The innate hunter-gatherer is still alive within us and eager to make a great find. We envy the dumpster-diver who surfaces on the “Antiques Roadshow” with a treasure worth tens of thousands of dollars, but realistically, few people have the skills necessary to recognize a genuine Picasso or Ming vase. Fewer still have the time or energy to hit all the flea markets, thrift stores and estate sales.

One treasure we all recognize when we see it is money. Scrutinize the ground when you walk your neighborhood and don’t be too lazy to pick up the small change. You aren’t likely to get rich, but you will have fun, get exercise and pocket some sales tax money. (Speaking of which, I’m NOT advocating swiping the money from the little repository by the cash register at the 7-11!) I’ve listed a few tips to increase your odds of success.

Getting Hooked

Finding money, particularly coins, couldn’t be simpler and requires no expenditure up-front. Sure, you could invest in a metal detector, but detectors aren’t cheap, and you are likely to become annoyed by the amount of trash you dig up for every coin you find.

My own habit began when I was ten and stumbled across a nickel just sitting there on the sidewalk. I was hooked. Since then I’ve refined my techniques and improved my “eye.” For a while I kept track of my monetary finds and segregated those coins from the others, but after my first $20 or so, I started adding them to my pocket change to put them back in circulation.

Training Your Eyes

Scanning the ground rapidly is a skill that demands your concentration at first. If you want to find lots of coins, it is not enough to just stare at the sidewalk in front of you. You really need to cover as much ground as possible while you look.

The size and shape of coinage are the most practical features to key in on. Your ability to distinguish between coins and imposters will improve with time, but you should expect that an occasional tin foil security disk or a slug from a new electrical outlet will trip you up. When in doubt, check it out and refine your judgment.

Similarly, you can train yourself to discern the metallic glint of coins. The ability will almost certainly develop without additional effort on your part, but remember that most found money has seen better days and is no longer in shiny mint condition.

Where to Look

Always be on the lookout for money, but if you really want to improve your chances of success, scout these places:

• picnic areas
• playgrounds
• street cleaner pilings
• parking lots
• under bleachers
• around concession stands

Any place a person reaches in his pockets to get change or to pull keys out is an opportunity for losing coins. Remember, too, that snow and sand have a wonderful way of muting the sound of money, leaving the loser completely unaware they’ve dropped anything.

Surprisingly, darkness need not be a show-stopper. Sometimes the gleam from a car’s headlights or a street lamp may be the tip-off you need for that lucky find.

And keep in mind, if you’ve found one coin, it may well have companions! Give the site a second look.

Personal Favorite Finds

• Winged Liberty Head dime in a downtown Oklahoma City alcove
• Canadian dollar (the same color as the dirt) in a campground in Arizona
• Oklahoma Consumer’s Tax Check token at an old homestead
• Dime inside a campus crushed ice machine

Still Hoping to Find

• American dollar coin
• Fifty cent piece