Friday, 27 January 2012
Thursday, 6 May 2010
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.
Another Trajan.
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.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
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?
markings.JPG)
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?
markings.JPG)
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.
+saxon+pin.JPG)
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.
+saxon+pin.JPG)
Another Saxon find from a pasture field
ring+brooch.JPG)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)