Detecting with the Anderson Rod

Using the Anderson rod in one hand and my detector in the other worked surprisingly well. I had absolutely no issues balancing the Anderson, I suspect its weight keeps it stable. I did initially have a bit of a problem storing the Anderson when I needed to dig. I started by carrying a cloth to lay the Anderson on, when I put it on the ground, but that became a bit of a chore. Then I discovered that the Anderson could be rested across the handle and against the control box of my Detech EDS detector and would sit there quite happily when I was still holding my detector while digging. I do keep my hand on it though, as should it fall it may damage the antenna. The antenna is replaceable but why have the hassle of buying and importing a new one from the manufacturer? If the digging gets a bit tough I need to lie my detector down and I found that the Anderson will rest in the detector’s arm cup.

 

So I started by baiting the Anderson with silver and that seemed to work well in that I found silver coins and silver plated objects as well as copper-alloy (the Anderson is constructed of brass, I believe) and lead (old lead tends to contain silver as an impurity). So far so good!

 

I then baited the Anderson with gold, which I expected to turn up gold coins but that did not happen. Over the past 200 years many fields in the south of England have been fertilized with rag waste, which was contaminated with buttons and other metal objects associated with clothing.  The Anderson took a great liking to gold plated buttons (as in picture) and the like as well as copper-alloys. I guess this is because I was using almost pure gold bait and gold plating generally consists of high karat gold so to the Anderson it is a perfect match.

 

Now I was hoping to find Iron Age gold stater coins which have a variable mix of gold (70-80%), silver (10-20%) and copper (5-10%). This is a moving target effectively so even using a gold coin as bait there would be no guarantee that the coins buried scattered in the field would be a match. I could persevere with the gold bait or on the basis that all man-made gold objects contain either silver or copper or both I could switch back to silver bait…

METAL DETECTING MADE EASY: A Guide for Beginners & Reference for All

 

NEW BOOK

​

Metal detecting is a very rewarding hobby in more ways than one. Just swinging a detector on a warm sunny day in pleasant surroundings is a real pleasure in itself. Not only is there the prospect of making a major find in amongst the interesting coins and artifacts you will uncover but the hobby's many benefits include anticipation of the unknown, collecting, education, exercise, excitement, family involvement, fun, new friends. And history – like it was never taught in school!

Over thousands of years, literally many millions of coins and metal artefacts have been lost, mislaid or buried on land and beaches and in rivers and the sea. Armed with a metal detector you can bring history to life. Perhaps you will discover a roman brooch in your back yard or a Piece of Eight, on a beach, from a Spanish wreck or over a thousand Saxon gold and silver artifacts in a farmer's field, like Terry Herbert, who found the famous UK Staffordshire Hoard. And even a humble find can lead to an exciting quest of discovery as to what it is, what it was used for, who owned it and why it was where you found it.

Metal detecting is one of the greatest hobbies suitable for either sex of any age from three to 113, with the very real possibility that at any moment you can change history, or even your life, forever.
However, unless you are extremely lucky, you are unlikely to beg, borrow or buy a metal detector and start making great finds with it from day one -- you need to know a few things first. That is the purpose of this manual -- to show you what equipment you need, how and where to use it and how to overcome any obstacles along the way. And much, much more...

It is not rocket science and with guidance from a detectorist with over 40 years experience in the hobby, you will become a successful metal detectorist in no time.

CONTENTS INCLUDE:

The Basics - What You Need to Know
Code of Practice for Responsible Detecting in England and Wales
Treasure Law
The Treasure Act in England and Wales
Organisations, Clubs and Magazines

• Includes Worldwide contacts.

Equipment:
Metal Detectors and Search Heads

• How to choose the right metal detector for you.

Accessories

• You will also need a digging tool at least and there are a number of other accessories that will improve your detecting experience.

How to Use a Metal Detector

• Like any tool or instrument you need to know how to use it to get the best out of it.

Gaining Search Permission

• The find of a lifetime starts with gaining search permission. Here you will find the easy painless approach.

Search Agreement

How and Where to Search

• If you habitually search where nothing much ever happened then you can expect your finds bag to contain nothing much!

Water Sites
Farmland and Other Inland Sites

Research

• The number one secret to successful treasure hunting.

Identification of Finds

• How not to gain the reputation of being the twit who sold a $1000 find for a $1.

Cleaning and Conservation

• Looking after your finds and cleaning them safely, without wrecking them.

Cleaning Finds

Dowsing

• How to multiply your finds rate without really trying.

Bibliography and Resources

(True Treasure Books, 2014) Soft Cover, 54 black and white illustrations, A5 size (210mm x 146mm or 8.25 inches x 5.75 inches), 128 pages. ISBN 978-0-9550325-7-8

Printed Book £5.47 + shipping. E-book £2.97