A Silver Denarius Hoard find.

We noticed a secluded farm on the Google Earth maps close to our existing search permissions with some interesting looking crop marks. So Dazz volunteered to write to the farm for search permission, we got a reply back saying call in and see me. We drove early one Thursday morning, the farm was miles from anywhere down a long dirt track and close to another farm we have permission on where we have never found anything. I knocked on the door but there was no answer I nipped around the back and the old farmer was seeing to the cattle, he did not seem pleased to see me at first and when we got talking he said " I do not think you will find anything but your welcome to try I have had people on before but nothing was found, you can go anywhere the crops are just showing through but you will not hurt anything".
We paid a few visits we tried the seeded area,s and the big pasture field there was hundreds of twelve bore cartridge ends, I did eventually find my very first Saxon strapend from the field with crop marks.
On another visit to the farm a field we had not tried was now stubble so we gave that a try was about to give up on this field when Dazz called me over, he had tried a small strip running between a barley field and a field of sugar beet," I have found a silver Denarius" he shouted  and asked me to help him search, straight away a positive signal from my Minelab Explorer produced another Denarius, I then switched to my T2 and eventually uncovered six lovely silver Denarius all shallow finds, Dazz found three altogether so we had nine between us, for some reason all mine where in decent condition but Dazz,s where all rougher.
We went to see the farmer to explain we would be handing them in to our local FLO and he would receive 50% of what they where worth, and so they where handed in and we had a long wait for a reply.
Meantime thinking there was probably more to be found because they where all found in a small area we went back for another try but the farmers son who now owns the farm had sub-soiled the area and the ground was soft and fluffy hard to walk on and no signals forthcoming.
A year later we heard from the British Museum who had disclaimed the coins and sent them back to us, so I had them evaluated by a well known detecting magazine, and went back to see Frank the farmer he was happy with the 50% valution but wanted a coin to keep as a memento .He said to me "Dave I have had loads of detectorists on here and Archeologists when the gas pipeline went through and was always told that they had found nothing I  am pleased you have been so honest you and Dazz can come down anytime"

I paid him 50% of the value and still have the other five coins and gave him the best coin for his memento.
The Antonius Pius coin138-161 AD
The farmer kept







The Saxon strap-end.

My six from the hoard.

Trajan 103-111 AD

 Another Trajan.

Its Gold but what?

I decided to put a couple of hours in before rushing home to watch the football, it was forecast heavy rain again but it stayed dry right up to 13.30 when I set off for home, not much came up but I enjoyed being out, it felt colder than it actually was. I got a couple of buttons, a smooth halfpenny, a couple of musket balls, again, some scrap lead, something bronze six sided and faint markings on both sides it looks like a super thick roman coin 8mm thick oh and I nearly forgot a nice coin but I can,t find it anywhere to ID it any help appreciated and its another first for me

It is now with the FLO and I am waiting for a positive identification, I have sent pictures to the British Museum and other coin experts. I have had Saxon and Roman Brooches and bits of Saxon brooches from this area of the field also recently a Saxon wrist clasp and a Saxon Silver Sceat, someone has suggested Indian I am hoping for an earlier date, but at least it is gold, I will inform you when I  get a positive ID.Unless someone recognizes it and can let me know their opinion.
I will add the bronze weight type object as well maybe someone will know?

 

What could you find in a car scrap yard

We was running out of search areas for our Sunday outings and talking to our farmer friend Alan, he said" I have got some pasture fields behind the wood yard you are welcome to try"This was down a long winding track next to a willow covered pond, and we where able to park on the field, it was nice and private. We started detecting and  this was when we found out it was an old car scrap yard, there was chrome wheel trims and body trims coming up all over the place, I think the best find was a lead spindle whorl. So we decided it was a waste of time and effort. A year later we found ourselves back there with no where else available again, we was sat eating our sarnies when we heard voices, and two detectorists walked from behind the pond, oblivious to our presence. Our first thoughts was they where their illegally but it seemed Alan had given them permission thinking they where friends of ours. We got talking and it seemed they had found some Roman coins and brooches on here, I do not know if these have been recorded, this is the reason that I believe detectorists should have their own separate search permissions, every thing of interest that we find we report and record with the PAS.

We had a few sessions on this field this year after discovering secondhand that there was some nice bits to be found on here but I was beginning to think the new lads had found them all with their explorers. When a short time into a Sunday session I got a nice sharp signal quite close to where I parked the car, and up came from near the surface a lovely straight Saxon pin, my first complete one and the straightest I have seen, we have been back a couple of times since but nothing else as appeared yet, but I would not rule out anything coming off this strange scrap yard field.

Another Saxon find from a pasture field

  It is amazing no matter how many times you go on a so called worked out pasture another nice find appears I had just about give up all hope of finding anything decent when a solid loud signal stopped me in my tracks, I was just coming towards Dazz who was also digging in the trashy iron area. I could not believe it when the Saxon brooch appeared it looked silver to start with but I think it might be silver coated. Also it might be Germanic according to one expert, it is at the moment with the FLO so I will not know for sure until I get the report back.

Recording Detecting finds

It is important to record your detecting finds anything older than 300 years old should be reported to your local FLO at the museum and the finds will be recorded with the PAS. You can also record with the UKDFD, here you can record almost anything from buttons through to ancient artifacts.

Keeping fit

I am starting off the day with a visit to my doctors for a routine heart clinic check. I started detecting because of advice from my Doctor who suggested a gentle exercise pastime, for which metal detecting fits the bill brilliantly. Walking slowly out in the fresh air with gentle bending and kneeling, I would recommend detecting to anyone with health issues but make sure you have access permission from the landowner and come to a mutual agreement about your finds, follow the code of practice and visit your FLO on a regular basis to record all important finds, and try to invest in a GPS device to record your find spots and keep your finds in context.

Moving to Pastures new.

Dazz approached me in the field and suggested we move to our own search permissions nearer home but still in East Yorkshire, I agreed I was ready for the rest and driving is easier than walking. So we went to say our goodbyes to the other searchers and tried to find out what else had been recovered there was a few hammered coins found by all accounts.
I set the sat-nav to North Cave and set off back, the main road was busy with Bank Holiday traffic but we found a gap and was soon opening the gate to our pasture field. Dazz has been having a lean time recently with his hammie finds but he managed another off this pasture even if it was cracked and bent in the middle.
I managed to find my second ever Saxon Sceat a porcupine type, a pressed out mount, a small leather belt mount and a small buckle, all before the heavens opened and tried spoiling our day.

The finds

Dazz made the first find a nice chunky medieval key right on the edge of the first field. I was not getting any signals at all until I came across a patch of building bricks and concrete rubble then there was iron every where I dug down on a wide loud signal expecting it to be large iron, and it was, maybe a steel plate or a large plough share. So I filled in the hole and the very next signal right on the edge of the iron was sharp and loud, I knew it was on the surface with the signal my T2 gave and I picked up the tiny grey object, yes it was a Henry 111 cut-half, a nice start.
Dazz came over and showed me his next find a silver hammy probably an Edward.
I checked around the rubble area but no more coins where coming up so I started to go further towards the wind farm, it was a very quiet field, and my next signal was no more than a faint whisper and showing foil on my screen, I dug down and from about 10 inches I got my second hammy. not bad two hammies in less than half a dozen signals, this one was well worn on one side but a nice portrait of Edward IV, a York penny. I wrote down the GPS find spots, and got right to the end of the field only finding bits of lead, I took another GPS reading here to check on Google Earth when I got home, and it turned out we was just 3 miles from the beach. I walked all the way back with only a roman grot to show for it I got the GPS reading for this as well because it is important to record all roman coin finds whether grots or not.

A Sunday in East Yorkshire near Driffield

We set off early for Gembling near Driffield using a sat-nav and the post code for Gembling primary school it was down a quiet lane with no houses anywhere, and we drove straight past and ended up in the next no houses village, a quick turn around and a call behind a field hedge and I saw the sign GEMBLING and there was the row of cars arrived for the N.E.W.S. dig.We was soon pounced on for our tenners, he nearly ripped mine trying to get it off me I did,nt recognise the guy and my grip would not loosen, this is where I said my first prayer hoping it was going to be worth a tenner. I had not even started and I needed a painkiller my back was killing me with the drive down and cold weather. I changed into my warmest hooded fleece and put on my camo jacket and over-trousers.Dazz suggested the high ground over the road it was 250 acres of stubble fields with a wind farm right behind it.