So, you’ve been out metal detecting, and you just pulled a dusty, crusty coin out of the ground. Nice! But now what? Is it a rare treasure or just an old, beat-up penny that’s seen better days? Don’t worry—I got you! Let’s break down how to figure out what you’ve found, starting with Canadian coins (because, hey, we gotta represent the Great White North first) and then diving into American coins. Canadian Coins: Eh, What Did I Just Find? Canada’s coins have a long history, and lucky for you, they often have some pretty recognizable features. Here’s what to look for: 1. Check the Date & Monarch The easiest way to start is by looking at the date. Canadian coins usually feature the reigning monarch at the time they were minted. Here’s a quick cheat sheet: Queen Victoria (1837-1901) – Super old, probably worth something! King Edward VII (1902-1910) – Also old, but less common. King George V (1911-1936) – Now we’re talking! These can be valuable, especially the 1921 5-cent piece (...

  Alright, so you’ve decided to get into metal detecting—awesome choice! Whether you’re hunting for buried treasure, lost jewelry, or just really enjoy digging random holes, you need a good detector. But hold up! You go online and see a sleek-looking detector for $500 from a trusted brand… and then right next to it, some random website is selling a similar-looking one for $50. What gives? Are you about to score the deal of the century, or are you buying a plastic stick that barely works? Let’s break it down. 1. Build Quality: Will It Survive More Than One Dig? Brand-name metal detectors (think Minelab, Garrett, Nokta, Fisher) are built to last. These things are like the Jeeps of metal detecting—tough, reliable, and can handle mud, sand, and you accidentally dropping them when you trip over a root. Chinese knock-offs? Yeah, not so much. They’re more like the dollar store version of a toy lightsaber. Looks cool in the ad, but the moment you actually use it, something’s gonna snap. Mo...

Alright, so you’ve got your metal detector, a dream of finding treasure, and about 37 bottle caps in your pocket from your last hunt. Fear not, fellow dirt fisher! I did my research to find some amazing ideas for you all. America is packed with places where people have been losing stuff for centuries. So grab your gear, put on your best "I’m totally not weird" face, and let’s get hunting! 1. Beaches – Where the Sun is Hot and the Lost Jewelry is Plentiful Beaches are like the lost-and-found of the universe. People slather on sunscreen, get all slippery, and then—bam!—rings, necklaces, and coins go flying into the sand. Some of the best beaches to metal detect include Miami Beach (FL), Myrtle Beach (SC), and Huntington Beach (CA). Just don’t accidentally detect a sleeping sunbather. Awkward. 2. Parks – Where Joggers and Picnic-Goers Make Our Jobs Easier Parks are basically historical goldmines (or at least penny mines). People drop coins, jewelry, and random metal bits all the...

So, you got yourself a metal detector, and now you’re standing in your backyard like, "Alright, where’s my treasure?!" But all you’ve found so far is a rusty nail, a bottle cap, and that one missing key from your house that you blamed your dog for eating. Don’t worry, fellow treasure hunter, I got your back. Here’s where to metal detect in Canada without looking like a total weirdo waving a stick in the middle of nowhere. 1. Beaches – Because Sand + People = Lost Stuff If you’ve ever been to a beach, you know that people love to lose things. Rings, watches, coins, sunglasses—heck, probably a whole wallet or two. Check out places like Wasaga Beach in Ontario, Grand Beach in Manitoba, or Kitsilano Beach in BC. Just make sure you don’t get too close to sunbathers. Nobody likes an overenthusiastic detectorist scanning their towel for “hidden treasure.” 2. Parks – The Land of Dropped Change and Forgotten Jewelry Parks are where people go to pretend they exercise. While they’re out...

 Alright, so here’s the deal—I’ve always been a stock coil kinda guy . My Minelab Equinox 800 came with the standard coil, and I happily swung it around for years, digging up everything from silver coins to… deeply disappointing aluminum can shards. Then, two seasons ago, I thought, Hey, what if I go smaller? So, I slapped on the 6” coil , hoping it would help me snipe out coins and relics in trashy areas. And guess what? It totally worked. That little thing was like a surgical tool —weaving between bottle caps, iron nails, and whatever else people have been littering since 1884. I was pulling better finds, but… not necessarily more finds. Depth? Meh. Coverage? Laughable. I basically had to grid an area like I was mowing a lawn with nail clippers. Go Big or Go Home (or Just Keep Digging Forever) So this season, I’m flipping the script. Goodbye, tiny sniper coil. Hello, absolute monster. I went out and picked up the Minelab 15” Coil (3011-0464) —which is roughly the size of ...

 Alright, so if you’ve ever been metal detecting in Manitoba, you know one thing for sure— this place is WILD . And I don’t just mean the finds. I mean actual wild, as in you might be hunting for a 1930s quarter one minute and suddenly locking eyes with a deer who looks just as confused as you are. Or worse—something bigger that makes you reconsider if that signal is really worth digging. But that’s what makes detecting in Manitoba so great . You never know what you’re going to find. Could be an old Hudson’s Bay token. Could be a smashed beer can from someone’s fishing trip in 1998. It’s basically treasure hunting with a side of mystery and occasional mild terror . Treasure, Trash, and Tales from the Dirt I’ll never forget the time I was out near an old homestead, getting a strong 82-84 signal on my Garrett. My heart was racing—silver? Maybe even a big ol’ silver dollar? Nope. It was a perfectly intact, vintage spoon . Exciting? Debatable. But hey, at least I could technically...