Artifact Identification Guides
One of the most rewarding — and sometimes frustrating — parts of metal detecting is figuring out what you've dug up. Corroded metal, partial markings, and centuries of soil contact can make identification tricky. These guides are organized by artifact type to help you narrow down what's in your hand.
When examining a find, pay attention to size, weight, shape, material, and any visible markings or text. Even partial details can point you in the right direction. Take photos from multiple angles before cleaning, as aggressive cleaning can destroy diagnostic details.
- Identifying Old Coins Found in the Ground How to ID corroded and worn coins by size, edge type, metal composition, and partial design elements.
- Identifying Buttons Found Metal Detecting Military, civilian, and colonial-era buttons — backmarks, shanks, and design clues.
- Musket Balls & Bullet Identification Round balls, Minie balls, cartridge bullets — how to date and ID projectiles by size and type.
- Identifying Buckles, Clasps & Fasteners Shoe buckles, harness hardware, suspender clasps, and other common fastener finds.
- Relics vs. Junk: How to Tell the Difference Practical tips for distinguishing genuine artifacts from modern debris and scrap.
- How to Identify Cast Iron Fragments Stove parts, pot fragments, machinery bits — recognizing what cast iron pieces came from.
- What Are Those Flat Round Discs? Tokens, trade pieces, weights, gaming counters, and other disc-shaped finds.
- Identifying Religious Medals & Artifacts Catholic medals, crucifixes, saint tokens — identification by iconography and inscription.
- How to Read Corroded Coin Dates Techniques for revealing dates on badly worn and corroded coins without damaging them.