Metal Detecting Maryland and Mental Metal Detecting would like to congratulate the June 2019 Digger of The Month
Matt Howell
During the month of June, Matt uncovered these 1717 Spanish silver reales. You’ll notice one of them was cut in half. Both of these reales (shown below) are 2 reales.
Reales are not easy to find. Those of us who enjoy metal detecting will probably admit that finding one of these coins is probably on their bucket list. For those of us who have been lucky enough to unearth one of these amazing coins, its a pretty special feeling to hold one of these coins in your hands.
Congratulations to Matt for finding these spectacular pieces of history and being voted by his peers as Digger of The Month for June 2019.
More About Matt From His Own Words.
How long have you been metal detecting?
Matt: I bought my first machine in 2009 but didn’t become serious until 2010.
What was the first machine you ever used?
Matt: The first machine I purchased was a Minelab E-Trac. I remember watching a ton of YouTube and seeing it performing the best out of all the videos I watched. So I saved and bought it. I remember being pretty nervous buying it as it was a very expensive machine and having never done the hobby didn’t know if I would like it.
What is your favorite metal detector and what do you like about the machine the most?
Matt: That’s a very difficult question for me. I really enjoy hunting a lot of different kinds of sites so to pick a favorite doesn’t really work. I like the best tool for the job. That said I really enjoy the GPX. It is a machine that I often struggle with but I think that the challenge is what I enjoy about it.
Who inspired you to get into metal detecting?
Matt: So when I was growing up I would see guys in the fields all around my house. They always looked the same the had some sort of camo pants, a right angle shovel, and big grey metal detector with a white coil. I always wanted to know what they were finding. So I guess that always stuck with me until time and life allowed me to join in myself.
What do you consider to be your best find metal detecting?
Matt: Another tough one, I don’t really consider best find. I think I’ve found a lot of items that others would want to find (last year I found a gold coin) but the finds that I enjoy the most are the personal ones. Anything personal to a solider, carved items with uniform buttons being my the top of the list.
What is your favorite type of detecting (relic, coin shooting, water etc.)?
Matt: Over the last year I have really gotten into water detecting and diving. To me its the last frontier. The other thing I love is digging giant holes in the ground from pits!
Name 5 items you would like to find in 2019?
Matt: Top of the list- Black Glass bottle from a river 1600-1790s era, A bottle out of a civil war pit, Confederate Script A button, A trime, A Rev. War button. I feel like I can make this happen by the end of the year if not early next year.
Where can you find Matt on Social Media?
Subscribe and watch Matt’s videos on his YouTube Channel: Gone Diggin’.
Check out Matt on Instagram.
Check out and join Matt’s Facebook Group: Gone Diggin’.
Matt is also working on his own Etsy shop.
Additional photos Matt would like to share.
How do you win Digger of The Month? Metal Detecting Maryland has a contest every month called the Wall of Fame Award. To be eligible to win Digger of the Month you must be a member of Metal Detecting Maryland and be selected for the Wall of Fame first. Not a member? Join today! Click Here for more information about the contest.
