Investigation is the most significant aspect of being a successful treasure hunter. Without research, the metal detector hobbyist will have to rely on luck and luck and can never become a guru or specialist in this field. Research must become a priority! In section one we will deal with research tools that are “things” and in Part II we will deal with “people”.
Research stuff can be found in our local libraries or even more easily on the world wide web. The first tool that abounds both in libraries and on the web are historical maps. If you want to find some good areas to hunt, maps should become your best friend. It is important to find a local source for these maps. I have personally used the city clerk’s office. This is a great resource for local maps, and as a high school 9th grade geography teacher, I got more clues indirectly by doing a three-day project with 16 of my best students. These bright young minds sifted through hundreds of maps trying to find city-owned sites that would be potential park/recreational sites. Their investigation found me several dozen metal detecting sites (more than I’ve found in weeks of personal investigation) and the city fathers honored them by having three of their investigated sites converted into parks and ball fields for the city. Below is a list of some of my favorite sources for internet maps. This type of research will greatly improve your success with metal detectors and it’s fun too.
1895 US Atlas
Battle Maps and Military Campaigns
historical moles
Historical Atlas of the 20th Century
hargrett library
United States digital map library
Maps of historic cities and towns
Historical maps of Florida (or any other state name)
The internet can only produce so many potential detection sites regardless of where you live, but don’t rely on it, just the web. Local historical societies also offer a wealth of information, and attending a few meetings can open doors to maps not found anywhere else.
Historically significant photographs are also a great source for finding metal detecting sites. Many books about the history of your community will have photos of places where people congregated 50 or 100 years (or more) ago. Some of the best metal detecting finds I own come from images showing carnivals, sports activities, Christmas celebrations, religious gatherings, community dances, and parade routes to name a few. The Internet is again a good source with many good photo databases. Here are some of my favourites:
american memory
historical photo archive
CivilWarPhotos.net
Aerial photographs are a very useful tool for metal detecting investigation. As a geography teacher in the 1970s and early 1980s, I collected hundreds of aerial photos of cities like New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I learned the various patterns of growth and development in the city and applied this information to find sites and date them to locate specific coins. If you wanted to find a 1909 SVD Penny or a 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter, you would use both the regular photos and aerial shots to find building and traffic patterns for 1909 or 1916. It works! A site I researched using both types of photos produced five 1916 coins that had to be lost that year or soon after, as they were all in an extra-fine or near-uncirculated condition.
A third and powerful source for finding metal detecting sites is historical books. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, history books have wonderful photos for finding metal detecting sites. They also provide event logs and show the patterns by which the community developed. Knowing patterns of development is key on dating sites for older coin and relic finds. Every city in the world was developed by a myriad of factors and understanding the growth and development of a city provides a wealth of information to the detector that will influence the quality and volume of finds. Here are four key theories that have helped me immensely and are also easy to learn: Concentric Ring Theory, Sector Theory, Polycentric Theory, and Multiple Nucleus Theory. These growth theories have been around since 1925 when the Van Thuen Model was introduced. All of these urban growth models also use aerial photography. I include books and magazines in a metal detector research category called “Hometown Advantage.” When you’re armed with well-researched stories, you’ll have a powerful advantage over most other hobbyists who won’t take the time to research. You also won’t have to travel long distances to find good or new places. Investigating your own town or city will provide you with more sites than you can imagine. I have lived in the city of Tarpon Springs for 40 years and began metal detecting there on Christmas Day in 1969. Thirty-nine years later, I still have not hunted at all of my investigated sites in this city of only 30,000 people. However, I have found over 150,000 coins with 85% coming from the Sponge Capital of the World, Tarpon Springs FL. The best place to find these historical documents is a local courthouse, city clerk’s office, library, or historical society.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, investigation is the most important aspect of successful metal detecting. Chance and luck will not always be with you. Make research your number one priority and depend on POP too! We’ll talk about “it”, not him, in the second part of the metal detecting investigation.
