Over 50 Years Of Metal Detecting & Gold Prospecting

[Steve Herschbach]

Man, what a ride! I got my first metal detector when I was 14 years old, a White’s Coinmaster 4, in 1972 . I was already an avid gold prospector by that time, so I went on my first nugget hunt with a metal detector in 1973 at Moore Creek, Alaska. Moore Creek was to figure very large in my life decades later, but that first nugget hunt was a bust. I panned about 1/4 ounce of chunky gold out of the little gully pictured, but the Coinmaster 4, even with the 4” Gold Probe, simply was not up to the task.

I decided there were better ways to find gold and became a serious gold dredger, with my metal detecting reserved for coins, jewelry, and relics. It was not until 1989 that I found my first gold nugget with a metal detector.

First try detecting gold with a metal detector 1973

I co-founded a business in 1976 selling gold dredges and metal detectors. I’m retired now but that business is still going strong 47 years later as a premier powersports dealer with three locations. Creating that business with my partner, helping support hundreds of employee families for all those years and eventually converting it to an employee owned company, will stand as one of the greatest achievements in my life. It also was my way to be deeply involved in metal detecting as a profession by being a multi line dealer. That lead to working with most of the major manufacturers first testing, and later being involved on the front end of the development of a number of well known detectors. These include the Garrett Infinium, White's TDI, Fisher F75, Garrett ATX, Nokta FORS Gold, Makro Racer, Makro Gold Racer, Makro Gold Kruzer, plus Minelab SDC 2300, GPZ 7000, Gold Monster 1000, Equinox, Vanquish, GPX 6000, Manticore, White’s/Garrett Goldmaster 24K, and finally Garrett Axiom.

Like I said, it’s been a heck of a ride! Eleven years ago I left my home in Alaska to reside in Reno, NV. In some ways I view the few years that followed as “peak detecting” for me. I was deeply involved in GPZ 7000 testing and so had the benefit of being the first to use it on many Nevada and California gold locations. I was in my prime physically, lean, tough, and able to swing a GPZ 7000 from sunrise to sunset without pause. I did just that and spent weeks at a time camped out on various gold patches, and added a couple pounds of some pretty spectacular gold to my safe deposit box.

In my prime

In the last few years I fell into a fortuitous relationship with Garrett Metal Detectors. I kind of wanted to wrap up my career working with the companies by helping a U.S. manufacturer, and Garrett is about the last left that’s serious about staying in the business. It was a wise decision, as they are really great down home people to associate with and I’ve had a ball working with them.

The years are catching up with me though. Severe arthritis in both hips brought me to a near stop a few years ago. Having both hips replaced a year and a half ago has given me a second lease on life, and lead to a lot of reflection and appreciation for the gifts I’ve been given in life. Not least being a wonderful wife and a couple daughters, both here with me in the Reno area. My wife still works full time as a teacher, probably will until they carry her out feet first. As such I’ve settled more into supporting her however I can as house husband and help mate. She deserves everything I can give her at this point for putting up with me and my nonsense. A real gem for sure.

Metal detecting is just not what it used to be for me. I admit I’ve been spoiled, and got to live through the very best years that detecting has to offer. I’ve found many pounds of gold with a metal detector, including two 6.5 ounce gold nuggets. I lost count of the 1-3 ounce nuggets I found. Piles of gold and platinum rings. My best coins are from Roman times and into the 1700s. My best relic is a 3500 year old Bronze Age axe head in good condition. I’ve metal detected in many states and countries around the world, and have met and worked with many movers and shakers in the metal detector industry over the years.

Yes, quite a ride indeed, and one that I was wise enough to document with stories and photos over the years at Steve’s Mining Journal. My memory for the past is not the greatest, so I wrote those stories as much for me as anything, and I’m very glad now I did. Check them out if you are interested, there is a books worth of stories there.

I don’t believe at grasping at things, and long ago decided I wanted to age gracefully, accepting the changes that life brings. I’m of an age and of a mindset where I am grateful for every day I have now, and very satisfied to have lived life well and to the fullest. I’ve seen and done amazing things, and even my darkest moments I see now had silver linings. It was not all easy, and frankly I’m lucky to be here. There were times in the depths of alcoholism when I thought of just ending it all. Yet now, many alcohol free years after rehab I am grateful for my time in darkness, as it’s given me perspectives and humility I never would have had otherwise. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m some kind of super duper person when I tell my life stories. No, I’m just a regular Joe that was pretty clueless about a lot of things, and if I succeeded at all, it was as much despite myself as anything else.

Somehow it all worked out, and I’m as content and as happy as I think it’s possible to be. When it comes to gold prospecting and metal detecting though, I am pretty much wrapping it up and putting a bow on it. My focus now is more on my wife and family, my garden and my four lovable wiener dogs, and quite a bit of time spent playing RPG games on my computer, a guilty joy I avoided for years. I’m certainly not done metal detecting and gold prospecting, but compared to the all consuming thing it was ten years ago, now I’d say I’m a casual detectorist just looking to get out now and then. I won’t say no when things come my way, but it’s no longer something I’m actively pursuing.

That’s it really. I just wanted to reflect a little, and also explain why I’ll be less visible in the metal detecting world than in the past. I’ll be here, keeping things running, posting now and then. But by and large where the forum goes is dependent far more now on you all than on me. As long as people are interested and keep posting I’ll invest my time and a little money in keeping it going. I want to put up my personal finds gallery, my own little online museum, so will get around to that sooner or later. Other than that, thanks for your interest and posts on the forum as it’s the people posting that will keep it alive. Best wishes to you all.

Steve Herschbach

Perhaps the nicest gold nugget/specimen I ever found, 1.83 ounces in 2014 with a Nokta FORS Gold…

 

 

[Digalicious]

I've learned a lot from your posts, your Treasure Talk articles, etc.

Your contribution to this hobby is phenomenal. Thank you 🙂

[beatup]

good on you Steve

[GB_Amateur]

23 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Yes, quite a ride indeed, and one that I was wise enough to document with stories and photos over the years at Steve’s Mining Journal. My memory for the past is not the greatest, so I wrote those stories as much for me as anything, and I’m very glad now I did. Check them out if you are interested, there is a books worth of stories there.

More like several books' worth.  I've always gotten a chuckle when people here have said "Steve, you ought to write a book."  It's all here, for free!  Thank you for sharing your knowledge so generously.

[Jeff McClendon]

Thanks Steve!!!!!

I visit this forum several times a day either to post something, read what others have to say about their detecting life, and most of all learn and then learn some more about this really cool hobby that I am still addicted to. I could be addicted to other things that aren't nearly as healthy so this metal detecting addiction is one that I plan to keep for a while longer.

Thanks especially for promoting and helping to keep this forum alive and non-affiliated with much of the drama that other forums and social media engage in every moment. I really appreciate a safe place to learn how to metal detect and to find lost treasures both in the ground and on this forum.

[phrunt]

It was this forum that got me started with metal detecting, I have a lot of spare time on my hands and was looking for something to do, reading about the adventures of those using detectors sounded pretty exciting, reading peoples stories about finds and adventures in Alaska which is very similar to here really appealed to me and so my metal detecting life began. 

I signed up, asked questions about what to buy and how to do it and everyone was very welcoming and helpful.  This forum was a life changer for me, so it is appreciated.  It's like the ideal world, where everyone is helpful and nice to each other.  It's people that made this place what it is and your guidance and setting the ultimate example of how people should act has made it the place that it is, thanks Steve.

It sounded a bit like you're quitting detecting for a while there, but it is more like you're becoming one of us, just a user that can kick back and enjoy it rather than having all the pressures on you doing the product testing and working with manufacturers.  You were involved in all of my favourite metal detectors so I appreciate that, if all I had was a GPZ and Equinox I'd be content.

[Steve Herschbach]

47 minutes ago, phrunt said:

It sounded a bit like you're quitting detecting for a while there, but it is more like you're becoming one of us, just a user that can kick back and enjoy it rather than having all the pressures on you doing the product testing and working with manufacturers. 

Spot on Simon. It’s been great working with the manufacturers and being able to move the needle a little in where the tech goes. I’m particularly proud of my work on the Equinox 800 as it fulfilled to a large degree a vision I had for what a metal detector should be. The fact is however that it is work and diverted from detecting I might have been doing otherwise.

With gold nugget detecting also it was halfway a job for me, a second income. Literally. I had a business license and ran my prospecting as a straight up for profit business from about 1980 until a couple years ago. I only lost money maybe twice in all those years, when I sunk a lot of money into gear in a couple given years. But otherwise I was tracking all expenses and showing a profit, and it was something I pointed my wife at. “I’m not doing this just for fun, I’m paying bills” and it did for a long time. Everything was going through a metal calculator aimed at profit. I have to say though it kept me going and kept me finding when otherwise I might have quit and gone home. Which I tend to do now! Now I’m purely out for fun and a good time, with zero consideration or care about what it cost. I’m now officially a hobby detectorist. 

[abenson]

Dang Steve you have about 10 years more than I do in this wonderful hobby. I've been on this forum for about 7 years and only really participated in any discussions for about 3 or 4. But I have enjoyed every minute of it. Everyone on here is helpful and encouraging when it comes to learning about metal detecting.

Steve you have and still are a great asset to the metal detecting hobby. The list of metal detectors you've help develop in one way or another is telling or your knowledge when it comes to this hobby. I've enjoyed getting to know you, and you have giving me more tips and tricks pertaining to gold prospecting that you'll ever know. The few outings I've been on with you have been nothing short of amazing and educational. I've enjoyed all your stories and discussions as we've sat around freezing or sweating our butts off in the Nevada desert. Hopefully I'll be able to coax you into getting out a few more times before you totally hang it up.

[jasong]

I hope you enjoy retirement Steve and thanks for creating this forum here as well as your work on detectors many of us use today. Prior to the time you created it, I had given up on participating in the other gold detecting communities. The Alaska forum which I really enjoyed went away around then too, so it seemed like there wasn't many places left out there to talk to like minded people for a time until you created this place.

You gave somewhere to go for people who just wanted to concentrate on prospecting and detecting, and talk with other people about stuff we all have in common and are all interested in. 

Good luck with everything, maybe run into you out in the field again sometime! Remember to take a breath from the RPG's now and then and get out into the mountains, I had to force myself to stop playing Everquest and Unreal Tournament when I was in school just to get anything done and get outta there. 😁

[Kostas 13]

Steve, I want to thank you for the knowledge you have selflessly offered us through the forum, you are a romantic and honest person who analyzes everything objectively, I wish the metal detector world had more people like you.