Welcome to Detector's Digest!

Where I share some of my most interesting finds and adventures.

Welcome to my blog, where I will share some of my best finds. I’ll begin with a brief introduction, a little bit of background, and a few of my oldest finds. Later I’ll add more until I’m caught up and can post hunts as soon as they’re in the books, so to speak.

My name is Brent Cosey. I live in Central Pennsylvania and this Substack is my way to share my love of metal detecting with anyone who wants to listen! In the coming weeks and months, I’ll post stories about my metal detecting trips, focusing on the treasures I find along the way. It might be a Civil War minie ball, a Spanish reale, or Zippo lighter. You never know what will be out there!

Each post will focus on one outing, highlighting - with pictures! - my finds. I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoy doing it!

I first became interested in metal detecting in July of 2012. I bought my first detector, a Whites MXT Pro, along with a cheap pinpointer from a knowledgeable dealer not far from where I live in South-Central Pennsylvania. The first months were spent learning how to get the most from the detector, upgrading my equipment (bought my first VibraProbe pinpointer—what a difference!), and researching the hobby. I subscribed to magazines, joined Facebook groups, talked to dealers and other detectorists… anything to learn how to optimize my time in the field. At first, I found mostly modern coins and junk. Oh, and tons of pull tabs! Pull tabs are the bane of all detectorists, as you’ll soon find if you start detecting, too.

My first silver coin was a 1963 Roosevelt dime, which I found in 2013. Finding your first silver is a game-changer for a detectorist, and more followed over the next few years. Sadly, I didn’t keep records those first few years. It wasn’t until 2018 that I really started keeping records of my best finds, but there are a few outstanding finds that stand out, even without written notes.

In 2014, I found a 1970 class ring from Pottsville High School, shown below with other finds from the day. I had to go to the local library to get a Class Yearbook so I could look up the owner. After tracking the owner down, I stopped by his place twice to return his property and even left a note the second time with contact information. Sadly, he never responded.

In 2017, I found a 1785 Nova Constellatio copper coin! It’s one of my most exciting finds. These coins were minted between 1783-1785 in Birmingham, England. Because of their age, they are extremely rare finds, and this remains one of my favorites.

Watch for my next post for more exciting finds!