9 Metal Detector Finds, From a 17th-Century Gold Ring to a Wedding Band Lost for 18 Years

“Update on the gold wedding ring I’ve found in my yard”

So about 20 days ago I bought my first metal detector and tried it out in my backyard. After some time I got a strong signal from the detector and dug up a gold ring. It also had the two letters “KM” engraved.
I figured that the ring was probably lost a long time ago since it was buried so deep underground. My idea was that my landlord’s wife could have lost the ring when they used to live here 13 years ago.

We had some coffee and I told them about my new hobby: metaldetecting. I asked if they had lost jewelery in their yard when they used to live here and my landlords wife immediately said yes. She lost her gold wedding ring when she was pregnant with their first child 18 years ago and were in the process of moving into a bigger home.

18 years man. I handed her the ring and she could not believe her eyes. She was incredibly thankful and happy. She never thought she would see it again. And “KM” are her own initials.

“Gold Grad ring returned after 47yrs underwater”

On a recent underwater hunt I dug up this beautiful gold McMaster University signet ring from the class of 1965 with 3 initials on the inside. After contacting the University alumni team they were able to locate the owner who confirmed he lost it in the sea in Barbados in 1977, 47yrs ago!

I was able to mail the ring back to him in Canada and it arrived the night before his 83rd birthday! What are the chances?!

I called him the day after FedEx delivered it (his birthday) and we had a nice chat. He was so excited and appreciative and explained the story over again — his son was knocked by a wave and whilst grabbing him, the son pulled off the ring and he never thought he’d see it again.

“Wow, this was really cool. Landlady saw me metal detecting in the yard and told me she had lost a treasured silver ring she got in Bali 5 years ago. I found it in an hour, she was almost crying. Detectorists are your friends!”

“My only gold find in 6 years.”

A beautiful 17th Century ’Posy’ ring found in a farm field in Scotland 3 years ago. The outer has two overlapped infinity bands separated by flowers. The inner inscription reads “Gife parted (two hearts) in payne.”

One of my most beautiful finds.

I was an emotional wreck when I realised what it was.

Because it’s a treasure over 300 years old I handed it to the museum in Edinburgh as per the law here. They have to record it in a legal process, then see if they can identify its original owner and then they will either pay me a fee as the finder and keep it or return it to me.

I believe it means “given parted hearts in pain.”

“After 20 years, I found my dad’s gold wedding band in the back yard!!! First time metal detecting!!!”

About 2 inches deep, the condition was pristine, just needed a quick wash off.

“My bucket lister, a medieval gold stirrup ring”

Found in Cambridgeshire, UK. Had to sit down for a while after I dug this one. It was a while back I found this, but definitely the peak of my detecting hobby.

Reported, declared treasure and returned to me by the British Museum thankfully. It’s even now used as an example of its type in the finger rings section of the Portable Antiquities Scheme Website!

Got a nice colour sheet with official pictures and all the details of the ring on British Museum letterhead.

Several finds on this list went to a museum before anything else, and that is the law. In England and Wales, an object at least 300 years old when found, with at least 10 percent precious metal by weight, counts as treasure, and the finder must report it to the local Finds Liaison Officer within 14 days.

Scotland has its own system, which is why the posy ring went to a museum in Edinburgh. If a museum doesn’t keep a find, it can go back to the finder, as the stirrup ring did.

“Stepdads second metal detecting trip ever. No words.”

So my parents moved to the UK about 4 months ago and my stepdad decided to get a metal detector as a hobby. Today was the second time (besides trying it at the house) that he went out to hunt. Up to this point his best find was a coin from 1904, and then this came out of the ground.

I don’t have a ton of info besides that they believe it to be a Saxon Gauntlet ring due to its size. Truly once in a lifetime!

“Used this bad boy to find my wedding ring that’s been lost for 3 years”

Son got a metal detector for his birthday. Fired it up today and figured I’d try it out in the yard. Within 5 minutes it found my lost wedding ring (lost it shaking my hands after setting up a pool) under an inch of dirt. Couldn’t believe it. I now know what I’d like for Father’s Day lol.

Definitely started the day off right with my wife lol.

“I’m new to metal detecting and just found this jar full of money! A lot of silver. I had always been told that there was a jar or jars of money buried somewhere in my great grandparents yard. My dad searched for it many times, with no luck. I searched for about 2 1/2 hours and hit the jackpot!”

The oldest coin so far is a 1935 walking liberty half dollar but there is also a Buffalo nickel that I can’t read the date on. The newest one is 1967.

It rang up strong and loud, like a big chunk of something