Treasure Hunting

5 Best Metal Detector for Finding Coins

Whether you take up metal detecting for coins as a serious hobby, or you just want to do it every other week, it is important that you have the best metal detector for coins to do so. Having a good unit will not only make detecting coins easier, but it will also raise your chances of actually finding what you’re looking for.

Our team of experts has reviewed five amazing detectors and has also prepared a detailed buyer’s guide to help you find the best unit to match your preferences and needs.

Comparison Chart

Best Metal Detector For Coins: Brief Reviews

This metal detector from Bounty Hunter is an adjustable and an American-made product. It can detect all kinds of metals and is highly well-known for its discrimination circuitry. It is also very easy to use.

Product Highlights

The Bounty Hunter TK4 Tracker IV is a rugged metal detector that is ideal for detecting things even in extreme ground conditions. It has an adjustable length and weighs only 4.2 pounds, which makes it easy to carry around even for hours. The unit operates on two 9V alkaline batteries.

This metal detector comes with an easy-to-use knob control surface interface. It offers to maximize the depth of detection with its sensitivity control.

It also helps in eliminating undesirable targets with the help of its discrimination control, which is world-renowned and easy to use. This technology has made this metal detector one of the best on the market.

The Bounty Hunter metal detector is also capable of detecting all kinds of metal. This includes coins, iron relics, and even precious items like gold and silver. All of this is possible thanks to its eight-inch search coil, which is completely submersible.

What We Like:

We like that this detector comes with three modes of operation along with two-tone audio discrimination. We also like its eight-inch waterproof search coil and its built-in speaker.

What We Did Not Like:

Even though the product is marketed as waterproof, it cannot be used in water for too long; else, you risk harming the unit.

Pros:

✔ Comes with a five-year warranty

✔ Quite lightweight

✔ Comes with high-quality two-tone audio discrimination

Cons:

✘ Waterproof search coil does not work too well in water

With a waterproof search coil and an adjustable stem, the IP68 Waterproof Metal Detector is an excellent machine, regardless of your skill level. It does an excellent job of detecting various kinds of metal.

Product Highlights

The IP68 Waterproof Metal Detector comes with three modes for accurate detection. Its discrimination/tone mode will enable you to find and discriminate the target type based on different metal targets. At the same time, it will filter out garbage metals.

Furthermore, its 10 sensitivity settings will allow you to find treasures as deep as eight inches. It has a well-designed eight-inch waterproof search coil that is ideal for detecting on a beach or seaside.

The detector comes with a view meter, which allows you to clarify the direction of the target. It can also be connected to stereo headphones (included), which are a great alternative if you are using the detector in crowded areas.

The detector’s adjustable stem height ranges between 33 and 40.6 inches. Since it is lightweight, it can be carried and operated without tiring you easily. The detector also comes with a lightweight carry bag.

What We Like:

We like that this detector comes with an adjustable stem and is also lightweight. It does an excellent job of detecting metals and arrives with a carry bag for added convenience.

What We Did Not Like:

The only downside to this detector is that its settings are quite hard to understand. It will take you some time to figure them out correctly.

Pros:

✔ Adjustable stem

✔ Lightweight

✔ Comes with three modes for detecting

discrimination

Cons:

✘ Not easy at first

With over 15 years of experience in the industry, you can trust that the TC-3020 Metal Detector from Treasure Cove is a fantastic product. It comes with a lifetime warranty and some excellent features that are going to help you find hidden treasures.

Product Highlights

The Treasure Cove TC-3020 Metal Detector comes loaded with customizable features, and this makes it ideal for amateur and experienced treasure hunters. The detector is easy to operate, portable, and ensures hours of enjoyable treasure hunting.

The detector is designed with an intuitive LCD display. This display tells you at a glance the sensitivity level, battery condition, detection mode, and volume level. The display also tells you when it detects an object, including its probable type and depth.

Equipped with an auto ground control feature, you can trust that this metal detector will tune out any false signals in the areas that have abundant minerals and saltwater.

The unit comes with a true discrimination mode, which will allow you to target gold, silver, and iron specifically. It also arrives with everything you need for hassle-free metal detection, such as a padded headphone, carrying case, sand-sifting scoop, and a six-foot-long chord.

What We Like:

We liked that this detector comes with everything needed for an enjoyable metal detecting session. We truly like its intuitive LCD display, as well.

What We Did Not Like:

The downside to this metal detector is that it shows false signals at times because the audio tones are categorized by metal type. 

Pros:

✔ Very easy and comfortable to use

✔ Can be used in water

✔ Comes with a ton of accessories

Cons:

✘ False signals

Dr. Otek Metal Detector is an excellent machine that comes with some very interesting features. It is also more lightweight compared to other metal detectors on the market.

Product Highlights

This metal detector comes with a large LCD display with backlight, which makes it easy to read in the dark. There are three display modes to identify the type of metals.

What’s more, it comes with a 9.8-inch wide search coil. This is very powerful and can locate a quarter coin up to 10 inches underground. It can also find larger objects at even greater depths.

The detector is designed with an adjustable depth indication for objects. You can easily find objects and conditions with the five-grade sensitivity control.

Overall, the detector is quite light in weight and is easy to carry. What’s also great is that every purchase of this metal detector comes with a two-year warranty.

What We Like:

We like that this unit is lightweight and easy to use. Best of all, the detector’s search coil is significantly larger than most of its competitors.

What We Did Not Like:

While there is nothing much to dislike about this detector, we would have liked it even more if the company made this unit’s accuracy a bit better.

Pros:

✔ Has a large backlit LCD display

✔ Large search coil

✔ Comes with a two-year warranty

Affordable

Cons:

✘ Average accuracy

The last metal detector we will be looking at is the Floureon Metal Detector. This is a simple and easy-to-use metal detector.

Product Highlights

The Floureon Metal Detector has three distinct modes that help in detecting different kinds of metals. It is capable of detecting objects that are up to 18 centimeters deep. You can also adjust its sensitivity according to the different ground conditions.

This metal detector can be used underwater; it has an IP68 waterproof rating. It comes with an impressive 10-inch search coil that is shielded with plastic. The shaft that the coil is connected to is made of aluminum.

The detector is equipped with an LCD screen and arrives with headphones, a folding shovel, and a storage pouch. Lastly, it comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee and a 12-month exchange.

What We Like:

We like that this detector comes with a large search coil that can be used in water. We also like that it has ample accessories for easy usage.

What We Did Not Like:

The unit could be slightly lighter; it does get a bit tiring to carry it around all day long.

Pros:

✔ Large search coil

✔ Comes with ample accessories

✔ Has a bright LCD display

Cons:

✘ Could be lighter

Buyer’s Guide

Are you still not certain with these reviews and need more information about metal detectors to purchase the best one for yourself? You will be pleased to know that we have also prepared a detailed buyer’s guide for you.

This guide lists all the important features of a good metal detector and also help you understand its functionality, so you know exactly what to look for and how to compare different units.

1. Discrimination

Discrimination is the ability of a metal detector to differentiate between one target and another. It should be able to tell you whether the signal you are getting is something valuable, like a quarter, or just trash.

It goes without saying that the soil is filled with endless rusty nails and bottle caps along with the valuable treasure, which is why this feature is very important. Having this feature in your metal detector will ensure that you don’t waste unnecessary time digging up trash.

Most metal detectors either have an auto-adjust feature or will allow you to tune out the trash manually. For certain things like relics and gold, you will not be able to choose discrimination, as it will want to dig up everything that is metal.

2. Ground Balance

With any soil you use your detector on, you will find that it will contain some level of metal, like iron. This could end up interfering with the detector’s ability to find jewelry, coins, or any other valuables. Having ground balance in your detector will allow it to bypass these minerals.

There are a couple of different variations of this on a metal detector. Many modern metal detectors will have an automatic ground balance that can detect and adjust automatically. Others may come with a preset ground balance. In this, the manufacturer will preset the ground balance at a particular level, which will work adequately in most environments.

With manual ones, the user will need to adjust the ground balance every time they use it for detecting. This may be a desirable option if you are looking to detect gold because of the changes in the ground conditions.

There are also metal detectors with multiple ground balance options, allowing the user to either select automatic or manual settings depending on their preference.

3. Target Identification

A great feature to look for in a metal detector is target identification as that will be able to differentiate between coins like a quarter, nickel, dime, penny, foil, junk, silver jewelry, or even the probability of gold.

The output for this could be a low grunt for junk items and a high-pitched audible tone for any valuables. This is often referred to as tone identification.

In most cases, target identification will be visual and will appear on the detector’s LCD screen. There will also often be a numeric value known as a VDI number that will appear on the screen. You will learn what exactly these numbers mean and also its probable targets.

4. Operating Frequency

The frequency on the metal detector is the number of times its signal gets transmitted and received by the metal detector every second. With lower frequency detectors, it can scan deeper, so they will offer an overall better detection depth.

In most general-purpose metal detectors, they will operate at lower frequencies. Detectors with a higher frequency tend to be more sensitive to smaller objects and gold.

If you are looking for specks of gold or smaller relics, then you should look for a metal detector that has a higher frequency. That said, know that these detectors are incapable of penetrating deep into the soil.

4. Sensitivity

The metal detector’s sensitivity is its ability to find metal objects from a distance. You could compare this to the volume control of a speaker. If it is set too high, then the sound gets all static and distorted, but if it is set to low, you will not be able to hear the sound.

Most metal detectors that come with sensitivity control will be marked with the maker’s recommendation. There will be certain situations wherein it will be necessary for you to lower the sensitivity.

For example, you will need to lower the sensitivity in areas that have a high mineral content and also those areas that are close to power lines.

5. Search Depth

All metal detectors are capable of searching for coins and other objects up to a certain depth. This is referred to as the detector’s search depth.

Metal detectors that have a lower frequency tend to offer a better search depth. What also plays a huge part in the search depth is the composition of the soil that you are using the detector on as well as the search coil.

If you have a larger search coil, then it will be capable of searching much deeper. Typically, you will be able to find coins that are at a depth of about 1.5 times the diameter of the search coil.

If you are making use of an eight-inch search coil, then you will be able to find coins typically at eight to 12 inches, for example.

6. Budget

If you are someone who is buying a metal detector for the first time, it can be quite confusing to select from so many options with a wide range of prices.

As a beginner, always look for an entry-level metal detector. There is no quicker way of becoming frustrated with metal detecting than buying a complicated unit that you just don’t understand.

Entry-level metal detectors normally tend to be under $200. Don’t go spending over $500 on a metal detector, which you aren’t even sure whether you will like using. View our recommended metal detectors under $300 here.

7. Weight

Some metal detectors are built as light as a feather, and then there are others are built like bricks and are quite heavy to carry around.

Weight is an important factor to take into consideration, especially if you suffer from shoulder or joint problems or even other ailments that will limit your physical activity.

8. Warranty

Always look for metal detectors that have a good warranty. Typically, most brands will offer a warranty that ranges from two to five years. Some brands offer a lifetime warranty; however, these tend to be quite pricey and are offered by only a handful of brands.

Best Metal Detector for Coins

FAQs

1. Can metal detectors find coins?

Every single metal detector on the market, whether it costs $100 or $1,000, is capable of detecting coins. Coins are metal, and metal detectors, by that logic, will detect metal.

2. How deep does a good metal detector detect?

If you are using a good quality metal detector, then it is capable of detecting at least six to 10 inches below the soil for objects like coins. With that said, several factors can affect this. For starters, it always begins with the kind of soil that you are using the detector on.

Additionally, when you are trying to detect larger objects, the right kind of detector is capable of detecting up to even 16 inches below the soil in ideal conditions. There are a couple of factors that could impact the depth. These are:

  • The size of the object that you are detecting. The bigger it is, the deeper it will be detectable.
  • The discrimination amount that you’ve set. If the unit is not set for proper discrimination or just unable to do so, you will be unable to find targets that are deep through the junk metals.
  • The metal composition of the target. Some will have higher electrical conductivity, such as brass, silver, and copper, while others, like stainless steel, don’t have enough.
  • The distance of the actual target to other larger metal objects in the same area.
  • The unit’s sensitivity settings. If this is set to an appropriate level, then even smaller objects can be found easily at a deeper depth.

3. Where are the best places to metal detect?

An ideal site for finding things with a metal detector will be in an area that is used by people over a long period. Other areas where you will likely find some interesting things would be an area that has been used by thousands of people in recent times.

Every region or locality will have areas of human activity and natural events, and these will offer great potential for detecting any metals. These areas may include abandoned sites, parks, beaches, gardens, churches, deserted towns, woods and footpaths, fields, and several more.

Other than just coins, there is always a possibility that you can find other valuable items, like lost jewelry, gold nuggets, and more. However, make sure that you are taking appropriate permission from relevant people for certain areas. Check out our list of the best places to metal detect without permission here.

4. What’s the best frequency for metal detecting?

In the past, frequency on the metal detector was considered to be a big thing. However, with modern units, it has overcome the worries of the frequency with better circuitry and design.

Ground conditions will also dictate the frequency you need to use it, which is where having an automatic ground balancing can be advantageous. With that said, there are some basic kHz for successful hunting. These include:

  • A low-frequency machine at two to four kHz is considered to be the best for detectors for deeper coins.
  • The mid-level frequency at five to 12 kHz is ideal for relics, jewelry, and coins.

Most frequencies will easily pick up coins, but users tend to have the highest success when the unit is set between six to 15 kHz and, more specifically, eight to 12 kHz. Also, note that coins are made from different metals, which means that you will need to adjust your frequency for the specific outage.

5. Can I metal detect on public land?

Unfortunately, the laws are not very clear when it comes to using a metal detector on public land. What makes it worse is that every state has its own set of laws that tend to be very vague.

We recommend taking the necessary permissions from the right authorities on paper before you metal detect on public land.

It is also important to keep in mind that if you don’t have the necessary permissions to detect on a particular land, you could end up facing some stiff fines, misdemeanors, and, in some cases, it could also be a felony charge where you could serve some prison time. Ignorance isn’t bliss in this case. Hence, make sure that you are doing thorough research.

Final Verdict

There you have it. Those were the five best metal detectors for coins. Each of them comes with impressive features and will do a good job finding coins wherever you use them.

However, if you ask us, the best metal detector for coins is the IP68 Waterproof Metal Detector. This is a truly fantastic detector with some amazing features that will make detecting coins and other objects easy. It also comes with all the necessary accessories that make using it even easier.