Whether your a beginner metal detector or a veteran, proper research is one of the most important aspects of becoming successful at metal detecting.
In this section of our site we will give you the information you need to accomplish a successful research effort.
Many seasoned detectorists know the importance of research, but fail to spend the time nor the energy to do thorough research before metal detecting.
Many begin to find themselves frustrated and unhappy with this hobby as a direct result of this. Without it your finds will diminish and you will become bored with metal detecting the same old exhausted sites.
If you’re serious about metal detecting and finding great coins and relics consistently, take the time to learn and implement good research techniques.
Researching for metal detecting purposes can be done in many different ways using many different tools. It can be a simple as studying old maps or as complicated as going through historical journals and papers at an historical society or library.
Proper Metal Detecting Research
The sources and tools you can use to locate old sites for metal detecting are endless. Some of the more common research tools are Old newspapers, maps, books, journals and photos.
Research for metal detecting can be as complicated or as simple as you make it. You don’t have to spend hours and hours of your time doing research to find quality metal detecting sites, but some effort and time is always a Must if you’d like to become successful at metal detecting.
One of my favorite tools are old detailed maps. I located a very detailed atlas of my area that dates back to the early 1800’s and use this atlas for finding most of my coin hunting sites. The maps show structures, land formations and property lines, which I find very useful.
The places you can find tools for research are just as numerous as the tools themselves.
The internet provides us with many sources. Google and EBay are two very good places to find information on the internet. You’ll be really surprised at the amount of useful information that is indexed on these two websites alone.
It can all be found by entering a few simple search words on their sites. Remember you’re doing research for metal detecting and should search for terms that will be relevant to that (“old maps Jamestown” “historic postcards detectorville”……).
You can also find a lot of useful information at your local library, courthouse, historical society and borough building.
It’s a good idea to call ahead if you plan on visiting one of these places, to let them know what you are looking for, so that they can one confirm that they have the materials and two prepare the materials for your visit.
Another great way of finding new sites for metal detecting is to talk to some older citizens in your community.
I went as far as to volunteer some of my time at a recreation center for senior citizens. Not only did they enjoy my company and help they also enjoyed giving quality information and leads. Most were very interested in my hobby and were more than happy to help.
Resources for Metal Detecting Research
We put together a nice list of historic map websites to get you going in your research efforts. I hope they help to improve your metal detecting.
- Military Battles and Campaigns Maps Thousands of historic military maps
- Historic Cities and Towns Maps Tons and Tons of historic maps!
- Exploration and Discovery Maps Another HUGE index of historic maps
- Perry-Castaņeda Library Map Collection A great collection of free historic maps from around the world.
- Hargrett Library A nice assortment of old maps
- Historic Atlas of the 20th century Some great and much, much more.
- The Yale Map Collection A pretty good site for old maps, worth a look.
- 1895 U.S. Atlas An excellent example of what a great historic map site should be.
- United States Digital Map Library A good resource for historic maps
- Antique Maps of the Pacific Ocean Nice site with a couple interesting maps
- New York City Subways Historic maps of New York City’s subways, very interesting stuff.
- New York State Historical Maps A great source for some really old NY state maps.
- Historical Maps of Alabama Nice collection of historical maps of Alabama
- Historical maps of PA A great site for old maps of PA.
- Historic Maps of Florida A good collection of old maps
