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Metal Detectoring

Bad Bungle said:
The Moneyer was Osber which can be made out on the hammered coin, although several possible mints. Anyway, silver penny (half of) 1180-89 which would makes it Henry II - he who married Eleanor of Aquitaine, eight kids etc. So pleased I could get a date.
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Great little bits of history.
 
Very few good signals yesterday but more than pleased with a small strap-end buckle on the way back to the car. Similar thing on PAS was described as a medieval clothing fastener c1250-1400 AD. It's a lot daintier in real life than in the photo and far more personal than a coin.

Strap Buckle_476B.jpg
 
Detectorist fined.

A metal detectorist has been convicted and fined €1,000 for failing to report the discovery of archaeological objects which have now been returned to the State.

A range of artefacts, including silver medieval coinage and part of a medieval horse harness, were found by gardaí as part of their investigation into the case, and the items are now in the care and custody of the National Museum of Ireland.

Keeper of antiquities at the museum, Maeve Sikora, welcomed the outcome of the case, and described the judgment as “significant”.
She said she hopes it helps raise awareness of the laws in place to protect Ireland’s irreplaceable and unique archaeological heritage, and of the sanctions for breaking those laws.

The use of metal detectors to search for artefacts and the reporting of the discovery of artifacts in the State are both regulated under the National Monuments Act 1930 to 2014.

People must apply for consent to use detection devices to search for archaeological objects, and all archaeological objects without a known owner are property of the State, and finds must be reported within 96 hours.

The Irish Examiner reported last March on the damage caused by rogue treasure hunters to two protected national monument sites in Cork, with investigations ongoing.

Up to 70 holes were dug at the 16th-century Conna Castle, east of Fermoy, disturbing human remains of archaeological significance, and later, at least 10 holes were dug at Kilcrea Friary in Ovens, west of Cork City.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41159953.html
 
A man who found a rare ring in a muddy field while out on a walk has now sold it for £23,000

Metal detectorist Albert Taylor found the medieval gold hoop and bezel jewellery in a field near Roxwell in Essex.

400-albert-taylor-found-14th-824936702.jpg


"The style of the ring is close in appearance to a number of early 15th century examples, which began to appear with the badge and motto rather than the full armorial bearings."

The one inch diameter ring weighing eight grams has an image of a bird of prey perching with wings spread and head turned.

Above the bird is the inscription 'al for ye best' (all for the best).

The ring was found close to an estate owned in the 14th century by the Skrene family.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/22695577/rare-ring-field-walk-sold/

maximus otter
 
It should have rained today, they promised - ground like concrete, humidity like wading through treacle.
In other News - clod shot! clod shot! Got (most of) a hammered coin but it had stars on it, which suggested it was Scottish. Now have confirmation the moneyer was Walter in Berwick, which was part of Scotland at that time (1250-80). So, Alexander III 'Long Cross and stars' silver penny - lost and found in rural Bucks.

Scot_LC_clod_922as.jpg
Scot_LC_894cls.jpgScot_LC_496cla.jpg
 
Bad Bungle said:
It should have rained today, they promised - ground like concrete, humidity like wading through treacle.
In other News - clod shot! clod shot! Got (most of) a hammered coin but it had stars on it, which suggested it was Scottish. Now have confirmation the moneyer was Walter in Berwick, which was part of Scotland at that time (1250-80). So, Alexander III 'Long Cross and stars' silver penny - lost and found in rural Bucks.

View attachment 67184
View attachment 67185View attachment 67187
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Wasn't it standard back then for people to deliberately clip bits off coins so the bits could be smelted to create new forgery coins?.
 
Swifty said:
Wasn't it standard back then for people to deliberately clip bits off coins so the bits could be smelted to create new forgery coins?.
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Coins would be clipped around the circumference, leaving an apparently intact, normal coin. The offender would then use the small amount of metal taken from several coins to create a new, forged coin. (That’s why coins used to have the decoration, e.g. dots and rims, around the edge: No decoration? Clipped.)

silver-1947-great-britain-1-shilling-world-silver-coin-54-grams-888888946_221220171246426701850.jpg


Coins such as the “Long cross” pennies of centuries ago might have pieces cut out of them in order to make change, i.e. halfpennies or farthings.

maximus otter
 
This story has a ring of truth about it.

A man whose wedding ring slipped off his finger during a Tough Mudder race said he is delighted after detectorists helped find it.

Lee Armstrong noticed his ring was gone while running the obstacle course at Belvoir Castle on Saturday. After he and wife Nicki issued a plea for help unearthing the treasured platinum band, BBC Radio Lincolnshire rallied detectorists to help relocate it. It was found on Friday morning.

NICKI AND LEE ARMSTRONG
IMAGE SOURCE, NICKI ARMSTRONG Image caption, Nicki Armstrong and her husband Lee were competing in a Tough Mudder race when Lee lost his wedding ring

Tough Mudder wedding ring

Image caption, Detectorists answered the plea for help and offered their services

Ten metal detectorists were sent by the radio station to help with the effort to find the missing ring.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66064235
 
ramonmercado said:
This story has a ring of truth about it.

A man whose wedding ring slipped off his finger during a Tough Mudder race said he is delighted after detectorists helped find it.

Lee Armstrong noticed his ring was gone while running the obstacle course at Belvoir Castle on Saturday. After he and wife Nicki issued a plea for help unearthing the treasured platinum band, BBC Radio Lincolnshire rallied detectorists to help relocate it. It was found on Friday morning.
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ramonmercado said:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66064235
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Smiley's all round then! *Spot - the difference. . .
1688140106964.png
 
Quite a find.

A man who found 14 Bronze Age axe heads with his son has described the experience as "unreal".

Martin Turner, 52, and his son Rhys, 18, were metal detecting in a field near Dorchester, Dorset, when they came across the haul.

He told the BBC: "I couldn't believe what we were finding. I knew they were old but I didn't realise how old."

Archaeologists are now expected to excavate the site due to the significance of the find.

Mr Turner and his son were exploring a field they had not searched before in June and it was not long before they made their first discovery.

Axe head finds in Dorchester
IMAGE SOURCE, MARTIN TURNER Image caption, The father and son found the axe heads in quick succession

"We'd only been there for a quarter of an hour before we found the first one," he explained.

"Then I dug it up and knew it was an old axe, so I called my boy over and said 'you'll never believe what I've found'. And as he came over to me his detector went off right behind my back, and I said 'you better dig that,' and he dug up another one straight away and I was like 'what?'

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-66071443
 
Tough going today, ground need way more rain. But I did get a nice engraved button with intact loop that may be re-used and a fragment of a pendant-like object (broken loop at top) with traces of green and gold inlay.
The more I look at the pendant, the more I want a face to be there, a green face. Unlikely and yet ..

Greenman_655s.jpg Greenman_649s.jpg
 
Bad Bungle said:
Tough going today, ground need way more rain. But I did get a nice engraved button with intact loop that may be re-used and a fragment of a pendant-like object (broken loop at top) with traces of green and gold inlay.
The more I look at the pendant, the more I want a face to be there, a green face. Unlikely and yet ..
This one looks like it's a part of a bigger object?
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ramonmercado said:
Quite a find.

A man who found 14 Bronze Age axe heads with his son has described the experience as "unreal".

Martin Turner, 52, and his son Rhys, 18, were metal detecting in a field near Dorchester, Dorset, when they came across the haul.

He told the BBC: "I couldn't believe what we were finding. I knew they were old but I didn't realise how old."

Archaeologists are now expected to excavate the site due to the significance of the find.

Mr Turner and his son were exploring a field they had not searched before in June and it was not long before they made their first discovery.

Axe head finds in Dorchester
IMAGE SOURCE, MARTIN TURNER Image caption, The father and son found the axe heads in quick succession

"We'd only been there for a quarter of an hour before we found the first one," he explained.

"Then I dug it up and knew it was an old axe, so I called my boy over and said 'you'll never believe what I've found'. And as he came over to me his detector went off right behind my back, and I said 'you better dig that,' and he dug up another one straight away and I was like 'what?'

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-66071443
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There is a Youtube clip (not linking it) where one of my regulars recently found both matching halves (in different holes) of a palstave axe mould in very good nick. If Bronze Age axes are rare, imagine how important a mould would be.
 
Mythopoeika said:
Yes, but finding one from that era in any kind of condition... it's as rare as rocking horse poo.
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Not really. . . I've got some saw-dust, and a few odd lumps of wood kicking about in my workshop!
 
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Frideswide said:
Please can you describe the edge on the tape? whole, broken etc.
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24 hours on and well I don't know - pareidolia tis a powerful thing. Definitely a bit broken off on the right-hand and I've included the back (horizontally flipped) for clarity. But none of the edges are particularly smooth and there isn't much symmetry to the front engraving. And yet .. a wet finger (didn't pop this find in my mouth) brings up the green and gilt and what's left of that is concentrated on the 'eyes' and 'nose'.

Greenman_440a.jpg Greenman_893a.jpg
 
In terms of assessing paradoilia, a trick used by, for example, archaeological Finds Managers, is to look for other faces beyond the one you see first.

In this case, I can see one face on with a ?foliate crown. That's my first but I can also see two profiles back to back :)
 
ramonmercado said:
Quite a find.

A man who found 14 Bronze Age axe heads with his son has described the experience as "unreal".

Martin Turner, 52, and his son Rhys, 18, were metal detecting in a field near Dorchester, Dorset, when they came across the haul.

He told the BBC: "I couldn't believe what we were finding. I knew they were old but I didn't realise how old."

Archaeologists are now expected to excavate the site due to the significance of the find.

Mr Turner and his son were exploring a field they had not searched before in June and it was not long before they made their first discovery.

Axe head finds in Dorchester
IMAGE SOURCE, MARTIN TURNER Image caption, The father and son found the axe heads in quick succession

"We'd only been there for a quarter of an hour before we found the first one," he explained.

"Then I dug it up and knew it was an old axe, so I called my boy over and said 'you'll never believe what I've found'. And as he came over to me his detector went off right behind my back, and I said 'you better dig that,' and he dug up another one straight away and I was like 'what?'

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-66071443
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Given recent changes, will this count as treasure trove?
 
Tempest63 said:
Given recent changes, will this count as treasure trove?
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1 Meaning of “treasure”.​

(1)Treasure is—

(a)any object at least 300 years old when found which—

(i)is not a coin but has metallic content of which at least 10 per cent by weight is precious metal;

(ii)when found, is one of at least two coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time and have that percentage of precious metal; or

(iii)when found, is one of at least ten coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time;

(b)any object at least 200 years old when found which belongs to a class designated under section 2(1);

(c)any object which would have been treasure trove if found before the commencement of section 4;

(d)any object which, when found, is part of the same find as—

(i)an object within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) found at the same time or earlier; or

(ii)an object found earlier which would be within paragraph (a) or (b) if it had been found at the same time.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/section/1

- And importantly:

2 Power to alter meaning.​

(1)The Secretary of State may by order, for the purposes of section 1(1)(b), designate any class of object which he considers to be of outstanding historical, archaeological or cultural importance.

(2)The Secretary of State may by order, for the purposes of section 1(2), designate any class of object which (apart from the order) would be treasure.

(3)An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/section/2

As l read it, the Secretary of State has the power to move the goalposts via Statutory Instrument.

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:

1 Meaning of “treasure”.​

(1)Treasure is—

(a)any object at least 300 years old when found which—

(i)is not a coin but has metallic content of which at least 10 per cent by weight is precious metal;

(ii)when found, is one of at least two coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time and have that percentage of precious metal; or

(iii)when found, is one of at least ten coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time;

(b)any object at least 200 years old when found which belongs to a class designated under section 2(1);

(c)any object which would have been treasure trove if found before the commencement of section 4;

(d)any object which, when found, is part of the same find as—

(i)an object within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) found at the same time or earlier; or

(ii)an object found earlier which would be within paragraph (a) or (b) if it had been found at the same time.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/section/1

- And importantly:

2 Power to alter meaning.​

(1)The Secretary of State may by order, for the purposes of section 1(1)(b), designate any class of object which he considers to be of outstanding historical, archaeological or cultural importance.

(2)The Secretary of State may by order, for the purposes of section 1(2), designate any class of object which (apart from the order) would be treasure.

(3)An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/section/2

As l read it, the Secretary of State has the power to move the goalposts via Statutory Instrument.

maximus otter
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Seems like they're trying to 'axe' it? :)
 
maximus otter said:

1 Meaning of “treasure”.​

(1)Treasure is—

(a)any object at least 300 years old when found which—

(i)is not a coin but has metallic content of which at least 10 per cent by weight is precious metal;

(ii)when found, is one of at least two coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time and have that percentage of precious metal; or

(iii)when found, is one of at least ten coins in the same find which are at least 300 years old at that time;

(b)any object at least 200 years old when found which belongs to a class designated under section 2(1);

(c)any object which would have been treasure trove if found before the commencement of section 4;

(d)any object which, when found, is part of the same find as—

(i)an object within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) found at the same time or earlier; or

(ii)an object found earlier which would be within paragraph (a) or (b) if it had been found at the same time.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/section/1

- And importantly:

2 Power to alter meaning.​

(1)The Secretary of State may by order, for the purposes of section 1(1)(b), designate any class of object which he considers to be of outstanding historical, archaeological or cultural importance.

(2)The Secretary of State may by order, for the purposes of section 1(2), designate any class of object which (apart from the order) would be treasure.

(3)An order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/section/2

As l read it, the Secretary of State has the power to move the goalposts via Statutory Instrument.

maximus otter
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As I understand it an Artifact was found near Colchester that did not meet the criteria for it to be classed as treasure.
The local museum (or maybe the castle) wanted to acquire it but the finder put it up for auction and a private overseas collector offered far more than the museum, when they lost the auction they complained to the government who slapped a ban on its export.
The museum subsequently obtained the artifact at a knock down price and the finder lost out. The find, though not treasure trove, was deemed of “National Importance”
 
Tempest63 said:
As I understand it an Artifact was found near Colchester that did not meet the criteria for it to be classed as treasure.
The local museum (or maybe the castle) wanted to acquire it but the finder put it up for auction and a private overseas collector offered far more than the museum, when they lost the auction they complained to the government who slapped a ban on its export.
The museum subsequently obtained the artifact at a knock down price and the finder lost out. The find, though not treasure trove, was deemed of “National Importance”
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That’s what happens when you put politicians in the loop.

maximus otter
 
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