How Deep Can A Metal Detector Find Treasure?

In this video, Merrill (Metal Detecting NYC) explores how deep metal detectors can reach, and what factors help and limit metal detectors reach as deep as possible.

Tools I Use & Important Links

Chapters:

Hi, my name is Merrill Kazanjian. New York City is an amazing place to go metal detecting. We have lots of parks, colonial history and great beaches for beach detecting. I have gone to all five boroughs of New York City To Metal Detect and beyond. I also currently own 22 metal detectors. I want to have the best and I want to help you choose the best as well. Below I will showcase some of the playlists on this channel:

By Metal Detector:
Minelab Soveriegn: (Coming Soon)

I have a playlist of metal detecting videos to teach metal detecting. The videos in the playlist below are specifically made to teach the skills and mindset to becoming a great metal detectorist.

I am a treasure hunter. So in addition to metal detecting, I go mudlarking at sites in New York City. Think of mudlarking as metal detecting without a metal detector.

Playlist By New York City Borough:
Long Island:

Cleaning Metal Detecting/Mudlarking Finds:

Other Playlists:

[MetalDetectingNYC]

The GOAL is 75, 000 subscribers by 12/31/25. Please help me get there! Thank you!

[davidbenjamin]

A few years ago a friend bought a minelab etrac as his first detector. He asked me to help him set it up. We went to a local beach and began to search the dry sand area. My sovereign gt with 10 inch tornado coil picked up a quiet but consistent signal at full sensitivity. Before digging it I called him over. His etrac couldn't find it in any preset or custom setting. So I carefully dug it so we could measure how deep it was. At 20 inches I found a £1 coin on edge. Pretty impressive

[GOEBOT]

You are a natural born teacher professor merrell! I always appreciate the education! Happy new year!

[benbogg]

Best teaching video this far Merrill. Been explaining this to people for decades, it goes in one ear and out the other for the most part. Thanks for putting it in "average person's" language. Hope to see you in chicago again!

[MineCache]

Love hearing about those beach finds! Sand must be easier to dig through than my backyard.

[stevelopes]

I love this channel! From a fellow "East coaster" who looks forward to each down to earth, informative, and entertaining video. I am completely new to metal detecting, and by far this is my favorite channel. I picked up your guide for the Legend as well! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, experience, and humor!

[treasurearth]

I always watching and learning on your videos !! And love the supercomputer you used was the "Deus 2", and I agree awesome computing power with the Deus :). Thanks for sharing and all the Very Best in 2025 !!

[Cacherminnstars]

I just became a Member. Been a subscriber for sometime now and you have taught me a lot and made me laugh even more. Thanks Merrill!

[Afterburner]

Hi Merrill - I am a ham radio operator and it is well known that antennas near saline conditions also have better performance due to the salts in the water acting as a ground plane to enhance transmission of radio signals. Given that metal detectors are, in fact, a modified form of radio transmitter and receiver, it is not surprising to see the same benefits arise for we detectorists. 73 (best regards) de (from) KK6IQK.

[JustineGuzowski]

I learned a lot-again! Thanks, Merrill & Happy New Year.

[brendansansom]

Excellent video Merrill, really easy to follow what is a pretty complex topic! Can see why you are a teacher 👌👌
Can totally relate to this after finding a Bronze Age Hoard recently (Axe Heads, Spearheads etc) using multi frequency the target could be heard but switching to only using a single 5KHz frequency this made a huge difference to how the target sounded, knowing that there is plenty of iron contamination in the ground. Top of the hoard was around 18 inches in depth.

Keep up the excellent work 👍👍

[melparker]

You hit the nail on the head with this video, good job. Also coils are antennas, the larger the coil the more subject to EMI you are.

[michaelzsizseri]

Thank you, Merle. Always learn something from your videos. Really enjoy them. Happy New Year to you and your family. Happy hunting I hope you'll find a Big chunk of Gold.

[ththMech]

A 14 inch crushed can with a Whites Coinmaster. 8 or 9 inch coil. The ground was moist fill with a lot of clay. Recently, a partially rusted sewing needle about 6 inches with a Equinox 800. It haloed when it rusted I guess. Took forever to find it. Also a cinder, burned coal, dump will make your day. Big hit, nothing there. It is like a ground up hot rock or something. Liked the video and subscribed.

[vinxmod]

Great Video, Well Done ... when Metal Detecting I wish to wear a T-Shirt that has your statement at 7.58 on it ...
"Iron is the Stuff that Actually Blows Up Stars and Masks Metal Detecting Signals"
... PERFECTLY describes the two most important scientific items to remember about IRON 🙂

[hawleygriffin]

My deepest coin is a 1902 Barber Half found in the early 1980's with a Garrett ADSII and a 12" coil. Found on a golf course, in the winter with a light dusting of snow on top of the ground. The top 2" of the ground was frozen. The snow was nice because we always "scrubbed" our coils. It settled the snow into the grass and it was easy to see where we'd been. There had been a dance hall in the 8th fairway prior to building the golf course in 1928. I was using a hammer and a 1½ inch wide wood chisel to hammer a pretty big square plug out of frozen ground to get to the soft dirt underneath, which was moist. I was almost to my elbow which would put it at about 14-15". Still have it. Smooth and worn, probably lost just before they tore the dance hall down and built the course.

[Mike-thx]

OK, check this, Parrot fish eat coral and poop sand ! Which is just digested coral which is or was a living organism. So there ya go.👍✌️👌🤯
Thanks for the info on coils. I'm just learning and not sure how to pick out a detector. I live in Las Vegas so lots of sand, clay, and the dreaded caliche

[MetalDetectingMermaid]

Very cool and informative video. Thank you for all the education you offer. This was really interesting.

[dannybell]

Happy new year M.. May the new year hold thousands of treasures of your rescuing

[TheMedicalDetectorist]

Thanks for the great info as usual! Happy New Year! Here’s a perfect wine I discovered for Metal Detectorists …it’s called: Iron and Sand Cabernet😂