Metal Detecting & Prospecting Library

This page has links to a collection of online "books" about prospecting and metal detecting subjects of interest. Most of these were actual printed books or brochures that are now available as html or pdf documents. In the case of pdf documents especially you can download and save these creating your own library of essential information. Many of these are out of print and hard to find so we are very lucky they are being scanned and made available on the internet. Be sure to also visit Steve's Guides - articles about basic metal detecting and gold prospecting subjects collected from forum posts on this website over the years.

Metal Detecting

• How Metal Detectors Work by Mark Rowan & William Lahr - Originally published by White's Electronics as a booklet P/N 621-0395. Basic technical information on how induction balance and pulse induction metal detectors work.
• Metal Detector Basics and Theory by Bruce Candy - Bruce is a co-founder of Minelab and the man behind their most advanced designs. This information delves into much greater detail than the above link and has many more illustrations and diagrams.
• Metal Detecting Terminology - Metal detecting terminology and definitions, with an emphasis on Minelab technology wording and descriptions.
• The Sport of Coin Hunting by Charles Garrett. The basics of finding coins with metal detectors. The author designed and built his own metal detectors, and Garrett Electronics was established in 1964 to manufacture and market his inventions.
• How To Search Sand & Surf by Charles Garrett. Treasure recovery at the beach including coins and jewelry.
• Introduction to European Metal Detecting by Charles Garrett. Metal detecting for coins and relics in Europe. The author designed and built his own metal detectors, and Garrett Electronics was established in 1964 to manufacture and market his inventions.
• Gold Prospecting with a VLF Metal Detector by Dave Johnson. Dave is the Chief Designer for First Texas Products and has been involved in designing most of the VLF gold prospecting detectors sold over the last 30 years. This is an excellent primer on using VLF detectors to prospect for gold.
• Coil Size vs Detection Depth by Carl Moreland, on this website forum. A chart with notes from PI guru Eric Foster illustrates the relationship between coil size and depth on PI detectors.
• The History of Metal Detectors, with Emphasis on Gold Prospecting from First Texas (Bounty Hunter, Fisher, Teknetics) by Dave Johnson. A talk given to the El Paso Chapter of the GPAA February 12, 2008.
• Metal Detecting Technologies for Gold Prospecting from First Texas (Bounty Hunter, Fisher, Teknetics) by Dave Johnson. A short essay of key technologies for gold nugget detecting.
• Understanding the PI Metal Detector by Reg Sniff. An excellent, understandable primer on pulse induction metal detectors.
• Metal Detector Information - Get lots of great answers to basic detecting questions along with info and field reviews of Tesoro detectors.
• Common Questions About Metal Detecting from White's Electronics.
• Fisher Intelligence 5th Edition by Thomas Dankowski. Thought provoking articles on aspects of metal detecting not often talked about.
• Advanced Nugget Hunting with the Fisher Gold Bug Metal Detector by Pieter Heydelaar and David Johnson. This out-of-print book is a good basic text on nugget detecting. Although it uses the original Fisher Gold Bug as an example the information applies to most nugget detectors. Part 2 by David Johnson is an excellent primer on hot rocks.
• The Painful Truth by Thomas Dankowski - There is more good stuff left to be found but hidden from current technology - read why. A follow up to Dankowskis classic Beneath The Mask article.
• Head-To-Head Comparison Testing by Thomas Dankowski. It is not as easy as it looks! Why people get different results testing metal detectors, and how to do it properly.
• Halo Effect & Related Ground Oddities - from Fisher by Dave Johnson. An explanation of factors that can possibly enhance detector depth - myth or reality?
• White’s MXT Engineering Guide - by Dave Johnson. An inside look at the metal detector design process, with details about the White’s MXT and GMT models.
• An Engineers Guide to the Spectrum XLT - by Mark Rowan. The details behind the design of the innovative White’s SignaGraph display, first used in the Spectrum XLT detector.
• Steve's Guides - Articles about basic metal detecting and gold prospecting subjects.
• Metal Detector User Guides & Catalogs - User guides, catalogs and brochures from various manufacturers.

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Prospecting

• Determining Where To Prospect For Nuggets 2017 Detector Prospector Forum article by Steve Herschbach
• How To Find Gold Metal Detecting & Panning by Charles Garrett. The basics of gold panning and metal detecting for gold nuggets. The author designed and built his own metal detectors, and Garrett Electronics was established in 1964 to manufacture and market his inventions.
• Handbook of Geophysical Prospecting Methods for the Alaskan Prospector A dated but still realistic summary of electronic deices used in the prospecting industry, aimed at the individual prospector.
• Geophysics For Mineral Exploration - A Manual For Prospectors A more recent publication that updates the one above, read both.
• Principal Gold Producing Districts of the United States 1968 USGS Professional Paper 610 by A. H. Koschmann and M. H. Bergendahl - A description of the geology, mining history, and production of the major gold-mining districts in 21 states.
• Placer Deposits of Alaska 1973 USGS Bulletin 1374 by Edward H. Cobb - An inventory of the placer mines and prospects of Alaska, their history and geologic setting.
• Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska 1967 USGS Bulletin 1246 by Henry C. Berg and Edward H. Cobb - An inventory of the mines and prospects of Alaska and their geologic settings.
• Gold Prospecting Research Material for Alaska - Detailed prospecting resources for Alaska.
• Placer Gold Deposits of Arizona 1972 USGS Bulletin 1355 by Maureen G. Johnson - A catalog of location, geology, and production with lists of annotated references pertaining to the placer districts.
• Gold Placers and Placering in Arizona 1961 Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology Bulletin 168 by Eldred D. Wilson
• Gold Districts of California 1970 California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 193 by William B. Clark. A relatively up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the gold deposits of California.
• The Tertiary Gravels of the Sierra Nevada of California 1911 USGS Professional Paper 73 by Waldemar Lindgren. A California geology classic. An account of the Tertiary formations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the origin and distribution of the gold-bearing (auriferous) gravels.
• Placer Gold in Southwestern Colorado 1960 by Ben H. Parker, Jr. - Excerpted from The Geology of the Gold Placers of Colorado, an unpublished doctoral dissertation of the Colorado School of Mines.
• Placer Gold Deposits of Nevada 1973 USGS Bulletin 1356 by Maureen G. Johnson - A catalog of location, geology, and production with lists of annotated references pertaining to the placer districts.
• Placer Gold Deposits of New Mexico 1972 USGS Bulletin 1348 by Maureen G. Johnson - A catalog of location, geology, and production with lists of annotated references pertaining to the placer districts.
• Placer Gold Deposits of Utah 1973 USGS Bulletin 1357 by Maureen G. Johnson - A catalog of location, geology, and production with lists of annotated references pertaining to the placer districts.
• Placer Examination Principles And Practice - 1969 BLM Technical Bulletin 4 by John H. Wells - The classic work on evaluating precious metal placer deposits.

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