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

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  • Oct 2007 - March 2008 Latest News Page

    23rd Feb 2008 Exports completed - Updated export page

    All export applications are now complete, check the members forum for full finds lists. I have updated the export page with a sample finds list of Chicago Reid's hunt to show you the detail required for the export license applications. Every find over 50 years old has to photographed and the FLO selects from this lists those finds to be taken to the museum to be examined and recorded.

     

    I have been adding more of our finds to our Foundintheground searchable databases. Type in by any keyword to search. We still have a whole bunch of unknown do-dads posted on the forums if you can help ID them.

    Updated the Romano/British finds page with the latest finds

    21st Feb 2008 Land news, more unpublished finds - hunts start again in a week

    I have just two more export pouches left to complete before we start searching again next Saturday. I was amazed to find two more of the 5th Dragoon guards buttons lurking amongst a guys buttons. That brings our total to 4 of these now from our POW area. These are unlisted in any publication and Tim our button expert has added them to his latest book and attributed them to the Crimea war. A lot of the members have been 'google - earthing' the new site looking at the various crop marks that appear to cover this site. I was with the new landowner yesterday looking at all the maps again and he told me of of very important house site that was on his land and it shows up as a huge black square on the ariel shots (picture left) . Lots of hot spotting to do here.

    2 more unlisted Crimera War period 5th Dragoon Guards buttons - This is the 4th of this type from our POW site so they must have been on guard duty

    Titled family livery button

    Walter Williams London

    1624 E. LATYMERS ALMS BOYS

    During the 17th century important charities were founded for schools and for alms-houses.

    Latymer school was established under the will of Edward Latymer dated 1624

    Latymer school catered only for boys but in 1778 a girls' charity school was started in Edmonton

     

    Shipping line button - not found it in the books yet
    Medieval annular buckle
    Interesting post medieval lead trade weight with Eel design
    Medieval drop pendant with traces of gilding remaining
    Large Georgian star patterned mount

    1587 dated Antwerp Hand coin weight

    1666 Thomas Peeke of Colchester hammered copper trade farthing
    Spanish bronze cob dated 1621

     

    20th Feb 2008 More unpublished finds and ID's

    Some more great bits and pieces missed out of the export pouches including the stunning 17th C hammered copper trade farthing, another new one for our set, check out the 17thC token page . A couple of nice Roman pieces cleaned up and ID'd. The token on the left is perplexing. I just got a reply from a Conder (Condor) token expert I sent it to. Any ideas as I am stumped ?

     

    After taking a look at the pictures you sent, I am sorry to tell you that we cannot identify it-but, as you stated, it may be a medal because it has no denomination on it.  Best of luck identifying this coin, and again, apologies that we cannot further help you.  If you have any other inquiries in the future, please do not hesitate to ask!

     

    Small 1st to 4th C Roman bronze knife quillion - 14.35mm W 13.66mm H x 10.26mm T

    17thC Daniel Walker, Grocer of Woodbridge Suffolk hammered copper trade farthing
    Roman - Cast copper alloy buckle tongue with half of it's loop broken. File marks are evident on the sides and underside. Three incised lines decorate a raised rectangle at the base of the loop - Ref Bishop 186
    15thC Shield of France Jetton
    1770 Russian St Petersburg lead bale seal
    16thC lead Tudor Rose mount
    15thC lead token - long cross and pellet type

    17th Feb 2008 More unpublished finds

    Huge Post medieval triangular standing weight 2 lb's - 114.6 mm long
    Huge Victorian reigns guide with a neat hunting sceen

    Royal Horse Artillery

    1888-1889
    Smith & Wright Ltd
    180 Brearley Street, Birmingham

    1860-1912

    'I will maintain'

    Charles Jennens London

    WWII National fire service

    USA Marine button

    1941 - 1960

    1710 Corneill & Limest Ward Schools
    French Infantry Button
    26th Line Regiment
    Circa 1803-1814

    C 1825

    'Corde Rixam'

    Firmin & Sons Strand London

    Dublin Fire Brigade

    Henecy & Son

    Dublin

    16thC Tudor button
    16th/17th Nipple button

    17thC 3 pence token - William Morrifon Barr (William Morrison Barr)

    Georgian horse bell

    15th Feb 2008 More finds - New land research

    Canadian Rod has started his research on the new land and is already finding some very interesting Archeology on it, he will be posting more info on the members forum. He is also preparing the new maps ready for the 1st March when we begin searching it. I have posted more complete finds lists on the members forum, please don't send me find locations yet until the museum selects those required to be taken in and added to the National databases. They currently have over 350 artefacts deposited with them so it will be while before I publish the next find list grid references needed.

    The latest set of detailed reference books are still proving invaluable to ID finds that initially appear to be Georgian but are a lot earlier. Roman circular mounts look like just like Georgian draw pull back plates and are very tricky to differentiate, as are Roman copper alloy domed studs. I have just started to build a Roman Military page of our finds Roman Military.

    Roman circular mounts

    Roman copper alloy domed studs

    I get most of my specialist books from Roger at Spin-a- disc http://www.metaldetectingbooks.co.uk/. He can get you any obscure or out of print items if you give him a ring.

    If you finding Roman items then here are my favourite reference books. I have a whole series of old British museum books on Roman finds but these below are the most detailed and easy to use.

    Roman Military equipment - Bishop & Coulston

    Roman buckles and Military fittings - Appeals and Laycock

    Finds from Roman Aldborough - Bishop

    Prehistoric and Roman studies - British museum

     

    3rd C Roman spear butt – Osterburken type Ref Coulston - Drawing Roman 3rdC spear butts
     

    Roman 'heart' mount Ref Laycock
     
    What initially looked like the end off a snake buckle is a fragment of a Roman Open looped dolphin buckle Ref Laycock

     

    16thC decorated Tudor duck head S buckle along side a 19thC version of a snake buckle

    11th Feb 2008 More finds and land for the 1st March

    I went to see the new farmer today that has asked us to search his land . He showed me all the maps of his plot and it is another huge area being just under 700 acres. It has never been detected before so lots of hot spotting for us to do from the 1st March although it has a noted 11thC Priory on one of the fields that gives it a huge potential. That probably takes us to just over 200 fields to cover in March !!

    WWII Civil defence

    19thC livery button

    1838 Nortzell & Son

    21 Bouverie St. London

     

    Gordan Highlanders

    1884 - well after 1899

    J R Gaunt & Son

    London

    Huge decorated lead mount - Lead mounts with crests were used on carriage doors so this could well be a decorative mount for the same- Probably Georgian period
    1603 Coin weight for Scottish thistle crown of James 1st, revalued - IIIIs 4 D ½
    Copper shilling - May 1690 James II Irish 'gun metal' emergency coinage

    8th Feb 2008 - More unpublished finds and ID's

    More interesting do dads out of the export pouches. More complete finds list with pictures just posted on members forum.

    I am not having much luck researching this earlier lead document seal find with heraldic shield impression. It has a medieval armour helmet facing left at top of shield and Barry wavy of six argent. 41.40 mm L x 38.20mm W. If you can help ID it please drop me a mail. Here is a link for a great web site for heraldic info

    1634 -36 Charles 1st Rose hammered copper farthing type 2

    Obv CAEOLU D G MA FRA

    Rev FRA ET HI REX

    Very interesting James 1st hammered copper farthing with a mintmark that appears to be Pommel with 6 arms but should be Cinquefoil with 5 ?

    1613- 15 James 1st hammered copper farthing Type 2 Mintmark Cinquefoil or Pommel ?

    General type Obv. IACO D G MAG BR (IT)

    Rev. FRA ET HIB REX

     

    1586 Hans Krauwincel II Rose orb Jeton

    HNNS KRAVWINCKEL IN NVRENB

    1564 Elizabeth hammered silver sixpence – Pheon mintmark 3rd Issue
    1853 Victorian milled silver sixpence
    1897 Victorian milled silver sixpence
    1774 Annulets, with a Lion Bullion Weight – 4 pennyweights
    Really nice decorated silver cord end dated 1751 Chester mint date letter ‘a’
    Roman Baldric phalerae
    Roman military Pelta mount
    Unusual open topped lead thimble - probably Georgian
    Interesting 16thC clothing fastener

    7th Feb 2008 Gerry's Barn Hunt - one space free

    Idaho Gerry has just had a last minute cancellation for his 'Barn Accommodation Hunt' on the 7th to 14th March. The 6 man team has their own mini bus and it is a go as you please type event and you can detect as many hours as you can handle. If you can get away and join his group then you will be with a 'Top Detector Trainer' who has an amazing track record at finding gold nuggets , left is Gerry holding his 40 Oz nugget he found this year. Gerry also takes his teams to Ganes Creek Alaska every year for two weeks and they are seriously good. Check out the videos and details of the accommodation here .

     

    Email Jerry at gerrys1det@cableone.net. for more info. Check out his site with pictures and training he gives on a machine if you buy it from his shop http://www.gerrysdetectors.com/train-p1.asp

     


    5th Feb 2008 More unpublished finds - Tim's ID's

    More individual find lists just published on members forum.

    Tim Burton our button expert has managed to ID a very interesting button find below and sketched in the lettering for us. He said it was 'as rare as hen's teeth' and it is not in the reference books.

    L.G.W.F.
    Loyal Greenwich 
    Water Fencibles
    ( Coastal Home Guard )
    In use 1798 - 1820 ?

     

    He also ID'd a button that I initially thought was military as an early railway button.

     

    1418 -37 Charles VII Shield of France Jetton – shield of tressure design – double stranded  arcuate cross fleuretty with lis at centre –Ref  Mitchiner 322
    L.G.W.F.
    Loyal Greenwich 
    Water Fencibles
    ( Coastal Home Guard )
    In use 1798 - 1820 ?

    Mid 20thC

    Back mark - Firmin . London

    RN Capt / Commander - 1901
    Other Ship's Officers - 1901
    In use 1901 - 1952

    Royal Marines light infantry

    W Twigg & Co Birmingham

    Buttons include Royal Marines Light Infantry dating from 1855

    Royal Marines

    1888-1889

    Smith & Wright Ltd

    Birmingham

    UK - Britain
    SE&CR - South Eastern &
    Chatham Railway Cº
    Marine Division
    1902 - 1922
    Æ Gilt - Ship's Officers
    Maker - Unknown
    Merge - Southern Railway 1922
    18thC Norwich Copper Halfpenny
    17th century Allen Gurney - AG crotal bell – Hull foundry
    ??
    Fire button - helmet with breast plate ?
    19thC snake belt clasp
    1619-25 Gold coin weight Half laurel of James I, 3rd Coinage 5.0 gm - Crown XS
    Interesting design on a Georgian button
    19thC Lion livery button
    Superb Medieval square lead goldsmiths coin weight – Single Lis of 3 flowers in square obv shield Ref Rogers 3.21g
    19thC Crescent livery button
    Unusual Post medieval lead bale seal with figures

    3rd Feb 2008 Busy recording finds - more land on offer

    I an still busy working through the export pouches and trying to ID unknown finds. A particular Jetton has me stumped and I have the huge Mitchiner bible on these finds. It is a 14thC shield of France type but instead of the classic Fleur De Lis it has 3 pine trees and a bunch of foliage in a shield. The reverse is the classic triple stranded cross fleuretty with quatrefoil at centre and at the end of each arm, in ornamental 4 arched tressure. If any one can ID this fascinating find then drop me a mail.

    14thC French Jetton - not in the ref books

     

    I dropped off over 350 finds with their find spots to Colchester Museum for recording on Thursday and these will be input onto the the National database. Check their database here which is great for helping to ID any finds you make. http://www.finds.org.uk/ . If you have any finds for recording then drop them into your local Finds Liaison Officer. If you click on our exporting page there is a finds recording template you can download and use. Sal posted this screen print below of his Saxon gold find on the forum which is now on line on the Fitzwilliam Museum National database for Early Medieval coinage. What a stunning find, English Saxon gold is the rarest type of coin finds there are.

    I went to see one of our new landowners and his wife who are very keen on the history of their land with our latest discoveries. They have 700 acres of undetected land that we have only started searching at the end of last season. Canadian Rod who does the historical research of our sites produced a huge laminated early map of their site which showed old water courses and early houses which they were fascinated by. The Chicago team this season found an amazing Roman area on this land which the museum have suggested is perhaps an offering site after I have taken in several votive offerings to be further ID'd by the museum. I produced a large coloured portfolio of the Roman finds for them to keep and also the Saxon artefacts we have been finding in another area of their site. They have offered us another new undetected farm in the local area which is owned by a relative. I will be seeing the new landowner this week and hopefully get permission so we can make a start searching it in the second half of the season.

     

    29th Jan 2008 Royal mint study - New history of village shops - more finds

    Just cleaned up a spectacular find from Chicago John's pouch which appears to be 3 miniature Roman bronze bowls joined together. These have been used in the past to offer the first fruits of the season as a votive offering. The pots appear to be too small to contain much fruit so perhaps they contained an incense, miniature loaves are also used as votive offerings. It came from an area where an old map shows a large water course which has since disappeared and Romans liked to make offerings at water locations. It has 3 small feet so it raised from the surface when sat on an alter. It will be interesting to see what the museums final ID is.

    'Ancient religion was more concerned with everyday problems than the afterlife. Worshippers would make a declaration (nuncupatio) that if the deity heard their prayer - say for a cure, a safe journey, or a bountiful harvest - they would pay them back by setting up an altar, sacrificing a pig, or offering up a treasured artefact'.

    These gifts could be an animal sacrifice, or a model of the sacrifice. Interestingly it came from the general area that the Roman 'chicken' was found – the cockerel was associated with the god Mercury. Another Roman looking miniature bowl was also found close by.

     

     

     

     

    Amazing Roman bronze artefact 35.8g, 36.46mm W x 14.73mm H - votive offering pots

    Got a real nice e-mail in from a guy working at the Royal Mint who is doing an interesting project on Sudbury tokens, I have sent him the find spots of the ones we have found.

    'As someone who is making a special study of the Sudbury halfpenny token of 1793, I was interested to see on your informative website that specimens of these tokens are being discovered by detectorists, presumably in the Colchester area.

    The geographical extent to which these tokens may have circulated beyond Sudbury is of particular relevance to my study and I wonder, please, if it is at all possible for you to tell me where the findspots are.'

    I got another e-mail in from a guy writing a new Shire publication book on the history of the village shop which should be a very interesting publication.

    'I am writing a book on the history of the village shop for Shire publications to be published later this year. To this end I am seeking an image of a collection of trade tokens and wondered if you would be able to help me in this matter. I would be very grateful if you could assist me in any way and I would of course be willing to credit your club in the acknowledgements'.

     

    I responded that he can use any pictures from our site as one of the main purpose of us recording every find we make and publishing it on the net is to improve history. Great to see the information we collect being put to good use. Check out the 17thC token page with all the trade farthings we are finding

    Tokens copper 17thC

    I have also updated the Jetton page and managed to ID an outstanding find that I initially though was another trade farthing but is an 18thC Jetton.

    Johan Jacob Dietzel of Nürnberg who made this sometime between 1711 and 1748.

    Obverse "GEORG.DG.M.(.........)

    Reverse: "IOHAN(N.I)ACOB.DIETZEL.RECHP.COUNTERS"

    I have updated the forum competition page and added the latest missed hammered silver finds to the total which now stands at 155 so far for the year.

     

    1566 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver 3 pence - 3rd issue Portcullis mintmark
    1591-5 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver 2 pence -5th issue Tun mintmark

     

    1645 Charles 1st hammered silver penny – A, Ashby mint

    16thC duck head S buckle

    28th Jan 2008 More finds and exports

    More full finds lists and coloured pictures of the guys export pouches just posted on the members forum.

    Some more great do dads out of the pouches including a very unusual early Shield of France Jetton where the Fleur De Lis break into the legend. A seriously good book for ID'ing Jettons is the Michael Mitchiner series with 700 pages of enlarged Jetton pictures including weights and legends. Another interesting button which is our 4th or 5th example found is the Royal Navy Packet Service ( Mail & Supplies Delivery). These have come from our POW site so were these guys delivering letters to the POW's ? I just got an e-mail back from Dr Mike Bishop who wrote a fantastic Roman Military equipment book which I now have a new hard back copy of. We can use the pictures from his book for a new Roman Military page I am currently constructing.

     

    1478 Louis XI Shield of France Jetton – Cross fleuretty with roses on reverse Ref Mitchiner 706

    1690 William III circular lead trade weight – Bust and Averdepois mark, 0.86 oz
    16thC casket key

    One piece Navy button

    HONI SOIT QUI MAN Y PENSE

    PACKET

    Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French: shame upon him who thinks evil of it)

    RN - Packet Service
    ( Mail & Supplies Delivery )

    c.1800-1811

    The Edinburgh and District Tramway Co Ltd

    Back mark - H.Totery London


    16th/17thC decorated crotal bell - we have found a few with the makers mark 'I' but they are unlisted in the known foundry owners of that period

     

    WWI Machine gun corp

    1685 John Burrough, Grocers of Ipswich Suffolk, hammered copper trade farthing Ref Noweb 4362a

    1509-47 Henry VIII trade weight - London hallmark, Crown h - 1.9oz 48.9mm dia
    16thC Tudor clothing fastener
    Medieval strap end - 2 rivet fixing (remaining)
    Prussian NCO Imperial Eagle WWI one piece button
    Kings Royal Rifle Corp 1872 - 1939

    1634 -36 Charles 1st Rose hammered copper farthing type 2

    Obv CAEOLU D G MA FRA

    Rev FRA ET HI REX

    20thC Butlins holiday camp enameled badge , Clacton is local seaside town.

    One piece Navy button

    HONI SOIT QUI MAN Y PENSE

    PACKET

    Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French: shame upon him who thinks evil of it)

    RN - Packet Service
    ( Mail & Supplies Delivery )

    No back mark

    Unlisted button - Crimea war's period

    THE 5TH. (PRINCESS OF WALES'S) DRAGOON GUARDS

    19thC livery button

    RW Jackson & Co

    58 Gracechurch St London

    24th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds - Axe heads

     

     

    Great news story about a guy finding 500 Bronze age artefacts - Click here

     

     

     

    More cleaned up and unpublished finds including an amazing discovery of a Kemper Military School Boonville Mo button and an early silvered pin. Lots more to post yet.

    Cast copper alloy Gargoyle pendant

    Roman prick spur fragment

    1586 Hans Krauwincel II Rose orb Jeton

    HANNS KRAVWINCKEL IN NVRENB

    15thC Silver on bronze pin
    19thC lead fishing weight
    Georgian flintlock pistol toy
    1344 Edward III hammered silver penny – Florin type obv EDWAR ANGL DNS  HYB – Canterbury mint

    Great find Kemper Military School Boonville Mo

    Back mark Superior quality

    Kemper Military School was a private military academy located in Boonville, Missouri

    38th Regiment of Foot

    ( 1st Staffordshire )

    O/R's - 1855-1881

    RN Air Service

    In use WWI

    Officers Tunic Button

    ??

    RN - Royal Naval Reserve

    Captain & other Officers

    In use 1886 - 1901

    P&O Line
    In use 1920 - 1940s
    Maker - Unknown
    Capt / Commander - 1774-1787

    4th Regiment of Foot

    ( The King's Own )

    Officer - 1808-1830

    ?? Back mark superior quality

    Britain's Merchant Navy
    Generic Design Issue
    In use 1900 - 2000's

    Bliss Bros Ltd

    Rd 665050

    16thC fretwork Tudor button
    Corporation button ?

    20th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds - buttons and coppers

    Lots of interesting buttons out of the export pouches and the odd really nice copper worth photographing. I was amazed to see that the 94th Regiment of Foot button is not in my reference books. They were formed in 1802 and disbanded in 1881.

    It is nice to see an example of a great condition early and late bust Victorian large penny next to each other.

     

    1886 Victorian young bust copper penny in real nice shape
    1900 Victorian older bust copper penny in real nice shape
    1901 Edward VII copper half penny in real nice shape
    George 1st copper half penny in real nice shape

    circa 1500 -1550 Rose Orb Jetton – anonymous issue – Large orb series with three Fleurs de Lis around a 5 petalled rose –fictitious legend - Ref Mitchiner 1190

    1672 Charles II milled copper farthing

    THE 5TH. (PRINCESS OF WALES'S) DRAGOON GUARDS

     

    WWII type 1935-1952

    Firmin London

    Livery button

    1860-1912

    C.J Jennens

    [Prince of WalesPlume]

    Pre 1947 The Kings (Shropshire Light infantry)

    32nd regiment of foot

    ( Cornwall )

    O/R's - 1855-1881

    1870 -1914 Bavarian reservist
    Unknown

    94th regiment of foot

    O/R's (Brass) - 1802-1881

    No buttons of the 94th are listed in any reference book

    RN Capt / Commander - 1901
    Other Ship's Officers - 1901
    In use 1901 - 1952

    J R Gaunt & Son Ltd

    Poughkeepsie Police button - New York button ?
    Infanterie de ligne (1871-1916)
    French

     

    Brevete.Parts H TW&W

    ROYAL MARINES
    This button dates 1923 - 1952
    O/R's Tunic Button
    Maker = Smith & Wright, B'ham
    RMLI & RMA merged in 1923

    Owl livery button

    1860-1912

    Charles Jennens

    [Prince of WalesPlume]

         

    Victoria Royal Engineers button

    Officer & O/R's - 1856-1901

         

    19th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds - Potential treasure and unknown coin - more ID's

    Got an e-mail from Tim on the latest button ID's. 30th Bn. E. Lancashire Reg't, (30th Reg't of Foot, Cambridgeshire) (1881-1901) & Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (1908 - 1946). Interesting that he has the maker Clancy listed as different dates than in my button guide.

    CLANCY CHAs CLANCY . DUBLIN ( 1 ) 1855 - 1881
      C. CLANCY & Cº . DUBLIN ( 2 ) 1881 - 1901
      Known date(s) - Regular UK Militia - (Irish) ( 1 ) 1855 - 1881
      30th Reg't of Foot ( Cambridgeshire ) (1st Bn E. Lanc's Reg't) ( 2 ) 1881 - 1901

    He has more supporting evidence that his date is correct

    '1881 - Under Cardwell's reforms the 30th Regiment of Foot, united with 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot, to become 1st Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment'

    I have reported the silver clasp item below as potential treasure to the museum as the crude decoration is possibly over 300 years old. I cleaned up a very interesting hammered copper coin that is not English and requires more investigation. If you know what it is drop me a mail please

     

    Silver clasp item with crude decoration - reported to Colchester museum as potential treasure

    0.78b, 17.51mm dia x 4.24mm W x 1.93mm T

    17thC Lancelot Felton , baker of Bergholt Suffolk hammer copper ½ penny token - undated type - Ref Norweb

    George III 1760-1830 1 pennyweight (Dwt) and 7 grains (G) coin weight - 6 shillings and 9 pence - 1 pennyweight = 24 grains - Ref Whithers

    Unknown foreign hammered copper coin 0.91g, 16.76mm - needs researching

     

    Foreign military button - possibly Dutch
    It's in poor shape but it's a great find , the first 1912 -18 Royal Flying Corp button found here - Pre Royal Air force

    Vickers F.B.2 (1914)

    17th Jan 2008 Museum feedback - line drawing and ID's

    NS Andy's Saxon amazing strap end find has now been drawn by the museum.

    C10thC Anglo Saxon strap end 18.48g, 34.41mmL x 18.33mmW x6.53mm H

    Only one of it's type found in Britain - donated to Colchester museum by NovaScotia Andy

    'It is probably an insular copy of a Carolingian style, or it could even be the product of a workshop located on the fringes of the Carolingian continent, maybe somewhere like Domburg on the coast of Frisia. 10th - 11th century in date'.

    I have just got back the confirmed ID's of the finds that were taken previously to the museum for evaluation.

    Chicago Keith:  Late Iron Age – early Roman terret fragment

    Cal Jim : Post Medieval spur fragment - c 16thC

    Ohio Mike :Post Medieval knife stop

    Mike: Roman strap fitting (with ring-and-dot decoration)

    I originally thought this was Saxon so it is a lot earlier than I thought

     

     

     

     

    Cal Jeffrey: Medieval annular buckle, Medieval dagger guard and Roman chicken mount

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Penn Christie's : 11000 BC Mesolithic Axe

     

     

    I have just posted a list on the members forum for the next batch of finds that the museum want to view and record. Please review you list and confirm the find spots by e-mail.

    15th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds and updates

    Some great missed finds out of the export pouches including a couple of unrecorded military buttons I have sent off to Tim Burton the button expert for further ID. There is a really neat looking bronze Roman cotter/clevis pin that will go off to the museum for further investigation. The bronze Medieval knife pommel is the second one of that design we have found with a Fleur di Lis top, the previous one came back from the museum ID'd as Medieval. These are from a very small knife perhaps a domestic type.

    Really nice 18thC decorated silvered clog fastener

    Unrecorded

    30 th Regiment of Foot
    ( Cambridge )

    Cambridge shire XXX

    Back mark

    C. Clancey & Co - Dublin

    1817-47

    Unrecorded

    Buckingham shire

    Back mark

    J Gaunt & Sons London

    1899 onwards

    Great condition General service Army button - From 1890
    16thC Tudor period button - possible late Medieval
    1871 French copper coin - 10 Centimes
    1603 James 1st gold Angel coin weight, 2nd coinage revalued - Crown XIs

    Picard’s Duke of Wellington Hull (Yorkshire) halfpenny token. Obverse: Bust of Wellington, wearing laurel, to left. Reverse: Text in centre and round edge listing major battles and their dates. Diagonally milled edge. These Peninsular War tokens are thought to have been issued by Picard, the owner of the Hull Lead Works, who spent some of his time in London and took to gambling his fortune away, eventually becoming bankrupt in 1827 and dying in reduced circumstances in 1843

     

    RN Capt / Commander - 1812
    RN Lieutenant - 1812
    RN Midshipman - 1812
    RN Volunteer Gr.I - 1812
    After this issue a Midshipman
    will have the Captain's style

    16th/17thC spur buckle
    Georgian fob seal with head facing right impression

    North Eastern London Tramways button

    Back Mark

    John Hatton & Co

    Roman bronze clevis pin ? 30.82mm L x 6.68mm dia 12.98g
    WWII Royal marines button
    Medieval bronze knife pommel- Fleur di Lis type- part of iron blade remains 5.18g, 14.54mm W x 14.13 L
    17thC lead token with chicken design

    12th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds and updates

    What should have been a simple ID of a Scottish regimental button with a good back mark has us stumped so far. Tim Burton has replied' It looks like a generic Scots Regimental bandsman button' but he can also find no reference to it yet. Information on a Morgan 6 pence silver token find is scare but I found an advert in the The Star, London, June 24th, 1813. I have updated the following page with latest finds.

     

    Romano British artefacts

     

     

    Saxon finds 410 -1065 AD

     

     

    Seal Matrix

     

     

    17thC George Nicholson, Grocer, Thorp Le Soken, Essex, hammered copper trade farthing

    Not in ref books, Scottish regiment ?

    Early 20thC

    Firmin&Sons Ltd London

    'It looks like, a generic, Scots Regimental Bandsman's Button.
     
    So far, no reference, will keep looking'.

     

    19thC Silver 6 penny token HM - Payable by a £1 note for 40 of these at Morgans token manufactory 12 Rathbone place London

     

    Advertisement from the The Star, London, June 24th, 1813.
    Local tokens of Gold and Silver, invented and first made for Public Convenience, in March, 1811, by Messrs. Morgan and Co., die Makers and Medallists, at their Licensed Token Manufactory, No. 12, Rathbone Place, Oxford Street, London,having been honoured with Legislative sanction and patronage, by three successive Acts of parliament, continue to make to any design, for Companies and Individuals, at a short notice, in that superior style of execution which has obtained for M & Co. during the last two years numerous and extensive orders for Bankers, Manufacturers and Shopkeepers, in almost every city and town throughout the United Kingdom. NB. Unpaid letters will not be admitted. Dies of numerous patterns ready engraved.
    C10thC Saxon key

    11th Jan 2008 More updates ID's and unpublished finds

    Updated the following pages with latest finds. More full export finds lists published on members forum.

     

    Tokens 15thC to 17thC lead - Starting to add 17thC lead tokens to this page

     

     

     

    Romano British artefacts

     

     

     

     

    Base metal coins - added loads of the early coppers found in great shape

     

     

     

     

    Mounts - Updated the mount page that now includes all periods

     

     

     

     

    Thimbles - - Updated the thimble page with also some history

     

     

     

    1553- 86 AD Hans Schultes I ‘Lion of St Mark’ Jetton

    obv Lion of St mark standing left, nimbate and winged, holding book of the Gospels in right fore paw: Lions halo orjecting into the margin and surmounted by a cross

    + SANT:MARGVS:NORPED

    Rev Imperial orb surmouned by cross patty

    HANS rosette SCHVTLTES rosette NORNBE

    Ref Mitchiner 1382

    5th Regiment of Foot
    ( Northumberland )
    O/R's - 1790-1830
    Customs
    ( Victoria ) VR
    1837-1855
    Roman bronze helmet trim
    19thC livery button
    RN Capt / Commander - 1812

    10th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds cleaned up - more find pages

    I have added two new individual pages to the site for finds. I need help dating the various chess pieces we have found as I cannot find any equivalents while researching them.

    Chess, dice and gaming pieces

     

    Book clasps

     

     

     

    Full export lists with pictures and ID's are posted on the members forum.

    17thC Rose Ryal (Ship and Rose type) square brass gold coin weight from Antwerp the low countries, 3.3 g,16.65mm . Reverse hand with makers letters - possibly Bernaert Bommeres 1620 to 50

    One piece Navy button

    HONI SOIT QUI MAN Y PENSE

    PACKET

    Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French: shame upon him who thinks evil of it)

    RN - Packet Service
    ( Mail & Supplies Delivery )

    c.1800-1811
    Firmin & Co

    Victorian Generic Military HQ Staff Officer

    Smith & Wright
    Birmingham

    1840 -81

    German POW ?
    92nd Regiment of Foot
    ( Highlander )

    Officer - 1798-1830

    Interesting lead crown seal

    Royal Navy Lieutenant - 1748

    Circa 14th to 16thC Decorated copper alloy book clasp - single rivet fixings
    17thC spur
    2- Georgian decorated watch winders

    8th Jan 2007 More unpublished finds and Trade tokens

    I spent an age trying to ID a 17thC token find that had the same IG mark as a Joseph Gleson of Dedham Essex but I could only read a partial legend Stoke Nailon. Finally after a couple of hours I found it in the Suffolk reference book and it is a misspelling on the legend for Stoke by Nayland Suffolk. I checked our other Joseph Gleson finds on the 17thC token page and I had also attributed another John Groome incorrectly as the IG mark is very similar. Would you believe that checking the next export pouch there was a perfect John Groome 17thC token with full legend so now we have found three !! Another nice button find and only the 2nd one we have found is a Royal Harwich Volunteers button, these is still unlisted in any reference books.

    Probably Napoleonic period

     

    1664 Joseph Gleson of Dedham hammered Copper trade farthing

    17thC Groome, John of Stoke by Nayland, Suffolk hammered copper trade farthing

    Legend reads John Groome Stoke Nailon

    17thC Groome, John of Stoke by Nayland, Suffolk hammered copper trade farthing

    Legend reads John Groome Stoke Nailon

     

    Louis XII 1497 -1515 Tower shield of Tournai French Jetton – 4 lis in a lozenge type

    Obv SIT IIOIIIEII BOIII I II I

     

    Stunning condition 1724 Dump issue George 1st copper halfpenny

    1614-25 James 1st hammered copper farthing Type 3c

    General type Obv. IACO D G MAG BR (IT)

    Rev. FRA ET HIB REX

    7th Jan 2008 More ID's, finds and exporting

    Back from the Christmas and New Year break and it is now full steam ahead with the exporting and doing more work on the outstanding ID's. I will be posting more of the unpublished finds like these below and full finds lists with photo's on the members forum.

    I have added a great news story about an ancient pan which may have been a souvenir from Hadrian’s Wall that will go on show on Tyneside today, amazing find.

     

    Crude decorated copper alloy strap end - Early Medieval

    Roman bronze military helmet trim

    Unusual Tudor period buckle fragment

    Tim Burton has just sent me some updates on outstanding button ID's

    C J Burns Ltd 1840-1860
    German navy pre 1918

    This Agnus Dei indicates Surrey or West Surrey Regiment.

    Horn indicates Volunteer or Rifle Brigade

    Probably one of the Surrey Rifle Volunteer Regiments

    Sorry no reference on this

    Possible Belgian navy related or merchant shipping line ?

    Will do more research.

    I have cleared up any outstanding paperwork during the break and have start the exporting procedure. The trial of the new process last season was successful so we have adopted the system below. Every single metal find is now re-examined to ensure each piece is recorded and photographed in preparation of the export applications. I will be posting any finds we missed while the hunts were in full flight.

    1- Normal detailed finds lists with export application form sent to MLA (Export Duty)

    2- Detailed finds lists also sent to the Finds Liaison Officer at Colchester museum at the same time

    3- Full size pictures of all finds electronically mailed to MLA and FLO and finder

    4- FLO selects the find/finds from the list that need to be taken into Colchester museum for further investigation and recording

    5 Finds are taken to Colchester museum

    5- FLO signs off on the finds list and informs export duty so license can be granted.

    29th Dec 2007 Exporting and More ID's

    I am busy working on ID'ing some of the more obscure pieces found prior to export. Two very useful new reference books are 'Roman Buckles and Military fittings', written by Andrew Appels and Stuart Laycock and 'Finds from Roman Aldborough'. Both have very detailed drawings. Interesting to note that both the Romans and Saxons were very keen on the dot and circle decoration like the one below on this strap end.

     

    Fragment of a late Roman strap end with ring and dot pattern - similar to an amphora type 11.14g, 37.76mm L 24.89mm W

    Romano/British mount - currently with Colchester museum being evaluated
    38.68g, 55.64mm L x 15.43mm W x33.39mm H

     

    Roman period bowl with hanger 35.86mm L x 24.99 mm W - currently with Colchester museum being evaluated

    Fixed plate Roman armour buckle - single rivet fixing
    Fragment of a closed loop dolphin buckle
    Roman Military piece - Lugged baldric mount
    Fragment of a closed loop buckle
    Roman buckle pin

    23rd Dec 2007 More extracts of our finds from the Annual treasure report - outstanding ID's

    Record Gold Treasure Trove Found click for Global News Page

    The new year is going to very busy compiling the latest export licenses and getting the outstanding ID's back from Colchester museum. I still have a whole raft of unpublished buttons to ID. The first half of the season was amazing in terms of rare military buttons from our POW site. I have just sent off another bunch to Tim Burton our military button expert. If you can help with ID'ing any buttons all unknowns are always posted on the foundintheground forums.

    Similar to Trinity House pilot button
    Similar to Trinity House pilot button
    Foreign Navy ?
    Foreign Navy ?
    Dutch/Danish Army ?
    Unlisted 3rd Dragoon guards

    Unknown maker - Jackson

    30 Gracechurch St London

    3rd one of these we have found - not ID'd yet

     

     

     

    3 - 17thC silver buttons with a combination of hearts, flames, crown and arrows. Issued to commemorate the marriage of Charles II. These are currently on display in Colchester museum.

    Our other series of silver button finds have either been declared treasure or disclaimed and returned to finder. These will appear in the next issue of the Annual Treasure report.

     

     

    22nd Dec 2007 - Updated more pages with latest finds

     

    Mounts
    Corporation and livery buttons
    16th/17thC buttons
    Navy buttons
    Military named regiments
    Military numbered regiments
    Military foreign buttons
    Military badges

    20th Dec 2007 Added a global news page - More of our finds from the Annual Treasure Report

    Added a new page to the site for interesting Global News where I will post any related topics to finds both here and abroad. The latest post is fascinating, the only lead curse on a Roman emperor ever found, with a Roman gold coin.

    Roman coin

    Click on the thumb nail pics to enlarge

     

     

     

     

     

     

    850BC Axe hoard - currently on display in Colchester museum

    19th Dec 2007 Updating searchable database - Annual Treasure report detailing our finds

    I have updated the foundintheground searchable database with more silver and gold coin finds. Use these databases to search for specific coins by any key words.

    C 1640 Charles 1st bust - 0.58g, 13.54mm L

    This superb Charles 1st loyalist pendant was previously declared treasure and is currently being purchased by Colchester museum. I have updated the Hoard and Treasure Page with the lastest information on outstanding finds reported to the museum.

    The latest Annual Treasure Report this year issued by the DCMS lists a large number of our treasure and hoard finds from the past. It takes several years for items declared treasure to finally appear in this report. Some of our finds are currently on display at Colchester museum having been purchased by the museum under the Treasure Act. All proceeds are split 50/50 by law with the landowner and finder. See Hoard and Treasure page for more details on each find. Click on the page thumb nails below for larger view of the write ups that appeared in the report. I have several more to post yet including Mass Bruce's excellent 850BC axe hoard.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Mixed Celtic gold and Roman Republican silver hoard Fig 422.1, 422.2,422.3.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    There are two of our gold rings finds on this page. Fig 314 and Fig 317. The superb 17thC engraved gold mouring ring is currently on display at Colchester museum.

     

     

     

     

     

    4thC Roman gold ring - currently on display at Colchester museum

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Anglo Saxon gold dagger pommel - currently on display at Colchester museum

    15th Dec 2007 Nice Testimonial - More updates and two new dress guides

    Got a great e- mail in from Louisiana Sal that I have added to the testimonial page.

     

    I have created a new page with our 16th and 17th artefacts and where they fit on a man of the period. Click on the pictures to enlarge or go to the new Dress Guide Page

     

     

    Updated the following pages with latest finds

     

    14th Dec 2007 More updated pages

    Updated the following pages with latest finds

     

    William IIII to Victorian milled coins 1830 to 1901

     

     

     

     

    Charles II to Queen Anne early milled silver coins

     

     

     

     

    Georgian Period milled coins

     

     

    Watch Winders

     

    13th Dec 2007 More updated pages

    Updated the following pages with the latest finds. I still have the following 18thC Conder type token I am trying to ID. If you know what it is drop me mail please or post info on Foundintheground forum.

    18thC Conder (Condor) token

     

     

     

    11th Dec 2007 Current research - Hammered silver pages updated

    Special thanks to Canadian Rod who is our historian and does extensive research on the land we search including new land farmers ask us to explore. Rod produces full size laminated old maps of the area and this year in particular they proved very useful in discovering two really early house sites on new land that are no longer there. Earlier in the season I took the maps to show the landowner with the finds made around these houses and he was amazed at the two large water courses that use to flow through his land which is why these houses were probably built in that location. Yesterday I sent the landowner an updated coloured portfolio of the latest finds we have recovered from a newly discovered Roman area on his site. While discussing with the landowner the possible importance of the Roman finds we have taken to Colchester museum for recording and ID's I learnt some more very important historical information about the land, I have posted an update on the members forum. This new site is 700 acres and 17 fields so lots more hot spotting to do yet but it is showing huge potential.

    Updated some of the hammered silver pages with the latest finds

    King John to Richard II

     

     

     

    Edward 1st to 3rd

     

     

     

    Charles 1st and Commonwealth

     

     

     

    Tudors

     

     

     

    Foreign hammered silver

     

     

     

    9th Dec 2007 Finally ID'd this coin - Napoleon button ID'd - Celtic bronze

    Now we are closed until March I have a chance to beaver away ID'ing unknown finds and getting the export documentation ready. I have also been out looking at more new land that hopefully will be ready for searching in the 2nd half of the season. I have posted the last few finds to the latest hunt page.

    Some of the guys have moved their slots up to the start of the season to be the first on the freshly ploughed and rolled fields not yet detected. I have altered the availability page and those original slots are now free.

    Thanks to Trez on the Treasurenet forum for pointing me in the right direction to ID this coin found months ago by Mass Glen. It is a Carlos II of Mallorca Dobler. Phew took me ages to finally find another picture of it on the net!!

    Charles II (1665-1700)

    DOBLER DE CARLOS II CECA DE MALLORCA FALSO ÉPOCA

    Thanks again to the guys on the French forum for ID'ing this Napoleonic button find by Ark Gary.

    Bouton d'officier du 1er regiment à pied et des compagnie d'ouvriers et d'armuriers de l'artillerie
    1804-1811

    I have had feedback from the Celtic Coin Index on the possible Celtic bronze coin I sent off to them for recording and it is indeed the right weight and size. I need to do some work on this coin to try and bring out more detail on the horse.

    Possible Celtic bronze - concave shaped 2.30g, 15.55m sent off to CCI for recording

    'The reverse looks as though it could be a Celtic horse and the weight is certainly right, as is the size. If you can possibly get some better
    quality images I might be able to do more with it, these are just too small to see anything very much.'

    Philip

    5th Dec 2007 Great end to the hunts - Half season summation

    I have posted a few more finds on the latest hunt page with a bunch more to upload yet. Mass Glen found this really crisp Henry VI half groat.

    1422-27 Henry VI hammered silver half groat - Annulet issue

    obv HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC

    2 annulets by bust, annulet in 2 qtrs of reverse

    Calais mint

    Copper alloy bird mount - one for the museum to date
    16thC seal matrix with flower design - very unusual type
    2ndC Roman bronze fibula brooch

    That's it now until we re- open again in March with hopefully lots more new land to try and hot spot again. I am hoping that we can secure 4 new plots offered to us that show huge potential. Two of them border a fantastic new Roman area that Chicago Ron's team discovered on a new site this season. Some of the Roman looking relics found on that site are currently with Colchester museum being evaluated. I have had no feedback yet on the results but will keep you posted.

    Thanks again to all the guys that came here to hunt for all their hard work and dedication out there for 12 hours a day in all weathers getting skunked on a regular basis but then walking over a nice keeper. This season has produced a sting of firsts for us including our oldest find in both relic and coin category. We have reported our 61st Treasure and Hoard to the museum and it is great to now be able to see so many of them on display there for all to enjoy. We found our 63rd Celtic gold coin that are all recorded on the Celtic Coin Index. We recorded our 22nd Saxon silver coin and our 3rd Saxon gold coin with the Fitzwilliam museum's Early Medieval Corpus database. A fantastic achievement by the members here to help improve the history of the area we search by recording all important finds on the National databases.

     

    Penn Christy found the first 11,000 BC Mesolitic flint axe head - currently with Colchester museum

     

     

     

    Louisiana Sal found the first ever English Saxon gold here 620 AD

     

     

     

    NS Andy discovered an unrecorded type Celtic gold coin 50BC

     

     

     

    Mass Don found the earliest ever milled silver coin found here 1631 AD

     

     

     

     

    Billericay Mark found the oldest coin ever found here at 126BC

     

     

    Canadian Bill found the first 1158 AD Henry 'Tealby' coin found here with an unrecorded bust type

     

     

    UK Les found the first gold nugget found here - currently going through the treasure process

    3rd Dec 2007 Extra - Official ID of the Roman gold coin find

    Thanks to Mark Lehman for the correct ID of the Roman gold find.

    'This is, as you later suspected, Theodosius I rather than Magnus Maximus.  A solidus of "Mag Max" would be a great item to find - Kipling included him as a character in "Puck of Pook's Hill" with a vividly-drawn, if fairly historically inacurate portrait.  He's a good bit scarcer, in general, than Theodosius I, but the coin we're looking at today carries an "R2" rating in RIC, so it's pretty scarce as well.
     
    This is a Solidus - the denomination introduced by Constantine the great which would continue to be struck with very little variation in weight or fineness for nearly another thousand years as it became the flagship coin of the Byzantine empire.
    Your specimen was minted at Trier, between 388 and 392 A.D.  The "COM" in the exergue refers to it being pure gold - the mint designation is the T - R to either side of the two characters on the reverse - who are meant to be 2 co-regnal emperors - the basic design goes back to the time of Valentinian I and Valens, but continued until, at this time, it was supposed to be Valentinian II and Theodosius I as the 2 senior Augusti, there was however (throughout the era) a 3rd and even, at times, a 4th emperor. 
    The obverse legend is D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG - with the normal diademed draped and cuirassed bust right. 
    The reverse is VICTORIA AVGG (the 2 "G's" abbreviating "Augustorum" referring to multiple emperors) and shows the 2 emperors, presumably Valentinian II and Theodosius I seated facing, holding a globe between them, the top half of Victory between and spreading her wings above them.
     
    RIC IX Trier 90b.
     
    Congratulations to you and the digger - What a great find!
     
    Mark

     

    3rd Dec 2007 Roman gold update - Foundintheground database now working

    I am still waiting for the reply from our Roman expert on the Roman gold found yesterday but the gold appears to be an earlier emperor Theodosius I 379-395 AD. In the Roman reference book it states

    VICTORIA AVGG -Two emperors enthroned facing, holding globe between them;in back ground, Victory standing.facing,wings spread; in ex, CONOB

    Interesting that I cannot find this coin in the latest Spink's book, probably due to the fact that this is from a Greek mint, COM below Victory. I found the picture below on the internet and it is almost an exact match of the one found yesterday.

    Theodosius
    379 - 395 AD - RIC 8b.2 (Mediolanum),

     

    The son of a famous general, Theodosius's own military prowess caught the eye of Gratian who sent him off with an army to deal with the various barbarian hordes making regular excursions into Roman territory. After scoring some impressive victories on the battlefield Gratian gave Theodosius the ultimate reward by crowning him emperor and formal successor to Valens.

    Theodosius then went on to settle a peace treaty with the barbarians and conferred upon them "federate" status and allowed them to occupy Roman territory under the condition that they would defend it against other intruders. The benefit, in principle at least, was that this settlement created a buffer zone for the Romans. In the following years he put down the rebellions headed by Magnus Maximus and then, literally with a little help from the weather, by the puppet emperor Eugenius.

    During the waning years of his life he became the first Roman emperor to turn full circle on the issue of religious persecution. After centuries of Christian persecution and then another three quarters of a century whereby Christianity coexisted mostly peacefully with Pagan rituals, Theodosius began the active persecution and steady elimination of all non-christian sects and their temples. This policy would be vigorously followed by all succeeding emperors. He died in 395 leaving behind a split empire to be ruled by his sons Honorius and Arcadius.


    I have uploaded more finds to the latest finds page

     

     

    2nd Dec 2007 Site finally back up - Earliest ever milled silver found - Amazing Roman gold

    Fasthost the biggest supplier of hosting in the UK got hacked so I have been off the air for several days. I have just got this site back up and working but the SQL finds database on Foundintheground is still not fixed so you will get errors if you try to log onto it.

    Meanwhile the guys have had quite a lean hunt but have found some exceptional pieces. Mass Done found the earliest milled silver coin ever found here. It is a 1631 Briot's test milled issue hammered silver penny, what a brilliant find. What makes it even more remarkable is Don in the afternoon went onto another completely different site and found a Charles 1st hammered silver penny of the same king so he did an amazing double!!

    Mestrelle's Coinage

    Milled coins were minted for the first time in 1561, in the reign of Elizabeth I. A screw press powered by horses was used in their manufacture, under the supervision of a Frenchman, Eloye Mestrelle. The quality of the coins was vastly superior to the normal hammered coinage, but production was much slower. Mestrelle was also resented as an interloper by the mint workers because of his nationality and unpopular because his machinery was perceived as a threat to their continued employment. After ten years Mestrelle was dismissed and the milled coinage ceased. Later Mestrelle turned to counterfeiting, for which he was hanged in 1578.

    In gold, the milled coinage consisted of a limited number of half pounds, value ten shillings, crowns of five shillings, and extremely rare half-crowns of two shillings and sixpence, all beautifully styled and well-struck and circular. However, though produced throughout the reign, there were no milled versions of the gold angel, half angel and quarter angels, all of which had the same respective values but different designs. The gold milled coinage is found with two mintmarks, a star or a lis.

    The silver shilling was over 30 mm diameter, and suffered slightly by a much shallower relief, particularly on the reverse. This may have been a result of the thicker metal flan used. Only one mintmark, the star, is known and it is thought that they were only minted in 1561. A slightly smaller version from the same period is usually better struck.

    Also in silver, the sixpence was produced nearly every year over a period of eleven years and all were dated. Because of their long mintage, they are relatively common. Various mintmarks were used. Rare silver groats of four pence were minted in 1561 and silver threepence from 1561-1564. Despite the longer production period the latter coin is also fairly scarce. Equally scarce are the silver half groat or two pence. The scarcity of these two denominations and the absence of a milled silver penny reflects the difficulties in milling these small coins.

    Briot's Coinage

    After the departure of Mestrelle almost sixty years elapsed before the Mint was prepared to experiment with another milled coinage. Again it was the work of a Frenchman, Nicholas Briot, who joined the mint as chief engraver in 1628 during the reign of Charles I. His coinage was of an extremely high standard, in contrast with the hand-made hammered coinage which was generally of poor quality. The first series was minted in 1631-32 and included all the gold denominations.

     

    1631-9 Nicolas Briot's coinage

    Charles 1st milled silver one pence one of the first milled silver coinages ever made

    rev IUSTITIA THRONUM FIRMAT

    1633-4 Charles 1st hammered silver penny - Portcullis mint mark Tower mint under Charles

    Another remarkable find by Billericay Mark is this spectacular Roman gold coin. It appears to be a Magnus Maximus - solidus - 383-388 AD 4.40g, 20.26mm. I have sent it off to our Roman expert of his evalution.

    Magnus Maximus - solidus - 383-388 AD 4.40g, 20.26mm

    I have some great relics to upload yet including an unusual Roman fibular, some real great mounts and more hammered silver. I have uploaded a few more this afternoon on the latest hunt page.

     

    28th Nov 2007 Correct terminology - Slim pickings

    The guys are out there hunting hard playing the odd's looking for more Saxon and Celtic gold but it looks like Sal got the only one in the area, he cleaned it out real well LOL. I have just posted a load more finds to the latest hunt page. I really like a huge copper coin found by Mass Don celebrating 4 generations of the Royal family. Ark Gary got the first Roman off a new plot we have just started hunting.

    What a really neat copper coin - 1897

    obv FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY

    rev TO CELEBRATE THE 60TH YEAR OF HER MAJESTIES REIGN 1837-97

    THE DIAMOND JUBILE

     

     

    Thanks for the update from Dr Martin Allen at the Fitzwilliam museum Cambridge further to Sal's English Saxon gold find. The correct terminology for this find is a Witmen type Thrymsa ( Thrysmas is plural). It is not a Crondall type as that was the hoard found.

    I have produced a new page for members video's showing hunting here and updated the latest hunt page with more finds

    27th Nov 2007 Use Foundintheground forums for ID help - First decent Roman from a new site

    I keep getting dozens of e-mails wanting my help with button, coin and artefact ID's. Please post on our foundintheground forums and I or the members will be happy to help you. I do not answer e-mails wanting help especially if they have attachments so please don't keep sending them to me.

    2nd C Roman bronze, Commodus - 177-192 A.D- 13.03g, 28.63mm

    A new site we have just started hunting produced the first readable Roman coin yesterday. The other Roman bronze coins from this site have been chewed to bits and round lumps of bronze. Thanks to Mark Leham again for the great ID below that helps us date a field.

    Luckily, you have legend enough for a positive ID on the emperor - it's Commodus - 177-192 A.D.
    The weight/diameter is a little problematic.  The diameter is adequate, if a bit small for a Sestertius, although the weight would be about the lowest I've seen - well below the average weight for Commodus Sestertii.  It has, obviously, lost a bit to chipping on the edges, but not enough to allow me to be comfortable or certain calling it a Sestertius.  At 28mm, it's on the lower end of the diameter scale for Sestertii, but is really a bit large to be an As - since there's no traces of radiate crown, it can't be a Dupondius.
    So, it's a little unusual, either an undersized sestertius or an oversized As. 
    The reverse is most likely some sort of standing personification or deity - but lacking detail enough to make out any recognizeable attributes and not in any characteristic posture - actually, as I rotate the image, there's even a distant possibility that this is a galley. 
    So, I'm sorry I can't give you more specific and positive information, but it is, at least, firmly attributable to to ruler.
     
    Mark 

    Yep it is a galley on the obverse

    Normally, it wouldn't help, since, as was common at the time, Commodus tended to put the same reverses on all of his denominations.  An issue of all the current denominations with a specific reverse was far more the rule than what we have here - only the Aureus and Sestertius carried this particular reverse type - PROVID AVG P M TR P XI IMP VIII COS V PP S - C and dates specifically to the 2nd half of 186 A.D.  This would be RIC III 486 or 487.
    So, despite being a little too small and a little too light, it is a sestertius - and a relatively sought-after type (although this specimen is hardly the most desirable) since ship reverses have always been a popular theme for a collection.
     
    Mark 

     

     

     

    26th Nov 2007 Sal's finds from the fields video ready to view - More great finds and ID's

    Louisiana Sal is famous in the US for his 'finds from the field' video's using his amazing hat video camera. It allows the watcher to be able to see and hear exactly what the detectorist sees and hears, it's like being there without actually getting muddy and cold !! Sal and Craig just spent a week here for the first time and took hours and hours of footage which I have condensed down into a brilliant 45 minute streaming video on our server. You can also download the 65 Meg file to play on your own PC if the server is busy. Sal captured the true essence of hunting here, button, copper, lead, crap, more buttons, more crap and then a keeper. What is amazing is he captured his Saxon gold coin find as it was laying in the dirt after he had flipped the plug. Unfortunately the wind noise on that day kind of drowns out his screams of excitement but an amazing moment caught on video

    Watch or download Sal's video's here VIDEO DOWNLOAD PAGE

    Sal has his own web site where you can play almost 100 other relic hunting videos he has captured over the years including some great privy digging and bottle digs. http://treasureoutfitters.com/

    Sal, Craig's and Chris's other great finds are on the latest hunt page including a really neat Roman seal ring he captured as he dug it. I still have a load more to upload yet. Craig found a broken silver Roman coin that I 'cooked' to bring out the detail. Mark Lehman has just ID'd for us.

     

     

     

    1st/2ndC Roman silver coin fragment - cleaned up and sent for ID 1.34g, 17.05mm

    'With the lack of readable letters in the obverse legend, I'm going to have to give you a fairly wild guess, based on what the shape of the back of the head appears to be, that it's likely to be a denarius of Trajan (96-117 A.D.).  That it is (or was - lol) a denarius is not in question, but who's on it might be.  Now Trajan was around for a bit over 20 years and was a most wonderfully prolific minter of denarii - the Trajan section in RSC (Roman Silver Coins) is 23 closely-spaced, fine-print pages long - so the reverse type wouldn't tell us much even if we could be sure what was happening there.   It appears that it could be someone in military dress (the emperor?  "Mars"? "Virtus"?  Minerva?  some generic soldier?) with an inverted spear.  A spear with the point down, in the Roman iconographic shorthand, was usually a sign that some previous hostilities had ceased.  Or, I suppose it might be Hercules leaning on his club - but there really isn't enough left to be certain.

    Sorry I can't be more specific, but sometimes the crucial bits will either be missing or so unclear that there just isn't very much anyone can tell you'. Mark

    21st Nov 2007 Great finds being made

    The guys have been really sucking it up over the last couple of days with 5 hammered silver coins found yesterday including a tiny Henry VI halfpenny in great shape. Louisiana Sal dug the rarest groat ever found here, King Richard II, the Black Prince. Some great artefacts have been found including an 850BC Bronze socketed axe fragment, the first 2nd C Roman 'bird' type fibular brooch and a stunning 13thC seal matrix. I have started to post a load more finds onto the latest hunt page.

    First of this King's groats ever found here - rare find - he was known as the Black Prince

    1377 AD Richard II hammered silver groat ( 4 pence) Type 1 (Straight sided)

    Ob RICHARD DEI* GRA*REX ANGL Z FRANC DNS HIB Z AQT

    Rev Outer POSVI DEVM ADIVTORUM MEVM

    Inner CIVITAS LONDON - London mint

    Anonymous: letter I early 15thC. An initial with crown above, branches at the side, was a design that became incrreasingly common in the 15thC and was often used on a signet ring.The letter suggests it stood for the owners forename. This example was used in 1424 by Edward Saddler, clerk

    Tiny 1422 - 7 AD Henry VI hammered silver long cross half penny - Annulet issue Type A1 annulets in VIL and Cal qtrs

    obv HENRIC x REX x ANGL

    rev VIL LA CAL LIS - Calais mint

    0.36g, 12.80mm

     

    19th Nov 2007 Archived more news - Saxon coin time line

    I have halved the size of the 'Latest News page' to speed up loading times, news from June 2007 to Sept 2007 has been put onto a new page

    I have updated the Saxon page with the latest Saxon finds and produced this Saxon coin timeline below of our Saxon finds. The coin has now been recorded on the National data base as EMC 2007.0302.

    Here is more info on the English Whitmen type Saxon gold just found.

    The hoard was discovered in 1828 in Crondall, Hampshire. It remains the most important body of evidence for early Anglo-Saxon coinage. The hoard marks the reintroduction of coinage into Britain two centuries after the abandonment of the province by the Romans. The new coinage was modelled on that of Merovingian Gaul, but also looked back to Rome for inspiration. These gold coins may have been the earliest English shillings. The hoard was purchased for the Ashmolean in 1944 as a memorial to Sir Arthur Evans.

     

    Quick Timeline of Saxon coinage we have found so far

     

    c. 561

     

    Coins are minted again in England by Bishop Liudard

     

    The minting of coins in Britain had been abandoned after about 435 as a result of the Anglo-Saxon invasions. Bishop Liudard came over from France with the Merovingian Princess Bertha who married Prince Aethelbart who later, in 590, becomes King of Kent.

     

    c. 604-616

     

    Bishop Mellitus issues gold coins from a mint in London

     

     

    These are used more for ornament than as currency.

     

    c620-625 Sutton Hoo ceremonial Saxon burial ship

     

    Among the various treasures on board, are 37 Merovingian gold coins, but no English coins.

    c. 630 Saxons first start to produce gold coins in significant numbers

     

    As a result of the gradual rebuilding of commercial and cultural contacts with France and Italy Merovingian types of coinage begin to circulate in south-east England.

    c. 630-c. 650 Crondall hoard of coins

     

    A hoard of 101 gold coins, most of which were minted in England, is buried at Crondall in Hampshire. The precise date is not certain.

    c. 675 Silver starts to displace gold in Saxon coinage

     

    Initially silver is used with gold as an alloy but early in the 8th century silver and base metals are the only ones used.

    c752 Pepin the Short of France starts minting the Denier

     

    This new silver coin serves as a model for the English penny.

     

    c757-796 Reign of Offa, King of Mercia the most powerful Saxon Kingdom

     

    During Offa's reign the minting of coins in England reaches new heights, both in terms of quality and quantity.

     

    c. 765 King Heaberth of Kent produces the first English pennies

     

    After the conquest of Kent by Offa, King of Mercia, production of the silver penny increases enormously and it replaces the older, more crudely designed sceat as the main English coin, except in Northumbria.

    c789 Vikings raid Portland

     

    For the next 2-3 centuries England is subjected to repeated Viking attacks.

     

    18th Nov 2007 First English Saxon gold found

    Great find by Louisiana Sal is the first Saxon we have found off a new site and in real fine shape. Our previous Saxon gold finds have all been Merovingian tremissis. I have sent it off to the Fitzmuseum for recording on the Early Medieval Corpus database.

    English Saxon Thrymsa gold coin - 'Witmen type' c620 -650 AD named after the hoard found in 1828. Sent off to the Fitzwilliam museum Corpus database for recording 1.26g, 11.46mm

     

    16th Nov 2007 Great military button finds

    The last couple of days have been very lean silver wise but some great tokens, Jettons and Military button finds have been made. All 3 of these buttons are unrecorded and were sent off to Tim our button expert who sent back the following ID's and an updated version on his own line books featuring these buttons. I have posted a few more do dads to the latest hunt page

    Unrecorded

    4th Regiment of Foot
    ( The King's Own )
    O/R's - 1830-1855

     

    Markers mark - Kings St Covent Gardens

     

    Unrecorded

    7th Queen's Own
    Light Dragoons
    Officer - 1784-1807
    THE 5TH. (PRINCESS OF WALES'S) DRAGOON GUARDS button - one on right is the first one found here. The find on the left differs by a lower crown and horse shape

     

    15th Nov 2007 Another rare Celtic gold - site errors fixed

    I have repaired most site errors due to the required file transfers, please report any broken links or missing pictures please.

    I have finally get the ID and feedback from Dr Philip de Jersey who runs the Celtic coin Index on Friday's Celtic gold coin find. Please report any Celtic coins you find directly to him so he can record them and send you a unique CCI number for your find.

    'This is quite a rare type, as you no doubt appreciate. The best parallel is provided by three coins in the British Museum, listed in their catalogue as nos. 3353-55. It's one of a group of coins loosely described as the Snettisham staters, because several of the types were first recognized in one of the Snettisham (Norfolk) hoards of the early 1990s. The exact type is not in Van Arsdell although it's closely related to the North Thames types listed as VA 1500, 1502 and thereabouts. It is presumably an East Anglian type, although because of the stylistic similarities there must have been some very strong link between the producers of the Snettisham types and the North Thames types. Date c. 50 - 40 BC, I think.

    I'll record it as CCI 07.1164. '

    Best wishes
    Philip

    The finds have been thin on the ground as the guys have been playing to odds and looking for more Celtic gold on the village sites. However Billericay Mark had a good morning for silver and included this mint Venetian Soldino hammered silver coin. Thanks to the guys on the Italian forum for their ID.

    Venezia, Agostino Barbarigo LXXXIV Doge (1486-1501)
    Soldino o Marchetto (AR) Biaggi 2938
    D/ AV.BAR.S.M.V.DUX / S.Marco a s., il Doge a d.
    R/LAVS TIBI SOLI / il Redentore

     

    I will try and start uploading more finds to the latest hunt page

    12th Nov 2007 Huge site update - errors

    I have had to do a a huge file update on the server as the numbers of files had reached a maximum size again. There will be missing pictures and wierd fonts and menu problems until I can fix them.

    11th Nov 2007 Stunning short cross silver and copper

    Cal Dave pulled up a stonking early King John hammered silver with a full clear legend showing moneyer and mint. Another great early copper find is this William and Mary in fantastic condion for it's age. I have posted a few more finds to the New hunt page Nov 2007

    King John 1199 - 1216 hammered silver penny Class 6a2

    Moneyer ABEL

    LVNDE - London mint

    Stunning condition 1694 William and Mary copper penny

    9th Nov 2007 Rare hammered silver and a beautiful Celtic gold.

    Canadian Victor found the first Charles 1st 'plume' type hammered silver half groat I have ever seen, a great rare find. His buddy Nova Scotia Andy not wanting to be left out found what appears to be the first right facing Dubnovellaunus Late 1st BC to Early 1stC AD Full Celtic gold stater found here. It could at a pinch be an unusual Addedomaros design.

    Addedomaros: Was the next identifiable ruler of the Trinovantes after Mandubracius in Caesar's time, though it is not known whether any others preceeded him. Almost immediately upon his succession to the throne sometime between 25 to 15BC, he moved his centre of government from Braughing on the eastern headwaters of the river Lea to a new site on the east coast which he named 'the fort of the war god Camulos', or Camulodunum. It is possible that he either warred with or was client to Tasciovanus, for around 15-10BC the Catuvellaunian monarch produced a coin issue with the mint mark CAMV[lodunum]. He reigned for about a decade or so before being succeeded by his son Dubnovellaunus c.10-5BC. It is possible Mandubracius died intestate or leaving no heirs; the family of Addedomaros, possibly championed by his father, succeeded to the throne after a brief struggle between the remaining Trinovantian noble houses; the Catuvellaunian king Tasciovanus later claimed that he was the true heir to the thone (perhaps his mother was the daughter of Mandubracius) and went to war on that pretext; thanks primarily to the interest of Rome, Tasciovanus was forced to withdraw and Addedomaros resumed the throne.]
    Dubnovellaunus: Succeeded Addedomaros to the Trinovantian throne c.10-5BC and ruled for several years before being supplanted by Cunobelin of the Catuvellauni. Like his contemporary Tincommius of the Atrebates, he appeared as a suppliant to Augustus and paid tribute on the Capitol in Rome before AD7. He should not be confused with Dubnovellaunus of the Cantiaci.

    I have sent it off to the Celtic coin index for Dr Philips comments and recording

    Very rare find and the first ever found here.

    Charles 1st Aberystwyth - Furnance mint 1648/9 hammered silver half groat - Large plume

    book mintmark

    Interesting Celtic gold find - it appears to be the first right facing Dubnovellaunus Late 1st BC to Early 1stC AD Full Celtic gold stater found here 5.73g, 17.13mm

    I have sent it off to the Celtic coin register for confirmed ID and recording

    7th Nov 2007 Excellent early hammered and an Anchor

    Canadian Bill found the first hammered silver off the new land yesterday and what a find. An early Tealby issue 1150 AD Henry II with an unrecorded bust type. There is nothing even similar in all the specialist reference books. Canadian Victor got a stonking cast copper alloy huge anchor mount, probably 1780's by the design. All the usual stuff, thimbles, coppers etc so lots more hot spotting to do yet. I have posted a few more finds to the new hunt page. I particularly liked the early officers Queens dragoons Guards button

    1158-1180 AD Henry II Cross and Crosslet (Plantagenets) hammered silver penny - Tealby issue 1.31g, 19.54mm , Moneyer is probably Nicole

    From JJ North Busts 1 -19, This specimen has 10 pearls on collar and unrecorded bust type.

    What a great find - huge cast anchor mount probably off a chest
    2nd Queens Dragoon Guards
     
    Officer - 1746-1872

     

     

    6th Nov 2007 More new land - Mini bus problems - Stunning Jettons

     

    1195 Scottish William 1 The Lion hammered silver penny

    Short cross and stars issue Class I

    Moneyer RAUL ON ROCEBU (Raul of Roxburgh)

    obv WILELMUS R (E) X

    Bust of pellets facing left, the king holding a sceptre

     

    Just had a full service on our mini bus and the gearbox decided to completely fail so I have been running around getting it back into the shop for replacement. I am totally backed up with finds posting but uploaded a few to a new hunt page Nov 2007 this morning. I went yesterday and saw yet more new land one of our farmers just bought and the guys are out there hitting it for the first time today. It backs onto a 1570's house that the Pilgrim fathers lived before going to America and has never had a detector ever on it. The 3 new fields are huge so it is going to take a lot of work trying to hot spot them. Lots of neat finds and artefacts have been found over the last few days including these two stunning Jettons, first of their type ever found here. Another interesting artefact is this Arabic looking brooch complete with pin. It appears to have different legends than the other two we have found in the past.

     

    1608 AD Hans Schultes III 'Turbanded bust' German Jetton. Male bust right wearing a turban. 1.28g, 22.23mm

    obv GLICK 4 foil KVMPT 4 foil VON flower GOT 4 foil ISTWAR

    rev Traditional imperial orb with cross patty in a tressure with 3 main arches, 3 pairs of pellets inside the tressure

    rosette HANS:SCHVLTES:ZV:NVRNB

    1562 AD Hans Krauwinckel I Master German Lion of St Mark Jetton, 19.27g, 30.02mm

    Lion of St Mark standing left with both wings shown. Book of the Gospels between fore- paws.Halo, rising into the margin, is surrounded by a star:

    Obv *S*MARCVS * EVANGELLIST*GOTT***

    Rev Imperial Orb surrounded by cross patty witin an ornate tressure *HANNS * KRVRENBER

    The normal weight for this type is 7.95g to 11.30 g, this specimin weights 19.27g ???? It is acually two of the same type of Jettons stuck together

     

    2nd Nov 2007 Hunts start again tomorrow - faster kit

    Had a busy week off getting the paperwork done and dropping off the outstanding treasure and interesting finds to the museum. There were no further updates on treasures currently progressing through the Treasure process. Initial feedback on the 'chicken' find is that it is Roman, the Torc find unfortunately has now been deemed to be modern.

    Roman bronze bird

    38.68g, 55.64mm L x 15.43mm W x33.39mm H

    I have replaced all my computing equipment with a new 'monster' and added maximum memory to speed up the video editing for members 'finds from the field'. I also upgraded the web production software, picture processing and video editing suite that can do lots of clever things to enhance the production.

    I went and saw more potential land on offer that shows excellent potential, further details on the members forum.

    30th Oct 2007 Finished last weeks finds

    Added a couple more hammered silver coins found last week to the latest hunt page so I have finished posting until I go through all the export pouches and photo the missed finds. Every metal object is looked at individually again prior to this process and it is always amazing what was missed while the hunts are underway. The current hammered coin count stands at 116 for this years forum competition, we are on target for a figure around 350 so check your guess here Forum Comp page .

    I have updated our searchable on line database with a few of the finds http://foundintheground.com/. I have posted all the outstanding buttons that require further ID on the forums. If you help ID any of the buttons then post there please.

    Updated the following pages with our latest hammered silver finds.

    Foreign Hammered coins

     

     

    Tudor silver

     

     

    Houses of Lancaster and York, 1377-1485

     

    29th Oct 2007 Updated more pages

    Updated the following pages with the latest hammered silver finds.

    Elizabeth 1st and Mary

     

     

     

    James 1st

     

     

     

    Edward 1st to 3rd

     

     

    28th Oct 2007 Huge update on individual pages

    Updated the following pages with the lastest finds.

    Mounts
    Toy cannons
    Clog and shoe fasteners
    Clothing fasteners
    Roman coins
    Romano British artefacts
    Jettons
    Coin weights
    Saxon finds 410 -1065
    Stone Age
    Tokens 17thC

    27th Oct 2007 More great finds and closed for a week

    That's it for a week while I get a chance to charge my batteries for the next part of the season. I still have an extra space on the 3rd Nov and 10th Nov as we have added more slots due to demand. We are back hunting again on the 3rd Nov and lots of new fields are coming on line as the farmers plough more. I was offered another potential new site yesterday which I am going to look at this week while we are closed, more details on members forum.The hunts ended with a bang yesterday as Pen Dennis found a monster hammered silver. I took a before and after shot to show the 'foil' cleaning method and the spectacular results you can get. The trick is to clean the high spots and leave the black behind. The Medieval Groat is the epitome of an English hammered silver and this must have been mint before it was lost, great find. Idaho Jim found a really pretty Victorian milled silver Florin (24 pence) and the first one of it's type ever found here. The date is in the form of Roman numerals but does not match any in the Spink book. This coin needs more research. I have posted more finds to the latest hunt page and will try and catch up on outstanding finds over the next couple of days including more hammered silver.

    See cleaning tips page using the foil method to clean hammered silver

    Stunning 1422 -27 Henry VI hammered silver groat (4 pence) Inital cross 2

    obv HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC DNS HYB

    rev outer legend - POSVI DEVM ADIVTORE MEVM

    inner legend VILLA CASLISIE - Calais Mint

    Initail mark incurved pierced cross

    Annulet issue - annulets by neck and between two sets of opposing pellets

    3.74g, 26.87mm

    Victorian one Florin (24 pence) mdcclviii - date does not match a coin with britt in the llegend : ???not in the Spink book

     

     

    26th Oct 2007 More great finds including Saxon silver and a Celtic wode grinder - Latest Roman ID'd

    1stC BC to 1stC AD Celtic bronze cosmetic wode grinder (used to make blue dye) - side suspension loop type (missing) 3.78g, 33.57mm L x 10.67mm w

    Another stunning hammered silver found yesterday by Geo Doug is the mint Henry VIII half groat posted below and it is an Archbishop issue. Geo Harry also got the first Saxon sceat from a new area of land. It was very encrusted so I 'cooked' it in the lemon juice and olive oil mixture with amazing results again. This is a simple and effective technique and I took a before and after shot, I have added the 'mix' details and other cleaning tips to the Cleaning tips page. Thanks to Dr Martin Allen at the Fitzmuseum who has ID'd it as a Saxon C600-775 AD Silver Sceat Series C2 and recorded it on the National database as EMC 2007.0268.
    I have posted a few more finds to latest hunt page and updated the Saxon page with the latest finds.

    Before picture of the Saxon - always clean small green blobs as there could be a Saxon, Celtic or Roman silver coin lurking underneath
    Saxon C600-775 AD Silver Sceat 0.88g, 11.07mm - Series C2 and recorded as EMC 2007.0268.

    15thC Shield of France Jetton

    This type of back with no inner circles around the fleur di lis to obverse is not listed in ref books

    rare

    obv X AVE MARIA + GRACIA

    1526-32 Henry VIII hammered silver halfgroat WA beside shield- Warham's Uncertain initial mark (Archbishop William Warham)

    rev CIVITAS CANTOR - Canterbury mint

     

    Huge 2ndC Roman bronze "c. 150-160 A.D." 15.28g, 30.10mm x 4.25mm thick

    'As you say, there's little other than the main types for us to go on here, but my best guess is that it's Faustina I or Sr. (depends on who you read whether she's numbered or given seniority)
    She was the wife of Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.) and died only 3 years into his reign, in 141 A.D. Consequently, very few of her coins date to her lifetime, but there is an enormous body of posthumous commemorative issues in her honor. She typically has this same characteristic hairdo which is what enables an educated guess, here. At the size and weight this would be an orichalcum Sestertius.
    The obverse should read: DIVA FAVSTINA
    I think the reverse might be Pietas standing left (legend: AVGVSTA S - C) , sacrificing from patera over short, lighted altar and holding box of incense in left hand, although it could be one of half a dozen different female personifications or deities standing left, holding some object in right hand. If it is Pietas, then it would correspond to: SR 4620, mint of Rome, minted sometime after 147 A.D. - you could say "c. 150-160 A.D." pretty safely about any sestertius in the AVGVSTA series'.

    Here's a similar sestertius from the same series with Vesta reverse, from my collection you can compare:
    http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album93/ML_001_Faustina_I_Vesta_Sest

    and this is a dupondius (a little smaller and from a different series) with Pietas reverse:
    http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album93/ML23_Faustina_I_Pietas_as

    Mark

    24th Oct 2007 Heart attack find - Celtic gold Torc ??

    Idaho Jim dug this yesterday and nearly had a heart attack as it looked like a Celtic gold wrist Torc in the ground. Having played with it I am not sure if it is Victorian or Celtic. It is certainly heavy enough and it's construction is crude but it is probably modern. I have just sent pictures off to the museum to be on the safe side. Whatever date it turns out to be Jim can still say he dug a Torc while he was in England !!

    I have just updated the hoard and treasure page with the latest Treasures including this Torc as initial feedback is it could be Roman.

    It's a wrist Torc but what time period ?? 23.19g, 81.95mm W x 3.80mm dia

    More news

    Oct 2007 to March2008

    Sept 1st 2007 to Oct 2007

    English Saxon gold coin found

    NEWS June 2007 to Sept 2007

    NEWS March 2007 to June2007

    Double Cunobelin Celtic gold

    NEWS March 2007 to April2007

    Chicago Reid's Roman gold ring

    NS Andy's Saxon strap end

    NEWS Nov 2006 to March 2007

    NEWS Sept 2006 to Nov 2006

    Medieval Iconic gold ring find

    NEWS May 2006 to Sept 2006

    First Celtic gold of the season

    NEWS March to May 2006

    Celtic Woad cosmetic grinder and Jeff Roman Pecker find

    NEWS Oct 2005 to March 2006

    Viking silver strap end- Rare Roman silver coin finds

    NEWS Sept 2005 to Oct 2005

    Great Saxon silver finds Offa Rex - Coenwulf - Hammered gold

    NEWS March 2005 toSept 2005

    Villa Dig - Roman gold - Celtic gold hoard found

    NEWS Sept 2004 to March 2005

    Can Majos and Mass Bills gold rings - Texas Dave's hammered gold

    NEWS March 2004 to Sept 2004

    Roman gold coin - Mass Bruce's axe hoard

    NEWS Jan 2004 to March 2004

    2000BC Axe - Boston Buds Saxon gold

    More Archived News Pre 2004

    michelle@colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk