Beware the 'Professional' Photographer

A couple of weeks ago, I arranged for my colleague Brian to test his Canon EOS 400D (Rebel XTi), with my lenses on my buried targets. Brian is a keen amateur photographer and as such likes to take control of the camera so I let Brian shoot the targets in his own way. The results were very mixed and even using the Sigma macro lens (which gave the best results), Brian didn’t capture many auras and most shots just resulted in a ‘noisy’ blank. Strangely, shots of the same target produced auras on one shot but blank on another. My own experience was that if a target produced an aura once, all things being equal, it would produce an aura every time, so I went for a lie down in a darkened room to contemplate the problem…

Although I’m a technician by trade, I like to keep things simple especially with complex instruments like DSLR cameras so I put my camera on automatic and just point and shoot, letting the camera take care of everything, including focusing. Brian had set his camera on automatic but was pre-focussing without the IR pass filter in place (so the focus would lock on visible light), compared to my method which was to autofocus through the IR pass filter, and effectively focus on infrared light. Brian returned to retest his camera using the standard lens and autofocus through the IR pass filter. The results were great --The picture shows the aura on a single British gold sovereign coin. I used Brian’s camera hand-held and achieved an aura on all targets except the three aluminum beer cans; Brian used the camera hand-held and tripod-mounted and achieved auras on all targets. Brian achieved slightly better results than me, with tripod-mounted producing the best results and I put this down to operator technique – the more stable the camera is held the better the results.

A couple of other interesting facts emerged from these and other recent experiments. 1) The auras have definitely become stronger over the two years that the targets have been buried. 2) I removed the four gold coins for the benefit of the video and did not re-bury them. One week later we were still getting a faint aura over the empty hole.

Digital cameras can see buried gold

The Successful Treasure Hunter’s Secret Manual: Discovering Treasure Auras in the Digital Age

David Villanueva, the author of several metal detecting titles, has discovered that digital cameras can be easily adapted to reveal the location of buried treasure from up to several hundred yards away. In his latest publication, The Successful Treasure Hunter’s Secret Manual: Discovering Treasure Auras in the Digital Age, David explains clearly how anyone can turn a digital camera (possibly one they already own) into an amazing treasure hunting tool.

Having successfully used a Polaroid camera for photographing auras given off by buried metal for a number of years, David was horrified when Polaroid stopped making the film in 2005 and usable original film quickly became unavailable at any price. In the short-term alternative film is available, which photographs treasure auras at least as well as the original film but Polaroid’s recent decision to cease all instant film production would make photographing treasure auras history…unless digital cameras could be used.

However, digital camera technology is very different to that of film cameras and what worked with Polaroid failed with digital. A complete re-think was needed! The breakthrough came after David learned of treasure hunters successfully using a highly specialised digital camera to locate caches buried along Spanish mule-train trails. So clearly it was possible to photograph auras digitally but could it be done without spending a fortune on high-tech equipment? After three years of intensive research the answer is absolutely yes! Some, possibly many, popular digital cameras are up to the task.

Using readily available photographic accessories that anyone can easily attach, without causing damage, the digital cameras tested were able to record an aura, from a distance, on a single quarter-ounce (seven-gram) gold sovereign coin buried six inches (150mm) underground. In extensive field trials cameras located buried metal over two feet (610mm) deep and could discriminate between different metals. The cameras could be hand-held or tripod-mounted and could capture auras anytime during daylight hours in a wide range of weather conditions. A colleague invited to test the system, with his own camera, clearly demonstrated that no special skill or ability was necessary by obtaining an aura on the first attempt.

After reading The Successful Treasure Hunter’s Secret Manual, well-known treasure hunter and author Stan Grist said: “If this is for real, it will dramatically improve my treasure hunting results for the rest of my life! I am in the process of assembling all of the recommended gear so I can get out into the field as soon as possible. From a scientific perspective, my associates and I all agree that this may actually be the modern-day solution for a specific, huge treasure in Ecuador that we have been seeking for years. I am REALLY excited!”

The Successful Treasure Hunter’s Secret Manual: Discovering Treasure Auras in the Digital Age, ISBN 978-0-9550325-5-4 is published (2009) by True Treasure Books. Soft back, 84 full-colour illustrations, A5 size (210mm x 146mm or 8.25 inches x 5.75 inches), 68 pages, price £19.97. Visit: http://www.treasurehunterssecretmanual.co.uk/ A 52 page, large format digital version is available, price $19.97 at http://www.treasurehunterssecretmanual.com/

Where's the path?

Iain, one of my customers recently introduced me to this site: http://wheresthepath.googlepages.com/wheresthepath.htm Ordnance Survey mapping and aerial images are displayed side by side. You can type in a place then navigate around the map, while the map cursor is mirrored on the aerial view, so you can see exactly where you are on the ground. Great for looking for trackways and other features. Modern OS mapping is used initially but OS have imposed a limit, so the site switches to 1940s OS out of copyright maps once the limit is reached. That's not really a problem for metal detectorists and it may be an advantage since the aerial images are still recent - you can compare the modern landscape with a 50 year old map. Take a look!

Dowsing works but don't just take my word for it!

I was delighted to receive this email the other day:
Hi David,
It's taken me a while but I thought I'd write to you to let you know of my experience after reading your book [The Successful Treasure Hunter's Essential Dowsing Manual] which I purchased last year.
After quickly reading through it I thought how interesting it seemed, but reserved judgement until I could put something into practice.
It wasn't until two weeks later that I remembered that I hadn't "had a go" at the general idea, so the night before our club search I got the map out and looked for a pendulum.
I couldn't find anything suitable so picked up the first thing from my desk tray which happened to be two safety pins. I hooked one into the other and let the other pin "dangle" to give some kind of feedback.
I was amazed to find that I received a reaction from a certain part of the area on the map.
The next day I found that we were detecting on the other side of this area and come lunchtime nothing of interest had been found. I jokingly said that I wasn't surprised as the treasure was over on the other side. The site secretary said that the only available part of this area was a small part which was stubble and the rest had been set, but I was welcome to have a go on the stubble.
Feeling I had nothing to lose I started detecting on this area and after a couple of hours had found nothing. Then I unearthed what looked like a large ornate ear-ring with a heavy hook.
This turned out to be a very handsome Tudor silver gilt cap hook, declared as treasure which has since been disclaimed and returned to me.
My find was then followed by others finding a literal "hoard" of tudor buckles in one area, probably a dozen in all.
Needless to say we returned the following week and after showing the farmer my previous find I went straight onto the field and my first signal was a 9ct gold gents signet ring.
Others unearthed a Mary Groat, a large Roman fantail brooch and then the best of all one of our club members found a Roman Gold Aureus.
I cannot say for sure but either the safety pin or myself certainly picked up on something that night!
Regards
John R.

THANKS JOHN!
For more information on dowsing and metal detecting please visit: www.truetreasurebooks.com

A Day Out with The Times

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. I was called on to do a talk at Mid-Kent Club at short notice when their Lifeboat speaker went sick. I'm not sure dowsing would have done much for those in peril on the sea but the talk seemed well received.

I was then called on by a reporter from The Times who wanted to do an article on metal detecting. I had to take him and a photographer detecting last Saturday week so they could get a feel for the hobby. I don't think the photographer had ever seen earth before, he went into raptures about all this brown earth and blue sky and having everything to play for. He must have taken at least 100 photos. The article was published on Saturday. Here's the link:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/consumer_affairs/article1559197.ece

Meanwhile I did some detecting and have had a few nice finds including an Elizabeth I one ounce pan weight and an Edward I penny.

PERMISSION IMPOSSIBLE

PERMISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Metal Detecting Search Permission Made Easy
ISBN-13: 978-0-9550325-3-0

David Villanueva has over 30 years of experience in metal detecting and research, in Britain and is a regular contributor to Treasure Hunting magazine. He has been responsible for seven reported finds of Treasure, and has built up a collection of other coins and artefacts that would be the envy of many. But EVERY ONE of those finds has started from either getting SEARCH PERMISSION or legally avoiding that obligation.
Where can you legally search without permission? How do you find the landowner to ask for search permission? How do you persuade the landowner to give their permission? These are the questions on the lips of many participants in the hobby. David draws on his experience at successfully and painlessly gaining search permission on a wide range of sites both as an individual detectorist and club leader and reveals ALL in this fact-packed book.
Chapter Titles:
 INTRODUCTION
 THIS LAND IS MINE
 MAKE FOR THE COAST
 SEARCH AND RECOVERY SERVICE
 TRACKING DOWN LANDOWNERS
 THE PLANNERS
 WRITING A LETTER AND GETTING IT READ
 PROPERLY ADDRESSED?
 CODE OF PRACTICE AND CODE OF CONDUCT
 SEARCH AGREEMENTS
 VISITING CARDS
 PUBLIC LAND
 THE BLANKET APPROACH
 THE PROJECT APPROACH
 ON THE MOVE
 THE SERVICES OFFER
 THE SUBSIDY APPROACH
 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING
 APPENDIX – MAJOR UK LANDOWNERS

Please visit True Treasure
Books for more details

SCRAP METAL

What do you do with the scrap metal you find? Throw it in the hedge or down rabbit holes? You’ve taken the time and trouble to dig it up so why not collect it and sell it?

I recently sold the scrap metal I had collected over the past couple of years:
13kg Aluminium £6.50
27kg Mixed Brass £19.00
35kg Lead £10.50
TOTAL £36.00
And metal prices are increasing.
There’s two other reasons for not throwing scrap away:
You might throw something historically or intrinsically valuable away - gold torcs have been mistaken for bits of brass bedsteads and thrown in hedges.
You might end up having to dig it all up again.
A couple of detectorist friends found a scattered hoard of gold Staters and asked me to go with them and see if we could locate anymore. There was a hedge-bank a few yards from where the coins were found and I suggested we ought to search there as earth banks were one of the favourite hiding places in the past. The origin of BANKING in fact. They looked at me a bit sheepish. When I started searching the bank it was full of metallic rubbish – they had thrown all their scrap there.

Keep anything that might turn out be something worthwhile – any man-made shape but also bronze lumps. The British Museum are now analysing such lumps to see how they relate to axes etc.

Basically you can sort scrap into Aluminium, Mixed Brass and Lead

You might also want to do copper and nickel coin (an old penny is now worth over twice its face value in scrap), stainless steel, pewter and zinc although you will find much smaller quantities.

Wash it as you collect it or collect it dirty and wash the lot before you take it to the scrap yard.

I find the best way to wash the scrap is to put it in a plastic garden riddle and douse it with water. Keep removing the clean metal and washing the remaining dirty metal.

If you want to mechanise the operation put the dirty scrap in a cement mixer with a bucket of water and a couple of kilos of sharp sand and run for about 10 minutes.