How to Metal Detect

Take your metal detector to a beach. It probably has been combed over many times, but this is the easiest place to learn about the variety of signals your detector emits and what each of them mean. Bury a few of your own coins and "find" them with the metal detector to see what that signal sounds like.

Toss the trash you unearth into the bag you have brought for trash. Public authorities are generally more tolerant of those who search for metal on public lands if they are demonstrably helping to clean up those lands. Dispose of the trash bag when you get back home.

Deposit any treasures or unknown items into your collection sack. You can examine items fully when you get home. While you are out with the detector, you want to use the time to keep scanning.

Check libraries and the Internet for historical sites where crowds commonly gathered but are now abandoned or have a different purpose. Such sites are not as frequently pored over. Some can be a rich source of interesting and valuable finds. Always get a landowner's permission before using your metal detector on private property.

Check sites again after a heavy rain or a hard winter. As the ground shifts, items that were too deep for you to detect often get pushed closer to the surface. On beaches, new material is constantly being washed up and left behind.