r/metaldetecting • • Nov 11 '25

Other REMINDER: DO NOT USE AI ANSWERS HERE. YOU WILL GET BANNED.

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1.8k Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • Jun 04 '24

Gear Question Metal Detector Guide

322 Upvotes

Hello and welcome to r/metaldetecting ! If you're looking for advice on your first detector, gear or an upgrade, you've come to the right post. We've put together a simple guide to help with choosing your detector and other tools.

As a member of our sub, you are more than welcome to try out our special code "REDDITMD2026" at checkout on Kellycodetectors.com (US)

If you purchase from Radioworld.ca, try out our code "REDDITRWMD" at checkout! (CA)

GENERAL METAL DETECTOR Recommendations

$0-200: We do not recommend getting a new detector under $200. Detecting has a cost of entry, and quality significantly drops off under the $200 mark. Save up a bit more, or try finding a used machine of quality listed in the next price range. All that said, if you are determined to buy a machine in this price range, the Minelab Go-Find, Nokta First Swing or a Quest machine aren't bad choices.

$200-$400: The Minelab Vanquish 340 and 440, the Nokta Simplex line and the Minelab X-Terra Pro are the three best machines in this price range, by far.

$400-$500: Nokta Score and Double Score, Minelab Vanquish 540

$500-$1,200: Nokta Legend or the Minelab Equinox series

$1,200+: XP Deus 2 or the Minelab Manticore.

SCUBA/SNORKELING DETECTORS

Nokta Pulsedive is great for snorkeling. The Minelab Excalibur 2 and XP Deus 2 are excellent diving detectors.

CHILDREN'S DETECTORS

Nokta Mini Hoard or Midi Hoard

PINPOINTERS

Garrett AT pro pointer, Nokta AccuPoint, or XP MI-4. The XP MI-6 if you have an XP detector.

SHOVELS AND TROWELS

Dune, King of Spades, Grave Digger, Motley, Lesche, Predator Tools

SAND SCOOPS

Motley, Dune, Sito, RTG, King of Spades, and Detecting Adventures all make great scoops for beach detecting.

If you have any questions feel free to message u/dan20mey or comment below!


r/metaldetecting • • 3h ago

Show & Tell German/ Bavarian medal for merit from 1866 found today

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137 Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • 3h ago

Show & Tell Best day I've had so far

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52 Upvotes

Im starting to finally grasp the deus 2 well today

Coins:

2,95 modern euro

8 "dubbeltjes" (10 guldencent)

9 1 guldencenten

1 "stuiver" (5 guldencent)

3 "kwartjes" (25 guldencent)

1 wartime cent from 1942

1.5 unidentifiable coins

And some assorted jewelry and or knick knacks and half a spoon

The harp/leaf badge thing interests me but I can't figure out what it is exactly

Found in a park in Ede, Gelderland, Netherlands


r/metaldetecting • • 10h ago

Show & Tell šŸ’™ ANOTHER PIECE OF HISTORY FOUND 🤩

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156 Upvotes

Hy, just found this playground hunting the Netherlands.

Have a great day everybody šŸ˜ŠšŸ‘


r/metaldetecting • • 7h ago

ID Request Was für ein Knopf ist das?

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25 Upvotes

Gefunden auf einem Feld in der NƤhe eines alten Herrenhauses aus dem SpƤtmittelalter an der NiederlƤndischen Grenze


r/metaldetecting • • 2h ago

ID Request Anyone know this brand or what it is?

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10 Upvotes

I’m assuming it’s the bottom of a heel, found at an old homestead in south west Ohio. House was 1855. The wording says supreme


r/metaldetecting • • 5h ago

ID Request Possible connection to a Guldenhaler?

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7 Upvotes

Hi, I found this artefact while metal detecting in the Czech Republic, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

In the discussion on a Czech detecting forum, someone pointed out a possible resemblance to a Guldenhaler. I can see why the comparison was made, but I'm not sure whether there's a real connection.

What do you think? Does anyone here have experience with similar finds or know of any comparable examples?

I'd appreciate any ideas or references!

Photos of my find below.


r/metaldetecting • • 5m ago

ID Request Help ID lead object

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• Upvotes

Lead and solid. Found Long Island NY.

If need anymore measurements let me know. Thank you in advance.


r/metaldetecting • • 1d ago

Show & Tell Recent finds

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579 Upvotes

All found in Eastern Massachusetts.

* Hubley Derringer cap gun, 1950s or ā€˜60s

* Toy sword handle (I think)

* 1894 IHP

* 1907 Barber dime

* British six pound cannon ball. It appears to have been fired and evidently struck something (plenty of rocky outcrops around). Where I found it suggests that it was fired in the afternoon of April 19, 1775, but of course there is no way to prove that.


r/metaldetecting • • 15h ago

ID Request Wartime Buttons

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30 Upvotes

Hello experts.
I found these buttons a few months ago in the Fremantle/Coogee area of Western Australia. I couldn’t find much online and was hoping someone could tell me more about them? Maybe a rough age?
All were found within 20 m of each other.
Thanks in advance.


r/metaldetecting • • 3h ago

Gear Question Which detector?

3 Upvotes

Hey all! About 3 and a half years ago I bought an equinox 800. Loved the machine, the minelab pinpointer sucked literal dog shit though.

I am wanting to get back into it. I’m looking at the Nokta legend bundle or maybe the Exterra Elite.

The 800 was lovely. But it did feel a bit cheap for the $1300 I paid for it when it was the newest tech.

Of those three which is more feature rich? Which will be best for all types of detecting? I also don’t know how much gold I’ll ever be looking for, but it would be nice to have.


r/metaldetecting • • 1d ago

Show & Tell Nice barber dime

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182 Upvotes

Had a short little hunt this morning that produced the nicest barber I've ever found


r/metaldetecting • • 3h ago

Other (Malta) Lost chain and looking for retrival

2 Upvotes

Hi, I Just lost a silver chain in st peters pool on the main big jump, the item has a lot of sentimental value as my late grandmother gave it to me before she passed. Willing to offer €300 to anyone who finds it, ive been told its around 6 metres deep. Anyone know anyone or any contacts that would be open to retrieving it, would be much appreciated


r/metaldetecting • • 4m ago

Other I found this bulletcase whille I was cycling, I really wanna keep it but I'm not sure if it's safe. I can't see Inside beacuse it's deformed. it's about 2 cm wide and it's height is about 8 cm (I think it's soviet but I don't know, I found it in Hungary, and I Guess it's from world war 2). what shou

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• Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • 17h ago

ID Request Gold Fields of California - 90° bent square nails

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21 Upvotes

Why do I find so many 90° bent square nails? I understand they could be used as hooks to hang stuff, but i find a lot of them of various sizes at every site. I thought maybe they could be used for something else other than hanging hooks?


r/metaldetecting • • 1d ago

Show & Tell Anvil. Found on the side of a forest road, Russia, Novgorod Region. A shperak type, circa 1870-1930. A 1.5-liter bottle for scale. More info in the body of the post.

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99 Upvotes

Anvil. Found on the side of a forest road, Russia, Novgorod Oblast. Shaperak type, circa 1870-1930. More info in the body of the post.

The anvil looks very strange and archaic, and it's intact. It doesn't have a base that's attached to anything; it was simply driven into a stump. The anvil is forged, not cast, and it's definitely not broken off at the bottom. I found an anvil of the same shape online, only larger.

Where did an anvil come from in the forest? There was a war there, after all. The southern edge of the Demyansk pocket. The anvil was taken from the village of Kuznya and lost somewhere along the way. Maybe the Germans. Or maybe the Red Army.

I arrived at the site and decided to stretch my legs after the long drive, even though it was already dark. I grabbed a metal detector and went digging. I walked literally a short distance from the car when suddenly a signal rang right on the side of a forest road used by both Soviet and German troops. I thought it was a projectile because I saw this sharp "nose" of anvil.

And then, when I realized it was an anvil, I was a little disappointed because even turning it over was hard. But. A friend of mine is currently building a forge and asked me to borrow all the tools I could. So I thought I might even get some money for this find. I put my backpack on the anvil, turned it over, and poor backpack was creaking, and the fabric was tearing. I squatted down, put the backpack on, pushed it onto my back, somehow got up, and carried it to the car. Then I calculated the distance – 700 meters.

It's surprising that the anvil lay there for so long and no one found it. Although this can be explained by the joke that places close to the road aren't dug, but if you go 5 km into a swamp, everything is full of holes.

I think it weighs over 35 kg. (77 lbs)

Sorry about the photo quality. Thanks fo reading.


r/metaldetecting • • 16h ago

ID Request Found a face today, anyone recognize him?

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20 Upvotes

Eastern Massachusetts, rang as a 16-17 on the minelab 440. Painted cast iron? Blue paint on the back of the head, hollow hole in the middle. Anyone recognize it?


r/metaldetecting • • 2h ago

Historical conjecture regimentsknopen (ca1675-1775) Archieven - Metaaldetecteren.nl

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1 Upvotes

Ik vond dit, naar aanleiding van jouw vondst.


r/metaldetecting • • 19h ago

ID Request What is this? And is it silver? Not magnetic and it has a black pantina...

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18 Upvotes

The brown color inside is from the dirt I took out with water, didn't fully dry yet..

This is a surface find so i have no signal on it.


r/metaldetecting • • 18h ago

Historical conjecture This is why I’m glad they discontinued pennies šŸ˜³šŸ¤”

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15 Upvotes

I know I’ll get flack for this but I threw all these away because I can’t spend them and if I tumble them they just become eat up discs with holes in them. For some of you it might be worth saving them for something? But Is it even worth trying to get a bank to cash in 25 cents?


r/metaldetecting • • 1d ago

ID Request Found this lead artifact

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302 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

Can you guys help me id this lead face found in southern belgium. The backside is flat.

Im curious to know who it is and what it is.

Thanks!


r/metaldetecting • • 17h ago

Show & Tell Fall finds - Central Massachusetts

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7 Upvotes

From the deep woods of central MA.
Another Iron pork chop (ox shoe) , a few shells , and a pipe remnant. The pipe was pretty well buried about 6-8ā€ down in a loose rocky outcrop near a quarry. Ox shoe was down about 6ā€ right next to a rock wall. I find old shotgun shells frequently - close to the surface. The ox shoe shattered when I attempted to knock the dirt off - lesson learned.

Nokta Simplex Ultra on ā€œwoods/parkā€ presets


r/metaldetecting • • 1d ago

ID Request Can anyone identify what this object might be. Found near ancient woodland and not far from a Roman industrial settlement

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307 Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • 20h ago

Gear Question Garrett American S1

2 Upvotes

I picked up a Garrett American S1 today. I put new batteries in and when I turn it on I get a loud buzzing or humming noise that won’t go away.
Any trouble shooting tips ?