Tip Number 1: Ask Questions and Listen
When I was out in the field swinging my metal detector I would often pull my hooded sweatshirt over my headphones so people wouldn't see the bulging earphones plastered on my head. I felt a little embarrassed to be out and about waving my detector around afraid that someone might label me a little strange. I soon realized that this was actually hindering my success in the field. People are naturally curious and I found that by stopping to speak with people who showed interest in what I was doing payed off time and time again.
There was one time that I was walking around a church that had been built in the late 1800's swinging my metal detector back and forth early one morning when I noticed an older gentleman out for a stroll walkin up the sidewalk close to me. I could see that he was interested in what I was doing so I gave him a friendly wave to let him know I was approachable. He strolled on over with cane in hand. He was probably in his late 70's to early 80's and was very spry for his age. I gather that lots of morning walks and exercise had helped him maintain such a healthy mobility. We talked a bit and I shared with him what I was doing. I told him that my dad was a pastor of an old church and I had often found many old coins at his church. I asked him if he was from the area and discovered that he had been born in a house down the street and now lived a few houses down in a home he had moved to.
I realized quickly that this man would be an absolute treasure of information to glean from. I naturally like to get to know people and allowed him to share stories from his childhood. The trick is to guide the conversation along in a way that will allow the individual to reflect on their childhood and to also collect valuable information in so doing. He pointed down the hill to a small opening that I had barely noticed and said, "That's where the old playground used to be. Just to the right of that the pastor used to preach outdoor services while the members would sit on the side of the hill. There used to be a pulpit that he would stand at right there." The old man gestured with his cane. I think you can still make out where there used to be some wooden benches if you head on down there. Score! I would have never known about this potential treasure trove of old coins if I had just let the old man walk by.
He could see that I was getting excited about his information and he spoke more freely. "Up yonder a few houses down theirs another church building that I go. There used to be a school house off to the left of the church. I knew what he was talking about because I had poured over old maps of the area and new that he was right on the money. "Also Mabel's Grocery used to stand where that vacant lot used to stand. You might try up there."
I remembered seeing an old post card of an old covered bridge that used stand next to the updated bridge that now stands there. The picture showed the newer bridge being built while the covered bridge still stood. The covered bridge was then torn down and I wasn't sure which side of the current bridge the postcard was taken from. The old timer informed me that it was on this side of the bridge. He also shared that he had often gone swimming at the base of the bridge with his buddies back in his day. I thanked him over and over again for all the important information he had shared with me. I told him that I would bring by some old coins I found so that he could see.
After saying goodbye, I realized my time hunting for the day was about over and I headed down to the opening at the bottom of the hill to make some mental notes of what I saw down there. I could see some remnants of some rotting wood and poles that would have been used as benches just like the old timer had said. I pulled out a few coins and jumped back into my pickup and headed home. I am also a father of three children and told my wife I would return home in a few hours of hunting to spend time with them.
I plan on returning to the church again to hunt the area much more thoroughly, especially where the old playground used to be. I will make sure to update what I find when I get another chance to go back.
Tip Number 2: Finding Old Maps
If you want to find old items, then you have got to find the locations that people used to gather many years ago. My absolute favorite way to locate these old historical locations is really quite simple. I search online for old maps of my county, town, state etc... and page through many maps until I find one that shows that buildings from the early 1900's or sooner. I then get out google maps and try to locate these buildings based on the old roads. Many of the roads on the maps from 1900 are still in use today. I can then see where the old churches, schoolhouses, parks etc... were located.
Once I have located a particularly old building that has seen a lot of use (Church, School etc...) I mark it on my google maps. At some locations I see no evidence of a building having stood there except for the reference to one on the old 1900's maps. I make a mark at the location and continue on to the next one. I notice that where the road crosses a certain bridge, there used to be an old mill located here. I cross reference my google maps and notice that there is a clearing where a building could have stood next the river and know that I have found an excellent site to search.
The map on the left is from the 1900's. The map on the right is the same location on google maps today. I have a small flag positioned on both that shows where the church once stood. The picture below shows the image zoomed in on the flag. The evidence of gravestones can be clearly seen.
The above site is a location of an old pre 1900's church that actually has it's origin in the 1700's. I again reference my google maps and find the remains of a graveyard in the exact location. The church would have stood in the clearing next to the graveyard or across the road. Another excellent location for me to search.
In my rural area, I have countless sites that I have marked on my google maps. When someone says that all the good spots have been hunted out, they are indicating how uneducated they really are. It would take an army of fellow hobbyists armed with the best equipment months and months to thoroughly search out the locations I have marked within a 45 mile radius.
Some of these sites I have on my map include, Old battlegrounds from the civil war. (Farmland where minor battles occurred.), Old Churches, Old Schoolyards, Homes that have disappeared, Old Mills, Old Post officess, and even old and abandoned gold mines. I stumbled across a beautiful map online showing many major and minor battle locations of the civil war.) Another type of map I use in my collection is a list of all the mines that used to be active in my area. I live in an area where there used to be a lot of active gold and silver mines and I have used old maps to pinpoint locations in my area. I have found the following site to be very helpful in compiling a list of all these mines. The site allows you to use the program free of charge for several days. I used the free option and have not made up my mind as to weather or not I will purchase the full program. You can find it at www.minecache.com
Google Maps is a very powerful tool for finding evidence of something you may have discovered in your research. I once found some information that indicated that their used to be an old covered bridge located next to a mill. Pictures of the mill from the mid 1800's indicated that there had been a covered bridge that led into a green lawn where the workers would gather and socialize. The mill also led to a small community of dwellings springing up around the mill. The locals would come down to the waters edge and enjoy gathering together. A village sprang up to house the workers and they would often gather down by the water.
I was able to pull up google earth and see evidence of the covered bridge's footings. I now was certain that this was the location where the covered bridge stood and the grassy lawn above would be an excellent spot to find old coins.
I talked with one of my fellow hobbyists who knows of someone who took his metal detector down to one of these abandoned gold mines and found a 1 pound gold nugget while searching downstream. That nugget paid for his detector several times over. It only takes one time, a chance find to pay for your detector many times over. However, you have to put yourself in the location where these chance finds are much more likely to occur. Research is going be the ticket for getting you into these hot spots.
Tip Number 3: Timing Is Everything
There are definitely some times that are better to hunt a specific spot than other times. Take the 4th of July. People cram into their local parks and ball fields to spread out their lawn chairs and blankets to take in the fireworks. Kids tussle on the lawns and objects are misplaced in the growing dusk. When it's time to pack up and leave it is all done in the dark. Objects that may have been lost during the evening will never be found in this low light period. The only thing to do is head home and count your losses. This makes a perfect opportunity to the savvy treasure hunter. Get to the parks early in the morning on July 5th and start pulling out the goodies that have been left behind.
In the fall, class rings are usually purchased at the high-school. Make sure to take your detector to the High-School. I personally lost my class ring at a park while playing football and I never recovered it. I wish I had had my detector then.
Check under bleachers after a football game. I know of one individual who has pulled quite a bit of gold and silver jewelry from out from beneath the bleachers. He told me a few days ago that he took in a bunch of scrap gold he recently found and got over 200.00 for it. He told me he keeps the good stuff. He will wait till there has been a football game and head over to the field the next day. He likes to scan underneath the bleachers because he tells me that he has found a lot of goodies by doing so.
If you can get permission make sure to check out the fair grounds after the fair. Do some homework before hand. See where there could have been an event that could have caused some jewelry to come off. Any sort of muddy, slimy, or sporting event would be a good place to check.
Tip Number 4: Be Observant
Observe where people tend to gather. The next time you pass a soccer field when there are games being held. Notice the chairs lined up on the edges. This would be a good location to search. Watch how hills are often used as a place to lie down and watch the game. When the individuals recline on the grass, the coins and other objects slip out of their pockets into the grass.
Pay attention to changes in the cities landscape. When there is a project going on in town, especially the old part of town. try to get permission to search the areas where the ground is being scraped away. I have read and heard many great stories of some very valuable coins and tocans being found in these types of areas.
When you are driving to an event or meeting. Make sure to take not of the areas you pass by. Look for signs and landmarks that would indicate an area had been used a long time ago. Watch for historical markers on the side of the road that would give an indication of the history of the places you are passing through. Look for Old covered bridges, abandoned buildings, stone walls and other landmarks that would indicate the areas age. When you arrive at a new park to search. Look at the surrounding buildings in the area. If the buildings are old then you know that the park is going to have silver coins buried there.
By developing your observation skills you will help yourself to be a much more successful treasure hunter.
Tip Number 5: Join A Club
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