I recently learned that a decade ago, an amateur hobbyist with a store-bought metal detector unearthed the £3.2 million ($4.5 million) Staffordshire Hoard. I began reading more on the subject and quickly found that many people actually pick up the activity in hopes of discovering the jackpot.
Journalist Emily Yoffe, for example, even called metal detecting “the world’s worst hobby” after she failed to find her own treasure. However, I think that—as with most areas in life—if you enter it with a results-orientated mindset, you’ll grow so frustrated by the constant beeping and let downs, you’ll give up metal detecting as quickly as Yoffe. It’s the process that matters.
The subreddit r/MetalDetecting highlights it perfectly. This online community has enthusiasts celebrating every step of their journey; whether it’s a miniature of Squidward from SpongeBob SquarePants or an old Soviet motorcycle! Below are some of the most popular posts on the sub. Enjoy.
#1 So Excited! Was Toying With The Simplex’s Settings In My Field Last Night. Found My First 10k. Grad Year 1967. My Brother And I Hunted Him Down By Initials. Called This Morning And He And His Wife Cried With Joy. His Mom Bought This For Him As She Was Passing Of Cancer. Was Stolen In The 80s
Image source: marified
#2 Wow, This Was Really Cool. Landlady Saw Me Metal Detecting In The Yard And Told Me She Had Lost A Treasured Silver Ring She Got In Bali 5 Years Ago In Her Garden. I Found It In An Hour, She Was Almost Crying
Image source: woodrodius
#3 I Just Sent Home “Jr” To California. The Family Are Thrilled And I Can Rest Easy Knowing The Right Thing Is Done
Image source: steals-from-kids
#4 It’s Finally Happened. My First Hammered. Henry III Silver Hammered Coin ~1250, England
Image source: wayofthebush
#5 First Time Metal Detecting Found A Over 100 Year Old Time Capsule!
Image source: Gtclem0
#6 Found 320 Year Old Silver Today In The Netherlands!
Image source: Openrefrigerator
#7 My Buddy Threw His Detector Down And Started This Wild And Crazy Dance. I Tried To Ask Him What He Found, But He Couldn’t Speak. He Had To Point To It
Image source: Buck_Thorn
#8 Bob Is Heading Home To Wisconsin Tomorrow
Image source: steals-from-kids
#9 Finally! It Wasn’t A Pull Tab
Image source: Djalohr
#10 Motorcycle L-300. According To Archaeologists, This Motorbike Was Hidden By The Retreating Units Of The Soviet Army In The Summer Of 1941
Image source: bikepost
#11 The Ring I Found Earlier This Year Has Been Identified As Late Medieval Dating Around 1450. Due To Its Age And Material I Am Obliged To Report It And Auction It To Museums
Image source: DohertyBS
#12 Random Find Of The Day… Squidward!
Image source: pickledearwaxcake
#13 Found In My Front Yard, Live About 5 Miles From Where The Carnival Was Held! One Of My Favorite Finds So Far
Image source: fettyboi1738
#14 What I Thought Was A Roman Grot Turned Out To Be A Heavily Oxidised Denarius Of Titus Dating To Around 80ad!
Image source: poshjosh1999
#15 Last Year I Found This Silver Annular Brooch. It’s Been Disclaimed As Treasure So I Can Now Wear It For The First Time In 400 Years!
Image source: poshjosh1999
#16 Dug This Lovely Small Viking Era Broach From Finland
Image source: Puukkomies
#17 Take A Look At What I Found! A Dream Come True! The Gard From A Viking Sword Found In A Field In Norway. Look At The Intricate Design On This One. Found With Fisher F75+
Image source: ElveMonster
#18 This Silver Pendant I Found Metal Detecting Is Dated 227 Years Ago Today
Image source: Silver_Winged
#19 Y’all Are Always Posting Damn Coins And I’m Digging Up Bottled Tomato Sauce
Image source: MrDurka
#20 Lady Of Lake Washington Seattle. This One Was Recovered In 12 Feet Of Water. Who Was She? Where Was She From? And What Was Life Like Then?
Image source: lowtonedigging
#21 Okay. Now That I’ve Stopped Screaming “Holy S Holy S* Holy S” I Can Actually Post This. I Just Found This Absolute Stunner Out The Back Of A Supermarket In Scotland With A Garret Ace 150. Ran Home To Clean It Detector In Hand Lol
Image source: handyteacup
#22 One Of My Favorite Finds. Wwii Paratrooper Wrist Compass
Image source: Wainsapain
#23 Easily My Weirdest Find
Image source: 808snorkeler
#24 From 1 Beach With My Girlfriend The Other Night. Both Rings Are 18k, 1 With Diamonds. That’s 7 Rings In Total! All Were Shallow With The Equinox 800 And 15×12 Coil
Image source: TTT334
#25 Metal Detecting In Australia, Minus 2 Gold Rings I Returned
Image source: TTT334
#26 I Was Flinging Out A Cast Net And Lost A Ring. This Lady Was Out With Her Detector In 16 Hours Notice And Found It For Me!
Image source: chickenclickin
#27 So, I Was Advised By An Elderly Resident That A Local School Field ( School Is No Longer Open), That It Used To Be An Army Camp. Took My Detector Over There And Over The Course Of Two, 2 Hour Trips, I’ve Had These Coins. All Dating Back To Victorian Era, Up To Both King Georges. Wow!
Image source: Lewks12
#28 Local Police And Detectives Are Here. Called State Police Who Are Getting The Medical Examiners Office Involved. Human Bone Fragment + Handgun + Concrete Slab
Image source: crossmod
#29 Found My First Bit Of Silver!
Image source: 07Stocka
#30 First Time Hitting Gold! Definitely Did The Gold Dance In My Head. Weighs 5g
Image source: BobDucca
#31 Parents Gave Me A Metal Detector. First Time Ever Detecting, First Beep I Heard. Found An Earring I Lost As A Little Girl (Probably 15 Years Ago) About 2inches Down
Image source: subaw0067
#32 This Brooch I Found While Metal Detecting
Image source: NormIslandRandom
#33 I Found This American Coin Far Away From Its Country, In A Quiet Field While Metal Detecting In Scotland
Image source: randomWIGHT9000
#34 Found This Pretty Brass Lipstick Tube With Bright Fuscia Lipstick Still Inside
Image source: k8ie_kat
#35 Today Was A Good Day. 1715 Gold Guinea, And Two 1696 Silver Sixpences
Image source: wayofthebush
#36 Was About To Give Up When I Found This Mega Upvote
Image source: Fisepiss
#37 Wow. Just Wow. 23 Grams Of Almost Pure Silver. Napoleon The Third 1867. First Real Silver Coin And One Of My Best Finds Ever. Found In The Neterlands Of All Places
Image source: suskeenwiske
#38 Pulling A Gold Ring Is A Great Feeling. Popped This Sucker Out This Morning
Image source: exorcized
#39 All My Silver Rings Found In 2019, Dated From 1900 To 2019
Image source: reddit.com
#40 Why Shouldn’t I Keep It
Image source: Dan20mey
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