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

    Twinned with Midwest Historical Research Society USA

  • March 2006 Finds
    Georgian fob seal
    Fascinating 13thC seal matrix that appears to have a man and a woman people facing each other with a heart in the middle
    1475 Dutch -Karel de Stoute -silver DOUBLE STUIVER
    1582 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence
    1605 James 1st half groat ( 2 pence)
    Georgian watch winders
    18thC Dutch lead bale seal with Lion and crest design
    Medieval mount with animalface
    18thC bayonet frog
    Very unusual 18thC bayonet frog design
    Silver decanter decoration Post 1740
    Edward 1st hammered silver penny- class 7a Canterbury mint
    Celtic serpent brooch
    Possible Roman silver ring fragment with emperors bust
    18thC silver decorated thimble
    Pre 1840 Navy button
    Saxon period hanger - skull and crossed arms
    Geometric button
    Interesting animal head design watch winder
    1561 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver threepence 19.62 mm smaller flan type
    1500's Elizabeth 1st hammered silver groat fragment
    Georgian spoon
    Post Medieval buckle
    Medieval buckle
    16thC German jetton
    18thC Colchester half penny
    1834 William IIII milled silver sixpence
    Ship button
    Early medieval skull mount
    17thC hammered copper trade farthing
    Livery button
    1864 Victorian milled silver sixpence
    Early coin weight possibly Roman WR
    15thC lead token - petal type
    17thC Jetton
    15thC lead token - long cross and pellet type
    Percussion cap
    17thC Jetton
    18thC Silver spoon with only half of the hallmarks showing
    Edwardian tea strainer
    Coin weight - not researched it yet
    16thC Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny
    1618 James 1st hammered silver penny
    1578 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence
    Medieval lead weight
    1st C Roman fibula brooch - Colchester type
    17thC sword hanger fragment
    Roman key fragment
    Post Medieval lead token
    17thC clothing fastener
    Georgian pastry edger
    16thC cotal bell maker AG
    17thC bronze cup type bullion weight
    Medieval bronze pot leg
    One peice 12th Regiment of foot officers button
    Decorated belt guide
    Interesting bronze trade weight - possibly Dutch
    15thC lead token
    Roman cart fitting
    Fragement of a Roman knife handle
    Post Medieval belt mount
    1817 George III 'bullhead milled silver half crown ( 30 pence)
    1864 Victorian milled silver sixpence
    Post medieval spur buckle
    1770's - 21 shillings (Guinea) coin weight
    Medieval lead coin weight - cross design
    Lead weight - circle design possibly Roman
    Post medieval mount - heart shaped
    18thC clog fastener
    1778 Russian bale seal
    1770's 4 shillings and 6 pence coin weight - written 4s6d
    Georgian metal chess piece
    16thC Elizabeth 1st hammered silver fragment
    16thC Elizabeth 1st hammered silver fragment
    1327 AD Edward III penny Canterbury mint
    Stag livery button
    Post 1840 Navy button
    Very rare Henry IV 1399 - 1412 Heavy coinage Type F London mint hammered silver half groat
    18thC pastry jigger
    18thC Bayonet frog
    Late Medieval mount
    Edward III Treaty period 1361-1369 probably York mint - quatrefoil - with - pellet on reverse cross
    1618 James 1st hammered silver half groat ( 2 pence)
    1625 Charles 1st hammered copper rose farthing
    23rd Regiment of foot one piece button
    2nd Regiment of foot TM ?
    Interesting hand decorated silver fragment
    Silver love token with initials and heart inscription
    Dragoon Guards button

    50BC Gallo Belgic Celtic gold stater 6.24g - 16.58mm found by Ark Jack

    'This'll be CCI 06.0190. Difficult to say exactly which class of uniface stater it is with this amount of wear - indeed it's quite unusual to see one which is this worn, it looks as though it knocked about a bit before being lost/deposited'.

    'That's an antoninianus of Postumus - emperor of the Gallic Empire of Rome. The northern and western provinces split off on their own during the difficult and chaotic times in the 250's & 260's A.D. About the same time Valerian was being captured by the Persians - and subjected to various colorful humiliations - leaving his son Gallienus in sole charge of the empire, Postumus, who had been one of Gallienus' generals, was proclaimed emperor by his troops and found himself in a very favorable position of power. He therefore was the emperor of Spain, Gaul and Britain for almost a decade. His successors did not fare as well, and the Tetrici were eventually forced to abdicate in favor of Aurelian.

    Interestingly, the Gallic Empire seemed to be wealthier than the empire at Rome, the quality of the Gallic coins is higher, as is their general level of silver - Postumus and successors managed to coin better silver, then billon, than did Gallienus under whose reign the antoninianus fell from an approximately 50% silver coin to a tiny, miserable, silvery-washed copper piece - some of the worst may not even have been silver-washed.

    Your piece is the PAX AVG type and shows Pax standing left, holding an olive-branch and scepter.

    With obverse legend IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG it could be either mint of Lugdunum or Cologne, according to RIC, but there are many authorities who question the attributions to one or the other mint (assigning them on the basis of style) - it's probably best to say that the origin of most of the Gallic coins is unclear at best'.

    Mark

    Celtic quarter Morini boat tree 70 BC found by Dakota Dennis CCI 06.0187 1.45g, 11.61mm

    'The G-B quarter is a lovely coin, looks very sharp. There is a distinctive class of these which have all the little crosses around the 'boat' - they're not uncommon, but not always as nice as this'.

    50BC Trinovantes Celtic gold (Clacton type)1/4 stater - 1.13g, 13.71g CCI 06.0188 found by Dakota Lowell
    2ndC Roman bronze disc brooch with gilding and enamel work
    Solid gold Georgisn watch winder
    15thC lead token
    King Offa - 780 - 792 King of Mercia hammered silver .0.92g - 16.64mm
    1593 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence
    Silver handle 2.07g, 34.38mm L- reported to museum as potential treasure - Id'd as 18thC not treasure
    ??
    1641 Tower mint - Charles 1st hammered silver half groat ( 2pence)
    1836 William IIII milled silver four pence
    18thC working toy cannon
    18thC working toy cannon
    Ipswich corporation button
    64th Regiment French button
    Pre 1840 Navy button
    Ornate Georgian buckle
    Heart attack find - gilded hollow ring - no great age
    Medieval buckle fragment
    Flying duck button
    1696 William III milled silver love token
    Georgian garter buckle
    Annular buckle 1350 to 1650
    18thC button
    1696 William III milled silver love token
    Medieval bromze pot pot
    1817 George III milled silver sixpence
    Henry VI 1422-7 Annulet issue - Calais mint hammered silver half groat

    1815 Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (1742-1819), Prussian Field Marshal

    The Battle of Waterloo, 1815 commemorative coin - great find

    Amazing condition 1652 Charles II copper penny
    Stags head livery button
    Livery button
    Post 1740 silver button
    Post medieval bronze ring
    Smallest coin ever found here 'Model Eight farthing' 1848 ??? 0.29g, 8.4mm
    Christ
    Bird button

    Huge Roman Sestertius 19.11g, 31.1 mm

    'A little tough to be sure from the images, but I believe that's Faustina II, the wife of Marcus Aurelius. If you rotate the obverse image 90 degrees clockwise, you see the characteristic hair-bun at the back of her neck. also, what's visible of the legend is probably: FA [VST] INA AVGVS [TA]. I can't really tell who the personification on the reverse might be. She was married to M. Aurelius in 145 A.D. and died in 175 A.D., So if this isn't a "DIVA" posthmous type, and it doesn't seem to be the sort struck under Antoninus Pius, this would date to 161-175 A.D.

    I have never heard of "Memoriae Damnatio" on a coin of Faustina - but perhaps in Britain things were different? I'm thinking perhaps this might have something to do with the Antonine Wall? Or some campaign during the time of M. Aurelius that was very unpopular?'

    Mark

    Military button - which country ?
    Georgian watch winder with black star engraved stone ?
    George III copper farthing in great shape
    1700's 1/4 milled Spanish Reale silver coin
    16thC decorated crotal bell with markers mark '2'
    Superb Tudor period decorated 16thC button with a style not seen before here
    That's Julia Domna, the wife of Septimius Severus and mother of Caracalla and Geta. The denarius reads IVLIA AVGVSTA on the obverse and DIANA LVCIFERA on the reverse which shows Diana standing left, crescent moon on her shoulders, holding a long torch diagonally with both hands. This is a product of the mint at Rome c. 196 A.D. - during the reign of her husband. RIC IV, I 548, RSC 27, SR ('88) 1835, VM 15. Although RIC rates it "scarce", I don't believe it's really any scarcer than most other relatively common types.

    Nice find!

    Mark
    1815 German 1 pfennig
    Interesting French Indochinese copper coin
    1570 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver groat
    1844 Victorian milled silver sixpence
    Rolled over hammered silver coin in rough shape
    1625 Charles 1st hammered silver penny
    1946 George V milled silver sixpence
    Early 18thC harness mount
    19thC lead bale seal
    WWII Iron cross
    17thC lead token with heart design
    1791 Russian lead bale seal
    Copper alloy buckle 18thC
    Medieval gilded decorated clasp - hinged possibly from a bible or small chest

    Cast copper alloy double loop oval buckle

    c1500 -1650

    20thC silver button
    Post medieval belt mount
    Roman bronze winged Phallus pendant 27.87 - 49.02mm L found by Cal Jeff
    Hans Krauwinckel c1560- 1610
    German Jetton
    Parys Mine company 18thC token with a druid head. This was the face that launched a collecting mania and thousands of manufacturers, merchants and shopkeepers followed the lead.
    James 1st hammered silver sixpence
    1704 Louis XIIII milled silver
    15thC open top thimble
    15thC lead token
    15thC lead token
    Early one piece 30th Regiment of foot button
    George IIII memorial medal
    Huge crotal bell - maker William Carr c1680
    Roman silver twisted ear wax scraper reported to museum as treasure

    Britain be true to your King

    Trampling on Liberty lost the King 1830

    Medieval heraldic shield mount
    1830 Chinese coin

    North Thames type Celtic gold stater 5.54g - 16.93 found by Cal Mark

    'many thanks for this one, a rare one indeed. It's an example of VA 1509, also in the BM catalogue (BMC 350) and no. 34 in 'Coins of England'. It usually has a couple of S shapes on the obverse, although I can't see any traces of them here - the obverse is sometimes worn though. It seems to be a North Thames type, to judge from the few provenances available, but there are only six examples previously recorded so it is a rare type. I would guess quite early too, perhaps 40s BC. Certainly one of the best Celtic you've had so far, thanks! It'll be CCI 06.0195'.

    1867 Victorian gold half Sovereign
    1842 Victorian gold half Sovereign
    1604 James 1st sixpence
    1508 Henry VII hammered silver half groat - York Archb Bainbridge
    1526- 44 Henry VIII 2nd Profile issue - London Mint Obverse shows reversed Roman D for C in HENRIC and in FRANC- Laker D hammered silver groat
    1526- 44 Henry VIII 2nd coinage Laker E hammered silver groat
    1570 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver half groat
    1649 Commonwealth hammered silver half groat
    1216AD Henry III cut half voided long cross hammered silver ( can't clean, huge stress crack )
    1199 AD King John hammered silver half penny
    17thC bell clapper
    1509 Henry VIII hammered silver groat needs straightening to ID type

    Roman bronze signet ring with initials XIX

    ROMAN LEGIONARY RING OF THE XIX LEGION (ONE OF THE LEGIONS OF THE VARUS DISASTER)

    17thC decorated silver thimble reported as treasure - inscribed BB maker W
    16thC Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny
    1819 George III milled silver sixpence
    Solid gold Georgian watch winder
    Pre 1840 Navy button
    Tudor period snake clasp
    18thC toy cannon
    18thC silver medallion
    Huge decorated Copper alloy signet ring - needs careful cleaning - don't get a feel of the date yet
    1696 William III over stamped love token
    1819 George III milled silver sixpence
    1679 Charles II milled 3 pence
    1842 Victorian gold half Sovereign found by Boston Beau
    1569 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence - 24.10mm
    Georgian fob seal with woman in relief looking right
    1509 - 26 Henry VIII first coinage 'Sovereign type' hammered silver penny
    1307 Edward II Medieval penny class 11C London mint- back from the straighteners
    Excellent 35th Regiment of foot officers button - one peice
    1696 William III milled silver love token
    1816 George III milled silver sixpence
    Very unusual Tudor period c1500's button
    Neat Post medieval buckle
    1906 Edward VII milled silver sixpence
    1834 William IIII milled silver sixpence
    17thC knife handle guard
    17thC decorated spoon bowl
    London Veteren Reserve badge
    Celtic Woad cosmetic grinder - boat shaped with suspension loop 14.5g - 45.12mm L x 9.88mm T found by Mass Linda
    1723 George 1st SSC milled silver shilling - quite a rare find
    Late Victorian 1897 milled silver shilling

    What looked like a Roman debased silver - 3.16g 16.82mm ID

    That's a denarius of Faustina I, wife of Antoninus Pius whom she married during Hadrian's time. She died in 141 A.D. after giving birth to numerous children, including the future Faustina II, wife of Marcus Aurelius.
    This extensive posthumous series in her honor is mostly from 147 A.D. and later .
    Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA. Draped bust rightr.
    Rx: CONSECRATIO. Ceres standing left raising hand and holding torch.
    SR 4593, RIC 382b, RSC 165a.

    Mark Lehman

    Victorian 1849 milled silver groat (4 pence)
    1696 William III milled silver sixpence lovetoken
    Unusual belt slide probably 18thC
    Medieval buckle
    19thC buckle
    18thC Jews harp
    1560-1 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver half groat - Martlet Mintmark
    1356- 61 Edward III hammered silver half groat - Canterbury mint
    17th/18th C spout
    That one's easy - that's a Constantinopolis city-commemorative. When Constantine the Great moved his capitol from Rome to his newly-rebuilt city of Constantinople, there was a large series of parallel "Urbs Roma" (to help appease "jilted" Romans) and "Constantinopolis" coins issued from all mints. Originally issued around 330 in great quantities, then declining in size and numbers, they were revived after Constantine's death in 337 when the succession was somewhat in doubt - so that individual mints didn't have to declare for the various contenders. As small as your is, it probably dates to just before or sometime in the decade after Constantine's death.

    Your coin shows the allegorical personification of the city of Constantinople on the obverse, helmeted and with spear over shoulder and had the legend made it onto the undersized flan, would have read CONSTANTINOPOLIS. The reverse, anepigraphic but for the exergual mint mark, shows Victory on prow of a ship left. In your specimen, Victory holds an unusually prominent palm-branch (I think) - usually, she holds a spear and leans on a shield.

    Mark
    What I can tell you, despite the lack of detail, is that this is a dupondius of Trajan, 98-117 A.D. Luckily, in the early 2nd century A.D. the Romans were still doing high-quality, representational work and Trajan's profile is unmistakeable. The denomination, "dupondius" (two asses) is indicated by the spiky, radiate crown of Sol - by this time, any coin displaying this sort of headgear can be assumed to be a double-denomination. particularly since the "S" of the obligatory "S - C" (Senatus Consultio - "by consent of the Senate" - an official and fondly held myth that the Senate still had any say in matters like the small-change supply at this point in the Imperium) virtually all imperial AE's carried seems to be in the correct position this way. I still can't quite make out who or what is being portrayed here, and since Trajan was around for quite a while - nearly 20 years - there are literally hundreds of possible reverse types for dupondii. A complete WAG might be Hilaritas, who is usually portrayed holding a long palm branch.

    Mark
    1817 George III shilling
    82nd Regiment of foot
    16thC Tudor button
    Post Medieval bale seal with shield and cross design
    1808 Louis Napoleon, King of Holland - Netherlands East Indies 1/16th of a Guilder
    Just cleaned up an earlier ring find by Bud Bing to reveal the initial 'Pvke' - possibly Roman from the area that produced the XIX legion ring
    Army Ordeance ?
    Medieval small chisel
    Railway button
    Georgian decorated oval buckle

    Interesting piece 26.39mm L inscribed 'IVI' on reverse - needs more investigation

    Roman bronze lynch pin
    Roman bronze pin head
    37th Regiment of foot
    Medieval apothecary scoop
    20th C lead soldier
    2nd Regiment of foot
    16thC button
    14thC gold decorated ring brooch
    'small-module follis of one of the members of the family of Constantine - and a perfect example of what I refer to as "Murphy's Law of Ancient Coin Legends" - the part that is most important, if there's any question who it is, will be the part that is missing. I can easily say who it isn't - it's neither Constans (wrong letter on the end) nor Constantius II (too early) - what I can read on the obverse is "...ONSTANTI.." but this could be either Constantine I or II. The reverse is the "SOLI INVICTO COMITI" type and shows radiate Sol standing left raising hand and holding a globe. It's from Lugdunum by the prominent "L" in the exergue (SLG, probably), and, looking in RIC, I see from the S - F fieldmarks that it's too early at 313-14 A.D.to be Constantine II.' I am not going to be able to tell you who or where-from on this one - but your reverse image was upside-down again. It's a GLORIA EXERCITVS (Glory of the Armies) with 2 soldiers, holding spears in outer hands and resting inner hands on shields, flanking 2 legionary standards. The 2-standard type are the earlier form with this legend and date to 330-335 or so. Again, it's a member of the family of Constantine - could even be Constantine himself, but there doesn't appear to be any usable legend on the obverse of this one at all'.

    Mark
    1st C BC/AD Roman La Tene fibula brooch
    15th Regiment of foot officers one piece button
    C1000 BC Bronze Age socketed implement fragment 35.57 mm L x 21.99 mm W
    This time you have two unofficial coins. I've been trying to move away from the term "barbarous" in describing these because it's an outmoded and rather pejoritive term coined by elitists of an earlier age - as in "Barbarous Radiate" - when, in reality, the folks who made and used these coins were no more barbarous than those who made and used the coins they imitate. But whether you use the term "Contemporary Counterfeit", "Unofficial Imitative", "Ancient Forgery, or "Barbarous Radiate", that's what the first one is. I can't tell from your photo whether the radiate portrait is bearded or not, but the prototype for this coin would most likely have been an official, Gallic Empire antoninianus of Tetricus I or II - "Dad" being bearded, and "Junior", clean-shaven. At this size and weight, adequate for even an official coin of the era, it is unusual to see such crude and illiterate work - that usually appears on the smaller ones which didn't try nearly so hard to imitate the prototypes in general.
    Whether these were counterfeits made to decieve (seems unlikely dunnit? what with this level of workmanship), filled a general need for coin in an era of chaos when official coin was unavailable, were the equivalent of "Plantation Tokens" - scrip used in large Latifundia - farming estates - and/or were meant to be exchangeable for regal coin when it became available again - well, we just don't know. They might have filled any of these functions, all of them, or "none of the above". At any rate, the prototype for this specimen, as far as I can tell, was the SPES AVG type common to all the Gallic Emperors. This shows Spes - allegorical personification of "Hope" - advancing left, holding a flower and hitching the hem of her skirt. If the bust proves to be beardless, you can say it was copied (loosely) from Tetricus II, if bearded, it could copy, in about this order, Tetricus I, Victorinus, Postumus, or - far less likely - Laelianus or Marius, both of whom were extremely short-lived.

    The second, broken one is also probably unofficial. It's a bit harder with the coins of the Severans to be certain. The prototype, if it's not actually official, is a denarius of Septimius Severus dating to about 211 A.D.
    The coin, were it whole, should read "SEVERVS PIVS AVG" on the obverse and "P M TR P XVIII COS III PP" and shows Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt and scepter, between two children (Caracalla and Geta, presumably) - RIC 233, RSC 539.
    This one is a bit more problematic to tell whether or not it's official. You say it's AE, right? The Severan denarii underwent significant debasement so that some issues of even irrefutably official specimens may appear to be billon or even AE after millennia in the ground. There also exists a significant body of high-quality copies in AE, some lightly silvered, which seem to be unofficial. Since these have been appearing in larger numbers in recent years since the use of metal detectors has become commonplace, particularly in Eastern Europe, they have been - probably wrongly - conflated with the "Limes Falsa" lightweight, crude AE's in imitation of the AE types of the 1st and earlier 2nd centuries A.D. found along the "Limes" or borders of the Empire. The name "Limes Denarius", although a misnomer, has been applied to these so often that it has stuck. Here again, although we know that these AE denarii are more or less faithful copies of silver prototypes, and we know that they were both struck and cast in various places - we even have numerous molds and forgers' dies - we don't understand the role, if any, they may have played in the official monetary system. Were they copies made by semi-Romanized folks just outside the reach of empire? - folks who had become accustomed to the use of coin but who did not have access to official supplies? Were they a form of military scrip meant to keep large quantities of precious metal from falling into enemy hands in the event of a defeat - and presumably redeemable in good coin at some future date? Were they out-and-out counterfeits? Were they particularly debased official issues? (well, the cast ones probably weren't) Or did they fill some, as-yet unknown function? They might have done any or all of these at various times and places.
    Or, your coin might just be lower-grade silver and completely official.

    Mark

    Celtic bronze coins sent to CCI for recording

    Right facing horse Addedomaros style 45 BC - Left facing horse like a Cunoblein 'Biga' type Early 1stC

    Post Medieval small chisels/implements
    16thC Tudor button
    1865 - 3 Pfenninge German states Prussian coin
    1836 William IIII milled silver 4 pence
    19thC Knife Scabbard tip
    88th Regiment of foot
    18thC gilded decorated clog fastener
    16th/17th C German Jetton
    A fragment of a Romano-British protected loop terret. 28.5 mm L x 17.9 mm W
    Complete hasp and clasp - Georgian
    17thC pewter child's finger ring
    Dress button
    Livery button
    Navy button
    Georgian cuff link

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