Brandon Neice was raised in the historically rich, gold-bearing area of California’s Placer County. At a young age, he became interested in gold prospecting and treasure hunting. Brandon’s father, an experienced recreational prospector and avid outdoorsman, facilitated his interest by taking him on outdoor adventures throughout the northwestern US. Later in life, Brandon moved to Idaho, where he met a friend who was using metal detectors to find gold nuggets.

Brandon purchased his first metal detector in 2003 and began searching for treasures near and far. Since then, he has traveled the world, unearthing rare and valuable metals of all sorts—from coins and relics dating to 50 BC to gold nuggets and meteorites from space. He’s gained millions of views on his YouTube channel, DrTones24K, that follows him and a team of detecting experts on their treasure-hunting adventures. Brandon has also assisted archaeologists in locating items of interest on historic properties, such as James Madison’s Montpelier estate.

Some of his most accomplished finds include a 1901 S Barber Quarter (considered to be one of the rarest US silver coins produced in the twentieth century), a 50 BC Celtic gold stater, and a rare Norman-era ceremonial mount with gold-laced surfaces and an enameled crucifix design.