The sight of a senior citizen using his Metal detector on the beach may seem funny to you, but he’s only scouting for a remarkable find, and yes, there has been amazing finds and discoveries over the years by various metal detecting hobbyists.
A Metal Detector was first used in the late 18th century, and it became more prevalent in the early 19th century and was widely used during the Second World War. Today, modern metal detectors are used by various people including the military and most commonly used in airports for security purposes.
Incredible discoveries have been made with metal detectors by even amateurs. Artifacts of all kinds, from Royal to terrestrial are out in the world waiting to be found. While some of these were found by professionals, many of them were stumbled upon by someone with a hobby.
Whether you are partaking in a favorite pastime or hunting for treasures, the possibilities are endless. Check out these amazing finds that were made with a metal detector. There are some of the metal detector tips to make you favorite pastime.
With a little geographic research or good luck, you might uncover something extraordinary. Now, let’s get into what incredible finds are available out there.
A piece of history
In 2014, out in a Dumfries and Galloway field, Derek Galloway found Viking artifacts that were worth over USD 2 million. MSN news called it “the richest collection” ever to be found in the UK. Not too bad for a day of metal detecting.
Not only did Galloway find one valuable treasure, he found a slew of them. The include jewelry, a Christian cross, and “a silver-glit cup thought to be of Byzantine origin.” The artifacts are pieces of history that date back to the 10th century.
Museums were fighting over these to be displayed with them. To think that these guys landed his retirement in a field is enough to pick up a detector and start hunting. There’s no telling what you can find in the deep earth.
Solid glittering gold
You don’t have to be a mine worker to find Gold – but they do find a lot of it. An astonishing find reported by Ron Dicker for the Huffington Post was found with a $6000 metal detector in Australia.
That might seem a bit steep for a hobby, but this prospector made up for it by unearthing a 12-pound nugget of gold.
CBS News posted this short video excerpt on YouTube about the miraculous discovery. The value of the gold was appraised at about $500,000. Talk about getting your money’s worth out of a pricey tool; the finder of the gold will be living well from this one.
One of the largest ever gold nuggets to be found in history, the Holterman nugget, was also found in Australia. It weighed in at a jaw-dropping 639 pounds. The rates were different for such a find in 1872, but there is no doubt that its finder was set for life after discovering the heap of gold.
Cash Money (Well, Coin Money)
One man’s buried treasure is also another man’s treasure. Anita Singh interviewed Laurence Egerton upon discovering Britain’s biggest hoard of 4th-century Roman coins. Egerton found 22,000 coins in a field close to a previous Roman Villa excavation site.
The coins were dated from AD260 to AD348, at which time they are estimated to “a few months’ wages” for a Roman soldier. Singh reports “they will now be worth tens of thousands of pounds.”
This is not too shabby, considering the prospects other finds usually include, for instance, shotgun remnants and rubbish.
The fortune was split 50/50 between the land owner and the finder, Egerton. The coins are now proudly displayed in the local museums. Mr. Egerton tells reporter Singh and prospective metal detector hobbyist “it’s no different from any other hobby” you aspire to find something special.
Other Notable Finds in History
Other notable finds out there include valuable items and artifacts such as royal jewelry (such an the iron age necklace which was discovered in 2009 by a Scottish man). This fortune was worth over $2million. A 52-years old historian also uncovered a bronze age axe head. This item dated back to the 1800Bc and was worth quite a fortune too.
The Mojave gold nugget is the largest piece of gold ever found. It was a 4.9kg gold nugget discovered by a Californian man in 1977. Lone Star Metal Detector is designed to find use in different applications including relic hunting, general detecting, and coin shooting. There are several records of gold nuggets discovered. Another amazing discovery is the 12 inches long gold nugget in the shape of a boot. It was discovered in 1989 by an Australian. The same nugget was sold in an auction in 2008 for over $1.5 million.
In 1952, a historian named Rowe uncovered a stash of 18th century Portuguese and Spanish doubloons. This discovery happened on a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Another massive gold hoard was discovered in 2009 by a metal detector enthusiast. Terry Herbert uncovered an artifact containing enough gold objects that filled over 200 bags in 5 days. This hoard was found to contain a total of 3500 pieces which were hundreds of complete objects. This hoard was valued at about $5.3 million.
In 2014 a retired business man discovered a hoard of Viking gold and several silver artifacts which dated back over 1000 years in Scotland. McLenan’s find was quite huge and comprised of about 100 items including a rare silver cup that was engraved with animals. Other items in the lode included a gold bird pin, a silver pot, and several gold objects.
Final Words
Metal detecting has increasingly become lucrative, and it’s not just about the money or lode anymore, but think of it as a path of discovering history. With all the hoards of the metal detectors of old, you cannot tell what modern-day prospectors will discover.
The finds discussed above are quite significant and if you ask me, is reason enough to pick up a metal detector and start scouting. There are loads of incredible artifacts waiting to be found, and some of them are priceless.
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