Finds identification guide

How To Identify Metal Detecting Finds

A practical beginner guide to working out what you have found, where to look online, when to use AI or apps, and when to stop guessing and ask your Finds Liaison Officer.

Important before we start:

This guide is for general identification help, not professional archaeological advice. If your find may be Treasure, very old, fragile, unusual, part of a hoard, or potentially important, do not clean it heavily or sell it. Record the find spot, tell the landowner, keep it safe and contact your local Finds Liaison Officer.

This guide will walk you through a sensible identification process, the best places to look online, how AI and apps can help, and the common types of metal detecting finds beginners are likely to dig.

Before identifying a find, do not clean it too much

I know the temptation. You get home, you have a muddy object in your hand, and all you want to do is clean it until the answer appears.

The problem is that cleaning can remove the very clues you need.

A maker’s mark, surface detail, patina, gilding, decoration, lettering or tiny bit of remaining design can be damaged by scrubbing, soaking or polishing. Once that has gone, it has gone.

Before you clean anything properly, take photos. Ideally take photos exactly as found, then gently remove loose soil only if needed. If it may be old or important, pause and ask for advice before doing more.

For more detail, read: How To Clean Metal Detecting Finds Without Ruining Them

A simple find identification process

When you have an unknown find, do not jump straight to “Roman” or “medieval” because that is what you would like it to be. Work through the clues properly.

The “what job did it do?” question is really useful. A lot of finds are functional objects. They fastened clothing, held straps, sealed bags, weighed goods, decorated harness, marked trade, fired from weapons, fixed furniture or formed part of a larger item.

Once you start thinking in terms of function, mystery objects become a little less mysterious.

How to photograph finds for identification

Poor photos make identification much harder.

We have all seen those photos where someone posts a blurry brown blob on Facebook, taken in a dark kitchen from six feet away, with the caption “Any ideas?” It might be a Roman brooch. It might be a bit of tractor. Nobody can tell because the photo looks like it was taken during an earthquake.

Good photos do not need fancy equipment. A phone camera is usually fine if you use it properly.

The clues that help identify a find

Most finds give you clues if you slow down and look properly.

Common metal detecting finds and what they might be

Beginners often expect coins and treasure. In reality, you will dig a huge mix of ordinary, confusing and occasionally exciting objects.

This table gives you a starting point. It is not a final identification guide, because condition, size, material and context all matter.

How to identify coins found metal detecting

Coins are usually the easiest finds to start researching, but badly worn coins can still be a pain.

Start with the basics: size, metal, thickness, visible lettering, portrait direction, shield, date, monarch, denomination and any edge detail.

A modern coin is usually easy. Victorian, Georgian and early milled coins can often be identified with enough remaining detail. Hammered coins and Roman coins can be trickier because they may be clipped, worn, off-centre, corroded or missing key parts of the design.

Be careful with coin apps and AI here. They can be genuinely useful, but if a coin is worn, damaged or only partly visible, they may confidently suggest the wrong thing.

Treat app results as possible leads, not final answers.

Best websites for identifying metal detecting finds

There are a lot of places online where you can try to identify finds. The single best UK starting point is the Portable Antiquities Scheme database, and the UK Detector Finds Database (UKDFD) is another well-organised, detectorist-run reference. Some are excellent. Some are useful but messy. Some are full of confident guesses from people who have seen three buttons and now think they are the British Museum.

Use websites as part of the process, not as a replacement for proper advice when a find may be important.

Can AI and apps identify metal detecting finds?

Yes, AI and apps can help, but do not let them turn your brain off.

Tools like Google Lens, coin identification apps and AI image analysis can be useful for getting possible leads. They can spot visual similarities, suggest object categories, read visible text, compare coin designs and help you think of search terms you might not have considered.

But they can also be wrong. Very wrong. And sometimes they will be wrong with the confidence of a man in a pub who once watched half a documentary.

Use AI like a helpful research assistant, not as the final authority.

A good AI prompt for identifying finds

If you use ChatGPT or another AI tool to help with a find, give it proper information. Do not just upload a blurry photo and ask, “What’s this?”

The better the details, the better the suggestions.

That last line matters. You want AI to show its reasoning and uncertainty, not just slap a confident label on it.

A good answer should say things like “possibly”, “similar to”, “worth comparing with”, and “needs expert confirmation” when appropriate.

Useful apps and tools for find identification

These tools can help with first-pass research. They should not replace proper recording or expert advice.

When should you contact your Finds Liaison Officer?

Your Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) is the right person to contact when a find may be archaeologically important, unusual, old, reportable or difficult to identify.

You do not need to send every modern 2p, ring pull and tractor part. But if something looks significant, do not guess your way through it.

When you contact them, send clear photos, size, weight, material if known, general find location, land type and any other useful context.

Do not post exact find locations publicly online. County or general area is usually enough for public discussion.

How to ask for identification help online

Online groups and forums can be brilliant, but only if you give people enough information.

A vague post with one blurry photo will get vague answers. A clear post with photos, measurements and context will get much better help.

That kind of post invites useful help. “What is this worth?” usually does not.

Common find categories beginners should learn

The more you detect, the more your brain builds a little mental library of shapes.

At first, every odd object feels impossible. After a while, you start spotting patterns: button shanks, buckle frames, lead seals, musket balls, harness fittings, thimbles and all the usual suspects.

Common identification mistakes

Everyone gets finds wrong. That is part of learning.

The problem is not being wrong. The problem is being confidently wrong and refusing to listen when better evidence appears.

Build your own finds reference library

One of the best things you can do is build your own little reference library over time. Recording where each find came from matters too, which is where good land research and find-spot notes pay off.

Keep photos of your finds, even the boring ones. Label them. Note what they turned out to be. Save links to similar examples. Over time, you will start recognising things much faster.

This is especially useful with common local finds. If you detect the same area regularly, you may start seeing patterns in buttons, coins, lead seals, horse tack, shotgun caps, military activity, trade tokens or farm-related items.

It sounds boring until you need it. Then you will be very glad you did it.

What if the find might be important?

If a find might be important, slow everything down.

Do not clean it more. Do not sell it. Do not hide it in a drawer and hope you will deal with it later. Do not post exact location details online. And definitely do not let excitement make the decisions.

The find is part of the story, but the location and context are part of the story too.

Summary: how to identify metal detecting finds

Identifying metal detecting finds is about slowing down and reading the clues properly.

Photograph the find before cleaning, record where it came from, measure it, weigh it if possible, note the material and look carefully for marks, decoration, attachment points and signs of use.

Use trusted resources such as the PAS database, FLOs, UKDFD, Numista, WildWinds, specialist websites, books and sensible online groups. AI tools and apps like Google Lens, ChatGPT and coin identifier apps can help with possible leads, but they should not be treated as final authority.

Learn common find types like coins, buttons, buckles, lead tokens, musket balls, bag seals, thimbles, harness fittings and scrap. The more you see, the better your eye becomes.

And remember, “I do not know yet” is a perfectly good answer. It is much better than forcing a wrong identification because you want the find to be something exciting.

Next beginner guide

Found something that might be Treasure?

If a find might be legally reportable or historically important, the next step is knowing what to do, who to contact and what not to do.

Read: What To Do If You Find Treasure Metal Detecting

FAQs about identifying metal detecting finds

What is the best website for identifying UK metal detecting finds?

The Portable Antiquities Scheme database is one of the best places to start for UK archaeological objects and recorded finds. UKDFD, specialist coin websites, forums and books can also be useful depending on the object.

Can AI identify metal detecting finds?

AI can help suggest possible identifications, similar objects and useful search terms, but it should not be treated as the final answer. Important finds should be checked by your Finds Liaison Officer or a suitable expert.

Can Google Lens identify old coins and artefacts?

Google Lens can be useful for finding visually similar objects, but it can also match by shape or colour rather than true identity. Use it as a starting point, then verify with better sources.

What details should I include when asking for a find ID?

Include clear photos of both sides, a ruler or scale, measurements, weight, material if known, general location, land type and any visible marks or decoration.

Should I clean a find before trying to identify it?

Not heavily. Take photos first and only remove loose soil if needed. Cleaning can damage details that help with identification.

How do I know if a find is important?

If it is old, unusual, made from precious metal, decorated, part of a group, possibly prehistoric, Roman, Saxon or medieval, or you cannot identify it confidently, treat it as potentially important and ask your FLO.

Are Facebook groups good for identifying finds?

They can be useful, especially specialist groups, but answers vary in quality. Use them for suggestions, not final confirmation.

What are the most common metal detecting finds?

Common finds include modern coins, buttons, buckles, lead shot, lead tokens, bag seals, thimbles, horse tack, shotgun caps, aluminium scrap, iron farm bits and occasional older coins or artefacts.