Device for detecting electrically conductive objects, comprising - a coil arrangement with either a) a first coil and a second coil which, when they are excited in the form of a temporally variable flow of current, simultaneously generate magnetic fields (20, 21) having opposite polarity, which produce a response to the excitation in a third coil arranged in the region of the opposite magnetic fields, or b) a first coil and a second coil in which an excitation in a third coil in the form of the temporally variable flow of current produces a response to the excitation, and - an electronics unit which while and/or after the first coil and the second coil or the third coil are supplied with the excitation in the form of a temporally variable flow of current detects the response of the third coil or the response of the first coil and the second coil to the excitation, wherein the electrically conductive object generates a detectable signal in the detected response when said object is in the region of the magnetic field, characterized by the electronic system being adapted such that it detects the behavior of the generated response to the excitation over time at several different times during and/or after excitation and that it determines in the responses over time the point in time of a maximum and/or of a minimum and/or of a zero crossing and/or of an inflection point and/or the response at the time of the maximum and/or the minimum and/or the inflection point and/or the response at a predetermined point in time after the beginning of excitation. - a coil arrangement with either a) a first coil and a second coil which, when they are excited in the form of a temporally variable flow of current, simultaneously generate magnetic fields (20, 21) having opposite polarity, which produce a response to the excitation in a third coil arranged in the region of the opposite magnetic fields, or b) a first coil and a second coil in which an excitation in a third coil in the form of the temporally variable flow of current produces a response to the excitation, and a) a first coil and a second coil which, when they are excited in the form of a temporally variable flow of current, simultaneously generate magnetic fields (20, 21) having opposite polarity, which produce a response to the excitation in a third coil arranged in the region of the opposite magnetic fields, or b) a first coil and a second coil in which an excitation in a third coil in the form of the temporally variable flow of current produces a response to the excitation, and - an electronics unit which while and/or after the first coil and the second coil or the third coil are supplied with the excitation in the form of a temporally variable flow of current detects the response of the third coil or the response of the first coil and the second coil to the excitation, wherein the electrically conductive object generates a detectable signal in the detected response when said object is in the region of the magnetic field, characterized by the electronic system being adapted such that it detects the behavior of the generated response to the excitation over time at several different times during and/or after excitation and that it determines in the responses over time the point in time of a maximum and/or of a minimum and/or of a zero crossing and/or of an inflection point and/or the response at the time of the maximum and/or the minimum and/or the inflection point and/or the response at a predetermined point in time after the beginning of excitation.