What can you find with a metal detector?

What types of metals can be detected by metal detectors?

We are often asked if a metal detector can find gold. The answer is yes! A metal detector can find gold, and yes, a metal detector can also find silver. It also reacts to almost all other types of metal such as bronze, nickel, zinc, tin, lead, brass, aluminum, copper, and iron.

You can read how deep the different types of metal can be found in our blog article "How deep does a metal detector search?".

The depth, among other factors, naturally depends on the device you use for your treasure hunt. In our blog article "Metal Detector Test: Which Metal Detector is the Best?" you will find lists of the best metal detectors on the market.

What objects can be found with a metal detector?

What do people find with metal detectors? The objects you find can be contemporary. These are often finds you make in a recreational area or on the beach, such as euro coins, keys, toys, bottle caps, soda cans, and modern jewelry made of nickel, gold, and silver. 

But if you delve into history, in places where people have lived for hundreds of years, you can also unearth very beautiful and old finds, such as buckles, coins, earrings, pins, weights, buttons, tokens, thimbles, weapons, axes, daggers, musket balls, and old jewelry. You'll find many coins from all historical periods. From modern euros to perhaps even Celtic and Roman coins. Finds from 1000 BC are no exception. But of course, you'll also find a lot of metal waste like bottle caps, can tabs, and nails.

Which metals does the metal detector not detect?

There are only a few metals that a metal detector cannot detect. These metals have low electrical conductivity, making it impossible to generate an electromagnetic field. A detector works by sending and receiving electromagnetic fields. Therefore, metals must be good conductors to be detected. A metal detector cannot, therefore, find metals with too low electrical conductivity. The type of metal most difficult for a metal detector to detect is stainless steel. Ceramic ferrite magnets cannot be detected by a metal detector at all. This type of magnet has virtually no conductivity. 

Do metal detectors detect aluminum?

Aluminum is highly conductive and can therefore be easily detected by a metal detector.

Can you find money with a metal detector? Can you find banknotes with a metal detector?

We are often asked if you can find money with a metal detector. The answer is yes! Coins can be easily detected with a metal detector. You can find euro coins with any metal detector. You can also find older and very valuable coins with a metal detector. Unfortunately, it is not possible to detect banknotes with a metal detector, as the detector does not react to them. The best chances of finding euro coins with your metal detector are on the beach and in the park. That's where most euro coins are lost. 

Do you find a lot with a metal detector?

How much you find with a metal detector depends on several factors:

• Type of metal detector (a professional metal detector has more depth performance and settings than an entry-level metal detector) 

• Your experience with metal detectors (the more you search with the metal detector, the faster you can recognize good and bad tones / object identifications, and the faster you learn to dig up objects. 

• The search area. Have you researched the search area in advance? Is there a high probability of (historical) finds in the relevant area? 

• Competition: Or do you go to your region's most popular field, where 5 other people have already searched with metal detectors? This reduces the chance of good finds. However, many people also regularly go to the same areas and keep unearthing new finds. 

Good preparation increases your chances of finding more objects. It is also recommended to purchase a pinpointer  as an aid to dig up objects faster. This way you can find and dig up more objects in less time.

In general, someone with a lot of experience with metal detectors will find many more and better finds than a beginner. It's a learning process. We regularly hear from beginner metal detectorists that they found more than 20 euros in coins at a stand in one evening. And there are even beginners who found a gold ring or a valuable artifact on their very first search with their metal detector! 

How good are the chances of finding a treasure with a metal detector?

This is a frequently asked question. But what are the real chances of finding a treasure with a metal detector? Or what is the chance of getting rich by metal detecting?

Every treasure hunter and metal detectorist hopes to find a great treasure one day when out with their metal detector. But only a few are rewarded with the find of a lifetime. However, it is not impossible to find a treasure with a metal detector. Every year, various treasures are found in Germany with a metal detector. Most hobby treasure hunters, also called "Sondler," often find interesting and sometimes historically valuable objects.

Can you find good things with a metal detector? When you start metal detecting, you usually find coins quickly. If you regularly search with a metal detector, there is a high probability that you will find coins from all eras and probably also buckles, pins, weights, buttons, musket balls, and jewelry. Perhaps you'll be lucky and one day find a real treasure! 

Can you find valuable items with a metal detector? Some metal detector users find hidden artifacts. These historically important items can be incredibly valuable. Gold and silver treasures, war relics, and other valuables hidden underground for years are also found in Germany with metal detectors! The finds can have significant historical value or, in the case of jewelry or coins, a high monetary value.

Can I get rich with a metal detector? Can you make money with a metal detector?

Can you really make money with a metal detector? Coin hunting is the quickest way to make money with a metal detector. Many people lose euro coins on the beach, in parks, and at festival/party grounds. 

Of course, other metal detector finds such as gold jewelry or a coin hoard can also have a high monetary value. If you find historical objects that were of great significance for understanding history, they have a high historical value and are often exhibited in a museum. So yes, you can make money with a metal detector. Will it make you rich? That depends on how often you go coin hunting and whether you also find other valuable items or treasures. It is not impossible to get rich with the metal detecting hobby. For most people, however, it is primarily a hobby, an interest in history, and a sporting hobby in nature that combines excitement and relaxation. 

Can you find lost keys with a metal detector?

Yes, almost all keys are made of metal and are therefore very easy to detect with a metal detector. You don't need a complicated or expensive model for this. Even the metal detectors in our category: Affordable Metal Detectors will easily detect your lost key. 

It is important to confirm in advance the area/extent where you lost the key. The smaller this area, the greater the chance that the keys will be found quickly with the metal detector. With a metal detector, it is also possible to find lost keys in water. For this, you will need a waterproof metal detector. 

Of course, you can also rent a metal detector from us to find your keys. The cost for this is 15 Euros per day. Or you can use a metal detector search service, where an experienced metal detector expert will try to find the keys for you.