Home Metal Detecting

Lots of beaches around here.

I live on the Monterey Peninsula and I’m surrounded by beaches. Decided to purchase a Minelab 800 and start doing some detecting. The Minelab is due to arrive in a few days and I’m hoping to share some finds with this community. I’m new here, name is Mike, and I wish you all happy hunting.

Comments

  • TheGoonies1985TheGoonies1985 Posts: 5,622 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Enjoy the hunt!!!

    NFL: Buffalo Bills & Green Bay Packers

  • Steven59Steven59 Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sounds like fun! Don't forget to post pictures of your finds :)

    "When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"

  • ConshyboyConshyboy Posts: 454 ✭✭✭✭

    @Ilikecolor said:
    I live on the Monterey Peninsula and I’m surrounded by beaches. Decided to purchase a Minelab 800 and start doing some detecting. The Minelab is due to arrive in a few days and I’m hoping to share some finds with this community. I’m new here, name is Mike, and I wish you all happy hunting.

    Is the 800 your first detector? Hope you do well and welcome from Conshohocken PA

  • Bayard1908Bayard1908 Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭

    You have chosen a detector that is well suited for salt water beaches.

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,421 ✭✭✭✭✭

    best of everything and please, keep us posted

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    @Conshyboy said:

    @Ilikecolor said:
    I live on the Monterey Peninsula and I’m surrounded by beaches. Decided to purchase a Minelab 800 and start doing some detecting. The Minelab is due to arrive in a few days and I’m hoping to share some finds with this community. I’m new here, name is Mike, and I wish you all happy hunting.

    Is the 800 your first detector? Hope you do well and welcome from Conshohocken PA

    I’ve dabbled with machines of lesser quality and decided to take on the learning curve that most certainly will come with this purchase. After doing some research I think this will be a good fit for the local beaches as well as some of the mountain terrain and rivers that I frequent with my sluice box and pans. Hope to have some good finds but honestly, I enjoy being out there on the hunt.

    Thanks for the Welcome!

  • SanctionIISanctionII Posts: 12,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I recall that years ago, after heavy winter storms that hit the Monterey coastline removed substantial amount of sand from the beaches a metal detectorist went to work. During his hunt he found a Liberty Head Double Eagle.

    Keep that in mind as you hunt the beaches in in Monterey County.

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    @SanctionII said:
    I recall that years ago, after heavy winter storms that hit the Monterey coastline removed substantial amount of sand from the beaches a metal detectorist went to work. During his hunt he found a Liberty Head Double Eagle.

    Keep that in mind as you hunt the beaches in in Monterey County.

    That would be an incredible find. 🤩 They’re saying this winter is supposed to be an El Niño - Bring on the winter storms!

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭
    edited October 31, 2023 9:28PM

    So I finally got a chance to hit the beach with the new Minelab today. Pleasantly surprised with what my first day brought. Sterling silver ring with what appears to be a small diamond. Not sure what the other angled cut pieces are? A Quart bow tie?

    Also found this heavy little gold colored piece. Maybe brass that’s been tumbling around in the surf for a minute?

    I’d be interested to hear any thoughts.

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    Took these two pieces to the jeweler today, The Sterling ring is costume jewelry, so I'll clean it up and gift my oldest granddaughter. She'll love it. The little nugget on the other hand is GOLD! Just a tiny little nug weighing in at 2.5 grams but hey, I'll take it for my first time out!!!

  • ConshyboyConshyboy Posts: 454 ✭✭✭✭

    Gold nug is awesome. Is that common for that area

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,421 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Love the nugget as well here 👍

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    @Conshyboy said:
    Gold nug is awesome. Is that common for that area

    Jeweler said it’s likely old jewelry or possibly dental work. Not a pure nug but I was pretty stoked to find it.

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    Had an interesting day on a very coarse sand/small rock beach today.

    These coins have taken a beating in that environment.

    The first picture shows one regular size cent and 4 that have no details remaining and are much smaller in diameter.

    The coin between my fingers is a penny worn so far down it looks like a fine wire.

    Not sure what the chocolate colored coin is. Large Cent??

    Interesting day.




  • CharlotteDudeCharlotteDude Posts: 3,036 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow… and I thought mid-Atlantic soil was tough on copper. That West-coast surf grinds it right down!

    Got Crust....y gold?
  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭
    edited November 7, 2023 10:43PM

    .

    @CharlotteDude said:
    Wow… and I thought mid-Atlantic soil was tough on copper. That West-coast surf grinds it right down!

    This beach in particular really does grind them down. It's not sand but instead small rocks and the beach is very steep so the waves just pound on it - the coins as well. I'm just getting started so I'm digging EVERYTHING!!! :D

  • CharlotteDudeCharlotteDude Posts: 3,036 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I see Buff there… nice pull! Any silver to the total?

    Got Crust....y gold?
  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭
    edited November 19, 2023 9:43PM

    Found this little beauty today. 950 Platinum with one stone missing. Looks like diamonds and emeralds

    Your thoughts?



  • SurfinxHISurfinxHI Posts: 2,466 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice finds! Keep hunting and posting!

    Dead people tell interesting tales.
  • pocketpiececommemspocketpiececommems Posts: 5,896 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think you’re hooked 😇. You can always sell junk silver rings for scrap or gold too

  • Bayard1908Bayard1908 Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭

    I would expect the stones in a platinum ring to be real. Conversely, I would not be confident about the stones in a silver ring or a 10K gold ring.

  • Bayard1908Bayard1908 Posts: 4,054 ✭✭✭✭

    If you found that platinum ring below the high tide line, there may have been more high density items nearby. The surf sorts metal objects by density, depositing them in troughs or cuts. If you start finding a bunch of lead fishing sinkers, you're in a potentially good spot for gold. If you're finding aluminum, don't expect any gold to be mixed in with it. There are some good videos and books that explain this topic.

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    @pocketpiececommems said:
    I think you’re hooked 😇. You can always sell junk silver rings for scrap or gold too

    You are correct - I’m definitely hooked! Fortunately there are many beaches to hunt here and I’m less than a minute drive to Carmel beach. I’m just now looking into the secondary market to sell some of these items. Is there any place in particular that you sell your scrap rings? Perhaps an honest jeweler?

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    @Bayard1908 said:
    I would expect the stones in a platinum ring to be real. Conversely, I would not be confident about the stones in a silver ring or a 10K gold ring.

    I tested all of the rings and found your observation to be dead on. Platinum ring
    Diamonds are real and the stones in the silver are not. Having fun with my new hobby, gets me out walking the beach, seeing beautiful sunsets and finding a little treasure along the way.

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    @Bayard1908 said:
    If you found that platinum ring below the high tide line, there may have been more high density items nearby. The surf sorts metal objects by density, depositing them in troughs or cuts. If you start finding a bunch of lead fishing sinkers, you're in a potentially good spot for gold. If you're finding aluminum, don't expect any gold to be mixed in with it. There are some good videos and books that explain this topic.

    I did find the platinum ring in a cut in the sand at the high tide level along with a couple of quarters.

    I’ll have to go back to a beach where I was getting frustrated with all of the lead sinkers I was finding. Those sinkers were chiming in with numbers all over the board depending on size. Many of them
    In the gold range.

    The learning continues- Thanks for the tips!

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    I went back to the beach that ground down all of those coins to a fraction of their original size. Found about a dozen more coins and dug this grunting iron - tire iron.

    Question is -
    Did the ocean grind this into its current condition or did it have some human help? 🤔

    .

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭
    edited December 15, 2023 8:54PM

    A night detecting adventure on Carmel beach. This looked amazing in the hole with my headlamp shining on it! Not so much when I got it home….😂

  • pocketpiececommemspocketpiececommems Posts: 5,896 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I sell my scrap to a local coin dealer that I have done business with for 20 plus years. He's always been fair to me.

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭
    edited December 25, 2023 11:10AM

    Christmas Eve hunt on the local beach. In addition to some change and fishing gear, I found this little piece of jewelry. Ag925 is Tiffany Sterling correct? Any thoughts on the type of stone?? under t5 white light

    Under incandescent light

    Edit - turns out it’s from a jeweler named Thomas Sabo. Dig and learn….

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    I was visiting the grandkids in Omaha when the big waves hit the coast here in Carmel. Didn’t recognize the local beach when I got back as it was mostly swept away. Knew I had to get out as soon as possible and glad I did. Lots of targets made for a fun day.


    Everything pictured here is normally completely buried. Including the giant rock formations on the left and right.


    Found more coinage that has been ground to almost nothing - Did I find the worlds smallest Cent???



    Here’s the find of the day.

    I missed some epic hunting days right after the storms but I’ll be back out there tomorrow. There’s a lot of new beach to explore!

    Happy Hunting! 😎

  • CharlotteDudeCharlotteDude Posts: 3,036 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow… that’s a lot of sand excavation, courtesy of Mother Nature. Nice find with the 14k gold… good luck on today’s hunt!

    Got Crust....y gold?
  • CharlotteDudeCharlotteDude Posts: 3,036 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Gotta love that!

    Got Crust....y gold?
  • No HeadlightsNo Headlights Posts: 2,056 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great job.

  • goldengolden Posts: 9,664 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cool.

  • IlikecolorIlikecolor Posts: 99 ✭✭✭

    Latest finds on the beach. Titanium, Tungsten Carbide and Sterling silver with gold plating.



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