Metal Detecting Glossary: Terminology and Slang For The UK & USA – A Comprehensive list!

Welcome to the Metal Detecting Glossary, your ultimate guide to understanding the most popular terms used by detectorists across the UK and USA. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been detecting for years, this glossary will help you get to grips with the essential words and phrases used in the hobby. From core concepts like “discrimination” and “pinpointing” to technical jargon like “VDI” and “ground balance,” you’ll find everything you need to master the language of metal detecting.

And because we detectorists know how to have a laugh in the field, we’ve added a fun Metal Detecting Slang Glossary at the end. Here, you’ll discover the quirky, often humorous slang used by enthusiasts in both the UK and the USA, like what it means to dig up “can-slaw” or to find a BOAT in the UK fields.

So, let’s get started! Whether you’re swinging your coil over fields, parks, or beaches, this glossary will ensure you’re speaking the language of the metal detecting community with confidence.

Air Test

A test where metal objects are waved under the search coil in open air, rather than in the ground, to assess a detector’s response at different depths. Not always an accurate reflection of real-world conditions.

All Metal

A detector setting that detects all types of metal, both ferrous and non-ferrous, without discrimination.

Alloy

A combination of two or more metals, such as brass (copper and zinc).

Audio Gain / Gain

A control that adjusts the volume level for deeper targets. Higher gain amplifies faint signals from deeper objects.

Audio Target ID

A feature on detectors that produces different audio tones for different types of metal, making it easier to identify targets.

Barber

A US coin designed by Charles E. Barber, which includes the dime, quarter, and half dollar minted from 1892 to 1916.

Black Dirt

Organically-rich soil, often found in older sites, commonly located in the Eastern United States.

Black Sand

Fine, iron-rich particles found at some detecting sites, often problematic for coin-hunting but a positive sign in gold prospecting.

Bling

Flashy jewelry that may or may not be made of precious metals.

BOAT

Short for “Bit off a tractor.” Refers to a metal object, often large, mistakenly identified as a valuable find but is actually a scrap piece from farm equipment.

Bottlecap Magnet

A detector that frequently misidentifies bottle caps as valuable coins, often due to similar conductivity.

Bronze Disease

A corrosive reaction that affects bronze items when exposed to moisture and air, often resulting in green or blue powder forming on the surface.

Bullhead

A silver coin of George III (1816-1818), named because the king’s portrait resembles a bull.

Bust Coin / Draped Bust

Old US coins from the late 1700s to early 1800s, which are rare finds for metal detectorists.

Cache

A hidden stash of coins, jewelry, or other valuables buried together, often in a container. Pronounced “cash.”

Cache-Hunting

The practice of specifically searching for caches, which requires a different strategy than regular detecting.

Camp Lead

Melted lead that is typically found at Civil War-era campsites, often used for making bullets.

Can Slaw

Shredded pieces of aluminum cans, usually from being run over by lawnmowers, which can create challenging signals for detectorists.

Cartwheel

A large silver dollar coin, especially a US Morgan or Peace dollar.

Cartwheel Penny

A large penny from George III coinage.

Cellar Hole

The remains of a long-abandoned home with a basement. The best finds are usually around the cellar rather than inside it.

Chatter

The static-like noise a detector makes when it’s poorly tuned or when running with high sensitivity. It can also be caused by electrical interference or ground mineralization.

Clad

A term used for US coins made after 1964, consisting of layers of different metals, typically a copper core with a nickel-copper alloy outer layer.

Clad Magnet

A detectorist who frequently finds modern clad coins rather than older or more valuable coins.

Coil

The circular or oval-shaped part of the detector at the end of the shaft. It emits and receives signals to and from metal objects underground.

Coin Depth

A feature on some detectors that estimates how deep a detected coin or target is located in the ground.

Coinshooters

Detectorists who primarily search for coins rather than relics or other items.

Coinspill

A small group of coins found together in the same hole, often dropped accidentally by the same person.

Control Box

The part of the metal detector that houses the circuitry, display, and power source, typically connected to the coil by a shaft.

Copper

A term commonly used to refer to large copper coins, such as US large cents or colonial-era copper coins.

Crusty

A term used to describe a find, particularly a coin, that is heavily corroded or in poor condition due to being in the ground for a long time.

Cut Halves/Quarters

Hammered coins that were cut into halves or quarters to create smaller denominations for trade.

Decimal

Refers to the United Kingdom’s switch to a decimal-based currency system on February 15, 1971, where 100 pennies equals 1 pound.

Digger

The tool used to dig targets from the ground. It can also refer to the person using the detector.

Discrimination

A feature that allows the detector to ignore certain types of metal, such as iron, so that it only responds to more desirable targets like coins or jewelry.

Double D Coil

A type of search coil that consists of two overlapping D-shaped coils. This design provides better depth and target separation.

Double Struck

A minting error that occurs when a coin is struck twice with the die, resulting in a blurry or doubled image.

EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)

Interference caused by electrical sources such as power lines, radio towers, or underground cables, which can affect the performance of a metal detector.

False Signal

A signal that sounds like a legitimate target but is caused by interference, such as ground minerals or large pieces of rusted iron.

Ferrous

Metal that contains iron. Ferrous metals are often unwanted targets because they tend to rust and corrode, giving unreliable signals.

FID (Federation of Independent Detectorists)

An organization that represents metal detectorists, offering support, insurance, and guidance for those in the hobby.

Fill Dirt

Soil that has been brought in from another location, often used in construction. It can make detecting difficult as it may contain modern trash or cover older targets.

Find

A general term for anything found while metal detecting that is considered worth keeping.

Finds

Objects discovered while metal detecting that are considered valuable or of interest to the detectorist.

Fattie

A nickname for thicker US Indian Head pennies or Flying Eagle cents minted between 1859 and 1864.

Ferrous

Metal containing iron, which is typically magnetic and prone to rust. Often an unwanted target in detecting due to poor value.

FLO (Finds Liaison Officer)

An official who works with the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) in England and Wales to record and manage archaeological finds.

Full Band Spectrum (FBS)

A metal detecting technology that transmits and analyzes a broad range of frequencies, allowing for better detection of different target types and depths.

Grand Slam

A rare occurrence where a detectorist finds four different types of the same coin in one hunt. For example, finding a Shield Nickel, V Nickel, Buffalo Nickel, and War Nickel.

Gridding

A method of detecting where the user systematically moves back and forth over an area to ensure full coverage of the ground.

Ground Balance (GB)

A feature on metal detectors that adjusts for mineralization in the soil, improving the detector’s ability to locate targets in challenging conditions.

Grunt

The low, often unpleasant sound a detector makes when it detects iron or ferrous metals.

Hammered Coin

A hand-struck coin produced by placing a blank piece of metal between two dies and striking it with a hammer. Typically older, these are often found in the UK.

Hammy

Slang for a hammered coin, typically referring to ancient or medieval finds in the UK.

Heartstopper

A term used to describe a target that initially appears to be very valuable but turns out to be junk.

Hedge Fodder

An unwanted or disappointing find that a detectorist might toss into a hedge, often out of frustration for not finding something better.

High Tone

A sharp, high-pitched sound made by a detector when it locates a high-conductivity target, like silver or copper.

Hipmount

A method of wearing the detector’s control box on the hip using a belt, making it easier to swing the coil for long periods.

Hockey Puck

A small, circular coil used for detecting in areas with a lot of trash. It helps improve target separation in high-trash environments.

Hoard

A collection of valuable items, typically coins or jewelry, buried together and never recovered by the original owner.

Honey Hole

A secret spot where a detectorist consistently finds good targets.

Hot Rock

A rock containing higher mineralization than the surrounding soil, which can give off a false signal when detected.

Hunted Out

A site that has been heavily searched by detectorists, though no site is ever fully devoid of finds.

Hunting

A term for going metal detecting, often used casually to describe grabbing your detector and heading out to a site.

Iffy Signal

A signal that is unclear or inconsistent, but still hints at the possibility of a good target. Detectorists often dig these signals, hoping for something valuable.

Indian (Injun)

Slang for a US Indian Head cent, minted between 1859 and 1909.

Key Date

A coin from a specific year that had a low mintage, making it more valuable to collectors.

Lidar

A surveying method that uses laser light to measure distances, commonly used to create 3D representations of archaeological sites.

Long Cross

A type of hammered coin where the cross design extends to the edges. This was done to prevent people from clipping silver off the edges of the coin.

Masking

When a large or ferrous object causes a smaller, valuable target to be hidden from the detector’s signal, resulting in a missed target.

Milled Coins

Coins that were produced by machine, rather than by hand. These coins typically have a milled or grooved edge to prevent clipping.

Mint Mark

A small mark or letter on a coin that indicates where it was minted. For example, a “D” for Denver or “S” for San Francisco.

Motion Detector

A metal detector that requires the search coil to be in motion in order to detect a target.

Multi-Targets (Multi-Targs)

An area with a lot of signals or targets, making it a busy and often exciting place to detect.

Negative Mineralization

A condition in the soil that causes interference with the detector, often reducing its ability to detect targets at depth.

Newbie

A person who is new to the hobby of metal detecting.

Night Hawk

Someone who metal detects illegally, usually under cover of darkness, often on protected or private land.

Nine-Two-Five (925)

Refers to Sterling Silver, which is 92.5% pure silver.

Non-Ferrous

Metal that does not contain iron, such as gold, silver, or copper. These metals are generally more desirable for detectorists.

Notch Discrimination

A feature on metal detectors that allows users to reject a specific range of targets while still detecting targets above and below that range.

Obverse

The front side of a coin, typically where the head or main design is located.

On-Edge

A term used to describe a coin or object that is buried vertically in the ground, making it harder for the detector to recognize.

Overload

When a detector encounters a large metal object, causing the system to be overwhelmed and unable to process the signal properly.

Partifact

A fragment or piece of an artifact, usually broken away from its original form, but still valuable for historical understanding.

Pinpointer

A small, handheld metal detector used to accurately locate a target within the hole after the main detector has given a signal.

Pinpointing

The process of zeroing in on the exact location of a target using either the detector’s pinpoint mode or by sweeping the coil in an “X” pattern over the target.

PI (Pulse Induction)

A type of metal detector that uses pulse induction technology to detect all metals. This technology is often effective in highly mineralized soils or wet beach sand.

Plug

A neat, circular section of ground dug out to retrieve a target, which is then replaced to avoid damaging the site.

Positive Mineralization

The presence of mineral content in the soil that increases conductivity, often leading to better signals for targets.

Probe

A tool, often made of brass or with a brass tip, used to locate a target in the ground by touch before digging it out.

Pulltab Magnet

A metal detector that frequently identifies aluminum pull tabs as good signals, making it difficult to filter out junk targets.

Pulse Machine

A metal detector using pulse induction technology, often useful for detecting in highly mineralized areas such as beaches or saltwater environments.

Recovery Time

The amount of time it takes a detector to reset after detecting one target before it is ready to detect another, nearby target.

Relic Hunters

Detectorists who primarily search for historical artifacts, usually in fields, woods, or battle sites, rather than for coins or jewelry.

Repeatable Signal

A signal that can be consistently heard from different angles or sweeps, increasing the likelihood that the target is worth digging.

Return

The act of giving back an item found while detecting to its rightful owner, often a class ring or a lost piece of jewelry.

Reverse

The back or tails side of a coin, opposite the obverse or heads side.

Rosie

A slang term for the US silver Roosevelt dime, minted between 1946 and 1964.

Round Ball

A musket ball from a muzzle-loading firearm, often found at historical sites.

Saltwater Detection

A type of detecting that takes place near saltwater, usually requiring special detectors like pulse induction (PI) models to account for the high mineral content in the environment.

Sand Stuff

Slang for junk or unwanted items found while detecting on the beach, usually consisting of small pieces of metal or litter.

Scattered Hoard

A collection of coins or valuables that have been dispersed, often by plowing or natural events, making it harder to locate all the pieces.

Screamer

A loud, strong signal from the detector, often indicating a large or valuable target, such as a silver coin or piece of jewelry.

Seeded Hunt

A metal detecting event where valuable targets like coins or tokens are intentionally planted in the ground for detectorists to find.

Seated

A US coin from the Seated Liberty series, minted between 1837 and 1891, typically found as half dimes, dimes, quarters, or half dollars.

Sensitivity

A setting on metal detectors that controls how deeply it can detect targets. Increasing sensitivity may allow the detector to find deeper items but can also result in more false signals.

Shaft

The long, rod-like part of the metal detector that connects the search coil to the control box.

Shotty

A slang term for the metallic cap of a shotgun shell, commonly found by detectorists in fields and woods.

Signal

The sound or visual indication from a metal detector that alerts the user to a possible target beneath the ground.

Silent Search

A metal detecting mode where no threshold tone is heard, and the detector only sounds off when it detects a target.

Silver Edge / Reeded Edge

The grooved or textured edge of silver coins, which is often the first visible clue that a target might be a valuable find.

Skunked

A term used when a detectorist spends time searching but finds nothing valuable during a hunt.

Smoothie

A coin that is so worn down from age or environmental conditions that its details are difficult or impossible to identify.

Square Nail

An old, hand-forged iron nail with a square cross-section, often found at historical sites, indicating an old structure or building.

Strip Hunting

Detecting along the grassy area between a sidewalk and the street, often a productive spot for finding coins and other lost items.

Sweeping / Swinging

The motion of moving the metal detector’s coil side-to-side across the ground while searching for targets.

Target

An object in the ground that the metal detector signals as a possible find, whether valuable or junk.

Target ID / VDI

The numerical or visual display on some metal detectors that provides an indication of what the target might be, based on its conductivity.

Target Separation

The ability of a metal detector to differentiate between closely spaced objects, allowing the user to identify individual targets in a cluttered area.

Tear-Outs

Refers to areas where sidewalks or parking lots have been removed for repair or construction, revealing previously covered ground that may hold older finds.

Test Garden

An area where various metal objects are buried at known depths, allowing detectorists to test their machines’ capabilities and settings.

Three-Ringer

A Civil War-era Minié ball bullet with three distinctive rings around its base, often found at historical battle sites.

Threshold

A continuous background hum emitted by some detectors that helps users detect faint, deep signals. A change in the hum can indicate a target.

Tone ID

A feature on modern metal detectors that assigns different audio tones to various types of metal based on their conductivity. High tones are usually for high-conductivity targets like silver, while low tones are for low-conductivity items like gold or pull tabs.

Tot-Lot

A slang term for playground areas, often filled with mulch or sand, where people frequently drop coins and jewelry, making it a good detecting spot.

Trifecta

When a detectorist finds three coins of the same denomination but from different eras in one hunt, such as an Indian Head penny, Wheat penny, and a modern Lincoln cent.

Treasure Act 1996

The UK law that governs the reporting and ownership of precious metal finds. Under this act, certain finds must be reported to a local coroner for assessment.

Treasure Trove

The older legal term used before the Treasure Act 1996, which referred to valuable finds that were legally considered the property of the Crown.

Trash Pit

An area where garbage was historically discarded. These pits can sometimes hold interesting finds from daily life, including old bottles and relics.

Trashy Area

A detecting site littered with modern junk like pull tabs, bottle caps, and pieces of aluminum, making it harder to find valuable targets.

Virgin Site

A location that has never been metal detected before, offering a higher potential for good finds.

Visual ID

A feature on detectors that provides a visual indication of what a target might be, usually displayed as numbers, bars, or icons on the detector’s screen.

VLF (Very Low Frequency)

A common type of metal detector that operates at a low frequency, typically allowing for better discrimination between different types of metals, especially in non-mineralized soils.

Walker

A slang term for the US Walking Liberty half dollar, minted from 1916 to 1947, made of 90% silver.

Wet Sand

The area of a beach between the high tide and low tide lines, where the sand is damp and often requires specialized metal detectors for best results.

Wheatie

A slang term for a US wheat-back penny, minted between 1909 and 1958.

Whispers

Very faint signals given by deep or small targets, requiring an experienced ear to detect them.

Zincoln

A slang term for the US Lincoln cent made of zinc, typically found in poor condition due to the metal’s tendency to corrode quickly.

Wrap-Up

A term used for the process of laying out and reviewing all the finds made during a detecting session, often at the end of a hunt.

Zinc Penny

Refers to the post-1982 US Lincoln cent, which is made primarily of zinc with a copper coating. These coins corrode quickly and are often found in poor condition.

I’ve got a pretty solid list of metal detecting terms here, but let’s face it — no glossary is ever truly complete. If I’ve missed your favorite word or if there’s a term you think deserves a spot on this list, drop a comment below! Whether it’s a quirky slang or a technical term I’ve overlooked, I’d love to hear it. After all, we’re all here to keep learning and share the joys (and frustrations) of this brilliant hobby. So, don’t be shy — share your metal detecting lingo and let’s keep the conversation rolling!

Happy hunting! (And yes, I mean that both literally and figuratively).