Metal detecting

Metal Detecting is an excellent hobby for the whole family. Almost everyone as a child dreams of pirates and treasures. Not everyone realizes that metal detector technology today is a huge part of our lives, with a range of uses that spans from leisure, work to safety.

The metal detectors in airports, schools, government agencies or office buildings help ensure that no one is bringing a weapon onto the premises. Consumer oriented metal detectors provide millions of people around the world with an opportunity to discover hidden treasures.

History

Metal detectors have been around for much longer than most people realize. Towards the end of the 19th century, scientists used their growing knowledge of electrical theory in an attempt to devise a machine which would pinpoint a metal object. The German physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove invented the induction balance system, which was incorporated into metal detectors a few years later.

Early machines were big, crude and used a lot of battery power, and worked only to a very limited degree. The Scottish physicist, Alexander Graham Bell, attempted used such a device to attempt to locate a bullet lodged in the chest of American President James Garfield in 1881, though the attempt was unsuccessful because the metal bed Garfield was lying on confused the detector. The modern development of the metal detector began in the 1930's. Gerhard Fischer had developed a system of radio direction finding, which was to be used for accurate navigation. The system worked extremely well, but Dr Fischer noticed that there were anomalies in areas where the terrain contained metal residue. He reasoned that if a radio beam could be distorted by metal, then it should be possible to design a machine which would detect metal, using a search coil resonating at a radio frequency. In 1937, he registered the first patent for a metal detector.

The designs were soon put to the test in a practical way, as they were used as mine detectors during the World War II. They were heavy, ran on vacuum tubes, and needed separate battery packs - but they worked. After the war, there were plenty of surplus mine detectors on the market; they were bought up by relic hunters who used them for fun and for profit. The hobby of metal detecting had been born!

Where to go treasure hunting?
Generally you have to hunt the older places if you want to find quality coins. Churches are a good place to coin shoot because they hold the oldest coins, as they were probably the first buildings in a typical small town after the homes were built.

Coins are found where money exchanged hands or could fall out of pockets or purses. Old drive-in movies, sand beaches, the grassy areas between the sidewalks, areas around old parking meters, old bleachers are good sources. But remember to always ask permission when hunting the places that are on private property.