Finding a Cache for Some Serious Cash

It’s every detectorist’s dream – you want to find the motherlode, the biggest cache the world has even seen. In reality, most of us won’t find that elusive cache, but it doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

That’s the beauty of metal detecting – any day might be the day you find something amazing.

If you want to find a cache, but you have no idea where to begin, here are some pointers to get you on your way.

Do Your Research

When you’re looking for a cache, you need to put in some legwork to increase your odds. Nearly every state has legends of missing treasures that you can follow up on. Illinois, for instance, has the legend of Colonel Clark’s lost silver.

Even if you’re not aware of any potential caches in your state, a quick Google search will likely turn up several for you to pursue.

Consult any old maps you can find and read every obscure, out-of-print book you stumble across. Channel your inner detective and follow every lead you can turn up.

They Can Be Anywhere

A cache can come in many forms – it can be a treasure chest, a jar of coins or a container stuffed with old bills. And the best part is that you can find a cache anywhere throughout the U.S.

And, even if you can’t find any good leads, remember that many people a century ago would bury their own valuables on their properties for safekeeping. With one hour of metal detecting, you could be the lucky one who uncovers those riches.

So even if you can’t get access to your dream site, don’t rule out a seemingly ordinary one because treasure can be anywhere.

Show Up Equipped

Once you have a potential treasure site in mind, you need to assess what kind of equipment you’ll need. You can’t just bring your standard metal detector and hand trowel and hope it will be enough.

Check on the type of soil you’ll be digging in. Is it highly mineralized? If so, you might need a better detector than the one you currently own.

You’ll need to factor in the depth too. If your current detector only hits small signals at a depth of 8 inches and larger items only a foot down, that isn’t going to cut it. You’ll likely need to invest in an expensive equipment upgrade.

It can cost thousands of dollars to buy a machine that will detect targets several feet down. If you don’t have that kind of cash to spend on hunting a cache, you may need to consider adding a partner. If you know another detectorist who has state-of-the-art equipment, ask him if he would be interested in a partnership.

If you don’t know him very well, you may want to put a contract in writing to make sure you don’t get double crossed or that there isn’t litigation in case you do find something.

While it might stink to split the monetary value of your cache, if you don’t have the right equipment, you’ll never find it in the first place. Getting half of a fortune is better than receiving all of nothing.

Be Prepared for a Challenge

If only a cache like this existed. Most caches are small and come in dirty glass jars or tins. And sometimes it’s a nice little coin spill. We take what we can get!

Although there are rare cases where a new detectorist happens to stumble upon a cache just by dumb luck, that is the exception, not the rule. Most people who find caches put in some serious hard work before they find their treasure.

So don’t give up if you don’t succeed at first. Keep trying, keep researching and eventually you might find the cache of your dreams. And if you don’t, you’ve likely found other items that were worth your time and you’ve had a great adventure along the way.