Metal detecting holidays in England with the World's most successful metal detecting club.

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  • Nov 2005 Latest Finds Page 4

    C 1500 BC Bronze age spear head 11.61g, 55.75mm L 10.43mm W
    1stC Roman bronze fibula brooch - Colchester type
    1797 George III Cartwheel two pence
    1760 - 5 shilling and 3 pence coin weight (1/4 gold guinea)
    16thC Copper alloy Seal matrix 'RV'
    18thC spur fitting
    1921 George V milled silver 2 shilling piece 'Florin' (24 pence)
    1846 Queen Victoria milled silver sixpence
    1859 Queen Victoria milled silver sixpence
    Milled silver size comparison

    Tudor period snake belt fitting

    1422AD Henry VI hammered silver groat ( 4 pence )
    Roman period prick spur

    1422-27 AD Henry VI hammered silver Groat ( 4 pence) - 3.59g, 25.29mm

    sent to Fitzmuseum for class ID

    Huge, James 1st Scottish Merk sometimes known as the half thistle dollar and value of 13 shillings and 4 pence

    ( 160 pence) 6.56g, 31.40mm

    House of Constantine mid 4thC Roman bronze 4.23g, 22.13

    'centenionalis of Constans (337-350 A.D.). This one's reverse legend is FEL TEMP REPARATIO, but instead of the more common soldier spearing the unfortunate cavalryman, shows the emperor in the prow of a boat steered by Victory, and holding a phoenix on a globe and a labarum (legionary standard with a Chi-Rho Christogram on it) It appears, although the exergual mintmark is not particularly clear, to be from the mint at Lugdunum (Lyons). This type dates to about 348-349 A.D'.

    House of Constantine mid 4thC Roman bronze sent to Mark at the URF for further ID
    1863 Victorian copper penny in great shape
    Lion and Unicorn Georgian lock plate
    15thC lead token - long cross design
    Post Medieval belt mount
    Unicorn design livery button
    1580 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver half groat
    1898 Victorian milled silver 6 pence
    1591 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny
    Excellent 'fishscale' decorated early crotal bell and it still rings !!

    Mid 4thC Roman bronze 3.64g, 21.64 mm

    appears (and I can't be certain because the obverse legend is decidedly unclear, but from the spacing of the visible letters seems likely) to be Constantius II (337-361 A.D.) and is also a centenionalis, and also of the FEL TEMP REPARATIO series. This one shows the emperor either dragging or leading-forth a barbarian from a hut under a tree. It depends on who you read which interpretation - warlike or condescending - is cited for this type. The exergue is really obscure on this one, but I think I see an R - star - ?? which gives it a high liklihood to be mint of Rome. This type also dates to fairly early in the monetary reform of c. 348, so is about the same era, give or take a year, as the first, but could be a year or two later since Constans died in 350, but the series went on under Constantius' reign'

    Lead token with 1
    Decorated 18thC spur
    Post Medieval belt mount
    1907 Edward VII Nigeria - British East Africa one penny
    Medieval lead cross
    Griffin design livery button
    Huge 1stC Roman coins in rough shape
    Post Medieval belt mount
    Early 33rd Regiment of foot button
    1640 's Charles 1st hammered copper Rose farthing
    Georgian belt clasp
    18thC chess piece
    George III gold 1/3 Guinea dated 1797 found by Cal Shawn

    45 BC Addedomaros Celtic gold full stater found by Texas Gary

    5.45g, 18.78 mm CCI 05.0749

    Late Bronze age socketed axe fragment, heavily worn 25.28g, 36.02 Lx 21.39 Wx 9.83 T
    USA Eagle button ?
    'The "celticbronze" is actually an early Roman Provincial As or Semis from Spain - Costulo, I believe. That's probably a bull on it. This could belong to either what's know as the "Romano-Celtiberian" series from the time of the Republic (2nd-1st centuries B.C.) or could be as late as Augustus/Tiberius in the 1st century A.D'.
    Pre 1840 Navy button
    1250 to 1400 AD Medieval oval frame buckle with integral plate

    James VI of Scotland 1601- 1604 hammered silver 1/4 Thistle Merk or half noble as it was sometimes known value 3 shillings and 4 pence ( 40 pence )

    1.13g,18.79mm

    Very fine 1639-40 Tower mint Charles 1st hammered silver half groat (2 pence)
    0.96g, 16.19mm
    17thC silver mount 2.19g, 14.1 mm W x 14.85 L reported to museum as potential treasure
    9thC Saxon or Viking silver engraved strap end 5.82g, 44.44mm L x 11.91mm W reported to museum as potential treasure found by Cal Shawn
    Morini ' boat tree' type c 70BC Celtic quarter stater 1.41g, 11.0 mm sent it off to the Celtic Coin Register for logging found by Atlanta Mike
    Lion faced mount with traces of gilding remaining - post Medieval
    Baffling find by Cal Shawn , 10.43g, 41.91mm L x 30.41 B x 9.94mm T - What appears to be a worn out D buckle is heavily decorated and has traces of red and yellow enamel remaining. It is possibly early medieval but the bronze rot suggests an earlier period but the style does not match - requires further investigation
    Lion faced harness mount - post medieval
    Queen Anne 1704 Excellent lead Alnage seal with portcullis and duty paid symbol

    Superb detailed tiny Medieval fastener with figure kneeling and praying

    1.42g,26.7mm Lx 7.62mm W

    45 BC Addedomaros Celtic gold coin 5.58g, 15.72mm CCI 05.0752
    Medieval lead trade shield weight 49.87g (1.75 oz) 27.04 mm L x 25.57 mm W
    Mid 1700's silver decorated cloak hook

    1351 Edward III Pre- treaty, Post treaty

    Obv EDWARDVS REX ANGLI

    hammered silver penny 17.20 mm

    Edward 1st hammered silver penny 1272 AD 17.10mm

    Edward 1st 1272 Class 1d

    Obv EDWAR ANGL R DNS HYB

    Rev CIVI/ TAS/ LON/ DON

    Pellet on neck 1.30g,16.92mm

    Treaty period 1361 -9 AD
    Edward III hammered silver farthing 0.43g, 11.86mm
    King John 1199AD voided longcross hammered silver cut half penny 0.45g, 17.82mm
    1836 William IIII milled silver groat (four pence)
    Lead bale seal with traders mark CM
    19thC working toy cannon
    1816 George III milled silver sixpence
    Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny
    1250 BC Bronze age socketed axe found by NH Scott. 77.38mm L x 29.45 W
    'This is an AR Siliqua of Honorius (393-423 A.D.) minted at Mediolanum, or Milan, as we know it today, in the first few months of his reign in 393 - when he was 9 years old. RIC IX, 26, RSC 63.'
    James 1st 1687 milled silver one pence
    1890 Victorian Hong Kong 5 cents milled silver
    Edward IV 1461- 1485 hammered silver groat ( 4 pence)
    Mid 17thC Heart and flame intaglio
    Mid 18thC silver thimble
    Very pretty button with coloured glass inlaid. Shank style suggests 16thC
    20thC Colchester Bedwell advertising token
    17thC copper alloy hook fastener

    Fascinating find - Stone ball griped inside a hand made decorated circular mount 7.91g, 18.90mm

    Early ball bearing ? Compass mount ?

    18thC spur end fragment
    Lion design livery button
    19thC harness decoration
    Huge Medieval decorated buckle fragment ? with fleur de lis
    1 oz Victorian trade weight
    Late 16th/17th C button
    Facinating widget - Decorated copper alloy that has a fixed end with an iron pin - Reins guide ?
    16thC button
    Lion livery button
    1590-2 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver half groat
    1594-6 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny
    17thC sword hanger fragment
    1817 George III milled silver sixpence
    Lead item with almost a raised crude face design - requires more research
    1945 George VI milled silver sixpence
    1628-9 Charles 1st hammered silver one pence
    Tiny base metal piece with crude inscription - requires more investigation
    15th lead token with weave design
    1568 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver three pence
    Celtic Potin coin
    Early 1660 -2 Charles II milled silver half groat - this legend CAROLVS.II.D.G does not appear in the Spink book ? Is this a rare test piece
    Still digging lots of nice 1795 pattern Artillery buttons
    Unusual type of Georgian watch winder
    Particularly interesting early decorated crotal bell with a Makers mark I have not seen before
    1819 George III milled silver sixpence
    Celtic silver coin in poor shape
    16thC Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence
    Interesting widget - probably to do with a harness set up
    1589 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence
    Pre 1840 Navy officers button
    LBV monogrammed button
    18thC Copper Halfpenny token
    Looks like an early French miltary button - needs cleaning carefully
    Livery button with cockerel design
    Romano/British decorated tweezers 7.54g, 57.57mm L x 11.96mm w found by Canadian Andy
    Tiny Medieval Madonna and child figure 2.86g, 26.01mm found by NH Scott
    Another great find - Roman figure on a cast copper alloy strap end, probably post Medieval 7.33g, 45.30 mm found by Ottawa Greg
    1605 James 1st hammered silver half groat (2 pence)
    Tiny 1784 George III milled silver one pence Maundy set 0.44g, 11.44mm
    1578-9 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny
    1649 Commonwealth hammered silver one pence
    Huge 1817 George III milled silver half crown (30 pence) forgery
    16thC spur buckle
    18thC harness decoration
    15thC hand punched open top thimble

     

    'Titus as Caesar, and if it is consular year 4 as I believe, would date to 75 A.D.' ID 5.45g, 22.42mm'

    'I'm afraid that all I can give you is generalities on this one. With no helpful bits of legend showing on the obverse, and the portrait too vague to say who is intended, about all I have to go on is your metrology and the reverse.
    At 5.45gm and 22+mm, and with a clear S - C on the reverse there are many possibilities ruled out, here. SC pretty much went the way of the dinosaurs during the worst days of the mid 3rd century. At that time, the official fiat currency - the debased, basically copper antoninianus - drove all the "smaller" AE fractional denominations out of circulation and they ceased, for the most part, ever to be produced again.

    Although the size and weight is believable for many sorts of later coins - antoniniani and AE2's - they wouldn't carry the SC. At 5.45gm, it's too light and at 22+mm, a little too small for an as, unless it's an imitative, but it doesn't have that look to it. I'm hard pressed to provide diagnostics for that, but it just doesn't have the "feeling" of an imitative.

    So about all we're left with is a semis - unusual as that denomination is. Semisses were never produced in any great quantities, and not at all after the early Severans, so that gives us a date of not much later than 200 A.D. at the latest. I keep looking at that obverse while I write this, and hoping it will resolve into something or someone familiar that I could be more certain about, but after looking at the listings for my first thought - Hadrian - and finding nothing similar, I have to venture a guess at one of the Flavians - Vespasian, Titus, or Domitian. And this brings up a different problem - the semisses of the Flavians were smaller, and brass - and none of the above suspects minted any with standing personifications.

    However, in the process of looking all this up, I did see something that might be a lead - Titus, while still Caesar under dad Vespasian, had a number of obverse legends that ended with his consular year, and about all that is clear on your coin's obverse legend is the "IIII" at the end. The thick-necked portrait works for a Flavian. One of the most common reverse types for asses of the Flavians was Aequitas, standing left holding scales and either scepter or cornucopia - and that's pretty much what I see on your coin's reverse.

    So I am forced to deduce - although I would not be the least bit surprised were I eventually proven wrong - that this is an underweight as (why? it could be an imitative of superior style, or just a skimpy-flan official issue) of Titus as Caesar, and if it is consular year 4 as I believe, would date to 75 A.D.'

    Great info again supplied from Mark Lehman at the URF

    Miiltary button
    Post Medieval belt mount
    1426 Henry VI hammered silver half groat (2 pence) Canterbury mint