Discovering Dirty Money Metal Detecting: An Interview with Relic Hunter Daniel Cox

As many of you know, I live and breathe metal detecting. It’s my passion, my escape, and a way to connect with history. But one thing I rarely do is spend time watching metal detecting videos on YouTube—I’d much rather be out detecting or researching finding the next spots to metal detect. However, that changed recently when I stumbled across a YouTube channel called Dirty Money Metal Detecting.

There’s something uniquely captivating about Dirty Money Metal Detecting videos. From the picturesque locations of Montana where Daniel Cox (the man behind the channel) generally metal detects, to his calm, engaging voice, and the relics he unearths—it all draws you in. What also stood out to me was how seamlessly he shared subtle tips, pointing out clues in the environment that revealed the presence of old homesteads. It felt like a masterclass in observational skills to find old homestead sites and relic hunting.

Being so impressed, I started asking around to see if my fellow detectorists were familiar with his channel. To my surprise, no one in my close circle had heard of him. Naturally, I encouraged them to check it out, explaining why I thought his videos stood out. I also felt he deserved wider recognition, which inspired me to reach out to Daniel through his Facebook page to see if he’d be open to an interview.

To my delight, he was enthusiastic about the idea! Below, you’ll find the questions I asked him and his insightful responses. I hope you enjoy learning more about the man behind “Dirty Money Metal Detecting” as much as I did.

How did you get into metal detecting? 

My daughter lost her cell phone in the woods, so I borrowed a detector to find it. After recovering the phone, I decided to try the detector on the lawn. It was amazing to find so many coins there—I even remember finding two half dollars.

Next, we decided to try the park, where we found a white gold wedding band with pink sapphires. That was only day three with the detector, and we were hooked.

From then on, my wife and I spent nearly all of our free time detecting.

Before using the Minelab Equinox, it seems from your video intro that you used a Garrett AT Pro. Have you used any other machines besides those two?  

The first detector I borrowed was a really old Garrett. I also had the AT Max—both were great machines. I think I used the AT Pro for about seven years, and I used it hard. It’s still in service today and on its third owner.

The reason I switched was that I had bought the Equinox for my wife because it was lighter. Initially, I didn’t fully understand multi-frequency technology or why it was so much better—until our Washington beach trip. My AT Max was finding stuff, but I was constantly dealing with falsing. Then my wife turned to me and asked if her detector was broken because she wasn’t hearing anything.

It turned out the Equinox was dead silent unless it was over an actual target. What a game-changer! I hadn’t even realized how much extra noise I had been dealing with.

Even back home in Montana, I found the Equinox to be much quieter, with better target separation—and I could adjust the recovery speed. The next day, I bought one for myself and retired my Garrett detectors for good.

What websites or tools do you use for historical research to find new locations for metal detecting? 

Our number one tool is Historic Aerials. It works similarly to Google Maps, except it uses older aerial images. In our area, the images go back as far as 1946.

The great thing about it is that you can zoom in on an area of interest. Often, you’ll spot an old building or corral that was still standing in 1946.

What are your best tips for locating and identifying cellar holes and privies?

For us, it starts with being in an area that makes sense. Most settlers in Montana were either ranchers, miners, or loggers. Finding logging camps is challenging because they moved around frequently, and the forests have changed rapidly over time.

For ranching, you need grazing land. Typically, the warmer parts of the mountains with no trees—along the base of the mountain for wind protection—are good places to dig a cellar. Once you find one, there are usually several more in the area. These were small communities that stuck together for safety from bandits, Native Americans, and predators.

Old fence lines—both old and new—are great clues since many lot lines have remained the same over time. Nearly every section should have a homestead. Old roads usually lead somewhere—whether to homesteads, mines, or logging sites—so be sure to check those old maps and aerial images.

Once you’re in the area, watch for anything that looks unnatural: mounds of dirt, rocks, wood, holes, etc. Get out of your car, walk over, and investigate. Look for old glass, pottery, or tin garbage on the ground. Often, the clues are subtle. The site may have burned down long ago, leaving only a few rocks in a row from the foundation.

When in doubt, swing your detector—lol!

In one of your videos, you found a Reale, which is pretty impressive, especially considering that you’re detecting in Montana. What other finds have you discovered while detecting that you’re proud of? 

I have found a lot of great items—over 500 rings, for example. In fact, I have an entire room dedicated to the treasures I’ve discovered.

What I enjoy most are the stories these items tell. It’s exciting to realize, “Wow, this must have been a brothel “or “This had to be the blacksmith’s shop”. One time, I even found a print shop in the middle of the mountains.

My favorite find was uncovering a hidden hard cider operation in the mountains of Montana. So far, I’ve made three separate videos about it, but I can’t wait to go back. It’s a three-mile hike and a four-hour drive to get there, so it has to be a special trip.

The hunt never really ends. My wife and I spent hours researching the history of hard cider in America and its connection to Prohibition. It’s one of my favorite stories to tell whenever someone is interested in metal detecting. It really sparks my imagination, thinking about the people hiding up in the mountains, making hard cider, and possibly selling it on the black market during Prohibition.

It feels like discovering a Wild West story—one beep at a time.

For relic hunting, are you using the Minelab Equinox stock program or a custom one? If it’s custom, can you share your settings?  

First of all, I run my machine at full blast—highest sensitivity, 50 tones, iron on, and no discrimination. If you’re not doing this, you’ll miss important sound information. Five tones just don’t cut it.

It can be annoying at first, but trust me—once you get used to it, you’ll thank me.

Here’s my secret trick: I run my detector in “beach mode” at all times. I’ve found that it reduces iron falsing in this mode.

Whisper signals, what setting on the Minelab Equinox do you use to magnify whisper signals in the field?  

I prefer using a small coil in most situations because it helps with target separation. However, I recommend using a larger coil for greater depth, as it will amplify those signals.

Turn up your sensitivity as high as you can tolerate, and always swing as close and flat to the ground as possible.

Who are your metal detecting mentors? 

I am self-taught, aside from watching YouTube personalities.

For the beach, I think The Metal Detecting Channel is the best. He doesn’t seem to make videos anymore, but his old ones are worth watching.

For homestead detecting, I like Stealth Diggers and Not Thursday. R-Dogg is great for parks and lakes. Hoover Boys—if you want to see finds you’ll probably never come across in Montana, lol. And for pure enthusiasm, you can’t beat Nugget Noggin.

Besides the above questions do you have any other metal detecting advice you would like to share with our readers? 

Try it! If you’re not swinging, you won’t find anything. Some of my best ideas have flopped, while my worst ideas have rained treasure down from the heavens.

Shoutout to my metal-detecting partner, Danny Dinwiddie! He’s a ton of fun, knows how to take a joke, and is a passionate detectorist—even though he’s only in his third year. I wish I had been as far along as he is in my third year! He’s great at research and finds about half of our spots.

Originally, he watched all my videos and one day found me out detecting, eager to learn what I do. Quite the stalker, lol! But we hit it off, and now we’re great friends.

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Daniel Cox’s passion for metal detecting shines through in every video he creates, offering both entertainment and invaluable insights for fellow metal detectorists. His keen eye for historical clues, methodical approach to research, and deep understanding of relic hunting make Dirty Money Metal Detecting a channel worth following. Whether you’re an experienced detectorist or just starting out, there’s something to learn from his adventures. I hope this interview has given you a deeper appreciation for Daniel’s dedication to the hobby and perhaps even inspired you to fine-tune your own detecting techniques. Be sure to check out his channel, and who knows—you might just discover your next great metal detecting tip or motivation to hit the field in search of history!