (17 Frequency BBS, Digital Ground Balance etc.) handled by the machine, leaving us the detectorists just the job of digging up all those targets.

Minelab User

I wrote to you earlier this year telling you about the success I have had with my new Musketeer Advantage. I found an 1888 Orleans mint Morgan silver dollar in an area that I had been hunting for nearly 30 years. I found it at a full 9 inches with the Advantage and 8-inch coil. Since then I have also purchased a new Sovereign Elite. It has been an equally impressive detector. I received the Elite on a Thursday afternoon. I spent the remainder of the day reading the operation manual and learning the fundamentals of the BBS operation. The following day I went to the site of an old house that was being torn down to make room for a parking lot.

Upon arriving at the site, I found bulldozers still at work on the house, but saw the sidewalk had already been removed. I gained permission to search the area of the sidewalk and began detecting. I set the discriminate at foil and the notch to zero. I set the threshold and sensitivity to compensate for the ground conditions. After a couple of steps, I got a signal that turned out to be a pull-tab. I reset the notch to ignore the pull-tab and continued my search. Within a couple minutes I got another signal that read 550 on the meter. It was right in the middle of where the first section of sidewalk had been removed. At a depth of 3 inches, I uncovered an 1854 Seated Liberty dime. Although there was only 3 inches of dirt covering the dime, keep in mind that only a few hours earlier there had also been 4 inches of concrete on top of that. I continued to search the area and also found an early Mercury dime and 5 Indian cents ranging in date from 1875 to 1905. Not a bad way to start out with a new detector.

I am looking forward to taking both the Advantage and the Elite to the areas I have searched in the past, knowing that none of my previous detectors had the discrimination capabilities or reached the depth of these two Minelab detectors.

Thank you for continuing to build the best detectors available.

Randy H - Iowa, USA

I went to the local beach not expecting to find much in the way of old coins but was I in for a surprise. I have been Gold Nugget detecting since 1980 and have found a fair amount of Gold over the years, most successfully with The Minelab SD2200 and GP-3000 series detectors. I have not done much coin shooting recently but I went to the local beach that is worked by other detector operators. I did not expect to get much but I was very happy that the Sovereign gave strong signals on these silver and copper coins. The other detector users that I have seen on the beach do not use Minelab detectors and I am convinced they walked over these finds.

Woody - Vic, Australia

Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to find a hoard of Celtic coins with my two detecting buddies Edward and Andrew Clarkson. The field of the discovery was mentioned in a book I had been using for research and even contained a map with an 'X' to mark the spot of a previous discovery. So after gaining permission we set off to the field with our Explorer SEs.

On arriving at the field we sat trying to relate the old map to the modern landscape realising some of the hedgerows still existed today. We walked onto the field to where we thought the 'x' indicated the find spot of the earlier find and sure enough started to find gold coins within a few minutes.

The Explorers soon found 33 coins that first day and then more coins each day we visited the site over the following months until we were no longer able to find any more.

The total was now at 49, but we knew there had to be more. The Explorer fitted with a 15" coil had found coins laying flat to a depth of 26cm, but the plough

soil in places was 35cm deep, so we knew there must be more coins, deeper or laying on edge.

We tried other makes of so called deep detectors but none of these fulfilled their promise. Finally we acquired the new Minelab GPX4000 and fitted it with the commander 18" mono coil. We chose the 18" mono for brute power and we weren't disappointed!

WOW what a machine!!! After using the GPX for three days the total jumped to 70. The signals from these extra 21 coins were loud and clear and some were at depths of over 30cm, but more importantly the incredible sensitivity of the GPX managed to get the coins laying on edge at depth.
I would like to thank Minelab for making such brilliant machines. I know the Explorer SE and GPX4000 will bring me more good luck in the years to come.

Gordon Heritage - UK

OLD COLONIAL SITE REVEALS LOST TREASURE

I was out detecting with my Minelab Explorer in the woods beside an old colonial road in NY. Nearby, I had come across two homes listed on a map from the colonial era and was pulling old state coppers and artifacts from the swampy ground near and old stream. I figured that the map showed three more structures 1/2 mile down the path, I might be able to pull up some more goodies. Well, there was plenty of trash along the way and as the path wandered back and forth between the stream and the road, I got a strong signal. Digging around 4" into the earth popped a pendant, pin back up.

I thought it was going to be junk jewellery at first because of the trash concentration, however, upon further examination it appeared to have a 10k stamp next to the pin which was still intact. 10k I thought, not a bad start for the day. Then I turned it over, wiped some of the dirt away and saw an eagle below a class year of "69" with an "A" shaped background with the initials U.S.M.A. on it. United States Military Academy, that's West Point, I thought. West Point was about 20 miles north of this site. I had found a West Point Class A pin.

After detecting the rest of the day, finding nothing more than chopped lead, I decided to see if I could locate its owner. I called West Point to see if the initials "HJ" could be traced to a cadet graduating in 1969. They thanked me for trying to locate its owner and informed me that the "HJ" was the manufacturer of the piece. But, they sent out a letter via email to all the class indicating that a pin was found and gave my contact email address for correspondence. I received several messages from that class, many thanking me for trying to locate its owner and only one saying that it might be his. After several communications, it turned out not to be his (lost his in VA) and the search continues. The 35th class re-union was this week and an announcement was made of the find. I still am hopeful of finding its owner.

Robert G. - New York, USA

I had gotten a Minelab Explorer for Christmas and was just beginning to learn the machine when I took it out for a day of hunting. It was different from the Minelab Sovereign that I had for a couple of years. It was a rare and fairly warm winter day when a friend Mikey, and I decided to go detecting at one of our favourite spots to hunt. I had taken his advice about listening repeatedly to air tests of coins and that advice came in handy that day. I was out hunting along side of him when I got a rather large target and figured it was another crushed soda can, but the tone just sounded too good, so I decided to dig.

Since I was still getting used to pin pointing with the Explorer, I was cutting a larger plug than usual, but it turned out to be worth it. When I lifted out the plug

It was a bracelet made from a walking liberty half-dollar and two mercury dimes. It was a very exciting time for sure! This was the first walking liberty I had ever found and by far the nicest find that I had ever made.

I immediately showed Mikey and then we spent the next 15 minutes just looking at it. My next find that day were a small silver Cub Scout ring, a silver rosie and a silver Washington quarter, all in a row. Wow, what a day I had that day for sure! A local jeweller has taken a look at the bracelet and is now repairing the break that had happened when a mower hit it before I found it.

Bernie W. - West Virginia, USA

GOLDEN COINS FROM THE WORLD'S FAIR

I live in Louisiana and like to hunt in New Orleans where the 1884 World's Fair was held. While hunting in the park is very tough, if you go slow you can find some pretty nice stuff.

On the way to the park I told my dad I was going to dig any target that had an ID of a 1, 2, or 3 because of the recent information I learned from the forum about where gold coins ID'd. My dad and I started hunting around a nice old Live Oak that day in the back of the park and we found a few Indian Cents and even some civil war relics (Confederate soldiers camped there for a long time). The signals were few because over the past year we have been digging there a lot and have removed just about everything that read close to a coin.

After about 10 or 15 pieces of aluminium and nothing to show for it, I heard a soft signal that showed about 5" deep and read a 3 on the digital meter. I cut a nice plug out and when I flipped the plug over I could see the first $1.00 coin. I pulled it out of the plug and ran to dad to show him. After all the excitement I walked back to the hole and checked it for anything else and what do you think I heard? Another signal! I reached in the hole and removed some dirt and there staring me in the face was another beautiful $1.00 gold coin. The dates were 1854 and 1855 and they were in great shape. This is proof that it is very hard to clean out an area unless you are digging everything.

Tommy C. - Louisiana, USA

Early this month one of my detector buddies (KennyMac) called and said that he had talked to his old flight instructor who owns some land in York Co., Va, about 3 or 4 miles from Yorktown. He gave us permission to swing on it and also got permission for us from his neighbours.

Behind the houses there is a very deep ravine. We swung on top of the hill first where KennyMac had found an eagle button and some minnie balls. He also found a 3-piece bullet. I had found a Mass. button and a few minnie balls there too.

After a while, we climbed down into the ravine and started digging up old drink cans. They sure sound good and you just have to dig them. Then one of those signals was deep. When you're digging in a stream and the water is up past your elbow, you want to give up. That's a lot of trouble for a can, so I called KennyMac over since he has an X1 probe. I used it to locate the target and when I pulled it out it was upside down.

KennyMac said "Ha! A soap dish." Which was exactly what it looked like at first. After filling in the hole it still was puzzling me, but I stuck it in my pouch and continued on. I kept thinking about it and had a hunch but didn't say anything till we got home. I got my book out and turned right to the page with the shoulder scales. I told KennyMac "Check this out!" Can you imagine the rush? After the high fives and congrats and picture taking he told me to post it on the forum. That was my first post on the forum. The rest of the scales (all but two) and bottom bar was recovered the next day. It sure made this month a great one and looks good in my display.

Stan D. - Virginia, USA

I found this coin in an area that I have been passing up on hunting because of the trash and it's location close to an old metal shed. I finally decided to try it after hunting areas I have already hunted several times and this was the third thing I dug, so I called it a day. The next day the farmer planted the field so I can't hit it again for a while. I have found coins from the 1500's, 1600's, 1800's, 1900's and 2000's in this field, but no 1700's. Well now I have one!

Calvin M. - Virginia USA

My buddy Tim has been generous in letting me and others metal detect at a lake/resort site that he got permission to hunt. One of the best finds that I've dug on the beach there is this 1928 high school class ring. So far it's the oldest class ring I've found by about 30 years or so!

If anyone has an idea what high school this could come from I would really like to know. There is a chance the owner could still be alive and I would enjoy returning it (initials are inside the band).

Neal W. - Indiana, USA

I got a chance to get out and do some detecting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with a friend Neal. We went to an old fairgrounds we had hunting and doing fairly well at. We hunted most of the day finding 17 injuns, a seated dime a shield nickel, some buttons. One of the last things I dug that day was at first I thought was an injun, but after a closer look it had writing on it. Then I know it was my first CW storecard. After I got it home I cleaned it better and posted it. Not knowing were it was from was looking at towns all over Indiana. Then thought it was from Chicago. It was not until I post it for the contest that Mikey from Ohio sent me something on it, finding out that it was from New York City. That token sure did travel a long way in 1863 to get here.

Thank you, Ron.

While beach hunting on May 13th, I was working the wet sand with little success. After turning around and moving a little closer to the blanket line, I noticed a volleyball court and decided on a little detour from the grid. Nickels started popping up, and I'm fairly sure that someone had hit most of this area with high discrimination, thereby leaving all the lower conductivity stuff. That turned out to be just fine with me :-)

Having only done a pass or two on the court, a guy asked if I could help find a set of car keys. He wasn't sure they'd been left on the beach, but if they were, they'd be in a pretty confined area. After scouring a 10x10 spot, he was sure someone else in the group took them, thanked me, and bolted. I headed right back to my volleyball court grid, and just beyond the border of the waterside, I heard what I was pretty sure was a foil seal. But it turned out to be one of the lowest sounding rings I've ever found. When I saw the colour, I had high hopes for platinum...but the white gold I ended up with will have to suffice :-) I suspect it's an older setting, and the diamonds tested out nicely.

Andy B. - Florida, USA

I was hunting a lot in an old part of town where a bulldozer had pushed some dirt around. The only old find that came from that dirt was this Civil War store card from a business in Kendallville, IN that goes by the name of W. and J. Bunyan. After I posted it on the Minelab forum I got a reply from D.B. in Maine telling me that he looked it up in his token guide and found that it has a rarity rating of R-7 which means there are only 20 or less of this particular one known to exist. I'm glad I decided to hunt that spot and also glad someone long ago planted it there for me to find and enjoy!

Neal W. - Indiana, USA

IRON MASK

I was out metal detecting where I have detected before and I was trying out the iron mask to see how it worked. The place I went to I found several silver mercury dimes a silver quarter and a sterling silver fork. Needless to say it had been gone over really good. With the iron mask I got a single beep that sounded like a coin. When I cut the hole and turned over the sod I found a 1913 Canadian stuck to the bottom of the sod. When I put the coin away and looked down in the hole I saw more coins sticking out of the dirt. The next coin I pulled out was a 1910 Canadian quarter, 1906 v nickel.

After all that I put the probe in the hole to check to the see if there is anything else down there and it beeped telling me there were more coins in the hole. Digging out more dirt showed a 1902 barber quarter, 1916 v nickel and 1905 v nickel. Still the hole was making sound. I dug into the loose dirt again coming out with 1909 wheat penny, 1880 seated liberty dime and the next scoop of dirt brought out an 1888 v nickel and 1916-s mercury dime. That was ten old coins out of one hole. Oddly enough this was the second lot of ten coins I found in one hole.

Jeff E. - North Dakota, USA