Route 01
Coins & tokens
Read the rim, size, portrait, date area, and metal color before cleaning anything.
Open this identification guideMetal detecting find identification
Metal detecting find identification: look first, clean later.
The fastest way to erase a clue is to scrub before you know what you found. Record the size, shape, markings, weight, and context while the object is still unchanged.
New visual coin atlas
US size. Roman portrait. Medieval cross.
Choose the family, preserve the surface, and use several clues before calling anything identified.
Open the coin identification chartsNew Florida source guide
Old object, lost property, or protected artifact?
Choose the correct stop, photograph, report, or emergency path before cleaning or moving the find.
The first-look card
Six clues before any cleaning.
- 1Exact sizeUse millimeters
- 2Front and backPhotograph both
- 3Edge and holesDo not pry
- 4Letters and numbersCopy every mark
- 5Magnet checkUse a small magnet
- 6Find contextNote depth and ground
Quick clue cards
Start with the object family.
You do not need the exact answer yet. A good category gives you the next useful clue.
Route 02
Buttons & fasteners
The shank, backmark, face pattern, and construction method can narrow the age quickly.
Route 03
Bullets & headstamps
Measure first. Then record every letter and number without scraping the surface.
Route 04
Jewelry & hallmarks
Photograph the mark, note magnetism and weight, and keep acid away until you know the material.
Keep moving through the atlas
Choose the next question—not a random article.
Each hub has one clear job. Move between them when your question changes.
03Step-by-step field lessons
Learn the movement
Techniques
Build repeatable field skills. Learn setup and coil movement, then practise signal checks, pinpointing and clean recovery.
- Coin shooting
- Small hammered targets
- Clean target recovery
01Legal routes by region and land manager
Rules & ground
Places & rules
Find the land manager, read the current rule, and confirm the exact boundary before you dig.
- US state guides
- European country rules
- Permits and boundaries
05Complete first-hunt guides
Start from zero
Beginner guides
Follow one calm route from legal ground and a simple setup to your first neat recovery.
- Your first hunt
- Beginner checklists
- Permission and ethics