Legal

Disclaimer

Last updated 2026-09-16

Everything on DetectorCalc is researched guidance, not professional advice. It is compiled from manufacturer specifications, owner manuals, published listing data and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We do not test equipment in person.

Reference tables, target ID and depth figures

Target ID numbers, depth ranges, frequency behaviour and recommended settings on this site are starting points, not specifications of what your machine will do. All of them shift with soil chemistry and mineralisation, ground moisture, target size, depth, orientation and corrosion, nearby iron, electrical interference and your machine's firmware version. Two identical machines in two gardens will not read the same coin the same way.

Where this site and your machine's manual disagree, the manual is correct and this site is wrong. Please tell us through the contact page so it can be fixed. The most reliable chart you will ever own is the one you make yourself by burying known targets in your own soil at known depths and recording what your own machine reads.

Metal values

Any value produced by a calculator here is a rough melt estimate based on the figures you enter. It is not an appraisal, not an offer, and not a prediction of what any buyer will pay. Precious metal prices move constantly, dealers buy below spot, purity assumptions are frequently wrong, and a collectable coin may be worth many times its metal content, so melting or cleaning it can destroy most of its value. Have anything you think may be significant looked at by a qualified numismatist or appraiser before you do anything irreversible to it.

The law is yours to check

Nothing here is legal advice. Metal detecting law varies by country, state, province, county, municipality and individual parcel, and it changes. You are responsible for knowing and following the rules where you detect. In most jurisdictions that includes, at minimum: obtaining the landowner's permission before detecting on ground you do not own; staying off national parks, scheduled monuments, protected archaeological sites and most historic battlefields; and reporting qualifying finds under whatever treasure or portable antiquities scheme applies to you. Penalties in several countries include confiscation of equipment, forfeiture of finds and criminal prosecution.

Safety and physical risk

Digging carries real risk. Buried glass, rusted metal, needles and contaminated ground cause injuries and infections. Before digging anywhere, establish that you are not near buried utilities: contact the appropriate utility location service for your country before disturbing ground on any property. Do not dig near gas, electricity, water or telecommunications infrastructure. Take care on unstable ground, on tidal beaches where the tide can cut off an exit, and in water. If you find ordnance, ammunition or anything that might be explosive, do not touch it or move it: leave the area and contact the police. Detecting is a physical activity, so consider your own health and consult a doctor if that is relevant to you.

Human remains and archaeology

If you uncover human remains, or anything that appears to be a burial or a grave, stop immediately, do not disturb anything further, and contact the police and the relevant heritage authority. The same applies to anything that looks like an undisturbed archaeological context. This is a legal obligation in most places as well as the right thing to do.

No warranty

This site is provided as is. To the fullest extent permitted by law, DetectorCalc and Cozy River Studios accept no liability for any loss, damage, injury, legal consequence or unsuccessful purchase arising from the use of this site or reliance on anything published here. Confirm prices, specifications and legal requirements with the manufacturer, retailer or relevant authority before acting.