6 Best Metal Detecting Finds in Connecticut 

Ever wondered what secrets lie beneath Connecticut’s soil? Uncover the whispers of history with each beep of your metal detector. Join us on a treasure hunt through time!

Are you from the lovely state of Connecticut? This place in the Midwest is perfect for anyone who loves metal detecting and wants to discover new things. 

In 2016, after a lot of research, I took a flight to this wonderful state. Once I got to Connecticut, I began uncovering hidden treasures from the soil. 

I spent three weeks metal detecting and was thrilled by the treasures and the beautiful spots I found them in. I learned that certain finds are quite common in Connecticut. 

Now, I want to share with you the best treasures you can find in Connecticut, based on what I learned and the information from local metal detecting experts.

So, here are the best metal detecting finds in Connecticut,

1. Coins and Tokens
2. Jewelry and Adornments 
3. Military Artifacts
4. Colonial Era Artifacts 
5. Native American Artifacts 
6. Industrial Artifacts 

But that’s just a quick snapshot of the question!

So, in this article, I’ll go through all te best metal detecting finds in Connecticut with their historical values and how you can detect them using the right techniques.

I want to give you some locations where you can find these items more commonly in Connecticut. 

Apart from that, I want to share some of the tips and tricks I used during metal detecting in Connecticut to achieve the maximum out of every metal detecting session. 

So, there will be a fantastic surprise for you who wait until the end. 

Let’s jump in!

Best Metal Detecting Finds In Connecticut 

As you already know Connecticut is filled with treasures.

So, let’s discuss the best findings you will meet while metal detecting in Connecticut in detail.

Just keep reading!

1. Coins and Tokens

Coins and Tokens are one of the most common things found anywhere in the United States of America. 

It is also true in Connecticut, and these found coins and different tokens can be differentiated into various eras and periods according to their outer appearances and various other criteria. 

One such criterion for categorizing these coins is the period that these coins were used. 

Primarily, the coins are categorized as native American currency, colonial-era coins, civil war era coins, and modern coins according to this classification. 

One of the most common coins, abundantly found anywhere across Connecticut, is the trade coins and tokens belonging to different nations that came to America for trade relationships. 

These were prominent from the late 1700s to the mid-1900s. Due to the vast period these were in, the distribution of these coins is massive. 

These are easy to identify among the other items as these will look different than the regular coins you will find in any era because most of these coins belong to different nations. 

As these belong to their nations, the economic potential for generating revenue immediately by selling these is low in these coins. 

But if you come across an antique collector who values these items, you will be able to value them highly. 

Here are some of the locations in Connecticut you need to visit if you are interested in finding these trade coins, 

• Litchfield Historical Society in the Litchfield area in Litchfield County 
• Norwalk Historic Site in the Norwalk area in Fairfield County 
• Lebanon Historical Site in Lebanon area in New London County 
• Fairfield Museum and surrounding areas in Fairfield area in Fairfield County 
• Milford Historical area in Milford area in Haven County

Most of these items lie in historically significant locations, so you might need particular permission to detect these items in Connecticut. 

Further, you must report these items to the local authorities before claiming ownership. 

Other types of coins that are found commonly in Connecticut are colonial-era coins and tokens. As the name suggests, these belong to the colonial era, roughly from the early 1700s to the mid-1800s. 

With different nations claiming the land of the United States of America, many monuments were left by these nations. 

Under the colonial periods, one such important monument left behind was coins. 

Most of these coins were made from pure substances, mostly pure gold or silver. Later, they stopped producing gold coins and started using brass and copper coins. 

However, these coins have a high economic value as well as a historical and cultural value. The economic value is also high as these were directly used on American soil. 

Here are some of the locations that you should visit if you are planning to detect some of these colonial-era coins by metal detecting in Connecticut, 

• Old Wethersfield Historic District in the Wethersfield area in Hartford County.
• Historic Waterfront District in New London area in New London County 
• Downtown Milford Historical District area in Milford, New Haven County 
• Downtown Hartford area in Hartford on Hartford County 
• Litchfield Historic District in the Litchfield area in Litchfield County.

Most of these locations are considered historically significant locations. 

So it is better to have a valid metal detecting permit before you head out to metal detect in these places. 

But most of the time you don’t need to have a permit to metal detect in certain areas of Connecticut, especially the state parks.

Furthermore, know all the laws regarding claiming these items you found by metal detecting. 

Read to know the Best Places to Metal Detect in Connecticut!

2. Jewelry and Adornments 

Apart from the coins and tokens, jewelry is the second most common thing in any state across the United States of America. 

Jewelry and adornments were used heavily in early history, mainly during the colonial era. 

Before the colonial era, even though there was jewelry, most of this jewelry was not made of metal items. Most of the jewelry was made out of pottery and various other items. 

After British and Spanish conquerors claimed the land of America, they started influencing the daily life of the American people. 

The wives of famous officers and military ranks always wore heavy jewelry daily. 

Influenced by these, ordinary people also started wearing heavy, valuable jewelry items. Most of these jewelry items were made of pure substances, mostly pure gold. 

Apart from pure gold, pure silver. Brass copper and stainless steel are the other typical substituents in making these Jewelry items. 

During later stages, when war broke out heavily, most of these jewelry items were either lost or looted by revolutionists. 

Some artifacts of this jewelry remain in the soil layers of Connecticut. Parts of jewelry and some total jewelry items like rings, earrings, anklets, and necklaces could still be found in some places. 

These have a high economic value as most of these items are made out of pure gold. To go along with that, most of the jewelry has large gemstones attached to them. 

But these are under highly preserved land areas. And even though you manage to find this item by metal detecting, you will have to return it once you report these items to the authorities. 

These represent a particular part of American history, and those items don’t belong to a single person but the entire nation. 

Here are some of the locations that you can visit if you are interested in finding some fantastic jewelry pieces worn by colonial times, 

• Elizabeth Park in Hartford area in Hartford County.
• Walnut Beach in the Milford area in New Haven County.
• Wickham Park in the Manchester area in Hartford County.
• Bushnell Park in Hartford area in Hartford County.
• Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, New London County. 

Check out the Best Beaches in Connecticut to Metal Detect!

3. Military Artifacts

There were two significant war eras in the history of the United States. 

Those two wars were the Revolutionary War to reclaim the land that the colonialists and the Great Civil War forcefully held. 

These two battles claimed many lives as well as different physical damage to the country. 

These physical damages were covered by time and now can be considered artifacts and detected by metal detectors. 

Revolutionary war took place from 1775-1783. During these nine years, many lives were lost, and many monuments were destroyed. 

From those monuments, as metal detectors, we can be excited and interested in the metal items discarded in that era. 

Military buttons, musket balls, parts of weapons, and other metallic relics belonging to those periods can be heavily found in Connecticut. 

These items will have historical and cultural importance rather than economic importance. 

But if you come across someone who collects items from these eras, you can turn these found items for a few bucks. 

Here are some locations that you have to check in Connecticut if you are interested in finding Revolutionary War artifacts,

• Putnam Memorial State Park in Redding, Fairfield County
• Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park in Groton, New London County
• Nathan Hale Homestead in Coventry, Tolland County
• Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum and surrounding areas in Wethersfield, Hartford County
• Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine in East Granby, Hartford County

The Civil War took place from the 1860s to the late 1860s. This war also took some lives as well as damaged lots and lots of property. 

Items we can categorize into the Civil War era are military buttons, buckles, bullets, and other associated items from the Civil War times. 

These items also don’t have a high economic value but rather a historical and cultural value. 

But if you can find a collector obsessed with these military items, you might be able to turn these items for a good amount of money. 

Here are some locations that you should check out if you are in Connecticut to find Civil War-era military items, 

• Connecticut State Capitol Grounds in Hartford, Hartford County
• Antiques Marketplace in Putnam, Windham County
• Colchester Historic District in Colchester, New London County
• Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine in East Granby, Hartford County
• Lebanon Historical Society Museum & Visitor Center in Lebanon, New London County

4. Colonial Era Artifacts 

Colonial Era artifacts are relics and other stuff belonging to the heavy colonial past in the United States of America. 

These items mainly include silverware, Jewelry, household goods from colonial times, buckles, buttons, and other accessories used in their costumes. 

These are of high historical value rather than any commercial or economic value. But if you turn this into an antique shop, you can find a good amount for these items. 

Most of the items found from these eras are made of pure substances. Mostly pure silver or gold. Because of these, sometimes they can be valued highly, too. 

Here are some of the locations that you should visit if you are interested in finding out colonial-era artifacts,

• Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, New London County
• Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, Windham County
• Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby, New Haven County
• Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden and its surroundings in Bethlehem, Litchfield County
• Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, Hartford County

5. Native American Artifacts 

Native American settlements were somewhat abundant in Connecticut. You can track down these locations if you follow a water source or a good place for shelter. 

These items primarily include metallic items used in shielding and building and metallic weapon parts like blades of axes, knives, and arrowheads. 

These might hold historical importance as well as high cultural importance. 

Due to their high cultural importance, these must be kept from their original locations. So, even if you manage to uncover these, you cannot claim ownership over these items. 

Here are some of the locations you need to visit if you are interested in finding native American artifacts in Connecticut,

• Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center and its surroundings in  Mashantucket, New London County
• Institute for American Indian Studies and its surroundings in Washington, Litchfield County
• Mohegan Park in Norwich, New London County
• Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, New Haven County
• Windsor Historical Society in Windsor, Hartford County

6. Industrial Artifacts

There was a rich industrial past belonging to Connecticut. During the early 1900s to late 1900s, the state was a powerhouse in the nation’s industrialization. 

You can detect some artifacts of this era, like machinery parts, tools, cogs and wheels, and other associated metal parts.

These might be of historical value rather than economic value. 

Here are some of the locations that you need to visit if you are interested in finding out about these industrial artifacts from Connecticut,

• American Precision Museum in Windsor, Windsor County
• Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, New London County
• Museum of Connecticut History in Hartford, Hartford County
• Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry in Storrs, Tolland County
• Connecticut River Museum in Essex, Middlesex County 

Congrats folks! Now you know sty best metal detecting finds in Connecticut with the locations where you can find them.

Now I’m going to share with you some tips that I learned while metal detecting in Connecticut to find cool treasures without making any mistakes.

Some of the below tips were collected from local expert detectorists by interviewing them during the time I was there in 2016.

So, just keep reading! 

Tips For Metal Detecting In Connecticut 

Here are some of the tips and tricks I frequently use when detecting metal in unknown territories. Follow these tips to elevate your metal-detecting game to the next level.

Research

Before going on metal-detecting trips, conduct a thorough research session on the area you will detect. 

Half of the work is done if you know the area well, and you will succeed in the field.  

Metal Detector

The next tip to having instant success is to have a metal detector that is trustworthy to you. By that, I mean a metal detector that you know the insides of. 

When you are familiar with the metal detector, even if you encounter a whole new situation, you will tackle that quickly by changing settings and adjusting the metal detector accordingly. 

Technique

When metal detecting, each and everyone should have a specific technique. This technique couldn’t be taught by someone else. 

You must practice and become used to a specific technique that works for you and is repeatable over long periods. 

Near New London, Connecticut, there’s rumored to be a hidden treasure from a damaged Spanish galleon, a secret that remains one of the state’s lesser-known legends​.

www.onlyinyourstate.com

So, let’s answer some frequently asked questions.

FAQs

Did I cover all you wanted to know about: Best Metal Detecting Finds In Connecticut

In this article, I deeply discussed the best metal detecting finds in Connecticut with their value and metal detecting techniques you can use to detect them.

The best metal detecting finds in Connecticut include historic coins from various eras, military artifacts from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, colonial and Native American artifacts, as well as industrial relics from the state’s rich industrial past.

Furthermore, I’ve answered some frequently asked questions.

I hope I covered everything you wanted about Connecticut’s best metal-detecting finds. 

Now it’s time for you to have an excellent metal-detecting session in beautiful Connecticut and find cool treasures!