Whether you’re looking to sell scrap metal or collect it, a metal detector is a fantastic tool and intriguing hobby to pick up. There have been some pretty incredible finds over the years that have been discovered using such devices and if you do your research – you could get quite lucky. For today’s blog, we thought we’d go with some light, inspirational reading about some extraordinary metal detector finds.

1. Class ring
We’ll start off with a heart-warming find. In 1926, a man named Miles Baker lost his high school class ring and thought it would be lost forever. That is until Roy Lloyd discovered it 48 years later with his metal detector buried four inches below the sand. The Ring was engraved with M.B and was returned to its former owner.
2. The Boot of Cortez
A gold nugget was discovered in the Mexican desert in Senora in 1989 and was dubbed The Boot of Cortezbecause of its resemblance to the Spanish conqueror’s boot. The nugget comes in at 12.1Kg and is the largest nugget ever found in the western hemisphere. Apparently, the local man purchased an inexpensive metal detector and searched for days before coming across this monumental find that was auctioned for just over half a million dollars in 2008.
3. Assorted treasure
There can be many instances where this title would apply to metal detector finds but this particular instanceconcerns a man named Eric Lawes in Suffolk, England. In 1992, whilst looking for his friend’s hammer, Lawes unearthed a series of silver spoons and gold coins which he reported to the council.
The next day, excavators safely removed a chunk of earth that contained almost 27Kg of gold and silver objects. These turned out to be Roman-era coins and spoons dating back around 400 AD. Lawes was given £1.75 million for his discovery which he split with the owner of the land which the treasure was found on.
4. George Washington’s inaugural cuff button
Just last year, Jon Tetreault found a cuff button that was from George Washington’s 1789 inauguration. Tetreault posted his find on metaldetector.com which he located in Massachusetts. An impressive and humbling find.
5. The gold ring from Loch Lomond
A gold ring worth £14,000 was discovered by Michelle Vall in Loch Lomond, Scotland in 2019. The ring turned out to be from the 17th century and was dated somewhere between 1640 and 1680. It was believed to have once belonged to a courtier of King James II prior to his crowning. A couple of years earlier, Vall discovered a gold coin that was auctioned for £40,800.
6. The Mojave nugget
A 4.42Kg gold nugget is the largest ever gold nugget discovered in California and was found in 1977 – detected by prospector Ty Paulsen. Buried away in the Mojave Desert, this impressive chunk sold for $400,000USD and then later donated to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.
7. 5th-century royalty ring
Found by Michael Greenhorn in Yorkshire England, this 5th-century ring is said to have been owned by European royalty. It’s made of gold, glass and sapphire and took the knowledge of 30 different experts to date. An interesting fact is that the centrepiece of the ring – the sapphire – had been cut centuries earlier. It now resides in the Yorkshire museum where it was acquired for $44,132USD.
8. Crosby Garrett Helmet
The Crosby Garrett Helmet was worn by Roman cavalry during the late 2nd or early 3rd centuries AD and is made from a copper alloy. It was discovered in Cumbria, England in 2010 and is considered to be one of the finest archaeological finds in the country. It was found in 67 separate parts and took 240 hours to put back together. It was purchased by a private collector later that year for £2,330,468.75.
9. Pirate treasure
A Spanish 4 Maravedis copper coin was discovered by Jeff Salt in Puerto Rico during a vacation with his wife. He’d been utilising his metal detector for a few days and after no major discoveries were made – he put the tool away and began to sift through his loot where he discovered the coin that dates back to around the 1400s or 1500s.
Are you looking to sell scrap metal?
Whilst we all love a good treasure discovery story – plenty of us have a different kind of treasure and it’s mostly found in our yards. Metal Men Recycling specialises in buying your scrap metal – whatever form it comes in. So, check out your backyard, under your house or even around the house and sell your scrap metal to us. With the current Covid-19 pandemic we now conduct all business through your vehicle window to ensure both yours and our safety.
If you’d like to sell scrap metal to us, then you can contact us via our website or give us a call on 03 5941 6677.