Go metal detecting and record what you find
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
A coin or buckle lifted from a ploughed field becomes evidence once its exact find spot is written down, and the Portable Antiquities Scheme exists to record such objects on a public database. Its Finds Liaison Officers describe, photograph and measure each find, then normally hand it back with a reference number.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650MonthsOutdoorsAlone or with othersUK
How to start
- Read the National Council for Metal Detecting's beginners guide, which covers permission, protected sites and the law on treasure.
- Get the landowner's written permission before you search any land, and agree in writing who owns what is found.
- Note a National Grid Reference for each find and take it to your local Finds Liaison Officer to be recorded.
Where to go
- National Council for Metal Detecting, beginners guide (UK)
- Portable Antiquities Scheme, guidance for landowners in England and Wales (explains how finds are recorded)
We opened these links on 7 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Projects run over months and stall without a rhythm, so the plan sets milestones you can see.
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