I’m getting mixed results from my personal research. Some say as late as 1880s-90s and others are saying early as 1840s. The tiny “DUPRE.” Is what’s tripping me up. Found in Saratoga Springs NY
I found the set of Hames Knobs ~ mid 1800’s. And some other horse tack.
My friend found the beautiful gold guilded flat button, from the same period.
Hi all, I have a question for fellow detectorists in Germany. Basically on the face of it metal detecting in Germany is illegal, maybe almost allowable in Bavaria but the reality is that 99% of us don’t have a permit for our favourite hobby. Of course if the permit process wasn’t built to prevent us from getting permits then we would follow through with the process, however in most states ever obtaining a permit is next to winning lotto. So is it just absolutely normal then to ‘stealth detect’ in Germany? Are tens of thousands of us now expert at keeping one eye on our detector screens and the other on the surroundings? How is it for you other permit-deprived detectorists out there in Deutschland who don’t want to steal ‘national treasures’ but just want to dig up a few old coins and buttons to touch history?
My dad passed away a couple of years ago. While going through his house afterward, I came across something I hadn’t seen since I was a kid: his old Fisher 1225-X metal detector.
And it immediately brought back a memory.
Sometime back in the 1980s, I remember him taking this exact detector to the beach. I was young, and honestly I don’t remember much about what he found—or whether he found anything at all. I just remembered the detector.
Then it disappeared from my memory for the next 35–40 years.
Turns out, Dad kept everything.
When I found it after his passing, it wasn’t just the detector. He had kept the whole setup—coils, accessories, gear—the works. It was basically a little time capsule.
I could obviously go buy a modern detector with displays, target IDs, fancy electronics and 40 years of technological improvements.
But where’s the fun in that?
So I cleaned up the old Fisher, put batteries in it, started learning what all those wonderfully analog knobs actually do, and decided this old machine deserved to go hunting again.
This week, I took it back to the beach.
And the damn thing still works.
I spent about three hours swinging it, digging signals, learning its personality and occasionally wondering whether my arm was going to fall off. 😂
Did I find Spanish doubloons?
Not yet.
Did I find enough random buried stuff to prove that a Fisher built when Ronald Reagan was president can still sniff out metal underneath a beach?
Absolutely.
And somewhere along the way I realized I really don’t care whether this detector is as deep, light or sophisticated as something made in 2026.
Every beep means a little more coming from this machine.
My dad held this same handle.
He swung this same coil over a beach almost four decades ago.
Now I am.
So the old Fisher isn’t getting retired. I’m actually considering having someone who knows vintage electronics go through it, check the components and make sure it’s ready for another chapter.
And I’m officially on a mission.
The doubloon hunt continues. 🏴☠️
I’ll post a photo of the old Fisher and the first haul below.
⬆️ If anybody here still swings vintage Fisher equipment—or remembers using a 1225-X back in the day—I’d love to hear about it.
Nice find on Thursday detecting in dry sand high on the beach. No battery left on the Triple Score so used the Vanquish 440 I’d brought as a back up. Solid signal in the low 20s. 😺
I found this when out metal detecting, and I’ve given it a little clean, as it was buried in dirt and mud.
The small stones look black or dark blue
Is it something that would be worth restoring or is it just a cheap keepsake?
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks