Sault man loves to ‘dig up the past,’ share it with others (9 photos)

There are those who make a living producing metal, such as Algoma Steel employees. 

For other Saultites, like Rob Gioia, metal is a hobby and a passion.

Gioia’s fascination with metal involves finding it just below the surface, whether it be old coins, jewellery and other historically interesting metal items.   

Gioia, a recently retired Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officer, is a metal detector enthusiast, or a ‘detectorist.’ 

Observing COVID-19 social distancing, Gioia wrote to SooToday and described his experiences as a detectorist, including his finding of old coins, First World War artifacts, a Lakeway Collegiate ring, and how the hobby has led him to travel abroad in search of relics from the past.   

Gioia told us detectorists, upon discovering an item, have thoughts of ‘I wonder what it's worth,’ or ‘I wonder where it came from and who lost it?’ 

His thoughts tend to fall within the latter category, Gioia wrote.

When asked what inspired him to become a detectorist, Gioia wrote he enjoys studying history.

“In Canada, we do not have layered centuries of European history, but we do enjoy a rich history of post European contact stretching from the late 1400s onward. Locally, you are basically looking at post European contact starting with New France and Etienne Brule from 1622 onward.”

He finds antiquities and the Middle Ages “fascinating.”

Gioia said he is looking forward to travelling to Essex, England in February on a 10-day metal hunt in an area surrounded by centuries of history, where Celtic, Roman and medieval coins and relics have been found.

Several years ago, Gioia bought a relatively inexpensive metal detector from Canadian Tire and started using the device in his yard, digging up what he described as ‘junk,’ such as nails, wire and bolts.

Adding a pin pointer (essential to the hobby), he located a target in his backyard which turned out to be a 1940 silver quarter. 

“Silver (and gold) coins are unique because they retain a certain level of lustre even after remaining underground for decades. So much so that it looked like someone had just dropped it. Then you start to wonder about the journey of that coin and how it ended up basically in the middle of nowhere. Was it a farmer mending a fence or plowing a field, or was it a hunter who lost it pulling a hanky out from his pocket?”

“I guess that was the turning point (that first find having piqued his curiosity).”

Gioia wrote he has been a serious detectorist for the last two years.

Last year he joined a club called the History Hunt Club, a group of 100 members run by Sal Guttuso, a Florida man  who does metal detecting for a living. 

Guttuso organizes metal detecting tours for no more than six members at a time in several areas of the U.S. and Europe.

“In January, I travelled to Mississippi and Missouri to participate in a three-day American Civil War hunt. Unfortunately, the weather was less than favourable but I did make a few neat finds,” Gioia wrote, adding he made several friends who are very distinguished in the metal detecting field, such as Sal Guttuso, Todd Yerks and Henry Parro (Yerks and Parro having won awards as Treasure Hunter of The Year from the Treasure Hunters Hall of Fame). They are a wealth of knowledge and I learned a great deal from them. In October I am attending a major metal detecting event with Todd and Henry called ‘Digstock’ in Chazy, New York.”

Locally, Gioia wrote he uses his metal detector anywhere he is legally permitted to (having regard for the current COVID-19 restrictions).

That includes his own property, where, apart from that first find of a 1940 silver quarter, he found a 1912 silver dime (all Canadian silver coins ceased being minted entirely by 1968), a ‘bell’ later identified as a crotal or sleigh bell, the type that would have been attached to a horse’s leather harness, believed to be from the late 1800s.

“There are numerous locations that I have frequented while gaining valuable experience,” Gioia wrote.

“My neighbours and friends Jim and Allison Grisdale, who own White Blossom Farm, allow me access to their fields. I have made some nice finds relating to horse buckles, as well as, coincidentally, two more 1940 silver quarters (must have been something about that year) and a vintage Egyptian medallion.”

He also located part of a First World War trench shovel, and, not far away, a First World War trench lighter.

Gioia later learned the 51st (Soo) Rifles Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, had a training site in that vicinity during the First World War, which corroborated his findings.

“Farmer Bob (Robert Cuerrier) at Mockingbird Hill Pioneer Farm has also been very gracious in allowing me access to his property, as well as imparting his vast knowledge of the area.” 

“Although his brother is also a metal detecting enthusiast who hunted the same property, I was still able to find some nice horse buckles and a spoon that I identified and dated to 1890. Farmland is a good place to metal detect after the fields have been tilled,” Gioia wrote, but added “always, always, always get permission from the landowner (to use your metal detector).”

Old coins, Gioia wrote, are always exciting to find but they are “few and far between.”

“They are easy to date, however, I am generally looking for anything of such a nature that it will help to tell a local story (of past individuals and our society as a whole). The more personal the item, the more poignant that connection is to the past.”

Metal detecting started as a hobby for people after the Second World War, when relatively inexpensive portable detectors used by the military became available to the public, metal detectors becoming popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

But the hobby came into conflict with archaeologists, the disturbance of archaeological sites or removing items of historical or cultural significance having been a concern ever since.

“Anyone considering this as a hobby should familiarize themselves with relevant legislation specific to the country and area that they are intent on ‘hunting,’” Gioia wrote.

In the Sault and area, the Ontario Heritage Act and city bylaws are to be obeyed by all, including detectorists.

The Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site property, for example, is off limits to excavations (as well as metal detecting) unless carried out by a licensed archaeologist. 

38 properties have been designated by the municipality as heritage sites, most of those in the downtown core, dating back to the early development of the city.

Metal detecting is not allowed on Civic Centre property or in cemeteries.

Metal detecting is allowed in city parks but is limited only to what Gioia described as ‘surface’ finds.

“You cannot be digging holes like a gopher...surface finds, or finds very close to the surface, that are obscured by a thin layer of grass and earth can easily be retrieved via a special tool,” Gioia wrote.

Are there ownership laws regarding items found, or is it a case of ‘finders keepers?’

“Keeping in mind the Ontario Heritage Act and municipal bylaws, anything found on public land is yours if it is not an item of historical or cultural significance,” Gioia wrote.

As far as metal detecting and making finds on private property is concerned, Gioia wrote “there should be an agreement with the landowner as far as 50 per cent share of a found valuable item. If there is no agreement with the landowner then you should still provide this compensation, unless a fee is paid to access the property with the understanding that finds are exclusively yours.”

That aside, Gioia wrote that “a detectorist should make the effort to identify the owner of a gold or silver ring or jewellery. (Such items sometimes have) an inscription which can assist in that endeavour.”

“I myself have found a Lakeway school ring but unfortunately, I was unable to determine an owner. Sadly, there were no identifiable markings that would assist in establishing an owner (no year, no name). There is nothing that I would have liked more than to reunite this long-lost item with its rightful owner. Just think of the memories that it would have provided. Priceless!”

So how does one get started in being a detectorist?  

“I would recommend that you start with a low to mid-range metal detector such as a Garrett Ace 150 or 250 that has preprograms so you do not have to fiddle with a lot of the settings. I would also definitely recommend a pin pointer as well. It does not have to be fancy or wireless. It’s just to see if you would enjoy the hobby. You must put in at least 100 hours with a machine until you are comfortable with it,” Gioia wrote.

It’s important to read the manual and watch lots of YouTube videos on metal detecting, specifically regarding the type of machine you’re using, he added.

If you enjoy the hobby, then Gioia advised it’s best to order a quality machine from companies such as Canadian Treasure Seekers or Michigan’s metaldetector.com.

Then, all you need to do is research, and have patience.

“Contrary to what people may think, you will literally walk for miles and hours without making a single find,” Gioia wrote.

“I have spent countless hours at the public library and at the local museum collecting research on the area. This may seem like a drudging bore, but believe it or not, it is all part of the fun and satisfaction. The benefit is always the knowledge that has been gained as a result of your efforts. Research improves the odds but it is certainly no guarantee. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than it is to be good.”

The thrill of the find is worth it all, Gioia wrote.

“What is most satisfying is uncovering history that has been lost for many decades, if not centuries, and connecting with it on a personal and human level. It is extremely satisfying to not only find a unique item but also to identify and date it so that a story begins to emerge. Moreover, sharing that knowledge and the connection to the past is the most gratifying aspect of all.”

“There is typically a desire to connect with the past on a human and personal level, and metal detecting is an excellent way for me to make that connection and share it with others.”