Treasure hunting is a rather exotic hobby combining romance with undoubted practical benefits (in case of a successful search). Interesting ancient finds can become the basis of the collection, and can be very successfully sold.
Treasure hunting as a hobby
Any beginner treasure hunter is interested in knowing where to look for coins with a metal detector in the summer. It is at this time of year that lovers of such a "romance" are activated. It is widely believed that most "treasures" are discovered by chance by outsiders who have nothing to do with it. But there are a considerable number of people who are aiming for treasures, who have chosen this almost as a matter of their life. The search procedure itself becomes so exciting for them that they literally sit down on this unusual lesson.
The most common type of treasures is coins, both modern and ancient. The most valuable for collectors are those that are well preserved. You can find them, as a rule, in the so-called caches - special places protected from prying eyes.
What does a treasure look like?
Sometimes coins are directly in the soil, mainly sandy. But such instances most often have severe damage and are not of interest to collectors. Most of the finds relate to small bargaining coins issued in past centuries (from the seventeenth to the twentieth). Older coins are not easy to find, and they are usually very poorly preserved.
But even in this state, precious metal coins can be sold very, very profitably. It so happens that the sale of the only gold coin found pays for all the costs of preparing the expedition of treasure hunters.
You should not think that any coins found are a specially buried treasure. Most often, money is simply lost or left in certain places "for good luck".
Going on a quest
What will a beginner treasure hunter need? The best assistant in this business is a reliable metal detector. This tool will be able to detect coins at a depth of up to 40 centimeters. There is no point in buying an expensive model for a beginner. Get a simple metal detector at first, and it’s quite possible to reimburse the cost of its purchase in 1-2 search seasons.
Treasure hunting requires digging in the ground, sometimes in dirt and garbage. Based on this, the suit should be durable, practical and comfortable. Still in the matter of finding treasures, a navigator is useful, with the help of which it is most convenient to navigate the terrain and you can determine the coordinates of places where it is better to look for coins with a metal detector, quite accurately.
And of course, knowledge of history never hurts. Professional treasure hunters study ancient maps, enter information on territories of ancient settlements, mass battles and trade routes into special magazines. After all, it is in historical works that the places and events that are associated with large money burials are described.
Where to go to the treasure hunter?
Where to look for coins with a metal detector: in a village, in a city, in an open field? The best places are areas where in the past there were inns, taverns, fairs, drinking establishments and any kind of housing. After all, it was there that the everyday life of people who ate, drank, got and spent money and inevitably lost part of the coins passed.
Trading places (territories) are considered the most promising. In addition, whole treasures (not to mention the individual lost coins) are quite possible to dig along the old tracts and roads. As a rule, the districts of ancient settlements today are built up with new city blocks, but sometimes there are places free from constructed buildings where you can search for coins with a metal detector quite successfully.
According to statistics, most coins are found around settlements, as well as where the longest streets were once located. The most promising in this regard are the places of former taverns and taverns.
The importance of theoretical training
Treasure hunters with experience usually map all their findings, which gives a more complete picture. Having identified promising areas where it makes sense to look for coins with a metal detector, they go there with equipment. The choice of a place to search should begin in an office environment. Helpers will be old books, maps, and, of course, the Internet.
It is not enough for the treasure hunter to know the places of the richest settlements. He should get acquainted in sufficient detail with the history of his native land: where battles or popular uprisings took place, where the main trade routes ran.
Best places to look for
Promising for the treasure hunter are considered the areas of Old Believer monasteries, mills (where flour was actively traded) and Jewish settlements. In places of fistfights or along roadsides, you can find not only coins, but also many old crosses.
In addition to coins lost by chance, there are also specially buried treasures. Most often, they can be found near the territory of settlements, along the edges of fields or in forests. Another place for such treasures is the underground of an old house.
Where to look for coins with a metal detector in the suburbs?
This question occupies the minds of many "archaeologists", especially those who live in or near Moscow. Is it possible to dig something worthwhile in the territory of the Moscow region?
There is evidence that in the XVIII century, not far from our capital , the famous Vladimir Trakt passed through the Klyazma River . It was located at a distance of about 100 km from Moscow. This place is considered the most promising for treasure hunters.
Going in search, stock up not only with equipment. The success of the expedition lies in its thorough preparation. Experienced treasure hunters do not spare time, delving into the ancient archives, conduct preliminary exploration of the area and draw up an action plan. All this greatly increases the chances of a successful search.
Where did our ancestors live?
By familiarizing yourself with old maps, you can determine that on the site of the current endless fields centuries ago entire villages and busy roads were located. It is there - the place where you need to search for coins with a metal detector in the first place. Of course, maps of ancient settlements are not so easy to find. But if you persevere, the chances of success increase many times over.
During the excavation, you can find not only coins, but also cutlery, ancient jugs. Often inside these devices is also gold or silver in the form of coins.
Another promising area for treasure hunters is Shatursky. Many managed to find there ancient coins dating back to the era of Ivan the Terrible. Experienced treasure hunters say that many legends and beliefs are associated with these places, which have a rather negative connotation. But this does not stop many fans.
About the difficulties and costs
However, they are not afraid of anything. Neither the cracked earth from the heat in the field, nor the barriers in the form of rivers and dense thickets, through which no SUV can get through. Adventure seekers can carry a large amount of bulky machinery and equipment, get wet in the rain and stray in unfamiliar places, where it is especially difficult to search for coins with a metal detector.
In addition to courage and endurance, the treasure hunter will need basic physical training. Not everyone can hold the weight of a heavy device. Therefore, most lovers of easy money quickly leave the race.
At the same time, most treasure hunters are subject to all kinds of superstitions. One of them is the need to appease the guarding treasures of spirits. Another belief is that, having found a treasure, a person is able to get a lot of troubles and problems into his load.
It is believed that a streak of bad luck often haunts successful "archaeologists" immediately after a major find. But this does not stop the “addicted” to the needle treasure hunting.
Where to look for coins with a metal detector in the Leningrad region?
As you know, the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg directly belong to various subjects of the Russian Federation. In addition to the historical values discovered in the Northern capital, many unexplored finds await the afflicted in areas that historically later became part of the surrounding area.
They were populated by a variety of nationalities, both in terms of culture and ethnicity. Over the past one and a half centuries, the region has boasted a number of large finds. This is a large treasure of the Middle Ages in the form of three hryvnias made of silver, discovered in 1875 near the village of Gorki.
Another burial, also consisting of silver hryvnias, was found right in the field, near the village called Uzmina (in 1889). Shpankovo parish excelled in 1913, presenting to the world a clay pot with dug valuable jewelry and a huge amount of silver coins.
A treasure of things and coins was found near the village of Zabelskaya (1914). In relatively recent times (2010-2011), large burials were also discovered in the north of the Leningrad Region and in Kingisep District. Most of the discovered treasures eventually found shelter in the vaults of museums, in particular in the State Hermitage.
Treasures of the Tula region
Where to look for coins with a metal detector in the Tula region? Historians testify: the land of the current Tula region in the XVI century. actively mastered, the reason for which was the construction of the Notch line and the environment in the form of fortified cities. This area was subjected to numerous raids of the Crimean Tatars, which brought confusion and ruin to the Russian people.
Such instability led to the burial of many values. The treasure in the form of coins, widely known in literary sources, found in Pavlovo-Odoevsky district, belongs to one of the earliest specimens.
The beginning of the XVI century. dates back to the found treasure from the Pskov and Novgorod coins of specific minting. Two more expensive finds in the Tula region are associated with the Muravsky gent.
Treasures of the Krasnodar Territory
This area is a true paradise for all lovers of antiquity. In search of ancient artifacts, treasure hunters literally shoveled every patch of the territory of Krasnodar, Taman, Anapa, Novorossiysk, Kurganinsk and Krymsk. To a person who knows where to look for coins with a metal detector in the Krasnodar Territory, these names speak more than just designations of geographical points. This is a real guide to places of ancient burial places.
It is quite possible to find here both ancient Greek coins and weapons of the twentieth century, used in battles with the Nazis. At least a tenth of all archaeological Russian expeditions work on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory.
About black archaeologists
In addition to historians and archaeologists, treasures and lovers are also looking for. They sell weapons, jewelry, and marble figurines on the black market or are looking for buyers on the Internet.
Numerous amendments to the Law on the Protection of Archaeological Monuments do not stop such diggers . Measures against them contain directly the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Those who do not have official permission to excavate treasure hunters are waiting for sanctions in the form of a ban on the use of search and equipment, but they persistently continue their work, justifying themselves with a desire to diversify their lives and have a good time.
Such a hobby is expensive. As a rule, an ordinary metal detector costs several tens of thousands of rubles, not to mention more advanced devices. Demand creates supply: in Krasnodar alone, many online stores offer similar equipment.
Treasure hunters and the law
Through the efforts of black diggers , several historical monuments have already been destroyed. It comes to the point that archeologists organize guard posts, watch around historically significant objects in order to prevent vandalism.
The Civil Code of the Russian Federation (its 233rd article) defines a treasure as hidden money or valuable objects (by any means), the owner of which cannot be established. Citizens who have found objects that can be regarded as historical or cultural values are required to hand them over to the state. Moreover, they have the right to legal remuneration worth half the amount found. But many are in no hurry to disclose valuable findings. Indeed, on the black market you can get a lot more for them.