I am fresh in my obsession with Metal Detecting and Prospecting. However, I feel like this fever has been with me since the beginning, since I was a wee country lad living in Korong Vale, Victoria. One of the small outback towns in the Golden Triangle. Wedderburn was just around the corner, and quite frequently, my family would drive to Bendigo for long term shopping. There was no gold rush shenanigans when I lived there, but knowing what I know now, I’d absolutely be swinging a metal detector around if I was a young lad with some disposable income back in the 90s. So much gold has been found there! Such history, many relics. So much treasure.

By now though, Korong Vale is likely plucked clean of relics. The one relic I discovered while living there is still with me. I still keep it in my wallet as a lucky charm and Challenge Coin. Of all the things I could have found, it was an Alaskan 1959 Fairbanks “49th State Birth Year” $1 trade coin. I still to this day have no clue how it got to the footpath of a little town like Korong Vale.

And that is why I’m starting to fall in love with Metal Detecting. Everything you find, with or without monetary value, was dropped there by someone. Pull tabs, crushed aluminium cans, modern coins, old coins, jewelry. Somehow it got there, sat in the dirt for some years. To be dug up by someone waving a highly sensitive piece of technology over it, to the sound of those sweet, sweet beeps.

The idea of finding coins and other relics from the 1800s to 1900s is so very appealing. So to have the best opportunity to find some amazing relics, you need a sensitive beast to sniff around for that tasty treasure.

In comes the Manticore, from Minelab.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to invest in a new metal detector just yet, after getting a great deal on a used, classic detector, the X-Terra 705 also by Minelab. After an investment of mine recently boomed, I seized the opportunity to turn a portion of my investment into something tangible.

And that’s why I preordered the Manticore metal detector from Minelab. It promises to be a beast of a machine, the hybrid spawn of the Equinox 800 and the CTX-3030. All the best functionality of both machines, refined and turned into a formidable beast to sniff out hidden treasures. It also folds down to be a super compact unit, which is important for me as a motorcyclist. If I want to go hit some local parks, it needs to fit into a backpack. Otherwise it will be far too much trouble getting out to swing around for a few hours.

To say I am EXCITED about this machine, would be an understatement. Here’s a video from Miners Den Australia’s very own Coffee Bush Kid having a hands on introduction with the beast.

The current release date appears to be December, so I will be waiting for my friends at Miners Den Australia to notify me when my new pet Manticore is on it’s way.

In the meanwhile, I have a whole bunch of dog-sitting to do! So feel free to check out my other publications here if you’d like to read more of my ramblings. There will be dog photos coming! And bet your buckets I’ll be talking about the Manticore when I get my hands on it!