8th May 2019 Last hunt of the season and they smashed it again

Top team - Va Brian, Va Phill, Lo Ashely,Tx Ali,Tx Josh, Tx Scott W and Texas Scott J

Ashley presents Tx Scott J for last years 'Pouch of the Year' award.

Tx Scott W, Ashley and Tx Scott J for last years 'team winners' medallion and shield

Tx Ali's 50 BC Uninscribed 'P' gold - 'Trophy' Type - 1/4 Celtic gold coin - 1.35g, 11.31mm - sent to CCI for recording

Beaded trophy quater, ABC 2243, BMC 435, not in VA.  Extremely rare, 10 others known.  An interesting Essex type because of its Kentish associations (derived from the Kentish trophy issue but a separate type), it may have been struck by an otherwise unknown offshoot of the Cantii.

Early 1660 -2 Charles II milled silver half groat - this legend CAROLVS.II.D.G

For the 3rd season in a row Louisiana Ashley's last late season hunt has earned them the club's 'team of the year' award. This team has their own bus and stay in self catering accommodation, they always come in late April when everyone and his mum in the club has hunted the land from Sept. On most of the 300 + fields we have to search the wheat is too high this time of year to detect on so they have a very restricted land choice of just brown fields. No new land was available but they had the odd field here and there on some of our great old Celtic sites we have had as a club for 14 years. These guys made it look like no one had ever hunted them and smashed our 2nd best ever gold count with 5 pieces to make the total for the year 63. Gold page. Not content with the gold they found, they also popped 2 Saxon silver sceats and a loads of hammered silver coins and widgets. I have posted a load of them on to the last hunt page and still have loads more to upload yet. Latest finds page

They searched sites where none of the members ever want to go on any more and banged in loads of great widgets. Their most outstanding day for me was on a 15 year old field that most of the club have dismissed in the past and they found 40 milled silver coins including 7 big ones, Florins and Half-crowns. I have never seen that many big silvers dug in a day, amazing hunting. Most were George V's but amongst them was a nice George IV, Victoria and a rare 1660's Charles II silver half groat. Tx Ali found a mint Trophy Celtic gold on that field, our first ever from that area. On the field next door Va Phil popped his first ever gold coin, a sweet 1762 George III milled gold love token below. Ashley got her first gold coin, part of an early French hammered gold and Tx Ali popped another monster sized gold coin, a Elizabeth 1st gold half pound. Our jeweler with have to work his magic on it.

So that's it for this season and now I have to get on with all the export license application preparations. I have launched the new free forum competition for the coming season to win another free trip and it is also time for members to vote for their favourite 'find of the year'. More details on members forum.

Free forum competition

1762 George III milled gold half guinea - love token

2.08g,15.44mm

1560-1 Elizabeth 1st hammered gold half pound coin - (10 shillings, 120 pence)

28.8mm,5.11g

78gn

Spink ref S2520

1 Ecu d'Or 1494-1547 France Ecu d'Or au Soleil, François Ier à la Croisette

Obverse legend : (SOLEIL) FRANCISCVS: D: GRA: FRANCOVM REX. (MM). (TRÈFLE).

Obverse description : Écu de France couronné ; lettre d'atelier à la pointe de l'écu.

Obverse translation : (François, par la grâce de Dieu, roi des Francs).


Reverse

Reverse legend : + XPS VINCIT. XPS. REGNAT. XPS IMPERAT (MM) (TRÈFLE).

Reverse description : Croix plaine alésée dans un double polylobe tréflé (11 lobes).

Reverse translation : (Le Christ vainc, le Christ règne, le Christ commande).

1634-5 Charles 1st hammered silver sixpence - bell mint mint

Medieval seal matrix - cleaning in order to take a wax impression

By my count on the database there are 4 boars' heads coouped with legend CREDE MICHI, 2 with PRIVE/PREVE SV, 1 LEGE TEGE and 1 "IE SV CEI IEL" [which must be IE SV SEL LEL] -- if you orient it so that the head is exactly horizontal, you'll see the "New Readers start here" star exactly at 12 o'clock where it should be, and then one of the few letters I can make out is the prominent V -- exactly where it should be for PRIVE/PREVE  and I think I can see the following SV ... BUT! the lettering seems to continue, so if it is PRIVE SV or PREVE SV, there must be another word or two after that, e.g. E LEL (and loyal/faithful) which I think does sometimes occur as an extension of the simple PRIVE SV -- I'm not saying yours DOES say E LEL -- merely quoting that as an example!

Malcolm

What a rare relic - 17thC clothing fastener with the 1649 Commonwealth double shield design

Primary Saxon silver sceat 600- 700 AD - sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID

12.58mm,1.17g

(EMC 2019.0156) is Series E, Plumed Bird variety

Primary Saxon silver sceat 600- 700 AD - sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID

11.66mm,1.18g

Series B II (Type 27b) as EMC 2019.0155.

12th April 2019 - Rare Dragon type Celtic found

Celtic gold qtr stater - not certain of tribe yet- send for recording and ID

1.38g, 13.42mm

50 BC Clacton Dragon type

Rev Traces of 'three men in a boat' design

Obv Central bar with appendages forming 'dragonesque' motif

Great find, it's a new reverse variant of the British F 'Dragon' type, ABC 2353 for an earlier version with open-mouthed beast clearly visible and DK 422 for a later, jumbled variant; all the known examples are from the same obverse die, here seen quite worn.

All the best

Georgia Doug, hunting new land, popped our first ever Dragon type Celtic gold qtr stater above, amazing find. Lots more great finds posted to the latest finds page. 2018 March finds page.

Also check out this years gold finds Gold page.

Early medieval hooked hanger

Romano-British protected loop terret

'Protected loop terrets are usually considered to be Roman and dating to the late first and second centuries AD'

Stunning silver mounted Georgian intaglio

2ndC Roman silver coin - hoard addendum reported to museum

2.16g,17.34mm

450 million year old fossil

Sea Urchin Echinoid

2nd April 2019 - More amazing gold finds and silver

The guys are on fire and are close to beating our 2nd best ever gold season we have had with 57 pieces found so far. Check out this years gold finds Gold page.

I have posted a lot of Roman silvers and hammered silver coins to the latest finds page and some great excellent relics.March 2019 finds page.

c25-35 AD Cunobelin Celtic gold full stater - reported to PAS

'plastic A' series, VA 2010-3. Believed to have preceded the classic type, so perhaps from c. 25 - 35 AD. About ninety of these are recorded including at least one coin in the British Museum (BMC 1819 in Hobbs's Catalogue of Iron Age coins in the BM).

5.45g, 16.88mm

CCI 19.1423 - Cuno Plastic stater: this is the ABC 2786 type, which comes in two common varieties, one with a ringed pellet below the horse and the other with a pellet only (as on this coin).  The rare ABC 2789 type reads CVNOB, unlike this one, which reads CVNO on other examples from this reverse, with no B.

10-40 AD Cunobelin Celtic gold Linear type qtr stater - reported to PAS

Ladder main - branch above

11.36mm,1.28g

Ref ABC 2810 - Rare

CCI 19.1424

Weird tiny debased gold coin - Celtic ?? sent to Fitzswilliam museum for their views

0.88g,9.07mm

CCI 19.1426 - base AV ?blank

The side with the lines resembles the 'design' on Gallo-Belgic Bb Crossed Lines quarters, but the weight is barely half what it should be and it looks much too base.

It's most likely to be a blank for an unknown, possible Iron Age, type, or perhaps an early Saxon issue if the weight and fineness corresponds to any of them.

All best

John

Trinovantes Clacton type Celtic gold 1/4 stater 50BC - reported as hoard addendum

0.83g,12.35mm

Ancient looking bright yellow rolled gold sheet reported as potential treasure to museum

3.11g,17.38mm L x 3.47mm T

C600 -775 Saxon silver sceat - sent for recording and ID to EMC

1.14g,11.98mm

Many thanks for this very helpful information about the find, which is EMC 2019.0125.
This is Series E Primary Phase, VICO variety 1, with reverse oriented as in the attached adjusted image.
Best wishes,
Martin

2ndC Roman silver coin - sent for ID

2.88g,17.41mm

Very nice – I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this is Domitian since the name is so clearly readable on the obverse. He was Vespasian’s younger son and the last of Suetonius’ “12 Caesars”, that’s Gaius Julius through the Flavian dynasty, ~ the end of the 1st century AD. He also came to be hated and feared nearly on a level with folks like Caligula and Nero due to his increasing paranoia and reactionary policies.

Domitian, (81-96) as Caesar under Vespasian, 69-79 AD. AR denarius, Mint of Rome, 79 AD.
Obv:  (legend CCW.) CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS COS VI laureate head of Domitian, Caesar, right
Rx: PRINCEPS IVVENTVTI Salus standing facing, head right, resting on short column and feeding from patera a serpent she holds in her arms.
RIC II 1084, RSC 384
My advice is to be careful not to overclean this piece – a little thinning of the deposits would help, but you’ll ruin this moderately valuable piece if you try to make it “shiny”.
Mark

1762 George III milled gold qtr guinea love token

2.07g,15.35

Not sure of this type yet - similar to 50 BC Maldon Wheel type sent for recording and ID from PAS

1.35g,13.66mm

Stunning gilded Viking type bronze harness pendant

2ndC Roman Zoomorphic enamelled brooch - bird type

17th March 2019 - More amazing super rare coins found

10-40 AD Cunobelin Celtic gold Linear type qtr stater - reported to PAS

Ladder main - branch above

11.19mm,1.34g

Ref ABC 2810 - Rare

10-40 AD Cunobelin Celtic gold Classic Bow type qtr stater - reported to PAS

1.32g,11.38mm

Ref Rudd 75 57 - Excessively rare

10-40 AD Cunobelinus 'Spiky' silver unit

Obv Head L, spiky hair CAMV in front,occ CAM with VL behind/Seated victory r,holding bowl or wine cup int,hand.CVNO below chair

Ref ABC 2855 VA 2045 - Very rare

1.36g,14.04mm

1.45g,11.96mm

It's a class 3 Great Waltham type quarter, no. 400 in Divided Kingdoms (same dies), essentially a slightly later and cruder version of the Ingoldisthorpe quarter, which is class 2 in the British Ab/Ac north-east Thames series.  I list 14 other examples in DK but there are at least 15 now.

Hope this is of some help,

All the best

John

1821 George IV milled gold sovereign

8.01g,22.13mm

70 BC Morini Celtic gold qtr stater- reported as hoard addendum to museum - tiny undersized coin

0.76g, 10.19mm

As you say, it's a standard Gallo-Belgic D type from the early Gallic War period.  I think the clue to its very low weight probably lies in the very irregular flan, which suggests that it was either struck on an abnormal, mis-shapen blank, not intended for use, or that it has been clipped in antiquity to illegally siphon off gold, much as medieval silver was clipped.  Difficult to be sure but clipping is more likely,

All the best

John

What a fantastic 2nd week of hunting by the guys with some very rare coins found. I have posted hundreds of other great finds onto the new hunt page.March 2019 finds page. I have updated the gold page which now stands at 50 as I have yet to post a solid gold watch winder found by Cal George. Check out this years gold finds Gold page. German Andy found our first ever complete Saxon strap divider below, amazing that it is in one piece. On our Saxon harness page we have only ever found pieces of them before, great find. Saxon Harness page. Virg Marj popped two of the Celtic's found above and both are rare, only our 2nd ever Great Waltham type gold qtr stater above and a Cunobelinus 'Spiky' silver unit. Ill Andrew found the excessively rare rated Cunobelin Bow type qtr stater which is stunning. Ny Jay on the first morning of his first ever trip here popped the Cunobelin Linear type, man that is newbie luck. So many really nice hammered silver to post here on this news page so check out all the other finds on the March 2019 finds page.

HARNESS FITTING

Complete late Early Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) to early Medieval cast copper alloy harness fitting. This is an Anglo-Scandinavian design and dates from circa AD 1000 to 1150.

This artefact is a strap distributor, formed of a central lozengeform section with a domed circular boss. The reverse of the boss is slightly hollow. There is a projecting arm from each corner of the lozenge; the arms are sub-rectangular with concave sides. Each arm terminates in an incomplete loop which would have secured leather straps.

Chronology

Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture: Anglo-Scandinavian
Date from: Circa AD 1000
Date to: Circa AD 1150

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete

Taco'd 19thC Victorian milled gold half sovereign

Roman silver hoard coin addendum No47 - reported to museum and sent for ID

This one is Caracalla, 198-217 A.D. AR denarius, Mint of Rome, 199 A.D.
Obv: ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS laureate youthful head of Caracalla right
Rx: SEVERI PII AVG FIL Caracalla in military garb standing facing, head left, holding Victory and spear, bound Parthian captive at his feet
RIC IV 45; RSC 589

Mark

Early gold ring - no hallmarks

1.96g,22.3mm dia

BC Republican Roman silver coin sent for ID

T. Carisius. 46 BC. AR Denarius (17mm, 4.05 g, 4h). Rome mint. Head of Sibyl Herophile right, hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling, tied with bands / Sphinx seated right; T • CARISIVS above, III • VIR in exergue. Crawford 464/1; CRI 69; Sydenham 983a; Carisia 11; BMCRR Rome 4061; RBW 1613
Technically, this would more correctly fall into the “Imperatorial” category, but you’re not wrong if you want to call it Republican
Mark

9th March 2019 - Amazing hunting and more beauty gold

Simply stunning 1777 George III milled gold half guinea

4.20g,20.61mm

Ancient gold band - possible wrist torc fragment - reported as treasure to museum

11.16g, 4.33mm dia x 49.12mm L

The 2nd team of the season have been having an amazing hunt having set a club record on hammered silver coins found by any team, I have posted dozens of them on to the latest finds page. March 2019 finds page

They have also popped two more really crisp Roman silver hoard addendum coins below taking the total out of the 'pot' to 46 now . Big tanks to Mark Lehman our Roman expert for his great ID's. I have not had any feedback yet with the 44 other Roman silver coins lodged with the British Museum. We have been trying our hardest to locate the actual pot with no success yet. Italy Nick also found another coin to add to the Saxon silver sceat hoard we found in Sept taking the total now to 11. This one is well crispy and cannot be cleaned as hoards have to be taken to the museum in the condition they are dug. Can Bill also found another Saxon sceat on a different site that Dr Martin at the Fitzwilliam museum has ID'd and recorded on the EMC database below.

Ill Mike, who has been hunting here for 12 years, finally got the monkey off his back with one of the best looking milled gold coins I have ever seen dug. They were out searching for another one of those 'duck egg sized' gold ingots and he popped the beauty, sucker it mint. Org Stuart popped another Celtic hoard addendum gold coin a mint 70 BC Morini boat tree Celtic gold qtr. Fl Paul added a thick chunk off a possible wrist torc to the gold count which has been reported as treasure to the museum.

Check out this years gold finds Gold page

It will be interesting to see what the curator at the BM makes of this find. There have been too many neat finds to post on the news page so check out the rest I have posted on the March 2019 finds page.

70 BC Morini Celtic gold qtr stater- reported as hoard addendum to museum

1.47g,10.79g

Crisp Roman silver coin sent for ID

2.62g,18.35mm

Hadrian, 117-138 A.D. AR denarius, Mint of Rome, 135 A.D.
Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P laureate head of Hadrian right 
Rx: ANN-O-NA AVG modius containing grain-ears and poppy
RIC II 230, RSC 170a

Nice one for a dugup in agricultural fields. You got this one more or less just in time before it suffered more significant degradation from the fertilizers and pesticides.
I don’t have one of this type myself (actually, I have little more than a sparse representative run of denarii/antoniniani/siliquae – I’ve always favored the larger Æ denominations

Mark

These are hard to find 1709 Anne milled silver shilling (12 pence)

Huge Victorian silver jewelry item - registered number 330 S

C600 -775 Saxon silver sceat - sent for recording and ID to EMC

1.09g,12.28mm

Thanks for this Series D (Type 2c), which I have recorded as EMC 2019.0088.
Best wishes,
Martin

13thC vessica seal matrix

It's our old friend CREDE MICHI -- "believe me" -- i.e. you can believe what is written beneath this seal as being genuine. The lettering is not perfect however! I'd transcribe CREDE [M]IChI. -- possible that the letter before the final C is meant to be MI ligatured, but if so, it's been bungled!

Keep 'em coming -- and, ideally, nice easy ones like this!

regards,

Malcolm

Roman silver hoard coin addendum No46 - reported to museum and sent for ID

2.79g,18.68mm

Continuing with the theme of less-than-pleasant emperors:
This is Caracalla – son of Septimius Severus - also a feared, as well as probably deranged character. He was somewhat successful in terms of military conquests, but more typically by means of subterfuge, like inviting the opposing king and generals to a treaty parlay and killing them all as he did with the Parthians. He also introduced the debased silver double-denarius denomination we call “antoninianus”, a 2-denarius coin with 1.5 denarii worth of silver in it, setting the stage for the massive debasements of the later 3rd century.

Caracalla (198-217 AD), as co-emperor with Septimius Severus, 198-209 AD. AR denarius, issued 207 AD.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG laureate head of Commodus right.

Rx: PONTIF TR P X COS II securitas enthroned right, at her ease in seat with cornucopiae as arms; head propped on right hand, holding scepter with left; small altar before her.
RIC IV 92; RSC 434; SRCV 6863

Mark

Roman silver hoard coin addendum No45 - reported to museum and sent for ID

2.56g,17.03mm

Commodus. Son of Marcus Aurelius, his sole reign marked the end of the era of “The Good Emperors”. He slowly went crazy, and by the end of his reign/life had convinced himself he was the reincarnation of Hercules and was regularly fighting wild beasts in the arena. This was not considered correct or appropriate behavior for an emperor, to say the least – plus he was an all-around shit to everyone, highly paranoid, and tended to have any foe, real or imagined, executed. He was portrayed, extremely inaccurately from an historical standpoint, as the main antagonist in the movie “Gladiator”. They made him evil enough, but nowhere nearly so bat-poo unhinged as he was in real life.
It’s a very interesting reverse – a far more ambitious composition than one typically sees on a denarius – platform scenes are far more usually seen on sestertii.

Commodus, sole reign, 180-192 A.D. AR denarius issued 186 A.D.
Obv: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT laureate head of Commodus right
Rx: FID EXERC (in exergue) P M TR P XI IMP VII COS V P P Commodus standing left on platform haranging three soldiers standing right before him; each holds a legionary eagle and shield.
RIC III 130; RSC 143; SRCV 5639
his reign came just before the beginning of the Severan dynastic era, so it’s in the right general time-frame for the hoard, so far.

Mark

25th Feb 2019 - Great start to the 2nd half of the season with a couple Celtic gold

40-30 BC Trinovantes Rowntree Fern leaf Celtic gold qtr stater

Wreath crossed by spike with 3 pellets,crescents below,stylised hair above

Annulate horse r,grooved tail, fern like motiff above, cogwheel sun below

Sent to PAS for recording

12.64mm,1.27g

This isn't the Tring Wheel type, it's a Fern Leaf quarter, DK 442, ABC 2362; they're a little rarer than the Tring Wheels, this is the fifth recorded example.

If you'd like to send a findspot (parish only) I'll do a CCI card for it,  PAS have given up using Index numbers and are just giving their own unique reference code.

All the best

John

Nice to get back out there hunting after the half season break. Wash Tom, who has been coming here for 10 years popped his first ever Celtic gold coin on the the very first day of the hunt. He was using the power of the CTX 3030 machine programmed with all the previous hoard coins locations marked on his screen, he popped another hoard addendum coin fragment in between the flags he put out. Not the best example in the world but it counts!! What is amazing is later in the week he popped a 2nd Celtic gold on new land and it is an excessively rare and totally mint Fern leaf design, our first ever of that type. I thought it was Tring type but the CCI's comments above make it even rarer. Tom had a hell of a hunt this week and also found our best ever debased Henry VIII front facing bust type in mint condition, especially for a coin with this low a grade of silver content. His mate Bill found a very unusual 18thC Indian gold fanim, holed to be used as a pendant. Bill also got a half of a Cunobelin Celtic silver unit.

I have posted a load more finds to the latest finds page Feb 2019 finds page and updated the gold page, 39 pieces of gold so far this season.

The guys have left now and the next team in arrives Saturday.

Coin from same hoard

50 BC late British G 'Early Clacton' gold stater - reported to museum as hoard addendum

Medieval crucifix

These are very rare to find and our best ever debased 1544-7 Henry VIII hammered silver groat - bust 2 - 3rd issue

Mint mark Lis - CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR -Canterbury mint

Toward the end of Henry VIII's reign, the silver was progressively debased from 9oz.2dwt. (.758) in 1544, through 6oz.2dwt (.508) in 1545, to 4oz.2dwt. (.342) in 1546. At this last standard, the blanched silver surface of the coins soon wore away to reveal the copper alloy beneath which earned for Henry the nickname 'Old Coppernose'.

1158 -1189 AD Henry II hammered silver farthing ' Tealby' cross and crosslet type

n 1158 a monetary reform was introduced in England which was of sufficient importance for the contemporary chroniclers to record that 'a new money was made, which was the sole currency of the kingdom.' This coinage is notorious for its ugly appearance, bad craftsmanship and careless execution. It continued till 1180, and is named after a large hoard which was found at Tealby, Lincolnshire, in 1807

10-40 AD Cunobelin Celtic silver unit

18thC Indian debased gold Fanim pendant

Fascinating coin - initially thought is was Saxon silver sceat as the size matches. I do not recognise the markings and have sent it off to Fitzwilliam museum for ID and recording. Is it probably an Indian debased gold Fanim pendant?

1.08g,9.41mm

Reinstated this news page 14th Feb 2019

14th Feb 2019 Season restarts on Saturday - New electronic export system proposed

Our new site https://colchestertreasurehunting.com/news/ is suffering constant malfunctions with Word Press and I have not been able to update the news page regularly. I have reinstated this, our original site, to post regular updates.

The 2nd half of the season kicks off on Saturday with a special early 10 day hunt with Wash Tom's team. Then a short break and the main hunts start on the 3rd March.

The first half of the season produced 35 gold finds so we are on target for a great season final total. Several of the gold finds like the duck egg sized gold nugget and our first ever Celtic gold votive offering are in with a shout for possible finds pf the year.

1. 1582 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence - bell mint mark
2. 1422- 27 Henry VI hammered silver groat - Annulet issue - Annulets by neck and two sets of opposing pellets on reverse Obv + hENRIC'x DI GRAx REX ANGLIE Z FRANC Rev VIL LAx CALI SIEx - Calais mint 3.73g,26mm
3. 1412-13 Henry IV hammered gold qtr Nobel- Light coinage - Lis above shield, trefoils beside shield,Lis in centre of reverse. Obv +hENRIC'DI; GRA;REX ANGL - mm Fleur de Lis 1.80g,18mm
4. 1314-17 Edward 1st hammered silver half penny - Type 13a Obv + EDWA**DVS***A
Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON- London mint
5.1816 George III milled silver sixpence
6. 17thC William III milled silver sixpence
7. Post medieval cloth seal
8. 2ndC Roman fibular brooch
9. Medieval trade weight
11.1500-1650 buckle
12. Post medieval lead bale seal
16. 18thC crotal bell
17. Post medieval lead bale seal
18.17thC William III milled silver sixpence
20.1640's Civil War half pound cannon ball - 7.8oz,39mm

I have been beavering away completing the last of the export applications for all the guys pouches from Sept/Oct and a load of approved export licenses have already been returned, name lists posted onto the members forum. This is a very time consuming process where every piece of metal over 50 years old has to be photographed and itemised and it can be up to 10 + pages per guy. I have to then print off 3 colour copies of the word document + a triple carbonated export application form. This has to be then physically posted, a huge number of trees are cut down to eventually get an export license approved and returned to me. Again the physical officially stamped export license together with one of a my word documents officially stamped is sent back to me in the post. I have been doing this for over 15 years so I have just taken it as read. However brilliant news, behind the scenes they are now talking about a totally electronic replacement version and I was invited to a meeting to give my input on a the new proposed electronic replacement service. It will give me the ability complete the same work on line and fire it off to export duties in box. I will be able to log on to their system and be able to monitor its process. Currently every export application I make has to be physically sent by export duty onto a specialist advisor at the British Museum to vet that none of the finds is of National Importance or constitute a possible hoard or treasure. All the processes surrounding an export application are very slow and time consuming and the only way to find out where the application is in the process is make a phone call to export duty.

More missed finds have been posted to the last finds page 2018Octfinds

I have created a new finds page ready for the kick off on Saturday. 2019Febfinds. All new finds will be posted there as they are made.

Latest news page

Click this link below

https://colchestertreasurehunting.com/news/

25th June 2018 Update

Great news – contracts have just been signed last week on 3 new farms for kick off in Sept

Finally fixed the news page on our new web site that has crached since March

Check out the latest post

Holiday availabilty schedule updated

Latest April 2018 finds page

Roman gold coin send for ID

19mm,7.70g

Well, even though Roman gold is way out of the orbit in which I normally travel, I see absolutely no reason to question its authenticity. I presume you know this is an aureus of Claudius. It’s obviously clear enough overall that there should be no doubt about the legends, but for the sake of form:
Obv: TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P laureate head of Claudius right
Rx: CONSTANTIAE AVGVSTI Constantia seated left on curule chair
Mint of Lugdunum, 41/2 AD.
RIC I 2, BMC 1, CBN 19.

My congratulations to all involved – well found!
Mark

New March 2018 finds page to started

Latest March 2018 finds page

Feb 2018 finds page

From 5th Nov 2016 Latest News page has now moved

Latest news is now posted directly to our new Colchestertreasurehunting.com modern web page.This is our new replacement web site with searchable features and mobile device freindly.

Colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk will continue in tandem as a reference database for all the 14 years of historical finds.

http://colchestertreasurehunting.com/news/

Lastest finds are always posted to

http://colchestertreasurehunting.com/finds/

29th Oct 2016 10 day break and new web site- Gold ring vid

Short Video of Medieval Gold Ring find

The last team of guys left last Saturday and I have been tied up with our new web site fine tuning the off line database. I now have the ability to do updates off line and upload as a group to make thing quicker.

http://colchestertreasurehunting.com/

I have still have a load of the guys finds from last week to upload yet to the latest finds page 2016 Oct finds page.

The next team of guys in arrives on the 3rd Nov for 10 days and then we break for the first half off the season.

I have updated this years gold page with another couple of modern pieces of gold years gold page

Date from: Circa AD 1600
Date to: Circa AD 1700

Cast copper alloy

This instrument has a globular knopped handle at the hinge. There is a small ridge just below the knop on the outer edge of each of the arms. The upper sections of each arms is flattened and one is recessed to accommodate the other. The arms then change shape to have a square cross-section before tapering to form points. There are some decorative facets on the inner edges of the arms near the flattened upper section. There is no evidence of maker's marks.

Similar dividers have been recorded on The Portable Antiquities Scheme database. For example, see finds: LON-33D734; NMS-886014; LVPL-6DBFA6.

Stunning Victorian gold pendant with stones and pearls

Medieval badges Ref Mitchiner p244 939 - 941

'A badge for a Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in bronze and dating somewhere around C13/14th possibly very slightly later . This is a very scarce item and it relates to The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem being a Catholic chivalric order of Knighthood that traces its roots to Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade. According to reliable sources in the Vatican and Jerusalem, it began in historical reality as a mixed clerical and lay confraternity (association) of pilgrims which gradually grew around the most central of the Christian holy places in the Middle East, the Holy Sepulchre or the tomb of Jesus Christ.This would have been a pin for a member of the order , there is a mark on the reverse where the original pin would have been fixed '

1653 Jeremy Erds of Manningtree Essex hammered copper trade farthing	Mint condition 1340 AD French Jetton Crown introduced in 1340 by Philip VI (1328-50) Royal Crown with 3 rosettes across body of crown Rev Triple banded straight cross fleuretty AV
17thC Henry Lamb of Colchester hammered copper trade farthing	17thC Christopher Bayles of Colchester hammered copper trade farthing

10th Oct 2016 More gold and stonking relics

1806 George III milled gold 1/3rd guinea

2.80g, 17.11mm

I have posted huge number of great silver and relics to the latest finds page 2016 Oct finds page. The guys have been finding an unusual number of milled silver on new land including florins and half crowns that I have posted to that page. NC Jeff found a stunning Roman votive offering figurine below which is a definite 'find of the year' contender and then Idaho Mike found his first ever gold coin find with a neat George III third guinea. Casey popped a 104 BC Roman silver republican coin in remarkable condition for it's age and Mark Lehman has sent his complete ID below.

I have updated this years gold page with another piece of modern gold years gold page

Roman bronze votive figurine

18.88g, 27.2mm L x 18mm H x 16.23 mm W

Medieval lead bust mount

Large stone fossil

Very unusual to have a c13thC 'round type' medieval seal matrix with suspension loop. Normally the vessica type seals are suspension but round types are always bell type.

Early BC Republican silver Roman coin - sent for ID

Okay, I have it:  

AR Denarius - Coelia 2 - C. Coelius Caldus, 104 BC.

Obv: Helmeted head of Roma left.
Rx: Victory charging in biga left; control: • G above; C•COIL below horses; in ex, CALD.

Crawford/RRC 318/1a; Sydenham/CRR 582; SRCV 196; BMC 1435-62; Babelon/RSC Coelia 2.

Mark

1438-1481 Alfonso V Portugal Half Real Grosso Obverse Crowned letter A between two annulets, below the A, a small letter L (mintmark). Reverse Cross of five shields, each with five billets in the shape of an X. Near Fine, Rare Miss Dan	1356-61 Edward III hammered silver groat - Fourth coinage: Pre Treaty -Series G - Std F type Extra annulet in one qtr of reverse - annulet stops in reverse legend - annulet below bust Obv + EDWARDo D G REX ANGL Z FRANCo oDo hYB Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint Ref North 1193
Oct 1470-April 1471 Henry VI hammered silver penny - period of restoration - G and Key by bust and quatrefoil at centre of reverse cross Initial mark Lis Obv +hENRICVS REX ANGLIE Rev CIVI/TAS/EBO/RACI - York mint	15thC Spanish hammered silver coin 1474 -1504 Madrid Spain, 1/2 real, Ferdinand-Isabel, mintmark M plus Flourished crown; mintmark below; annulets above mintmark. Bundle of arrows; quartered with annulets.

10th Oct 2016 More stunning finds

Roman glass bottle

Saxon 978 - 1016 AD Æthelred II's Long Cross type hammered silver penny - sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and final ID

This is Æthelred II Long Cross type, London mint, moneyer Ædwold.
Best wishes,
Martin

The guys have been having a great hunt and I have posted loads more really great hammered silver and relics to the latest finds page 2016 Oct finds page. Seattle Casey added another Saxon silver penny to the disclaimed hoard from last year with a very crisp Æthelred II Long Cross type that Dr Martin has ID'd as the moneyer Ædwold. Ill Tim found a neat pure gold collar stud that I have added to this years gold page years gold page. Chicago Ron found the largest medieval seal matrix below I have seen and it is mint shape.

I still have tons more great finds to upload to the the latest finds page.

Victorian solid gold collar stud

Extra large 13thC seal matrix - sacrificial lamb impression

The central design of a lamb with flag is often accompanied by the inscription ECCE AGNUS DEI, although that is not the case with that example.

Very unusual gilded fretwork early medieval harness pendant

205 million years old fossil

Name: Clypeus plotti
Age: Jurassic
Location:United Kingdom

Medieval complete purse bar and swivel

14thC Heraldic medieval shield pendant - rampant Lion with enameled inlay

" Per Pale or and vert overall a lion rampant gules".

So I believe this shield belongs to one of the greatest of all knights, William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke and several of his descendants on his daughters side, Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk (2 with the same name).

http://www.castlewales.com/marshall.html

Cal Jim

4th Oct 2016 Gob-smacking gold finds

Spectacular c13thC medieval gold annular brooch

+AMOR VINCIT OMNIA -(Love Conquers All)

2.55g, 18mm dia

Reported as treasure to museum

1361- 69 Edward III hammered gold qtr nobel - Treaty period, Large pellet at centre of reverse cross

Obv EDWAR DEI GRAC ANGL D

19mm,1.83g

Pen Christy popped the most gob-smacking medieval gold annular brooch I have ever seen and in mint condition, easily a find of the year contender. I have reported it to the museum and landowner as treasure. Chicago Ron then added his first ever medieval hammered gold coin find to take his impressive gold coin total 18 gold coins. He is our most successful gold coin finder in the clubs history and 90 % of his gold coin finds are ancient Celtic staters. Nh Tom popped the stunning medieval enameled harness pendant below and our club researchers are scanning the Heraldic Rolls to try and find the owner. It looks like a jester facing left. Another one of my favourite finds below is the 'scum class' early railway ticket/badge below? Mail me with any info you might have on was use this plaque was used for please.

I posted a load more great silver coins and widgets to the latest finds page and trying to mirror the new site.2016 Oct finds page

http://colchestertreasurehunting.com/finds/

Stunning 13thC enameled heraldic pendant - researching family

The Newcastle & North Shields Railway opened in June 1839 from a temporary terminus in Carliol Square in Newcastle upon Tyne to North Shields. The railway was absorbed by the Newcastle & Berwick Railway in November 1844. The Newcastle & Berwick Railway was itself absorbed by the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway, and this became part of the North Eastern Railway in 1854.

The average speed of express trains in 1841 was 31–34 miles per hour (50–55 km/h).Third-class carriages were painted light green, and the first was 20 feet 8 inches (6.30 m) long and 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m) wide, did not have doors and carried 60 passengers. First class carriages were painted crimson, maroon, and in one case a rich light scarlet claret edged with yellow and second-class passengers were light brown and vermilion.

1631 - 2 Charles 1st hammered silver sixpence - Plume above shield CR - mm Rose	1583 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence - Bell mint mark

1st Oct 2016 Stonking gold ring - new 2016 Oct finds page created - Last day for POTY

I have created a new 2016 Oct finds page as the Sept one is now massive. 'Pouch of the year' voting by members ends tonight at 2355 GMT, mail me your vote and also guess at this years forum comp to win a weeks free trip next season.

I have posted loads more great relics and silver coins to the new Oct and Sept hunt pages, I am backed up with finds and have tons more great hammered silver to post yet. Marl Scott did it again with a monster gold 15thC ring off new land, not content with his Saxon gold shilling find from a few days ago !!. Can Ron also popped a neat little treasure with a 16thC Tudor gilded silver clothing fastener in great shape.

I have updated this years gold page

Medieval inscribed gold ring - no hall marks - reported as treasure to museum

'IIIy GOD is al '“My God is al[l]”.

22mm dia,2.80g

Saxon Stirrup terminal

Early Medieval 11th century

1351-2 Edward III hammered silver groat - Cross 1 Type F

Obv EDWARD DG ANGL REX Z FRANC D hYB

Rev POSVI DEVM ADIVTORE MEVM (outer)

CIVITAS LONDON (Mint) (inner)

Late medieval lock

c1000BC Bronze Age casting slag, includes a fragment of a socketed axe bottom right

17thC working toy petronel (pistol)

Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1600
Date to: Circa AD 1640

The toy is based on the match-lock 'petronels' of the 16th and 17th Centuries

70mm long

16thC Tudor gilded silver clothing fastener - reported as treasure to museum

28th Sept 2016 Saxon gold shilling found - more great relics and silver - more new land

This is how it was dug with no black or crust so is it the 10% gold type issue ? Reminds me of a 620 AD English Crondall Witmen type - sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID

Turns out to be a Saxon gold shilling, amazing !!!!!!!!!!!

This new find (EMC 2016.0248) is indeed a Witmen type gold shilling. It is similar to some coins in the Crondall hoard but from dies not represented in the hoard.
The coin should be about 50-55% gold.
An excellent start to the season.
Best wishes,
Dr Martin Allen

1.14g, 10mm dia

A new landowner approached us today while we were out detecting and asked us if we would like as a club to search his land that has a very large early house and moat surrounding it at its centre , his total acreage I believe is 500. I am having a meeting in the morning to sign the new contracts with the landowner and then we can start hot spotting the first field right away.

Meanwhile Marl Scott has dug a Saxon coin and initially I thought it was the 10% gold silver sceat type but it the design matched Louisiana Sal's Saxon gold Crondall type he found here 7 years ago. I sent it off for recording and Dr Martin Allen of the Early Medieval Corpus database confirmed it was in fact a Saxon gold shilling with a 50% gold content, mega rare find. The guys have been finding some more great relics and silver and I posted a load more onto the 2016 Sept finds. page.

I have updated this years gold page

'Pouch of the year' voting by the members comes to a close on the 1st Oct, make sure you get your votes in with a chance to win a free week trip next season.

AD100 -300 Roman prick spur, such as HAMP-37F143, SWYOR-7409D7

1625-1627 Charles 1st hammered silver half groat - Group A 'teo pellets' mint-mark

Obv rose with CDG Rosa Sone Spina

Rev rose with IVS THRONVM FIRMAT

1413 -1422 Henry V hammered silver penny - Star by crown, should be a mullet as reverse legend has satire stop after TAS - broken annulet to right of crown

Obv hENRIC****

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

Roman gilded cast copper dog figurine - traces of red and green enamel remains

16thC cannon ball - 60mm dia

Best match the gun known in the sixteenth century as the falcon with a calibre of 2 1/2 inches and a shot weight of 2 pounds

50-60 dia balls were used in battles of 1460 AD and 1640's civil war

Romano-British protected loop terret.

'Protected loop terrets are usually considered to be Roman and dating to the late first and second centuries AD'

25th Sept 2016 More stunning finds and gold + 4 Roman silver

1790 George III milled gold half guinea

4.08g,20mm dia

Mindy Mindy added another gold half guinea to her total taking it to 11 now, our most successful female member of the club. The guys have been really on form with small hammered silver coins and I have uploaded another load to the latest finds page.2016 Sept finds. Machines like the Deus and CTX 3030 are mega sensitive on tiny hammered silver. I have posted 4 more silver Roman coins to the latest finds page but they all need a good 'cook before Mark Lehman can ID them.

I have updated this years gold page

Medieval lead pilgrims ampulla - East Anglian type with petal design

Pilgrim ampulla - holly water bottle made of lead 12th to 15thC,

These ampoulla were brought from pilgrimage places as a souvenir

Mitchiner suggests that many ampullae were used in the annual springtime ’Blessing the Fields’ ceremony, in which the Holy Water they contained was sprinkled on the ground to give prayer for a good harvest. Having served this purpose, Mitchiner suggests that the ampulla were discarded. Others have suggested that the ampulla were buried along with their contents for a similar purpose.

32 BC Roman silver coin - 'cooking' it to remove crust

32 BC Mark Antony, Legionary silver Denarius. ANT.AVG.III.VIR.R.P.C Galley, Legionary Eagle between two standards

1745 George II milled silver shilling

11,000 BC flint scraper

Medieval buckle

Huge 150 mm high copper duck garden ornament - probably 20thC

1808 1/4 Real - Carlos IV
"L" Lima mint mark (Peru)

21st Sept 2016 Finally rain and cooler weather - So many amazing relics and silver popping out

1280 -86 Scottish Alexander III hammered silver penny

Obv ALEXANDER DEI GRA

Rev R REX SCOTOR VM

Early medieval gilded red, green and blue enamelled hooked mount

58mm long

What a different a couple of days of rain made to the fields that were just so bone dry and nuggety. We now have great moisture and compression on billiard table flat fields and the tiny hammered silver coins are popping out. My favourite find of the year so far is the medieval Madonna and child seal ring found by Marl Ron below who also got the normal bell shaped seal with a prancing rabbit design below. Can Ron then popped a beauty Celtic wode grinder at the same time Mass Robert found that stunning early medieval enameled hanger above. I have posted so many more great hammered silver and relics to the latest finds page 2016 Sept finds. Still got dozens more to upload yet so keep checking out the page.

Medieval seal matrix

Jack rabbit facing right with long ears

Legend IVEIS'V * CI

Seal of Iveis

Spectacular Medieval seal ring - Madonna and child

1stC BC Celtic bronze wode grinder - suspension loop type worn around the neck

55mm L

Medieval seal matrix - squirrel facing right

Medieval seal matrix - not sure of the design yet

Medieval religious mount - could even be a weird seal matrix design

Inscribed TD

17th Sept 2016 Roasting hot out there and our 2nd gold

1762 George III milled gold 1/4 guinea

2.13g,25.72mm

1815 George III Bank of England milled silver 3 shillings (36 pence) - Elizabeth 1st penny for size comparison

14.5g, 35mm

1558 -60 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny - Lis mint mark

Medieval harness pendant

The ground was as dry as a bone, temps 28C all week until we finally had some rain yesterday afternoon which the fields needed urgently. It did not however stop the guys making some great finds including our first milled gold of the year from Org Ed. He also popped a monster George III bank token and a beauty fretwork harness pendant. Nh Frank popped two medieval seal matrix's and Can Ryan found our first Saxon silver sceat of the year, I have posted it with loads of other finds to the latest finds page 2016 Sept finds

Check out our new http://colchestertreasurehunting.com/ web site which is now running in tandem with this site as from 1st Sept. It is still being tweaked at the moment and new features added. It has a great search feature and you can display all your finds by your forum handle shortly.

I have updated this years gold page

Medieval seal matrix - squirrel facing right

1361- 1369 Edward III hammered silver half groat - treaty B -9 arches to treassures - Unbarred N's

Obv +EDWARDVS REX ANGL : DNS : HYB

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

Outer + POSV/I:DEVM/*ADIVTO/RE:MEV

1199 John hammered silver short cross penny Class 6b2

Rev hENRICVS REX

Rev RI ON CANT- Moneyer Henri of Canterbury mint

15thC half angel coin weight - German no reverse type

St Michael spearing a dragon

4th Sept 2016 First Celtic gold find of the season - fixed gold and silver pics

Nh Frank

Early 70BC uninscribed 'Q' Gold - 'Remi 'Type Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.35g,13.74mm

The Remi were a Belgic people of north-eastern Gaul (Gallia Belgica). The Romans regarded them as a civitas, a major and influential polity of Gaul,The Remi occupied the northern Champagne plain, on the southern fringes of the Forest of Ardennes, between the rivers Mosa (Meuse) and Matrona (Marne), and along the river valleys of the Aisne and its tributaries the Aire and the Vesle.

Their capital was at Durocortum (Reims, France) the second largest oppidum of Gaul on the Vesle. Allied with the Germanic tribes of the east, they repeatedly engaged in warfare against the Parisii and the Senones.They were renowned for their horses and cavalry.

The first full day of searching and NH Frank has already kicked off the new season with a mint Celtic gold off new land. It is a mint Remi type and there could be a load more out there. I have updated this years gold page

I have also started a brand new hunt page 2016 Sept finds and will be uploading more finds to it shortly.

I picked up all the fixed finds from our goldsmith and posted more repaired hammered silver to the new hunt page above. Below are the gold coins and key he made another amazing job on.

Check out our new http://colchestertreasurehunting.com/ web site which is now running in tandem with this site as from 1st Sept. It is still being tweaked at the moment and new features added. It has a great search feature and you can display all your finds by your forum handle shortly.

1361 -63 Edward III hammered gold 1/4 noble - Cross potent

Edward III (1361), Quarter-Noble, Transitional Treaty Period, quartered shield of arms - annulets

Obv + EDWAR DEI GRA REX ANGLx D

Lions in angles, lis above lion in fourth quarter, within beaded and linear tressures of eight arcs, trefoils in spandrels, beaded circle surrounding, saltire stops in legend, +exaltabitvr: in: gloria

19.91mm,1.96g

Repaired

Staggeringly beautiful 16thC Tudor gold key brooch - reported as treasure to museum

1.80g, 36mm L

1351-1361 Edward III hammered gold 1/4 noble - Cross 3 - Pre Treaty

Obv + EDWAR DG REX ANGL .Z. FRANC

Lions in angles, lis above lion in fourth quarter, within beaded and linear tressures of eight arcs, trefoils in spandrels, beaded circle surrounding, saltire stops in legend, +exaltabitvr: in: gloria

21.41mm 1.93g

28th Aug 2016 New improved web site - Export pouches finished - Free week trip won - 'Pouch of the Year' voting opened

This current web site was started nearly 14 years ago when Colchestertreasurehunting club began and has grown in to a monster size of 1.5Gb with probably over 200,000 pictures of every find we have ever made. It is a mess of old technology and unmanageable page sizes as it has grown. It was decided it was well overdue for a total revamp so for the past year we have been working on a modern interface and SQL database back end. It is currently in test form as we add more features to it and its search function will be one of the best bits. Both websites .co.uk and the new .com will be run in parallel as we test its functionality. It will take a long time to complete but we are going to try this Sept to start uploading new finds to it.

http://colchestertreasurehunting.com/

I have finally finished all the outstanding export licenses applications so I can now announce that Maryland Jack has won the free weeks detecting trip next season by guessing the closest on the forum competition. The actual number of hammered silver coins found was 528 and his guess was 530. Check out the forum competition page below to see this years free comp to win another frees weeks holiday next season.

Forum Competition page

It is now time for the members to vote for their favouite 'pouch of the year' for the season Sept 2015 to April 2016. Every member that votes get to add a bonus guess to winning a free weeks trip next season. This season we are counting all milled coins found, ie those made by a milling machine and not hammered between two dies.

I have posted the last of the missed finds out of the export pouches to the bottom of the last hunt page 2016 April finds page.

16th Aug 2016 Sal's first wreck gold - more exports - Amazing Bronze Age discovery video

Amazing discovery

Watch the video, bloody amazing finds

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...peii-Fens.html

Louisiana Ashley's first Spanish silver

We found these this morning. Eight of the silver 1 Reales and the mint, fully dated, 1714 Mexico 1 Escudo were under my coil!
HH Sal

While I am still here just banging out more export applications, Senior members Louisiana Sal and Ashley, are still wreck diving off the Florida coast. This is the 2nd gold coin of their trip and Sal's first ever wreck gold above. They have also been finding a lot of silver cobs of the period as well. Ashley pictured above found three silver cobs in a single dive. They have a few weeks left of their trip and then will be back over here running a Barn hunt in Oct.

I have posted more approved exports list of names on the members forum.

I have posted more missed finds out of the export pouches to the bottom of the last hunt page 2016 April finds page

I have updated the Forum Competition page with missed hammered silver coins out of the pouches. The total now stands at 521 coins.

2nd Aug 2016 More approved exports - Cooking ancient silvers- 5 weeks to kick off

Pound is still very low against the dollar so keep grabbing them pounds to get a brilliant deal on exchange rates.

1852 Victoria milled silver florin -Gothic numeral

Just 5 weeks now before the kick off in Sept to start the new season. For me this is the boring paperwork time of the year during the summer break, just banging out more export license applications for pouches from the 2nd half of the season. I have also received another couple of batches of approved export licenses and mailing guys their pouches back that want them straight away . I have posted the name list onto the members forum, most guys just pick up their pouches on their next trip here to save on postage costs.

The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (Frederick Augustus; 16 August 1763 – 5 January 1827) was the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III, a member of the House of Hanover and the British Royal Family. From the death of his father in 1820 until his own death in 1827, he was the heir presumptive to his elder brother, King George IV, both to the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Hanover.

Rev The soldiers friend Died Jan 5th 1827

We have a new 23 field site to continue searching in Sept after a brilliant Roman silver and bronze hoard was discovered right at the end of the first season on there. Those coins must be handed in to the museum in 'as dug condition' but the single non hoard coins can be cleaned up like below. I have been doing more work on the other ancient silver coins currently 'cooking' to remove their thick crusts. Some of them have been cooking for several years as the crust can be an 1/8 inch thick and hard as nails. I have posted before and after shots below and some will take a lot more cooking before the coins detail is finally revealed. If the reported Roman silver hoard coins, currently with the museum, are finally disclaimed and returned to the guys then 90% of them will also require a lot of cooking.

I have posted more missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page 2016 April finds page like the Victorian florin and token above.

Crusty 2ndC Roman silver coin - needs a good cook to remove horn crust Trajan or Hadrian - I can make out "...[A?, R?] IAN..." on the obverse and the silhouette could be either of them, I guess.  On the reverse I believe I can make out ...COS II[?] which would make Hadrian a little more likely Mark
'Cooking' Roman silver to remove crust (Sept 2015)
Cooking 2ndC Roman silver coin RH
Cooking BC Roman silver coin Horse and chariot appearing on obv TH
Cooking 2ndC Roman silver coin sent for quick ID My first reaction was to say Trajan from the shape of the head, but then looking at the face more closely, I begin to wonder if it's not one of the Flavians - Vespasian or Titus particularly, or a younger portrait of Domitian. I believe that what we can see of the obverse legend from 2:00-4:00 reads ...[P] M TR P - so that is not particluarly specific to any one ruler.  The Tribunician power was almost a guaranteed office of the emperor.  I could check to see which emperors used legends which ended in ...P M TR P which will generally also have the rest of the laundry-list of Imperial titles continuing on the reverse. I can't quite make out what the figure is doing on the reverse and what, if any, attributes may be associated.  It might be either the Roman numeral II or part of a III or IIII we can see from 3:00-4:00 on the reverse and that would be likely to be the consular number - it was more normal for an emperor to have been consul a few times - very seldom did they hold this office more than 4 or 5 times - so that doesn't do much to narrow-down the field. Let me check the legend lists and see if I can narrow down the possibilities any by seeing who among them used an obverse legend ending in P M TRP. Mark 2014 Oct
2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust MD
Very rare 10 -40 AD Cunobelinus Celtic silver unit - Leaping griffin type Laureate bust r.CVNOBEL in front IINVS behind./ Griffin springing I, CAMV on ex.line. Ref ABC 2909 Classed as excessively rare 'cooking' to remove crust
2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust (Sept 2015)
2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust (Oct 2014)
BC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust 2012 Sept
2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust
2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust 2015 Oct
2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust
2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust 2013 June 2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust (July 2016 BB)

17th July 2016 Approved exports and amazing Ma Barker dig video

I am still very busy working my way through the export license applications for pouches from the 2nd half of the season. I have posted more full finds list and pictures to the members forum. I have just received back a large batch of approved licenses and I have posted the names on the members forum. I have updated the Forum Competition page with missed hammered silver coins out of the pouches. The total now stands at 519 coin.

Arizona Donnie Barker (née Clark; October 8, 1873 – January 16, 1935) better known as Ma Barker, and sometimes as Kate Barker, was the mother of several criminals who ran the Barker gang during the "public enemy era", when the exploits of gangs of criminals in the U.S. Midwest gripped the American people and press. She traveled with her sons during their criminal careers.

Senior club members Fl Chuck and Rob in conjunction with the FBI and their local club got to search and amazing site in the USA that had the famous Ma Barker gang shoot out. It was the longest shoot out in FBI history and at the very end of the video Rob took was an amazing gold discovery so watch the video to the very end to see the relic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RInvy1xNeLM

About 4 weeks ago our Central Florida Metal Detecting Club hunted (metal detected) the property of the famous Ma Barker Gang shootout with the FBI in 1935. We made an incredible find. Above is the Youtube video link of the hunt. It's long but worth watching when convenient.

Fl Rob

6th July 2016 More site updates - Find of the Year result - Pound is great against the dollar

After Brexit the pound is at a new low against the dollar making these detecting trips even better value, check out the availability page.

I am still busy just banging out export license applications and adding missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page 2016 April finds page. I have updated the new forum comp page with the missed hammered silver coins to the total. Forum Competition page. Check out the new Forum Comp to win a free weeks trip next season.

Staggeringly beautiful 16thC Tudor gold key brooch - reported as treasure to museum

1.80g,

Members have concluded the vote for their favourite find of the year and Ont Mike won by a landslide with his gold key. 2nd place was the gold ball found by Miss Brandon.The museum have shown interest in acquiring the gold ball below after it has gone to coroners inquest to be declared treasure. Mike wins a free weeks detecting trip next season and the engraved silver urn trophy to keep at home.

Once I have completed all the export pouches, posted full finds list and pictures to the forum the members then get to vote for their favourite 'Pouch of the Year'. This votes entitles them to a 2nd guess at winning the free weeks detecting trip on the Forum Competition page.

The winner of this years forum comp is announced also after I have completed all the export pouches and tallied up all the hammered silver found.

Late medieval or early Tudor decorated gold ball- reported as treasure to museum

Huge gold treasure - Each decorated 'tit' has a black emerald encapsulated in the tip. There is an opening for a needle or mounting point in one place on the item. This is too large to be a pin head - appears to be solid gold but there must be an inner core, possibly silver.

It is 18.55 mm in dia and 6.3g in weight

Updated more pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

	Lead tokens all periods		Lead bale seal - all periods
Key page - currently being revamped

17th June 2016 More site updates and exports - Sal and the guys score big in Florida

Beauty one of a kind Spanish gold up to $200,000 dollars in value

'Breaking: It's been almost a year since the 1715 Royal was found; however, using new equipment, we recovered an amazing coin that has left us speechless. Very similar to the first coin recovered on 6-17-15, the coin is a very rare Royal 1 escudo minted in Mexico City in 1714. In addition 2 more small silver coins were recovered on the same GPS coordinates'.

Lookie, lookie! Sal's first shipwreck silver coin found in the water. Way to go, Sal and Booty Salvage!

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryHunts/posts/878502932278714

Senior members Louisiana Sal and Ashely are diving wrecks off the Florida coast and their team has stuck it big with only the 2nd known gold coin of its type detected out of the mud. Conservative estimates put the coin at $200,000. Sal also popped three nice Spanish silver cobs in a day. Check out Sal's link above to the rest of the finds and his own History Hunts site. Sal has been a Senior Barn leader at our club for 10 years ands also runs very successful Civil War tours in the Virginia area of the USA.

I have been processing more export pouches and posted missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page 2016 April finds page.

I have added missed hammered silver coins to this years free forum comp Forum Competition page.

More individual page updates below with finds from 2nd half of the season.

	Gold, silver, bronze and copper thimbles		Buckles page 1
	Jettons		Buckles page 2
	Viking and medieval buckles		18thC tokens
	Badges and medallions		Military badges

10th June 2016 More site updates and exports - William III page revamped

I have posted a load more export applications with full find lists and pictures to the members forum. There were some cracking pouches in the 2nd half of the season that are potential 'Pouch of the year' winners. I have updated a load more individual find pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season. I have completely revamped the William and Mary and William III page and added coppers as these in good shape are very rare finds. Only two non copper William and Mary coins have been found and the rarest milled gold coin the club has found was that full gold guinea. The most prominent coin is the silver sixpence of William III.

I have added all entries into this years free forum comp to win a weeks free trip next season to the Forum Competition page.

	Victoria small milled silver coins		Purse bars
	Victorian gold and large milled silver		Named military regiment buttons
	Police, railways and local government buttons		Royal and other navy buttons
		William and Mary and William III milled gold, silver and copper coins

2nd June 2016 More site updates and exports

More individual page updates below with finds from 2nd half of the season. I am still banging away with export applications and posting any missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page 2016 April finds page. Voting for 'Find of the Year' is going well but one find is miles ahead of the 2nd choice. Still another 50 votes to be cast yet so keep them votes coming.

I have added all entries into this years free forum comp to win a weeks free trip next season to the Forum Competition page.

	Henry III hammered silver coins - both long and short cross		Foreign hammered gold and silver coins
	Foreign milled gold. silver and copper coins		Convex and cinquefoil mounts
	Mounts all periods		Mounts - fleur and flowers
	Mounts angular shapes		Fretwork mounts
	Heart shaped mounts		Clothing fasteners
	Acorn shaped mounts		Hooked mounts
	Oval mounts		Stone Age
	Harnes pendants		Bronze Age
	17thC Trade tokens

20th May 2016 More site updates

Enormous haul of ancient Roman coins unearthed in Spain

More than 1,300 pounds (590kg) of bronze Roman coins dating to the 3rd century A.D. have been unearthed by construction workers digging a trench in Spain. Click above link

More individual page updates below with finds from 2nd half of the season.

	James 1st hammered gold and silver coins		Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpences only
	Elizabeth 1st hammered gold and shillings sixpences only		Elizabeth 1st hammered silver groats only
	Elizabeth 1st hammered silver small change only		Henry VII & VIII hammered silver coins
	Houses of Lancaster and York hammered silver coins		Henry 1st to John hammered silver coins
	Henry VI hammered silver coins

16th May 2016 More export applications and individual page updates

I have just been banging away preparing more export applications and posting the full lists and photo's to the members forum. I am still ploughing my way through finds from the 2nd half of the season and updating the individual pages below. I have posted any missed finds out of the pouches to the bottom of the 2016 April finds page.

Cool! - and just about too easy. This is a fourrée of the Augustus Gaius & Lucius denarius. One of the most abundant of early Imperial denarii - This is a photo of a whole official piece:


This is a none-too attractive specimen I used to own, but it should be complete enough to give you a feeling for the overall design and the early counter-clockwise orientation of the legends on these.

http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album87/...ucius_Denarius

Mark

Ill Andrew had a cracking bonus find above in his pouch I cleaned up which turns out to be BC Roman silver forgery. Mark Lehman sent me a great ID above the coin.

Voting for 'Find of the Year' is going well and I have added all entries into this free forum comp to win a weeks free trip next season to the Forum Competition page

	George III milled gold and silver coins		Charles 1st hammered silver coins
	Queen Anne gold and silver milled coins		George 1st & 2nd milled gold and silver coins
	Charles II & James II milled silver coins

5th May 2016 Exporting and more page updates - disclaimed treasures

I have started the export pouch process for the 2nd half of the season and have posted full find lists and photo's to the members forum. Members get the itemised word document that forms part of the export application mailed to them for reference. I have posted any missed finds out of the pouches to the bottom of the 2016 April finds page. I have added the missed hammered silver coins to the free forum competition total that now sits at 501 coins. I have also launched the 2016/17 free competition to win another free weeks detecting trip. See details on that page for rules as this year as we will be counting coins made using a milling machine.

I had a meeting with the museum this week to drop off all the latest treasures and hoards to start the Treasure process rollong . Check out our Treasure Laws Page to reads the rules as what is classified as a treasure.

I also picked up a load of disclaimed treasures from the British Museum that will be returned to the finders after I have applied for export licenses, list below. I am still awaiting for the return of 3 separate Celtic gold coin hoard coin groupings that have been already been disclaimed.

Wendell - 17thC Gold ring
Scott - Medieval silver ring
Boston Mike - gilded silver ring
Mass Steve - Medieval gold ring with gemstone
Bill - 17thC silver button
Rick - Decorated silver bodkin
Ron G - Bronze Age gold bar

I have updated the following individual pages with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

	Watch winders		Clog fasteners
	Pilgrim and religious		Roman jewelry
	Celtic silver and bronze coins		Edward 1st and Continental Sterling silver coins
	Saxon gold and silver coins		Saxon harness fittings
	Saxon artifacts		Romano British artifacts

24th April 2016 Find of the year voting and new free weeks holiday comp 2016 launched

The 2016 season ended last Saturday with our 2nd best ever gold find total on record at 59 pieces. Gold count. It is now time for the club members to vote for their favourite 'Find of the Year' taken from the Sept 2015 to April 2016 pages below. The 'find of the year' winner gets to keep the engraved silver urn and a free weeks detecting trip as the prize.

2016 April finds page

2016 March II finds page

2016 March finds page

2016 Feb finds page

2015 Oct finds page

2015 Sept finds

I have also launched this coming seasons new free forum competition to guess the number of milled coin found from Sept 2016 to April 2017. The winner gets another free weeks detecting holiday. The current competition is still running with the current count at 492 hammered silver coins found . I have yet to process all the export pouches for the guys trip yet so this will not be the final total. I will update this page as I process each pouch with any missed hammered coins.

http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/F/forumcompetition.htm

Once you have sent me your entry this page is updated to ensure your guess is logged.

I have started updating individual pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

	Edward III hammered gold and large denomination silver coins		Toy cannons and petronels
	Post medieval seal matrix		Medieval seal matrix
	Celtic gold coins		Coin weights
	Apothecary and bullion weights - all periods		Trade weights - all periods

12th April 2016 - Brilliant Colchester museum event video - More gold found

http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/museum.htm

Colchester museum held a special event for local detectorists that have shown significant contribution to the museums collections over the years. 35 of our members were invited to attended and it was brilliant day out for the club. Chicago Ron captured all of our finds , both the donated items and those that have been acquired by the museum that are now on display. He also videoed a very interesting series of talks given by museum staff detailing the history of PAS, date spread of finds using pie charts and interesting artefacts. The video is 40 minutes long and shows the positive contribution the club has made to local history. We have reported 100's of treasures and hoards over the clubs 13 years history which are detailed on the Hoard and Treasure page.

Get the pop corn out and watch Ron's video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqVlAGrKp50

The guys are having a quieter week on new land but have still manged to make some great finds including two more gold finds below. The gold count for the season now stands at 59 , officially our 2nd best season ever on record. I have uploaded more great finds to the April 2016 finds page

1842 Victoria milled gold half sovereign

4.03g, 19.4mm

C10th Saxon stirrup mount - Class A type 10

Coiled animal type

17th/18thC gold memorial ring - reported as treasure to museum

2.20g, 21.98mm

Inscription 'H obt 5th Sept 81'

Maker RM

1461 -1464 Edward IV hammered silver groat - 9 arches to tressure - quatrefoils by neck - trefoils on cusps but not over crown

Obv + EDWARD ** C

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

6th April 2016 - New 2016 April finds page created - updated availability page

The March II finds page was getting huge so I have reduced it's size and created a new April 2016 finds page . This will speed up load times. All the latest finds will now be posted to this page.

2016 April finds page

There are now 4 separate pages of finds for the 2nd half of the season

2016 April finds page

2016 March II finds page

2016 March finds page

2016 Feb finds page

The new hunt availability page detailing all the spaces still free at the start of the new Sept 2016 season have now been updated.

http://www.essexfarmholidays.co.uk/barnavailabilty.html

Drop me or any 'Barn' leader an e- mail for enquiries on how to join.

2nd April 2016 More great relics - 2 more gold finds

The guys left last Saturday and I have had a free week to try and catch up on previous finds posting and paperwork , they had some amazing relics and silver in their bags I had not seen. Chicago Ron found the neat gold Georgian watch winder and his 'Mrs' Gretchen found a 9 carat triple banded gold ring taking the gold count o 57 for the season. This is our 2nd best gold total as a club on record so far Gold page 57 pieces.

I have uploaded a load more of their great artefacts and silver coins to the latest finds page 2016 March II finds page. I still have a dozen or so bags to photo yet and upload.

Georgian gold watch winder with stone inlay

1922 - 9 carat - triple banded gold ring - London 0.375

Maker CG Probably Charles Gibson

2.22g

Roman bronze animal headed mount - unlikely to be a dagger pommel with offset heads

Early medieval copper animal headed buckle

Large medieval cast bucket mount

Anonymous: letter R early 15thC. An initial with branches at the side, was a design that became increasingly common in the 15thC and was often used on a signet ring . The letter suggests it stood for the owners forename.

WWII RAF sweetheart badge

Je Renais de mes Cendres

8th Regiment

25th March 2016 Quad gold finds - 2nd highest gold club record

Addedomarus 45BC Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.30g,13.07mm

1817 George III milled gold half sovereign

3.96g,19.26mm

Interesting Georgian gold ring with black enamelled inlaid sections- possible mourning ring - no hall marks

18.8mm. 1.57g

Medieval religious cross harness pendant

The guys are still making amazing discoveries and added another 4 gold finds to the season count making it the 2nd best gold count so far in the clubs 13 year record. Aussie Brad is the first Australian we have hunt here that has found a a Celtic gold coin , that stunning Addedomarus 45BC Celtic gold qtr stater above . Last season was a ridiculous gold total and we found 79 pieces. The previous best record was set in 2014 with 56 pieces. and we now stand at 57. The current team leaves tomorrow, I have a welcome weeks break to catch up on photographing finds and then the last team of the season run by Min Mindy comes in for a two week tour. It is possible to get close to the monster record but they will have to really go some to beat it. Currently we have over 500 fields for them to choose from and some of our best fields have just been rolled after a deep plough so they are fresh without a foot print on them yet.

I have uploaded loads more great finds to the latest find page 2016 March II finds page including anther Saxon silver penny fragment. I still have dozens of Roman bronzes and more silver from the recent newly discovered hoard to photo yet and send off to the museum.

I will still be banging away uploading a load more great finds to the latest finds page today 2016 March II finds page

1531-44 Henry VIII hammered silver half groat - LE besides shield - key mint mark Archbishop Lee	1604-5 James 1st hammered silver half groat-Lis mint mark
1351- 1353 Edward III hammered silver half groat - Pre treaty series C , annulet stop on obv, IM Cross 1, closed C&E, 9 arches to tressure, wedge tailed R Obv +EDW**** REX ANGLI Z FRANCI Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint	Italian States-Venice, Andrea Contarini as Doge (1368-1382), Soldino + ANDR ' 9-TAR DVX Doge standing left, holding banner F in left field + . S . MARCVS . VENETI . Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws all in inner circle Plain Edge

1260 AD Non Heraldic personal seal, 4 have been found attached to pasture rights. The design is typical of mid 13thC non heraldic seals like the , a fleur -de- lis, a flower, the lamb of god and each names it's owner on the legend

Seal of RICARD I. DE

11,000 BC Stone Age flint scraper

Stunning medieval purse bar with inscription and black enamel decoration

'PI FV'

Medieval Girdle book clasp

The distinguishing feature of this book format is its long extension of the leather cover along the lower edge of the book, which allows it to be carried by hand, or be tucked under the belt, held there by a large knob or hook incorporated into the overhanging leather. Judging by contemporaneous representations in paintings, sculptures, drawings and in verbal descriptions the majority was made between about 1450 and 1650, mainly in what is now Germany, the Netherlands and England. Only about two dozen still exist, making it a very rare witness to medieval life between six hundred and seven hundred years ago.

1811 George III Bank of England issue Eighteen pence milled silver - 1 shilling and six pence

20th March 2016 More stunning Celtic gold - more Roman silver hoard coins posted

50BC Cantii Celtic gold qtr stater

It is a Floret Trophy type VA 146,BMC 436 attributed to the Cantii tribe - sent to PAS for recording

1.28g, 12.08mm

Our Celtic gold finds page

18thC George III gold third guinea

I have halved the size of the 2016 March finds page as it was massive and created a new 2016 March II finds page to speed up load times. I have uploaded load more hammered silver and widgets to the new page and have another 200 + finds to post there yet. At the bottom of the page I have posted more of the silver Roman hoard coins and several ID's from Mark Lehman on those that have some detail. Mark has also replied with ID's on other Roman bronzes with detail. The gold count for the season now stands at 52 pieces after Oki Jim popped a very rare Celtic qtr stater, Virg Marg found the fragment of the George guinea and there was a neat modern gold ring with ruby's found.

Interesting hoard coin sent for provisional ID

suspect this may be a relatively late (c. 90 BC) and common Republican denarius - or at least copied from one - like this:

http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album98/ML_20_Titia_den

Several of the earlier emperors had extensive "restitution" coinages in which they emulated the coins of earlier times - Titus and Trajan were both responsible for major series of restitution coinage.
When you have this denarius a bit cleaner, I may be able to tell if it's original or a restitution issue.  I can't quite tell if I'm seeing a legend on the obverse - and of course, if there is a legend, then it would have to be one of the later re-issues. 

Or, if we discover an emperor's name or titles on the coin and it isn't one of those who deliberately and consciously copied older types, it might be a denarius by someone who just wanted to put a Pegasos on his coinage - the portrait (such of it as can be seen under the encrustatioin) looks like it might be Septimius Severus and although I'm not certain, offhand, whether Severus had a Pegasos reverse, it's possible - he struck a multitude of different types of denarii.

Mark

1422 - 1461 French Charles VII 'Three circles' jeton of Tournai Three circles each contain a quatrefoil:in each angle a lis Obv + O IIIATE R DEI IIIEIIIEIITO IIIE Rev Broad ended cross patty, simple floral ornaments Mitchener ref 607	1340 AD French Jetton Crown introduced in 1340 by Philip VI (1328-50) Royal Crown with 3 rosettes across body of crown Rev Triple banded straight cross fleuretty AV

17thC working toy petronel (pistol)

Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1600
Date to: Circa AD 1640

The toy is based on the match-lock 'petronels' of the 16th and 17th Centuries

Medieval vessica seal matrix

So AVICDE - Seal of avicde

1978 Gold ruby ring - Birmingham 0.375 - 9 carat - D date letter

Maker KR - not listed

20.80mm, 3.25g

Large medieval cast Jester face bucket mount

17th March 2016 Stunning gold, silver and relics - more Roman silver hoard coins uploaded

Sent for ID

Nice late 2nd century piece - Commodus, 177-192 AD. AR denarius
Obverse, M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT P P. laureate head right.
Reverse, SEC ORB P M TR P XIIII COS V; in ex, DES VI - Securitas seated left holding globe.
Mint of Rome, 189 AD.
RIC III 190; RSC  695; SRCV 5694.

It's a common type, but this is a very nice find, comparatively speaking. It should turn out very attractive with some careful cleaning.

Mark

I have added another load of new Roman silver hoard coins to the middle of the 2016 March finds page with a few more to upload yet. Most have a thick horn silver crust on them but the one above is comparatively clean and Mark Lehman has provisionally ID'd the hoard as 2nd century. I will taking the whole group to the museum at the end of the season as we will probably add more to the 'pot' before then. The clubs gold count has risen by another 4 pieces, Bav Jeff found the Edward III noble below and there has been 3 gold jewelry item and another George III milled gold I have not see yet. This years gold page has 50 pieces on it so far for the season with another 2 to add yet. With 3 weeks of the detecting season left we could beat our 2nd best season on record. I have posted a huge wad of other finds to the latest finds page including some really stunning hammered and milled silver coins.2016 March finds page. I need to create a new second March finds page as this one is getting massive to load.

c100BC - AS 50 Cosmetic Celtic woad grinder pestal - missing suspension loop

Georgian fob seal

17th/18thC jewelery item with blue stone - possible brooch - no hall marks - reported as treasure to museum

2.65g, 14.87mm L

Taco'd Circa 1350 Edward III hammered gold 1/4 noble - Cross 3 -Needs straightening to ID exact type from rev shield.

Obv + EDWARD DEI GRA REX ANGL

21.41mm 1.93g

Monster sized 18thC toy cannon

Scale is in cm's

1464- 70 Edward IV hammered silver groat - quatrefoils by neck - mint mark crown - reverse mint mark is Rose - Type VIII

Fluers on cusps except over crown

Obv EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

Neat 16thC Tudor looking gold on silver jewelery link piece - reported as treasure to museum

THE 2nd REGIMENT OF FOOT

The seven Royal Garrison Battalions were re-named Royal Veteran Battalions in July 1804

Unrecorded example with legend - 'Veteran Battalion'

The Second Regiment of Foot Guards i.e "The Coldstream Guards".

http://www.2ndfoot.org.uk/

http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/organization/Britain/Infantry/Regiments/c_Veterans.html

15th March 2016 More stonking gold and early milled finds - stunning Viking buckle - more hoard coins

Stunning 11thC late Viking buckle - two biting beasts gripping the cross bar of the buckle

1500-1200 BC Late Bronze Age arrow head

Late medieval or early Tudor decorated gold ball- reported as treasure to museum

Huge gold treasure - Each decoratred 'tit' has a black emerald encapsualted in the tip. There is an opening for a needle or mounting point in one place on the item. This is too large to be a pin head - appears to be solid gold but there must be an inner core, possibly silver.

It is 18.55 mm in dia and 6.3g in weight

1846 Victoria milled gold half sovereign

19.38mm, 4.02g

Stunning 14thC enamelled harness pendant

The guys are making some remarkable discoveries including a mint Viking buckle above, stunning little enamelled medieval horse harness pendant with daffy duck on it !! Bronze Age arrow head, pilgrims ampullea more Saxon stirrup mounts etc that I have posted to the latest finds page 2016 March finds page. Too many top finds to post on this latest news page. I have three more gold finds to post yet including a beauty gold brooch and a couple of rings. This years gold page.

The guys have also been finding a very unusual amount of early milled silver below, James II and Charles II etc is a very scare find normally. However all this pales into significance with the monster gold ball found by Mis Brandon above. This is too big to be a late medieval pin head and the workmanship is stunning, each 'tit' has a black sapphire encapsulated in the tip. Under my high power scope the detail and skill needed to make this back then is breath taking. I have just reported it as treasure to the museum and landowner and hope fully I will hear back with their views today.

I have posted more of the Roman silver hoard coins onto the 2016 March finds page. I have so far posted 5, two with some detail and sent them off to Mark Lehman for his views. All the bronzes so far are shagged.

I still have hundreds more finds to upload yet to the latest finds page during the day.

1680 Charles II milled silver three pence	1702- 14 Queen Anne milled silver shilling Exeter mint
1709 Queen Anne milled silver shilling	1685 Charles II milled silver two pence
1685 James II milled silver shilling	1685 James II milled silver shilling
1731 George II milled silver sixpence	1677 Charles II milled silver two pence

1490 - 1500 Henry VII hammered silver half groat - two arches jewelled - no lis to 7 tressures, Tun mint mark

King and Archbishop Morton jointly - no stops

Obv hENRIC DI *** ANGL ZF

Rev CIVI/TAS/CAN/TOR - Canterbury mint

Pilgrim ampullae - holly water bottle made of lead 12th to 15thC,

These ampoule were brought from pilgrimage places as a souvenir

Mitchiner suggests that many ampullae were used in the annual springtime ’Blessing the Fields’ ceremony, in which the Holy Water they contained was sprinkled on the ground to give prayer for a good harvest. Having served this purpose, Mitchiner suggests that the ampullae were discarded. Others have suggested that the ampullae were buried along with their contents for a similar purpose

11th March 2016 Heart attack find - more monster finds and a new Roman hoard

More great silver and relics posted to latest finds page

2016 March finds page.

Heart attack find !!! Huge heavy thick copper

This amazing huge copper relic, that I though initially was a monster medieval religious find, turns out not to be as it appears . When I blew up the photo I noticed a MADE IN GREECE mark next to the double bust- This had me completely fooled. Still a neat find but not a 1000 years old LOL

The guys are making more amazing discoveries including a potential Roman coin hoard on new land. So far they are up to 11 bronzes and 3 Roman silvers, the bronzes are in shagged condition but the Roman silvers have a thick horn crust that should cook off if they are eventually disclaimed by the museum. I have not taken shots of them yet and still have tons more great relics and silver to post yet, I have already uploaded more stunning finds to the latest finds page 2016 March finds page.

Wis Steve popped the extremely rare Celtic silver unit below, Cunobelin the King of Colchester. Ont Mike found one of our best ever pieces of Tudor gold jewelry which has staggeringly intricate workmanship. Seattle Casey popped a real chunky 17th/18th C gold posy ring below with full inscription. I love the neat fishy decorated belt slide found by Min Mindy. I have yet to photo the best looking Roman fretwork buckle I have ever seen, lead pilgrims ampule, stunning medieval face bucket mount etc and I am also still backed up with finds from last week.

I have added the latest gold finds to This years gold page which stands at 44 pieces.

10-40 AD Cunobelin Celtic silver unit

Sitting Griffin type - CVNO in tablet, wreath border

Griffin right on tablet containing CAMV - Classed as Extremely Rare

VA2051 1.25g, 14.29mm

Staggeringly beautiful 16thC Tudor gold key brooch - reported as treasure to museum

1.80g, 36mm L

Heavy thick 17th/18thC gold posy ring with inscription - reported as treasure to museum

'God alone made us tivo one' ( God made us to two be one ?)

Maker RD

7.51g, 22.68mm

Medieval high carat small gold band - possible child's ring

12.56mm, 0.16g

Very interesting Roman bronze mount - could be a face

Superb 1500 -1700 fish design belt slide

Primary Saxon silver sceat 600- 700 AD - 'cooking' it to clean off crust

Sent to Fitzswilliam museum for recording

1.27g, 12mm

Huge Roman bronze sent for ID

29.27mm, 13.09g

Yes, it's a pretty easy one to pin down as to the emperor - I love it when we have nice, clear obverse legends

I believe this is a smallish bronze sestertius rather an an as, at this weight. This is Gordian III, a young emperor (ascended at the age of 13 or so, I believe) who ruled for a relatively long time towards the beginning of the social, political and economic chaos of the 3rd century. He ruled from 238-244 - from the time of the defeat of his uncle and grandfather, Gordians I & II until he was deposed by the Praetorian prefect Philip (I, "The Arab")

The sestertius, which had previously primarily been struck in "orichalcum" brass had by this time become a fully bronze piece. The obverse legend on this is IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG. Gordian was given the title "Pius" (faithful) due to his significant efforts to punish the legion responsible for the downfall and death of his uncle and gandfather. 
What I can't be quite so certain about is the reverse type. We have only the lower half of the figure, hips and legs - and possibly a raised hand, to work with and so it could be any of the personifications or deities portrayed standing in this posture. I believe the legend is probably "AETERNITAS AVG; S - C" with radiate Sol standing facing, head left, raising right hand and holding globe in left - but I can't be 100% certain.  This is a commonly-seen type for Gordian - an as of the same type and issue:

http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album100/ML_23_Gord_III_Sol_as

This piece, at 9.09g, is just about right at average for an As - yours at 12+g must have been a sestertius since dupondii invariably had the ruler wearing the radiate crown. 

Not a bad find, considering how profoundly chipped and deteriorated a lot of the Æ you've been finding lately seems to be - this isn't nearly so bad as some.

Mark Lehman

9th March 2016 More stunning relic and gold finds - very rare Roman silver found

The guys are making some amazing discoveries, the best 12thC Papal seal I have seen, one of best Saxon silvered zoomorphic stirrup mounts we have found. Apart from two stunning gold coins below the most amazingly rare Roman silver was found by Mass Mike. I had never seen a Roman silver with a bust each side and thought it to be 2ndC. Mark Lehman sent back his report and it turns out to be 41BC and of major historical significance, his write up is below.

I have also posted load more great hammered silver and relic to the latest finds page including 4 Cnut Saxon silver penny fragments reported as a hoard addendum.

2016 March finds page.

I have added the latest gold finds to This years gold page.

First double bust type Roman silver I have seen - sent to mark Lehman for an ID

Very interesting - this is Marcus Antonius - Marc Antony - and Octavian (later to be Augustus) - an issue from Ephesus in the spring-summer of 41 BC - before the two of them had fallen out and while they were two legs of the triumvirate - along with Pompey.

Obv: M ANT IMP AVG III VIR R P C M BARBAT Q P (MP & AV are ligate) Bare head of Marc Antony right.
Rx: CAESAR IMP PONT III VIR R P C. Bare head of Octavian, right.

This is a HIGHLY desirable coin in almost any condition, but this is in pretty good shape.  The "granular" area, I'm afraid, looks a lot like a shovel-mark - but that's one of the almost unavoidable risks of MD (or really, any) digging style.

I would advise the owner to seek professional conservation - or to leave it completely as-found until some sophisticated and professional cleaning techniques can be brought to bear.

Mark

You may hear talk about the "historicity" of a coin - this one is from quite near "ground zero" for the true beginning of the Roman Empire as we know it.

My congratulations to the digger.  It might not have the market potential of an aureus, but it's an important historical document nonetheless.

Mark

1361 Edward III hammered gold 1/4 noble

Edward III (1361), Quarter-Noble, Transitional Treaty Period, quartered shield of arms - need to be straightened for definitive ID

lions in angles, lis above lion in fourth quarter, within beaded and linear tressures of eight arcs, trefoils in spandrels, beaded circle surrounding, saltire stops in legend, +exaltabitvr: in: gloria

19.91mm,1.96g

10.15g, 21.06mm L

10.22g, 22.55mm L

16.72g, 36.43mm L

17.15g, 30.60mm L

4 Ancient gold slag chunks, probably Saxon period- a previous larger example we found was disclaimed by the British museum as undiagnostic. The previous finder melted down the slag and made two gold cross neck laces, one was presented to landowner,

Sent to local and Fitzswilliam museum for their comments

10- 40 AD Cunobelin Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.31g, 11.16 mm

Spectacular find

c 10th C Late Saxon stirrup mount - Class 4 Type 10B - Traces of original silvering with decoration around top and edges remain

This classification comprises most of the mounts reflecting the Urnes style influences and depicting coiled animals.

Similar design Ref 190 Page 55 Williams - The curving neck of the beast seems to terminate in a head with a beak.

Medieval Papal Bullae. A lead Papal Bullae of Pope Celestine III 1191 to 1198 AD

Obverse shows the heads of the apostles Peter and Paul, the founders of the Church of Rome with SPASPE (Sanctus PAulus and Sanctus PEtrus) above

Rev ELIE STMVS PI III

http://historymedren.about.com/library/who/blwwpopelist.htm

38.73mm, 44.13g

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm

The reverse (verso) of the bulla shows the name of the Pope, which is written in the nominative, with his abbreviated title. It reads 'CELE / STINVS / PP • III' within a beaded border. The 'PP' has an 'Ω' above.

This bulla has the name of Pope Celestine III on the verso. He was elected Pope in 1191 and continued until 1198.

7th March 2016 Three more beauty golds and stunning relics - Club awards

Louisiana Sal (left) , presents Alb Rory with his 'Pouch of the Year' engraved cup. Rory had that monster pouch last season that included the Saxon gold medallion. Sal in the right picture presents Bob with his 'Team winners cup' and engraved club medallion. Bob's & Joe's full board 4 man Newbie team popped 3 Celtic gold in a week including our oldest ever Celtic gold coin find. Bob is already having another good trip with a George gold guinea find below.

Simply stunning chunky early medieval gold decorated bronze cross pendant - The gold pin decoration is very interesting as it probably riveted a central inlaid emblem which is now missing- one for the museum to play with

18.76g, 41.18 mm L x 6.73 mm T

10- 40 AD Cunobelin Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.33g, 11.57mm

45 BC to 25BC Addedomarus - Trinovantian tribe Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.34g, 12.34mm

1800 George III gold third guinea

The guys are out there still banging in beauty finds including 3 more very crisp gold coins. I have posted a load more great silver and relics to the latest finds page 2016 Feb Finds page and I have created a new finds page to and reduce the size of the previous page.2016 March finds page. I have tons more great hammered silver and relics to try and upload today to this new page.

A couple of my favourite relics include a really neat double sided Edward VII pendant below, amazing that the photo's survived. My favourite relic find so far is the early medieval looking gold riveted cross above. It seems too heavy and chunky to be a harness pendant and more likely a necklace as it has a missing suspension loop.

I have added the latest gold finds to This years gold page.

Fascinating relic - 1901 - 1910 Edward VII pendant with young Edward and wife on one side and old Edward on other side

13thC hammered silver sterling imitation

Crockard - Chaplet of roses to crown

Medieval hammered silver penny - Continental imitation , E(a) Sterling type

Obv + IDVX BRABANTIE

Rev SIS/RRV/XEI/IEE

1485 - 1509 Henry VII hammered silver half groat - Archb Savage

Keys by neck

Obv HENRIC DI GRAxREXxANGL

Rev CIVI/TAS/EBO/RACI - York mint

1st March 2016 Hunts start again with a neat gold ring

1823 George IV London hall mark date letter lower h - duty paid bust

24.46mm,0.96g

Maker SG

Sebastian Henry Garrard- Garrard & Co Ltd ,

A business founded by John Wickes in 1722 and still active in present days

Guys have made a good start to the 2nd hunt of the new year and Louisiana Ashley found her first ever gold find with a neat George IV gold ring. George IV period finds are quite rare as he was only on the throne for 10 years George IV finds page. I have posted more neat finds from the last hunt to the bottom of the latest finds page 2016 Feb Finds page . I need to create a new March 2016 page today as the Feb page is getting too large.

I have added the latest gold finds to This years gold page.

11000 BC Stone Age flint scraper

The distinguishing feature of this book format is its long extension of the leather cover along the lower edge of the book, which allows it to be carried by hand, or be tucked under the belt, held there by a large knob or hook incorporated into the overhanging leather. Judging by contemporaneous representations in paintings, sculptures, drawings and in verbal descriptions the majority was made between about 1450 and 1650, mainly in what is now Germany, the Netherlands and England. Only about two dozen still exist, making it a very rare witness to medieval life between six hundred and seven hundred years ago.

Medieval seal matrix

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

DKNY gold plated watch

20th Feb 2016 Amazing 13 gold coin week - More approved exports

The Gold team - from left

Kansas Barry (2 gold), Boston Gary (2 gold) Kansas Teresa, Mass Steve, Maine Shane (2 gold) , Miss Jeff, Miss Sandie, Maine George (3 gold)

More approved export licenses have arrived and I have posted a list of names on the forum.

The early bird Boston Beau crew did the club proud and ended the week with 13 gold coins, 11 Celtic and two milled. Boston Gary sent me a picture of the gold team above. The 'old hands' got 8 and the two newbies got 5 gold coins. Boston Gary discovered the 1st one and called the team over to pound the area. They had discovered a new hoard on new land + a very special plated rarer 'Biga type' Cunobelin qtr stater. This is the very first plated one I have seen of the King of Colchester and I have put the pictures of another one we found in Feb 2012 along side it below . In the past we have found two others , a Clacton type and a Kite stater so they are a very rare to find. I have posted a lot of their other widgets to new finds page 2016 Feb Finds page and have a a load more to upload yet.

I have added the latest gold finds to This years gold page.

I have a short break of a week now until Louisiana Sal's team arrive next Saturday.

10-40 AD Cunobelin biga qtr stater, VA 1910, BMC 1769-1771, ABC 2771  Very rare.

11.48mm, 1.26g

Most gold and silver Celtic coins also occur as plated forgeries. They were produced by coating a base metal core with gold or silver alloy before striking took place, either by dipping the core in molten alloy, or by hammering a thin layer of gold or silver around the core until it bonded with the base metal. Dies used for genuine coins were sometimes also used for plated examples; alternatively, dies could be faked by making a cast from a mould bearing the impression of a genuine coin, or by pressing a genuine coin into soft metal which was then hardened to form a die; sometimes the design of a coin was simply copied onto a new die, resulting in the reversal of the correct image.

50 Early Uninscribed gold stater - Clacton type

Reported as hoard to museum

18.43mm,6.45g

45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater

Reported as hoard to museum

5.48g, 16.54mm

45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater

Reported as hoard to museum

5.59g, 18.58mm

45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater

Reported as hoard to museum

5.42g, 15.79mm

45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater

Reported as hoard to museum

5.58g, 18.27mm

45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater

Reported as hoard to museum

5.58g, 16.43mm

18th Feb 2016 Double milled gold found - more approved exports

Article about Roman brooch found.

Another Viking hoard.....

1804 George III milled gold third guinea

2.82g, 17.07mm

1762 George III milled gold qtr guinea

15.7mm, 2.06g

The husband and wife of Kansas Bary and Teresa did a first for the club and both found milled gold on new land the same day. New land has been mega productive and I have posted lots of nice relics and silver to the new finds page2016 Feb Finds page. I have added the latest gold finds to This years gold page. This years gold total is currently 27.

Another bunch of approved export license have arrived and I have posted name list on the members forum.

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

obv hENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC

rev outer legend - POSVI DEVM ADIVTORE MEVM

inner legend VILLA CASLISIE - Calais Mint

Initial mark incurved pierced cross

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

1464/5 -1470 Edward IV hammered silver groat, light coinage - im Crown/crown - trefoils on cusps

North 1570 VII

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

16th Feb 2016 Quad Celtic gold to start the 2nd half of season

Stunning Celtic bronze unit - not checked the ref books yet

10- 40 AD Cunobelinus Janus Bronze unit - Janiform head CVNO in tablet below /Sow on haunches r.,tree behind ,CAMV below VA 2105 ABC 2981 Scarce

45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater Reported as hoard to museum 17.35mm,5.49g	45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater Reported as hoard to museum 5.54g,20.37mm
45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater Reported as hoard to museum 18.54mm,5.49g	45 BC Addedomarus (sometimes written Aθθedomarus on coins) Celtic gold full stater Reported as hoard to museum 5.49g, 18.40mm

I have already posted shed loads of great relics to the new hunt page including great Saxon and Roman relics.2016 Feb Finds page.
Boston Gary does it yet again and finds the very first Celtic gold of the 2nd half of the season for his 4th year running. Last season he found a new hoard spot on new land and again in the middle of no where on more new land pops a beauty full gold stater. He radioed his team over to join him and they then popped another 3. His mate Steve who popped two last year from a hoard finds gold No2, then Maine George and Shane bang in another two. I have reported these finds to the museum as a new hoard and they will issue a new treasure case number in due course. However Nev Bill found my favourite find so far with a mint Cunobelin Celtic bronze unit above which is in stunning shape. Celtic bronze units are generally in poor shape and a very find for the club and the Colchester area as a a whole.

I have added the gold finds to This years gold page. This years gold total is currently 25.

Crockard - chaplet of roses in place of crown

Medieval hammered silver penny - Continental imitation , E(a) Sterling type

Obv +I DVX LIMBVRGIE

Rev DVX/BRE/BAN/TIE

Roman bronze enameled widget - possible balance weight pivot - needs more research

13thC medieval vessica seal matrix - needs cleaning up to take impression

Roman bronze bust mount

10th Feb 2016 Kick off in a couple of days - kit is ready - couple of open slots

The link below for Chicago Ron's video has been changed as he had to re edit the video due to music being played in the background.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBFmr6r8Mww

I have finally finished all the export applications and the guys arrive in a couple of days to find more for me to process, no rest for the wicked LOL. A large batch of approved export licenses just arrived on the door mat and I have posted a full list of names on the members forum.

I have been busy getting all the 'Barn kit' ready for the first team in. I supply a large pack of gear to the Barn leader who is a Senior member running the show. He/she has their own 9 seater mini bus and can come and go as they please on any of the 500 fields available. They detect for as many hours their team decides on and as many field as they like. There are currently only a couple of free slots available mid March. If you fancy a hunt drop me a mail at enquiries@essexfarmingholidays.co.uk for dates.

Kit includes:

6.5 ltr slow cooker
Digital coffee maker
7 plastic coffee mugs, drinks tumblers and spoons
2 small Tuppaware containers for tea and sugar in the field
5ltr stainless steel push button top Thermos - for hot water in the field
1.5ltr stainless steel Thermos pour jug - for milk or soup in the field
Large and medium Thermos cooler boxes - one for large bottle of drink, one for sandwiches or hot chow


Huge map folder with detailed laminated maps per farmer. With over 500 fields to choose from very easy to get lost.
Several AO full scale team maps and relationships between sites.
Sat Nav with field numbers , supermarket, eateries locations
7 diggers
Mobile phone for daily contact

I have updated any missed hammered silver coins to the Free forum comp total which now stands at 260.

I have created a new 2016 Feb Finds page for the upcoming finds

29th Jan 2016 Ron's fantastic hunt video posted and more exports

While I am still sitting here busily knocking up more export license applications Chicago Ron's has put a huge video of his 'A' team's monster gold hunt in March 2015 on the members forum. His team were on fire with their most successful trip ever and helped give the club a record gold total of 79 pieces in a year. Ron's guys have their own bus and go free roaming on any or all of the 500 fields in the club, they hunt the land for up to 10 hours a day.

All ancient gold finds are recorded with PAS who pass them on to the British Museum who will then decide if they are considered to be a new hoard or an existing hoard addendum we have reported in the past.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBFmr6r8Mww

I have posted more missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page 2015 Oct finds page.

I have updated any missed hammered silver coins to the Free forum comp total which now stands at 258.

17th Jan 2016 Disclaimed hoards and more finds and exports

I picked up more of our disclaimed Roman and Celtic hoard coins from the museum this week. There are still more Celtic gold addendum coins to this hoard yet to be returned from the British museum and the 7 below are the first batch. The Roman hoard was 16 bronze and two silver coins total. I have now applied for export licenses for the individual coins so they can be returned to the finders.

Meanwhile I am still working my way through the export pouches for the first half of the season and have about a dozen still left to do. Full find lists and photo's posted to members forum.

I have also posted yet more great missed finds out of the export pouches including Can Drew's 850 BC Axe head fragment he found on the last day of his hunt. These and other finds are posted to the bottom of the 2015 Oct finds page.

I have updated any missed hammered silver coins to the Free forum comp total which now stands at 257.

I have updated the map pack legend with the new lands for Feb kick off and posted it to the members forum. I have got to get the new land individual maps laminated yet and then add them to the Barn leader map pack. Current land choice is 500 + fields for the kick off in Feb.

70BC Celtic gold Morini qtr gold stater 1.47g,11.27mm dia	70BC Morini Celtic gold qtr stater 1.46g, 11.55mm
70BC Morini Celtic gold 'boat tree' qtr stater 1.49g, 9.97mm	70BC Morini Celtic gold qtr stater 1.45g, 10.75mm
70BC Morini Celtic gold qtr stater - 1.14g, 11.52mm	70BC Morini Celtic gold 'boat tree' qtr stater 1.46g, 11.06mm
50 BC Trinovantes British G “Clacton” Celtic gold qtr stater 1.29g,14.45mm

6th Jan 2016 Happy New Year all - more exports and missed finds

Gold ring found in Ryedale is 'treasure'

1296 Edward 1st hammered silver penny Class 1 Berwick mint Crown with pearls- Open Lombardic E Obv +EDWR ANGL DNS hYB Rev VILL/aBE/REV/VICI - Berwick Upon Tweed mint	1307 Edward II hammered silver penny - pointed back E - Class 15 Obv +EDWR ****NS hYB Rev VILL/SCIE/DMV/NDI - Bury St Edmunds mint
1422-61 Henry VI hammered silver penny - Roundabout mint mark - annulet issue Rev with annulets in VIL and CAL qtrs. Obv + hENRICVS REX ANGLIE Rev VIL/LAx/CAL/ISx	1606-7 James 1st hammered silver shilling (12 pence) Escallop mint mark
17thC lead seal - 'ESSEX' - cleaning up legend

Fascinating find - 1774 George III milled copper half penny struck twice on edge in the milling machine

I received back anther batch of approved export licenses yesterday and posted a full list of names on the members forum. I am still working my way through the export pouch applications and posted a load more full find lists and photo's to the members forum. I have posted some great missed relics and coins out of the export pouches to the bottom of last hunt page 2015 Oct finds page. I have updated the missed hammered silver coins to the forum competition count Free forum comp.

24th Dec 2015 Happy Christmas all - More site updates and exporting

To all readers and members, hope you all have a great Christmas and the New Year gives us monster finds. 2nd half of the season opens in mid February and there are still some free spaces if you fancy a hunt. We added yet another new 22 field site in Oct making well over 500 fields for you to pick from each day.

I received back a large batch of approved export licenses yesterday and posted a full list of names on the members forum. I am still working my way through the export pouch applications and posted a load more full find lists and photo's to the members forum. Updated a few more pages below with finds from the 1st half of the season.

	Jettons		17thC hammered copper trade tokens and Rose farthings
	Clothing fasteners		Keys
	Lead tokens

15th Dec 2015 More site updates and exporting - Viking hoard

Viking hoard discovery reveals little-known king 'airbrushed from history'

Loads more individual finds pages below updated with finds from the 1st half of the season. I have updated the forum comp page total with more missed hammered silver coins. Free forum comp.

	Coin and apothecary weight		Henry VI hammered silver coins
	Trade weights		Henry VII and VIII hammered silver coins
	Medallions and badges		Navy buttons
	Military badges		Railway police and local government buttons
	Buckles page 1		Buckles page 2
	Medieval buckles

7th Dec 2015 More site updates and exporting

Row over 1600 Roman coin find ruins friendship

I am busy just preparing export license applications from the 1st half of the season and posting full finds lists ands pictures to the members forum. I have posted missed finds to the bottom of 2015 Oct finds page.

I have updated more individual find pages below with finds form the first half of the season.

	S buckles		Roman 1st/2ndC Roman bronze coins
	Bells		Roman jewelry
	Roman BC silver coins		Roman AD silver coins
	Saxon gold and silver coins		Saxon harness fittings
	Roman 3rd/4th Roman bronze coins

24th Nov 2015 More updates and exporting - great story links

1700 year old ring found - nude cupid

Farmer discovers 4,000 Roman coins in Swiss orchard

Hundreds of 16th Century coin clippings have been discovered in a Gloucestershire field.

I am busy just preparing export license applications from the 1st half of the season and posting full finds lists ands pictures to the members forum. I have posted missed finds to the bottom of 2015 Oct finds page. As I find missed hammered silver coins I have added them to the total for the free forum comp page that stands at 237. free forum comp. I am still working on the 'cooking' ancient silver coins and Sal cleaned up his own one below that came out to be a real beauty. Mark Lehman has ID'd it as a Nerva.

I have updated more individual find pages below with finds form the first half of the season.

Cooked Roman silver coin sent for ID

Chris,
Nice Nerva! - he's not one of the more commonly-seen emperors.  I can't recall whether or not I've had another Nerva to ID from the Colchester gang.  His coins are not necessarily "rare", but his reign lasted only a year and a half, from 18 September, 96 to 25 January, 98. So his coins do tend to be scarcer than those of either Domitian who reigned for fourteen years, 81-96 prior to him, or Trajan who logged over nineteen years between 98-117, right after him. Consequently his coins tend to sell for a bit more than either of them.  The elderly statesman's reign amounted to no more than a brief interlude in a succession of long-lived emperors - from Vespasian through Commodus - ie: throughout the second century during what was arguably "The Golden Age of The Roman Empire". However, the part he played was to be of outsized and crucial political importance. He was the first emperor since Julius - and the first in a series of six emperors who followed suit - to adopt his successor rather than leaving the question of succession up to the vagaries of heredity, infirmity, war and murder, as had been more common in earlier years.

This piece was struck at the mint in Rome, Jan.-Sep. 97. 
Obv: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR POT. Nerva's laureate head right.
Rx: COS III PATER PATRIAE. Simpulum, aspergillum, jug and lituus - the emblems of the augurate and the pontificate.
RIC II 24; RSC 52; SRCV 3023.

Mark

	Elizabeth 1st hammered silver coins - small denominations		Elizabeth 1st hammered silver coins - sixpences only
	James 1st hammered gold and silver coins		Charles 1st hammered silver coins
	Edward 1st and 2nd hammered silver coins		Richard II hammered silver
	Henry 1st to John hammered silver coins		Edward III non London mints
	Edward III London mints only

10th Nov 2015 More updates and cooking ancient silvers

I have updated more of the sites individual pages below with finds from the first half of the season. Check out the Finds Index to view all the individual pages on this site by category. This season we had so many more firsts like the Queen Anne gold and large denomination William IV coins.

I have been working on our 'cooking' ancient silvers below to remove the rock hard horn crust that grows on them. I have resent them to the various experts for an update on their ID. They still require more cooking to remove the final crust. Note some of them have been 'cooking' for over a year now to remove the crust that can be as thick as 2mm.

Crusty 2ndC Roman silver coin - needs a good cook to remove horn crust

Trajan or Hadrian - I can make out "...[A?, R?] IAN..." on the obverse and the silhouette could be either of them, I guess.  On the reverse I believe I can make out ...COS II[?] which would make Hadrian a little more likely

Mark

Obverse legend, IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG; Reverse legend, P M TR P COS III.


The reverse type is Pax standing left holding olive-branch and scepter.


This piece dates to 121 AD., from the mint of Rome.


Catalogue references: RIC II 94; RSC 1140; SRCV 3523.

Primary Saxon silver sceat 600- 700 AD - 'cooking' it to clean off crust

Sent to Fitzswilliam museum for recording

1.27g, 12mm

Working on a 2ndC Roman silver coin in process of cooking. Note the crust is 2mm thick in some cases.

This 2ndC Roman silver coin in process of cooking for over a year now .

2ndC Roman silver coin in process of cooking

2ndC Roman silver coin in process of cooking

2ndC Roman silver coin in process of cooking

2ndC Roman silver coin in process of cooking

2ndC Roman silver coin in process of cooking

	George III milled coins		William IV milled coins
	George IV milled coins		Clog fasteners
	Queen Anne milled coins		Toy cannons
	George 1st and 2nd milled coins		Irish and Scottish hammered silver coins
	Foreign milled coins		Numbered regiments buttons
	Edward III Gold and large hammered silver coins

5th Nov 2015 Finished uploading last weeks finds - updating site

Romano-British protected loop terret

'Protected loop terrets are usually considered to be Roman and dating to the late first and second centuries AD'

I have finished posting the last of the finds from a couple of weeks ago to the latest finds page Oct finds page. There were a load of great milled and hammered silver coins including a couple of early short cross pennies. A Victorian gold brooch fragment makes the gold count for the season so far at 20 and I have posted it to the gold page. This years Gold page. There were some cracking relics including a complete Roman protected loop terret above and what appears to be a Celtic snake ring. There were two remarkable coins found with a rare 1747 German states silver billion coin and at the moment an unrecorded type of big Roman bronze. Mark Lehman has given an extensive write up below with similar examples.

I have also started to update the sites individual pages below with finds from the first half of the season. Check out the Finds Index to view all the individual pages on this site by category.

I have already updated this years free forum comp with the coin total counted so far at 229.

Iron Age snake headed finger ring

	Charles II and James II milled coins		Venetian silver coins
	Gold jewelry all		Celtic gold coins

Classed as rare 1747 German states silver billion coin

Obverse

Crowned Imperial Eagle

Lettering:
FRANCISC.D.G.ROM.IMP.S.A.
1

Reverse

Key within ornate shield

Lettering: MON.NOV.REIP.BREM. [date]

Big 1stC Roman bronze sent for ID

At first I thought your coin was a Trajan sestertius with a "Platform Scene" reverse - somewhat like in the photo below:

I think, from the shape of the head and the general silhouette, your specimen is pretty definitely Trajan - let me see if I have a photo of a Trajan platform scene...

http://www.stoa.org/gallery/album373/CR02_24

Trajan, 98-117 AD.
Orichalcum Æ Sestertius
35mm, 24.87g, 6h.
Mint of Rome, 116 AD.
Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PAR-THICO P M TR P COS VI P P. Laureate draped bust right.
Rx: REX PARTHIS DATVS S C. Trajan on platform presenting Parthamaspates to Parthians. 
RIC 667, SR 3191, VM 51.

I'm not saying this is a match for your coin - but at first I thought it was fairly close - Trajan had several platform scenes on his sestertii. Your coin seems to have a similarly long-winded list of titles in the obverse legend.  Trajan had some of the longest legends/greatest numbers of letters in obverse legends ever to be strung around the circumference of a coin.

I assembled this comparison photo which makes a pretty good case for Trajan on the obverse -

But as I look at the reverse more, I don't think this is a platform scene after all - I believe this would have for its legend SENATVS POPVLESQVE ROMANVS / SC  -  and the lower serifs of letters at ~ 2:00-4:00 reverse would fit with Romanus.

There is a type on which Trajan is standing to right, head left, between two trophies - unfortunately, I don't have any photos of anything particularly similar, but if you look closely at the photo or the coin I think you can see how he's standing with his weight on the right leg, head turned to left, and there are 2 trophies, 1 each erected on his right and left.

I will look for a photo of a coin with this reverse type and if I find one, I'll send it.

Mark

I was unable to find quickly a photo of a sestertius with that reverse - in fact, I may need to say I think your piece is a dupondius, since it seems like no sestertius with that reverse type is listed.  I'll admit I can't be certain that the portrait on your coin is not wearing the radiate crown of Sol which would be the identifying mark of denomination on the obverse.

This is what I thinik your coin might be - depending on size and whether we can make out a radiate crown.  If it's large enough to be a sestertius and has a laurel-wreath portrait, that's something I'd need to ask an expert about - whether or not that particular type which is not in the RIC exists.

Mark 

29th Oct 2015 Brilliant end to the first half of the season

Pure ancient gold nugget - reported as potential treasure to museum - 1.09g

The guys finished the first half of the season on a real high with a Victoria gold half sovereign which Col Bruce popped on new land. NY Allen popped an ancient gold nugget taking the current gold count posted to 19. I still have to post another chunk of gold that I have not photographed yet which will take the end of the half season total to 20. This years Gold page. I have posted a load more finds to the latest finds page Oct finds page and still have loads from last week to process yet and post to this page. The new hunts start in Feb after the half season break.

Dr Martin Allen has ID the Saxon silver penny from from the other day as:

Offa of Mercia Heavy Coinage (792/3-796), East Anglian mint, moneyer Wihtred, reading UI / HT / [  ] / [  ]. This is type 258 in Derek Chick's The Coinage of Offa and his Contemporaries (part of North type 338). I have attached adjusted images showing the correct orientation, which might be helpful.

This is the first EMC find from ****.

Best wishes,

Martin

1857 Victoria milled gold sovereign	1876 Victoria milled silver half crown
1422-61 Henry VI hammered silver half penny - Roundabout mint mark - A2 annulet issue Rev with annulets in VIL and CAL qtrs. Obv + hENRIC REX ANGL Rev VIL/LAx/CAL/ISx	Irish 1279-1301 Edward 1st hammered silver penny - Trefoil of pellets on Kings breast, pellet at start of Obv legend Obv EDWR ANGL DNS HYB Rev CIVI/TAS/DUBL/INIE - Dublin mint

Tiny silver coin

1 Kopeck minted during the rein of Peter The Great between 1696 and 1717. The wire kopecks of that period were the lightest and smallest of all Russian wire specie, and had the lowest silver content.

Romano British bronze head - possible votive offering or hanging pendant

Big 1stC Roman bronze with unusual obverse sent for ID

22nd Oct 2015 - Stunning medieval ring - Roman and Saxon silver

The guys are digging some amazing finds on both old and new land. Maryland Scott is having a great week with a stunning medieval gold ring and the black sapphire is still lodged inside, then he pops one of the rarest silver finds we can make with a Saxon silver penny. I have sent it off to the Fitzswilliam museum for Dr Martin to ID and record on the EMC. There have been several crusty Roman silvers found and Mark Lehman has already sent back the ID for one of them. The others will need a good 'cook' to remove the horn silver crust. I have posted so many nice 17thC tokens, relics and silver coins to the latest finds page Oct finds page. I particularly like the huge 1915 Dutch 1 gulden milled silver coin medallion below as it was in mint shape. This season we have found three more 1158 -1189 AD Henry II ' Tealby' cross and crosslet type silver hammered coins like the one posted below found by LS Ashley. We have only found 8 in 13 years of searching so that is rare. These are also recorded on the Early Medieval Corpus database.

Updated this years gold page, 17 so far. This years Gold page.

Medieval gold ring with black sapphire pushed inside - reported as treasure to museum

22mm, 2.98g

Beauty 2ndC Roman silver coin sent to Mark Lehman for ID

This is, of course, Hadrian - I'd be surprised if you couldn't recognize him by his portrait - Although part of the obverse legend is off-flan, it's HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P.
The reverse is a very simple MONETA AVG - with the personification of Moneta standing left, holding scales and cornucopia.
It probably was issued to celebrate a liberalitas - a general gift of money to all the citizens of Rome (to the free male citizens, at least).

This is an issue from 137 AD (very late in his reign) from the mint at Rome. References would be RIC II 256; RSC 965 and SRCV 3507.

Mark

Crusty 2ndC Roman silver coin - needs a good cook to remove horn crust	Crusty 2ndC Roman silver coin - needs a good cook to remove horn crust
1356-1361 Edward III hammered silver groat - Pre treaty period, Annulet stops, Standard type F Obv **RD DG **** FRANC o DhYB Obv EDWARD D G REX ANGL Z FRANC D HYB Rev outer + POSVI DEVM ADIVTORE MEVM (outer) Rev CIVI/TAS/LOII/DOII - London mint	1662 Charles II milled silver half groat - love token Undated issue
1696 William III milled silver shilling	1158 -1189 AD Henry II hammered silver farthing ' Tealby' cross and crosslet type Sent to Fitzswilliam museum for recording

Very interesting early small lead alloy jug find, possible votive offering or even a medieval pilgrims ampule type item with suspension loop - needs more research

c10thC Saxon hammered silver penny - sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording

20mm, 1.16g

1915 Dutch 1 gulden milled silver coin medallion

Queen Wilhelmina I ruled the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a young lady starting in 1890 and continued to 1948

18th Oct 2015 - Another double gold and more awards

1719 George 1st milled gold half guinea

3.97g, 21mm

The guys are doing some amazing searching on both old and new land. DC Nick popped his first ever gold coin with a sweet 1719 George 1st half guinea, Louisiana Ashley captured the moment on her video camera, link below.

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryHunt...3771461418529/

1713 Queen Anne milled gold full guinea

24.2 mm,7.67g

Then Org Danny popped the monster of all milled golds with a full Queen Anne guinea, first ever Anne gold found in the club. Sal video'd his reaction.

https://www.facebook.com/HistoryHunt...3414358120906/

Can Ron (left) wins this years Nova Scotia Greg award and Fl Rob picks up his Wayne Otto award from last season, presented by Sal.


Wayne Otto Memorial cup for the detectorist with the 'best attributes' during the season
Nova Scotia Greg award for 'dedicated detectorist' of the year

Some great silver and relics being found and I have posted a load more to the bottom of the Oct finds page

Updated this years gold page, 16 so far. This years Gold page.

Medieval seal matrix

11000 BC Stone Age flint scraper

1781 George III milled silver penny

16th Oct 2015 - Double Celtic gold and pizza night

Ch Ron (right) draws the raffle at our club pizza night and Wis Steve won the free trip

The guys have been making some brilliant finds and I have posted a load more silver and relics to the Oct finds page including Virg Marg's rarer Berwich on Tweed mint silver penny below. Ga Buddy popped a nice 45 BC Addedomarus Celtic gold stater and then Ch Ron popped his 17th gold coin increasing his lead as top gold coin finder in the club. Both these coins have been reported to the museum as hoard addendums and Ron has now been involved in finding at least 6 coin hoards in the club. Several are now on display at Colchester museum. One of my favourite finds of the week is the 1640's English civil war cannon ball belwo that was used as grape shot.

Updated this years gold page, 14 so far. This years Gold page.

1296- 1318 Edward 1st hammered silver penny - Type 1

Obv EDWAR ANGL DNS hYB

Rev VILL/ABE/REV/VICI Berwick-Upon-Tweed mint

Trinovantes British G “Clacton” quarter, Hobbs 192 Celtic gold 1/4 stater 50BC

Chris Rudd 23.41 Clacton de Jersey - Classed as scarce

1.47g,14.2mm

Reported as hoard addendum to museum

45 BC Addedomarus Celtic gold stater - reported as hoard to museum

5.57g, 18.2mm

1640's English civil war cannon ball - 18 pounder sized - solid iron balls used in strands of grape

59mm dia, 1.96lbs

12th Oct 2015 - First gold off new land and rarer silvers

Iowa Rich (left) gets presented with club 'coin hunter of the year 'engraved tankard from Ch Ron. He popped 127 coins in a week to take the award.

Medieval green stone gold ring - reported to museum as treasure

0.61g,12.5mm

Cannot clean off the black tar substance sticking to it as it has to be handed in uncleaned as a treasure item.

1551-3 Edward VI hammered silver shilling (12 pence) - mint mark 'y'

5.68g, 33mm

1846 Victoria milled gold half sovereign

19.2mm,3.97g

First cut qtr Tealby we have ever found

1158 -1189 AD Henry II hammered silver farthing ' Tealby' cross and crosslet type

Sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording

10.1mm ,0.35g

1205 - 1230 AD William 1st The Lion of Scotland short cross hammered silver half penny.

obv LEI REI WILAM

rev HENRI LE RVS .ON.RORE

The guys have been running around like headless chickens trying to hotspot the new 23 field plot we just signed the contract with. With fields that size it is gonna take years but the guy having a great time digging huge numbers of coppers and buttons. The first really good find off there was made by Fl Don who found our first ever Edward VI big hammered silver coin in the club. Then it was up to Tenn Mark to pop his first ever gold coin on the new land with a crisp Victorian gold sovereign.

Meanwhile the guys have also been hunting the old land and Virg Bobby on his first trip popped a neat medieval gold ring with a green coloured stone. The guys have also been finding some great hammered silver and relics that I have posted to the latest finds page Oct finds page.

Updated this years gold page, 12 so far. This years Gold page.

7th Oct 2015 - More great finds and another huge new farm

Early silver scabbard decoration - not sure of date - reported to museum as treasure

2.18g, 53mm wide x 42mm high

I signed the contracts with the new landowner this week for another large 23 field farm for the guys to search immediately. I have posted maps and more details on the members forum, it is massive and will take a lot of hotspotting.

The guys have been making some amazing discoveries like the silver scabbard decoration Ch Ron found above which looks Saxon but I cannot find any comparable examples. I have reported it as treasure so the museum can confirm the ID. Another very interesting Saxon looking find below has me stumped, the Saxon used lead alloy materials and heavily gilded them, I have sent pictures off to the museum for their views. Yet another very interesting find below is the gilded face mount which looked initially modern but it turns out to be potentially Roman by the hairstyle and earing design. Another first for the club found by Ch Ron again is the big George IV silver half crown. We have only ever found a dozen George IV silver coins and 5 gold examples and this is the first half crown. George IV coin page.

I have posted a interesting write up from Mark Lehman our Roman expert below on a 5thC silver coin find that shattered and it's fascinating structure under a high powered microscope showing it made up of tiny granules of silver. In future the cleaning of late 5thC Roman silvers will have to undertaken by the finder as it is pot luck if they break due to this structure. Heating it cherry red repairs the structure like our goldsmith does to our hammered silver coins he repairs.

Uploaded a load more great silver and widgets to the latest Oct finds page

Early medieval gilded item on lead alloy base metal - sent to museum for ID

Medieval gilded mount possibly from pendant ?? The decayed condition of the bronze suggests it is early but the head and ear rings suggest earlier

Sent to museum for ID, could be Roman by the hairstyle and background work

A tiny sweet little Roman 4thC Barbarous radiate coin sent for ID

Looks like ET on reverse !!

0.67mm,10mm

A very nice example of the fully devolved form.

Also, I know I've subjected you to my opinions on this subject before and although I know I'm unlikely to change the world which uses this terminology, but just to reiterate, "Barbarous Radiate" is a terribly incorrect and inappropriate name for contemporary copies of this nature.  These contemporary copies were made and used by people who were not only no more barbarous than than those who made the originals which served as prototype, they were made and used by the same people. Folks who are unaware of the difference in meaning between the words: "barbarous", "barbaric", "barbarian" (most people, these days, it appears) seem to have an opinion - or as a sales technique want to spread the erroneous perception - that coins of this nature were made and used by Conan of Cimmeria, or some similar scenario.  In fact "barbarous" in this usage was meant as an artistic criticism of the style, made by the snobbish collectors of the 19th century whose artistic appreciation was so stunted that in their opinion anything other than standard Classical art was unworthy of their exalted notice. In fact, these changes in design are tracing a similar arc to those designs based originally on the staters of Philip II and Alexander which were the prototypes for hundreds of later types of Celtic staters. These morphed as they emphasized some parts of the design and left others out in accordance with their own artistic sensibilities. 

Mark

13thC sacrificial lamb type vessica seal matrix - soaking in distilled water to clean up legend

Huge 1820 -30 George IV milled silver half crown (30 pence)

Primary Saxon silver sceat 600- 700 AD - 'cooking' it to clean off crust

Sent to Fitzswilliam museum for recording

1.27g, 12mm

4thC Roman silver coin sent for ID

I cannot clean this coin as I just had another one break into 3 pieces - too thin and poor quality silver. This one is already fragmenting at the edges

Fascinating 4thC Roman silver find sent for ID - The structure of this coin under my scope is tiny silver granules very like the Saxon silver pennies that are too brittle to clean. Sent to Mark Lehman for his views. The last Saxon silver we sent we sent to our goldsmith for fixing came back in 8 pieces as it fell apart.

This is more commonly seen in silver than in Æ's - although the occasional base-metal piece will have gone so granular as to become brittle and easily broken. It's one of the many things that can happen to coins during their long diagenesis.
In some cases, if it can be detected before the coin breaks, it can be remedied by heating the coin red-hot. This re-randomizes the molecules which had become aligned while it was buried. "Crystallization" is a misnomer because all metals are microscopically crystalline in their solid states - this brittleness occurs when most of the molecules line up "parallel" to the normal crystaline structure and the silver and copper in the alloy begin to separate into separate "packets".



This is a siliqua of Theodosius I, 379-395, probably from Trier. The reverse type is VIRTVS ROMANORVM with Roma seated left holding Victory on globe and spear. I believe the mint-mark is TRPS, the only other mint striking this type was Milan and that mint-mark is MDPS, but the Trier pieces are more common. This gives you something you can look for, however, if you do any cleaning





Mark

1st Oct 2015 - Stunning Celtic gold and new Oct 2015 finds page

10-40 AD Cunobelin full gold stater - sent to PAS for recording

5.43g,19.8mm

Stunning condition 1769 Irish George III milled copper half penny

Decorated Victorian 9 carat gold button with missing gem stone

Roman military mount

A near identical mount is in Benet’s Artefacts second volume, page171 number R09-0403.

Described as Mount (Eagle) 50mm. Spread wings with feathers detailed. Mounted on a stem. Perhaps from a military standard.

Fl Mark on his very first trip here popped a stunning Cunobelin Celtic gold stater off a new field. Ch Ron managed to find a neat gold button taking this season total into double figures.

I have created a new Oct finds page to speed up load times and uploaded loads more great finds to this new page.

29th Sept 2015 - More great gold finds and mint ancient silver

REPORT ON POTENTIAL TREASURE FOR HM CORONER
Viking-period gold finger-ring from Tendring District area, Essex

Ref.: 2014 T939
PAS ref.:  ESS-9CB5B8
(Rec. no.  9028)

Alb John (left) presents Can Ryan with the silver urn trophy and shield for winning the 'find of the year vote' for his Viking gold ring find.

5thC Roman silver sent for ID

The reason that this coin seems so thin is that it's the way they were made.  The Romans were already (and had for some time been) experiencing the shortage of silver which would extend well into "modern" times (taking the long view) and was the reason that medieval deniers all tend to be such fish scales.  This is a siliqua of Honorius.  Honorius was one of the last of the Western emperors and the one during whose reign the Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 AD.Honorius ascended to the purple at the age of 9, in 393 AD, so you know there was someone else behind the scenery pulling the strings.  He was actually around for a pretty long time as rulers went (and they mostly went) in those days.  He survived until 423 AD. but isn't known for much of anything except happening to be in power when Rome was invaded.
I see I gave you some good history, but little on the coin itself.
- Although incomplete, the obverse legend would be: D N HONORIVS P [F AVG] - The emperor wears a pearl-diadem, cuirass and trabaea.
- The reverse legend would be [VIRTVS R]O MANORVM - Roma seated left on cuirass holding Victory on globe and reversed spear.
- In the exergue is MDPS - the mint mark for the mint of Milan.
(I think - the photo's a little out-of-focus and does not enlarge well - perhaps you can confirm this reading of the exergue if you still have the coin to check?)
-The chronology becomes a little more obscure around the beginning of the 5th century, but what I can find for dates shows this type for Honorius being struck at Milan only between 397-402.
- References: RIC X 1228c; RSC 59b; SRCV 20968.

Mark

Min Mindy is on fire this trip with load of nice hammered silver coins and beauty 1777 full gold guinea below. She then popped a mint 5thC Roman silver above and still has a week and a half of her trip left. Can Jame's popped our first ever broken Celtic gold full stater feet away from the complete Celtic stater he found last season. This has become an addendum coin of the Celtic gold hoard we reported last season and the rest of that coin is still out there so we can stick it together !! I have posted of load more great relics and silver to the latest finds page. 2015 Sept finds.

Updated this years gold page, 8 so far. This years Gold page.

Addedomarus 45BC Celtic gold full stater fragment - sent to museum as hoard addendum

16.5mm,2.31g

Roman military mount

A near identical mount is in Benet’s Artefacts second volume, page171 number R09-0403.

Described as Mount (Eagle) 50mm. Spread wings with feathers detailed. Mounted on a stem. Perhaps from a military standard.

1777 George III milled gold full guinea (21 shillings)

8.37g, 24.8mm

The distinguishing feature of this book format is its long extension of the leather cover-along the lower edge of the book, which allows it to be carried by hand, or be tucked under the belt, held there by a large knob or hook incorporated into the overhanging-leather. Judging by contemporaneous representations in paintings, sculptures, drawings and in verbal descriptions the majority was made between about 1450 and 1650, mainly in what is now Germany, the Netherlands and England. Only about two dozen still exist, making it a very rare witness to medieval life between six hundred and seven hundred years ago.

23rd Sept 2015 - Triple gold rings and very rare silver

0.64g, 19.5mm
Very rare 1135-1154 Stephen hammered silver penny - Cross Moline
Note * Fleurs in reverse quadrants
Bust right holding sceptre - Substantive Royal Issue
This could be the PERERIC or PERERICM obverse type
I have sent it off to Dr Martin at the Fiztwilliam museum for recording and his expert ID

I have recorded this as EMC 2015.0271. It is a coin of Carlisle under Scottish occupation but in the name of Stephen: the obverse reads [  ]EFNERE+ and the reverse reads [  ]ONCAR[  ]. The moneyer would be Erebald ior Hudard.


Best wishes,

Martin

Amazing find - ex rare Irish 1496-1505 Henry VII hammered silver penny- Late portrait issue. Large rose to centre of reverse cross.

Rose as pellets in reverse cross and rose to left side of crown - unknown type

These are crudely made and no example exists with a legend as they are so poor

This example has a partial legend of hYB EZ or badly formed REX.

5thC Roman silver siliqua of Honorius

1279-1305 Gui of Dampierre - Numur pollard - no crown short fringe to hair

Medieval hammered silver penny - Continental imitation , Sterling type

Obv +GMARChIONAMVR

Rev FLA/DRE/GCO/MES

Some amazingly rare hammered silver coins showing up. GA Doug popped only the 2nd King Stephen coin I have ever seen and Dr Martin has ID'd it above as Carlisle under Scottish occupation but in the name of Stephen. Then NS Andy has found what appears to be a unique coin with roses all over it. There are only two Kings that had a rose in centre of reverse cross Edward IV Local (Durham) and Irish Henry VII. The Henry VII is classed as extremely rare and no example exists with a legend as it is very badly stuck issue. NS Andy's coin has a partial obverse legend. Note the reverse pellets are roses on this example and none are showing in my reference books. Alb John found our first ever 'Pollard' type hammered silver penny, note the mad hair do fringe and no crown.

The guys also had a cracking day and popped 3 gold rings from the same site. Can Ryan found the medieval example and when he cleaned it up the black sapphire had been pushed inside as seen on the close up pictures. The 2nd ring was a continental type but the 3rd ring with hands and heart is under investigation as it has unusual hall marks I am researching more. Cal Sarah popped our first 5thC Roman silver of the season with a very crisp silver siliqua of Honorius.

I have posted a load more really crisp hammered silver and relics to the latest find page. 2015 Sept finds.

Updated this years gold page, 6 so far. This years Gold page.

Medieval gold ring - reported as treasure to museum

Can Ryan cleaned it last night and the black sapphire stone is still inside the bezel !!

1.89g, 24mm

20thC gold ring - Continental marks- Q1 CTF 750

0.96g,21mm

9 carat gold Birmingham hall marked 0.375 - still researching another unknown mark for date

20.5mm,1.59g

1674 Charles II milled silver one pence	1697 William III milled silver sixpence
1580 - 1581 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver three pence- Latin cross mint mark	1560-61 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver penny- cross crosslet mint mark

Great eyeball fossil find - 300 million BC

19th Sept 2015 - Cracking finds and first Celtic gold

c700 AD Saxon silver primary sceat sent to Fitzwilliam museum for ID and recording

0.89g,12.2mm

Many thanks for this very helpful information about the find, which is EMC 2015.0268.

The Series E Stepped Cross type (Type 53) is one of the more interesting varieties of the Secondary Phase, and this is the first in EMC since 2010.

All the best,

Martin

Trinovantes British G “Clacton” quarter, Hobbs 192 Celtic gold 1/4 stater 50BC - sent to PAS for recording

Chris Rudd 23.41 Clacton de Jersey - Classed as scarce

1.41g, 11.93mm

1stC Celtic bronze unit - galloping animal facing right

Not checked ref books yet

Can Ryan has been on fire this trip with some cracking finds including the first Celtic gold of the season. His best find so far has been a very crisp Saxon silver sceat, our first sceat off a new site. He also popped another very rare find for us a weird looking Celtic bronze unit which I am trying to ID. I have posted huge numbers of silver coins and widgets including several treasures to the latest finds page 2015 Sept finds. There have been a number of first for the club including the first large denomination William IV milled coin ever found from Ga Doug. I have some very interesting hammered silver coins to play with today and upload later.

Updated this years gold page, 3 so far. This years Gold page.

Huge 1836 William IV milled silver half crown - (30 pence)

2ndC AD Roman Zoomorphic brooch - Domestic birds

Red enameled diamond decoration - some enameling remains

Ref 1167 Hattatt

18thC silver clog fastener - 1795 Duty paid George III bust Maker HF	1422-61 AD Bronze coin weight - French Ecu - Three lis in shield type
2 - 17thC Charles II silver buttons - reported as treasure to museum Dug by Nh Dave right next to each other

8th Sept 2015 - Guys have made a brilliant start - our oldest ever Celtic silver and a bronze unit

Gaul. Central Gaul, the Lingones. Kaletedes. AR Quinarius, circa 120/100-50 BC. Obv. Celticized head left. Rev. Celticized...

12.1mm, 1.89g

A map of Gaul showing the relative position of the Lingones tribe.

Newbie Ohio Tom kicked off the season with our oldest ever Celtic silver unit find and I tribe we have never found. I was totally stumped looking at the ref books until Liz at Chris Rudd's gave me the heads up. Turns out to be our oldest ever Celtic silver find by a long way. It needs a 'cook' to bring out more detail but it is in great shape. I looked up the tribe to get more info on them below.

Lingones were a Celtic tribe that originally lived in Gaul in the area of the headwaters of the Seine and Marne rivers. Some of the Lingones migrated across the Alps and settled near the mouth of the Po River in Cisalpine Gaul of northern Italy around 400 BCE. These Lingones were part of a wave of Celtic tribes that included the Boii and Senones (Polybius, Histories ii.17). The Lingones may have helped sack Rome in 390 BCE.

Stunning 14thC medieval gold ring - reported as treasure to museum

1.26g, 20mm

Lombardic script possibly Latin

Alb Rory popped the first gold of the season with a stunning medieval fully inscribed ring. I cannot read the Lombardic script so it is probably in Latin. Tom found the 2nd gold of the season with a simple medieval gold band. I have created a new finds page and uploaded all the finds so far to it including Tom's gold ring.2015 Sept finds.

What looks like our first 850 BC Bronze Age side axe with a huge chunk of Bronze Age casting waste nearby

Rory also found a socketed Bronze Age implement above that has myself and the local museum stumped. It has been sent off to the experts at the BM for their view, It is kind of like a side axe pictured above.

2ndC Roman silver coin - cooking to remove crust - sent to Mark Lehman for his views

A few crusty Roman silvers have been found but they need a dammed good 'cook' to remove the crust before a positive ID can be made.

Early 1660 -2 Charles II milled silver half groat - this legend CAROLVS.II.D.G

1stC Celtic bronze unit - sent for ID and recording

1.76g, 14.5mm

10-40 AD Cunobelin Stepping Griffin bronze unit ABC 2945

Alb John found another rare find for us with a Celtic bronze unit in good shape. The Colchester area is known for a disproportionate ratio of gold to silver coins than the rest of the country and we find for every 100 gold coins around 10 silver and half a dozen bronze units so this is a very rare find for the club. I have looked in my ref books and have not been able to get an ID yet. This is the first very coppery based Celtic unit I have seen and not concave as they usually are. Luckily John Sills of the CCII was able to ID it as a Cunobelin Stepping Griffin type ABC 2945, leaping horse on the front and you can make out the wing of the Griffin on the reverse.

Check out the new hunt page for all the hammered silver and widgets found so far 2015 Sept finds.

Updated this years gold page, gonna be tough to be last season record 79 gold total but the guys are gonna give it their best shot.

This years Gold page.

Updated this years Hoard and treasure page

24th Aug 2015 - Gold hoard pictures - Rory wins 'pouch of the year' - Iowa Rich 'coin hunter' and Alb John forum comp

Senior members Louisiana Ashley and husband Sal are still in Florida wreak diving with some of the Colchester club members and have sent me pictures of the boat near by that found the 350 + gold Spanish coin including 9 of those very rare ones valued at $4 million. Ashley and Sal were invited on to the boat as the recovery was taking place, Ashley is pictured with one of the rare ones in her hand and slice pizza in the other LOL, very cool !!

Sal and Ashley are running 'Barn' type hunts here in Colchester during October and if you want to try and join them drop Sal an e-mail, sal@historyhunts.com

The final members votes are in and Alberta Rory wins the 'Pouch of the Year' award . His pouch contained 2 Saxon silver sceats, 50 BC Gallo Celtic gold and the monster Saxon gold pendant. 2nd place went to Cal Gary with the Saxon gold button and mega rare gold Visigoth gold coin. Rory also won 2nd prize in 'Find of the year' with his Saxon pendant missing out to Can Ryan's Viking gold ring find that won.

Iowa Rich won 'Coin hunter of the year' with 127 coins found in a week.

Alberta John won this years free forum competition with his guess at the number of medieval hammered silver coin found. John's guess of 430 was the closest to the actual final total of 428 and wins him a full free weeks detecting trip next season.

1189-1199 Richard 1st hammered silver short cross penny - Type 2

Obv hENRICVS REX

Rev RICARD.ON.CANT - Moneyer Ricard of Canterbury mint

Note Ricard was not know to issue from Canterbury mint

I have posted more missed finds out of the export pouches to the bottom of the last hunt page 2015 March finds 2 including Org Mary's very unusual King Richard penny with a moneyer that was not known to issue out of Canterbury mint.

16th Aug 2015 - Another 400 gold coins found - Pouch of the year voting - more fixed coins returned - Raffle results

Senior member Cal George holds some of cannon balls recovered

Senior members Louisiana Sal and Ashley are still in Florida diving on Spanish treasure wrecks and found some fascinating artefacts including Spanish silver coins and cannon balls. Some of Colchester clubs members have been joining them in the search like Cal George above. After that crew a couple of weeks ago found the haul of 51 gold coins including a very rare Tricentennial Royal coin worth over $500,000 dollars another crew has just found another hoard of over 400 gold coins including 7 very rare ones. Both Sal and Ashley have played with the haul but it has yet to be announced in the national papers. The guys are close by but not just close enough LOL

Flat enameled disc brooch inlaid with 8 enameled white dots with red centres - blue enameled back ground colour.

This is a native British type dating to the 2ndCentury AD

I have been busy processing more export pouches and posting missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page. There has been some beauty bonus finds like the 2nd C Roman/British enameled disc brooch above. Check out more missed hammered silver and relics at bottom of 2015 March finds 2 page.

Taco'd and fixed 1327 Edward III hammered silver half groat

Obv EDWARDVS REX.ANGLI.Z. FRANC

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

1352- 53 Edward III hammered silver half groat - no trefoils over crown - IM cross 1a

Pre treaty series D

Obv +EDWARDVS REX AIIGIL Z FRANCI

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

I also picked up a batch of our fixed hammered silver coins from the goldsmith. He did another cracking job as normal as per the examples above. I have posted more before and after pictures of other fixed coins to the last hunt page2015 March finds 2

I have also received several batches of approved export licenses back and posted name lists to the members forum. I have launched this years voting for 'pouch of the year' award. It is going to be very touch choice this season with monster pouches like Cal Gary and Alberta Rory's mega Saxon gold bags. By voting you get a 2nd bonus guess at this season free forum comp to win another free trip next year. Check out your guess on the forum comp page.

http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/F/forumcompetition.htm

The 2014/15 free comp to win another free weeks detecting trip is currently being won by NH Scott as the total is 436 medieval coins found so far. I still have another half a dozen export pouches left to process so this total could change. Check out the forum comp page to see where your guesses rank.

2n prize Deus

Louisiana Sal has just used the Random Picker site below to draw the latest raffle NO 7 with chances to to win a weeks detecting trip and the 2nd prize was the new Deus detecting machine. NH Bob won the first prize and Penn Christy the 2nd great prize of the new Deus machine. Big congrats to the winners.

FOLLOW THE YOU TUBE LINK TO VIEW THE VIDEO OF THE DRAWING: https://youtu.be/Grg7Xse3p3o

https://www.randompicker.com/Project/Public/Protocol.aspx?Key=221406x75008

1: UK Detecting Week 018BAED4-7ECE-4835-8C4F-78479DD42280 2
2: WS04 XP Deus 08AA172F-C94A-459B-B009-12EF94637A2D 2

31st July 2015 - Ron's latest video - $1 million dollar hoard found- More exports and missed finds

Senior Colchester club member Ashley holds the actual $500,000 dollar coin find

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbeat/treasure-hunters-find-over-dollar1-million-worth-of-shipwrecked-spanish-gold-off-the-florida-coast/ar-AAdzwkB

Senior members Louisiana Sal, his wife Ashley above and other Colchester members are currently diving off their boat in Florida for sunken treasure. Each boat and member has to be licensed by the state to dive off the coast and colleagues of theirs in another boat searching nearly found the mother load. The haul of 51 gold coins includes a very rare Tricentennial Royal coin worth over $500,000 dollars. Sal's team are diving all summer and hoping to find some themselves. At a get together after the find was announced publically (link above) Ashley actually got to hold the half million dollar Royal gold coin in her hand, amazing find.

Chicago Ron has just posted his latest Oct 2014 video on the members forum with his team making some great finds during their trip . Check it out https://youtu.be/wsgQx2BOdYI

14thC medieval French made coin weigh for angel d'or or the mounton d'or of Jean le Bon and Charles VI Lamb standing left with banner type	15th/16thC 'Ship with 2 lions' type coin weight for the gold noble

Meanwhile why the guys are out having fun in Florida I have just been beavering away still preparing more export licenses applications for the 2nd half of the season and posted more full find lists and pictures to the members forum. I have posted more missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page 2015 March finds 2.I have also been preparing the additional individual export applications for disclaimed treasures and hoards and paying the landowners their half of the rewards detailed in the Treasure valuation committees report. While I was with one landowner paying him for 10 of his Celtic gold hoard coins he also showed me the British Museum valuation letter for the 1300 BC Bronze Age tress ring that was found and voted find of the year in 2014. It looks like the museum is acquiring the find for their collection and he have me a copy of the scientific analysis of the object which I have posted below. It is now up to the landowner and finder to agree the valuation they have offered.

Bronze Age Tress Ring C1000BC

Lock-Rings

Ornaments, whose function is unknown, made from gold plates in triangular cross-section and secured by a binding strip, resulting in a hollow ring. The face plates can be decorated with repoussé decoration or with fine concentric incised lines imitating fine wire works. More rarely, lock-rings are made from face plates obtained from individual gold wires soldered together.

References

• Eogan, G. 1969. 'Lock-rings' of the Late Bronze Age. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 67C, 93-148

3.12g,27.07mm long

Report to H. M. Coroner on find of potential Treasure from east of Colchester, Essex.
2014 T193

Description
Crushed and distorted gold lock ring. Triangular in section, the ring has one plain sheet gold face and two faces comprising twisted gold wires probably joined by soldering (see scientific report). The sheet gold id folded at the terminals to form the side-plates. The ring is hollow.
Maximum surviving dimension as found 27mm. Weight 3.03 grams.
Composition

See appended report.
Identification

A well known Late Bronze Age ornament type dating to circa 1000-750BC.
Gillian Varndell
Curator, Dept. of Britain, Europe and Prehistory.
19.03.2015

References

19th July 2015 More exports and missed finds - great donation from Fl Rob

Medieval dagger qullion

18thC solid silver clog fastener - London mark

I have just been beavering away still preparing more export licenses applications for the 2nd half of the season and posted more full find lists and pictures to the members forum. I have posted more missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page 2015 March finds 2 including a really nice medieval dagger quillion and one of the nicest decorated silver clog fasteners I have ever seen dug. I have added the missed hammered silver coins like the ones below to this years free competition total to win a free weeks detecting trip. Alberta Dori is currently winning the comp with a guess of 417. Forum Competition page.

Circa 17thC decorated silver thimble - Inscription
+ FARE GOD -(FEAR GOD)
5.33G, 26mm H


PAS reference: ESS-723482 17th Century Silver Thimble Treasure

Florida Rob and the landowner have very generously agreed to donate their stonking silver thimble find above to Colchester museum who showed interest in squiring the item. Superb example and it will look great on display at the Castle museum.

Italian States-Venice, Michele Steno as Doge (1400-1413), Soldino, Venice Mint + MICHELE-STEN . DVX Doge standing left, holding banner, * / m in right field + . S . MARCVS  . VENETI . Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws all in inner circle Plain Edge	1377-1399 Richard II hammered silver half penny  Obv + RICARD REX ANGLI Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON- London mint
18thC toy cannon	1690 Irish James II emergency gunmetal coinage - shilling (12 pence)

1st July 2015 More hoards returned and exports - Treasure update

1300 BC Ancient gold ingot 11.7g, 34.99mm L - currently with British museum and has now been disclaimed so returning to finder

Just been banging away preparing more export licenses for finds from the 2nd half of the season. I have posted full finds lists and photos to the members forum and added missed finds to the bottom of the last hunt page including a 17thC silver stud with crown and hearts design that I reported as treasure to museum 2015 March finds 2

Check out this years free competition to win another free weeks detecting trip and I have updated the current competition total with missed medieval silver coins from the export pouches I have processed.

Forum Competition page.

I have also had some large batches of approved exports back and posted name list on the members forum.

MA Henry
NY Peter
Ill John - Normal pouch
Ill John - disclaimed Celtic gold hoard coin only
MA Robert
Boston Beau
Miss Sandie
Miss Jeff
OK Steve
Cal George
Miss Mike - disclaimed Celtic gold hoard coin only
GA Buddy

I had a meeting with the museum to pick up the first 10 disclaimed Celtic gold hoard coins. They ranged from Morini, Gallo Belgic to Clacton type. I have now got to prepare individual export license applications for each coin to allow the guys to take them home after paying the landowner his half.

Bav Terry - 2 gold qtr staters
Malta Joe - gold qtr stater
Miss Mike - gold qtr stater
Cal Geo - 1 full gold stater and one qtr
Ill John - gold qtr stater
Lou Sal - gold qtr stater
Cal Gary - 2 gold qtr staters

I have also been doing more site updates with finds from the 2nd half of the season. I updated the Early history page and it is too large so I have now split it into two separate pages, one for Stone Age finds and one for Bronze Age Implements that includes axe heads and chisels etc.

I have still left Mass Bruce's Axe hoard report on it's separate page.

Stone Age finds

Bronze Age finds

16th June 2015 More updates and exports

Loads more updates to individual pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

I have also been busy processing more export finds pouches and posted full finds lists and pictures to the members forum. I have posted missed finds out of the export pouches to the bottom of the last hunt page 2015 March finds 2

	Queen Anne milled silver coins		Jettons
	William III gold and silver		Foreign hammered silver coins
	George III milled gold and silver		James 1st hammered gold and silver coins
	Charles 1st hammered silver coins

7th June 2015 More returned treasures and exports

I had a meeting during the week to drop off the last reported gold Celtic hoard coins and picked up a bunch of disclaimed treasures below from the British Museum. Some interesting curators reports on the objects indicate the gold sheet is Bronze Age circa 1000 BC and the gold mount is Saxon like the Saxon gold button with red stones Cal Gary found in March. Both have similar roped edges.

Malta Joe - Medieval gold ring
Cal George - Medieval gilded silver ring
Miss Brandon - 17thC silver cord end
Danny - Bronze Age gold rolled sheet
Sal - 16thC silver ring top with bust
Sal - Saxon gold circular mount
Ch Ron - Tudor gilded silver button head

Check out this years free competition to win another free weeks detecting trip. Forum Competition page. This list list up to date as of 7th June

I have been busy processing more export finds pouches and posted full finds lists and pictures to the members forum. I have also updated a load more of the individual Elizabeth 1st find pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

	Elizabeth 1st hammered silver sixpence only by mint mark		Elizabeth 1st hammered gold and silver shillings only by mint mark
	Elizabeth 1st hammered silver small discriminations 1/2 to 2 pence's		Elizabeth 1st hammered silver groats only by mint mark

30th May 2015 More site updates - Can Ryan wins find of the year with Viking gold ring

REPORT ON POTENTIAL TREASURE FOR HM CORONER
Viking-period gold finger-ring from Tendring District area, Essex

Ref.: 2014 T939
PAS ref.:  ESS-9CB5B8
(Rec. no.  9028)

The ring consists of a gold sheet bezel of elongated lozenge-shape, which has been drawn into wires at each end. The ends of the wires are hooked, showing that they would originally have been twisted together, but the ring has been slightly flattened and the ends have sprung apart. The bezel has an internally toothed bordering groove, within which it is punch decorated above and below a short median ridge with two rows of single-pelleted, apex-to-apex triangles becoming two single triangles at the ends of the ridge, while groups of two or three triangles are squeezed into the narrow triangular shoulders beyond them. Length, 23.7mm; width, 10.4mm (max); weight, 2.0g.

A gold ring of similar, though more ovoid, form from Beachamwell, Norfolk, was reported as Treasure in 2004 (Treasure Annual Report 2004, no. 86, where further parallels are noted). A narrower version from Whorlton, North Yorkshire, and a fragment of another, both also in gold, were reported in 2012 (2012/T497 – PAS SWYOR-56EA98; and 2012/T62 – PAS NMS-D7AC68) and a silver ring of the form from Wood Enderby, Lincolnshire, in 2011 (2011/T76; PAS NCL-90DD85). A  number of related rings in non-precious metal are recorded on the database of the Portable Antiquities Scheme and for the type, see  J. Graham-Campbell, 2011 (The Cuerdale Hoard and related Viking-Age silver and gold from Britain and Ireland in the British Museum, London, British Museum Press, 104-106). They date from the late 9th – 10th century.

The ring from Tendring district would therefore qualify as Treasure under two of the stipulated criteria of the Treasure Act: it is more than 300 years old and the precious metal content exceeds 10%.

B.M. Ager, Curator
Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory, The British Museum
27 January 2015

There is no point waiting to announce this win tomorrow as with 94% of the members votes have been cast and it cannot be beat. Can Ryan's mega rare Viking gold ring makes a landslide victory this season and wins 'find of the year'. He had almost twice as many votes as the next popular find . 2nd was Alberta Rory's Saxon 7thC Dutch gold medallion and 3rd was Geo Buddies beauty Papal badge.


Ryan's find is currently going through the treasure process and will probably end up on display in Colchester museum as Viking gold is the rarest stuff you can find
Ryan wins the free weeks trip next season and the engraved silver Urn trophy and his name on the club shield of honour.

I have been busy processing more export finds pouches and posted full finds lists and pictures to the members forum. I have also updated a load more of the individual find pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

Check out this years free competition to win another free weeks detecting trip. Forum Competition page.

	Victorian gold and large milled silver		Roman BC silver coin only
	Roman 1st to 4thC silver coins		Roman gold coin only

21st May 2015 More updates and exports - Jean finally picks up her stunning ring

18thC 1.5 carat mine cut diamond ring

Texas Jean wearing her disclaimed diamond gold ring find

I met up with Texas Rob's widow Jean on Saturday to return her husbands disclaimed gold ring he found in 2013. The ring was disclaimed by the British museum as post 1715 so Jean was reunited with her husbands last treasure find here before he passed away unexpectedly. It was great to see Jean finally reunited with the find she shared with the landowner and it fitted her small ring perfectly. I have been busy processing more export finds pouches and posted full finds lists and pictures to the members forum. I have also updated a load more of the individual find pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

	Richard II to Henry V hammered silver coins		Coin and apothecary weights
	Edward III gold and large denomination silver coins		Trade weights
	Edward III small hammered silver coins non London mint only		Henry III short and long cross hammered silver coins
	Edward III small hammered silver coins London mint only		Saxon harness fittings
	Edward 1st and II hammered silver coins - all mints

14th May 2015 More disclaimed hoards and treasures - More exports processed

Ancient gold ingot 11.7g, 34.99mm L - reported as treasure to museum

Perfect weight to make 2 full Celtic gold staters

Report on the possible Treasure for H. M. Coroner for Essex
2013 T873: A possible Bronze Age gold ingot or gold-working fragment from the Tendring Area, Essex

Circumstances of discovery: A possible Bronze Age gold ingot or gold-working fragment 4th December 2013.
Description: A fragment of an ingot or, perhaps more likely, an incomplete piece of goldwork from the production process. Half of the fragment has been hammered into a bar with a relatively regular square cross-section. The end appears to have been cut. The remainder of the fragment has not been as highly worked and is a relatively irregular sub-rectangular shape that tapers away to a thinner cross-section. It is not clear whether this end has been cut or whether it has broken.
Dimensions: Length: 10.5mm; Sub-rectangular cross-section of 9mm by 5mm; Weight: 11.64g  
Metal composition (see appended report)
Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis undertaken on the surface of the gold by the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research at the British Museum indicated a surface composition of approximately 91-92% gold, 6-7 % silver and approximately 2% copper. This is consistent with a Bronze Age date.
Identification: The more highly worked end of the fragment can be compared with a fragment with rectangular profile from Chalvington with Ripe in East Sussex (Treasure case: 2008 T425). The less highly worked end of the fragment can be compared with a number of probable prehistoric (probably Bronze Age) ingot fragments, including examples from Brabourne in Kent (Treasure case: 2005 T259), Trowse with Newton, Norfolk (Treasure case: 2002 T99), and the more substantial finger-shaped ingot from East Claydon, Buckinghamshire (2013 T850) and West Knoyle in Wiltshire (Treasure case: 2014 T686). It can, therefore, on the balance of probabilities, be considered to be of prehistoric (probably Bronze Age) date.
Conclusion : As an object of precious metal of prehistoric date, the fragment of a probable partially worked ingot from the ‘Tendring area’ qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act (1996).
Author: Neil Wilkin, The British Museum, 14th March 2015, updated: 24th April 2015

I have had notification from the British Museum curator that Ch Ron's gold ingot find above has been dated very early to the Bronze Age and is 91% solid gold. Interestingly it was found near a 1300 BC gold ring find that was donated to the Colchester museum by the Org Ed the finder and landowner, could be a serious Bronze Age metal working going on in this area.

The 'Find of the year' voting is going well and the list of voters is posted on the members forum. 3/4's of the votes are in and it is a one horse race at the moment. Check out this years free competition to win a free week detecting trip. Forum Competition page.

I am still busy banging out more export license applications and posted more find full photo's and finds lists to the members forum. I had a meeting last Friday with the musuem and picked another load more disclaimed treasure items. I also picked up 7 Celtic gold Addedomarus 45BC staters that are being returned to the guys after the hoard was disclaimed. There are still 5 more full stater that have yet to have their Treasure inquest at Chelmsford's magistrates court.

I have another meeting with the museum this week to drop off the last of the reported treasures below. Check out the hoard and treasure page to see details

7 Disclaimed Adde gold full stater - 5 more currently going through the treasure process

Geo Doug - Adde full stater
Louisiana - Sal- Adde full stater
Tenn Brad- Adde full stater
Ill Tim - 2 Adde full staters
Ill John - Adde full stater
Ill Casey -Adde full stater
At Mike - Adde full stater


Treasures
Can Ron - 17thC silver button
Bav Terry - Tudor gilded silver fastener
Can Ed - Tudor gilded silver fastener
Can Victor - 17thC silver button
Can Ron - Post 1715 blue enameled pin head

I also had notification that the mixed Roman silver and bronze age hoard the guys found South of Colchester in 2014 has been disclaimed due to the date spread of the coins stretching from 1stC AD to 5thC. Generally for a hoard to apply there must be at least 10 or more bronze coins of the same type in the same area of land.

Potential Treasure of 1 Roman silver and 14 Roman bronze coins from
ESSEX

Report to H M Coroner

2014T721 (PAS ID: ESS-02CCE7 etc)

This report will consider these coins with respect to the criteria laid down in the Treasure Act (1996):  namely, their age, precious metal content and whether the coins can be said to come from the same find.

Circumstances of Discovery:
Found with the aid of metal detectors by Casey Bishop, Wendell Cox, Alan Culver, Nick Curcuru, Ron Guinazzo, George Miskovsky, Rich Porter, and Tim Rushing.

Description:
The coins appear to be a mixture of Roman coin denominations dating from the first to the fourth centuries AD:

Summary:
Denarius
Vespasian (AD 69-79)                                      1
Sest. / fractions
Trajan (AD 98-117)                                          1 dup
?Hadrian (AD 117-38)                                     1
Uncert. Antonine (AD 138-92)                         1
Maximinus I (AD 235-8)                                   1 as
Uncertain emperor                                           2 sest or dp / as
Pierced coin
Uncertain emperor                                           1 dp/as

Nummi
Tetrarchic (AD 294-312)                                    3
GE2 (AD 330-5)                                                 2
GE1 (AD 335-40)                                               1

Uncertain frags 1-4thC                                       1

Age
All are of Roman date and therefore over 300 years old.

Metal content
The denarius is a silver denomination (it is in a much corroded state) while the rest are all essentially base metal (copper alloy).

From the same find?
This group of coins has the appearance of an accumulation of losses from different periods over the course of the first – fourth centuries AD. It spans a wider period than is likely for a hoard deposited in the fourth century and contains a mixture of denominations. The coins were therefore probably not deposited together as a hoard but instead form a series of technically separate finds as a result of random deposition accumulating over a period of time. As such, these coins do not appear to constitute Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996 which require that coins must be from the same find.

Richard Abdy
Department of Coins and Medals
The British Museum
23.5.15

6th May 2015 - Site updates, exports and Celtic gold PAS numbers issued

I have just applied for another load of export licenses from the 2nd half of the season and posted full find lists and pictures of the export pouches onto the members forum. I have now received the detailed list back from the British Museum with all the PAS numbers issued for the Celtic gold coins found in the 2nd half of the season and those that are going forward as hoard addendum's. I can now prepare the export licenses for the single coins not going through the treasure process.

I gave also been updating the individual find pages below with finds from the 2nd half of the season.

Check out the Celtic gold coin page for pictures of all the PAS numbers below

	Clog fasteners		Watch winders
	Post medieval seal matrix		George 1st & 2nd milled gold and silver coin
	Medieval seal matrix		Charles 1st and James 2nd milled silver coins

26th April 2015 - Site updates and exports

I have started the export process and posted full find lists and photo's to the members forum. I have also stated to update the individual find pages with finds from the 2nd half of the season below.

Remember you can view any grouping of finds by type using the finds index page.

Finds Index page

			Celtic gold coins - all tribes
	Harness mounts and pendants		Gold jewellry - all periods
	George IV gold and milled silver coins		Saxon gold and silver coins
	Commonwealth hammered silver coins		Henry 1st to King John hammered silver coins
	Scottish and Irish hammered silver coins		Toy cannons

24th April 2015 - Find of the year voting - new holiday page

Last of the season finds uploaded to latest hunt page

2015 March finds 2

New Barn V

The 'Find of the year' voting is going well and the list of voters is posted on the members forum. 2/3rd of the votes are in and it is a two horse race so far. Check out this years free competition to win a free week detecting trip. Forum Competition page.

I have updated the guesses so far in the new 2015/16 comp and also updated the latest hammered silver count.

I have been busy doing updates to the web site and have revamped the holiday pages to make choice and pick a free hunt date easier. I have added pictures and details of a new Barn V self catering accommodation we have trialed this year and the guys loved it. Barn V is located just 5 minutes from our nearest land. We now have one single page featuring every accommodation option, what space is free and which Barn leader is running the show.

New hunt availability page

Barn leaders are always very experienced North American senior members with at least 8 years knowledge of hunting here. Some of the leaders have been coming here 12 years + and found some serious relics over the years. On these tours there is no restriction on land choice or hours you want to hunt. A Barn leader has a team of 6 max and their own mini bus so you can run round around all of the 500 + fields ready in a week or stay on just one. My job as club leader is to ensure we secure new sites and every find made is photographed, ID'd and published on the find pages. I ensure all the detecting is all done by the book and reported correctly to museums and landowners. I ensure every find over 50 years old has a detailed export licence applied for and approved.

Tim and Ron's visit to the Colchester museum - some of our finds on display

Between now and Sept my main task is to prepare the export applications and ensure the flow of treasures and hoards between myself the local and British museum. I have two large disclaimed celtic gold hoards to pick up from the local museum and apply for individual export licenses.

Louisiana Sal has drawn the latest Barn hunt raffle 5 and TN Mark won the top tow prizes. Sal has upped the prizes for Barn hunt raffle 6 and the 2nd prize is a brand new

Third Place - 3 Day Virginia History Hunt - Mis Sandy

Second Place - New Whites MXT All Pro - TN Mark

First Place - Colchester Treasure Hunting History Hunt Week - TN Mark

Sal's 'Barn hunt raffle 6' prizes below - check the forum out to get your tickets and more details of how to enter.

Grand Prize: 1 Week England History Hunt

Second Prize: New in Box XP Deus WS04 with either 9 or 11 inch coil

Third Prize: New in Box Garrett AT Waterproof Propointer

9th April 2015 - Sarah finishes season with another Celtic gold - PC problems persist - Treasure updates

70 BC Morini Celtic qtr stater - reported to PAS for recording

1.41g, 9.9mm

13thC seal matrix - clasped hands impression

S'BES VSV - Seal of BES VSV

The guys left on Saturday ending this season with a final gold making another club record with 79 pieces. Cal Sarah popped a neat 70BC Morini qtr stater off new land and the first from that area. It will be a good place to start searching when the new season opens on the 1st Sept. My new PC problems continue so I have not yet posted the last few days worth of finds to the latest finds page yet. Wasting so much time getting it to run properly. I have managed to upload three medieval seal matrix to the 2015 March finds 2,

Meanwhile I have launched the new Forum Competition page to win a free trip next season. Check the link to make sure your entry is there and details of this years comp.

The current competition total has been updated with 396 medieval hammered silver coins found so far, I still have the export pouches to process and finds from last week to add yet. You can also check on that page how your last seasons entry is doing.

With the end of the season comes the 'Find of the year' voting by all the members. Currently 53 votes have been cast and it is a very close two horse race. Keep sending me your votes please. Closing date for entry is 31st May 2015. You can vote for any find made between Sept to March on the find pages below.

2015 March finds 2

2015 March finds

2015 Feb finds

2014 Oct finds 2

2014 Oct finds 1

2014 Sept finds 2

2014 Sept finds

I have been receiving updates on Treasures and hoards currently going through the process. The rolled up gold sheet found in Sept has been provisionally ID'd as c1000 BC Bronze Age. I have posted the British museums curators report for the coroners inquest below on Ill Tim's gold Bronze Age lock ring circa 1000-750BC. I received an e-mail in from the BM and their expert Dr Moorhouse has changed the ID of the 5thC Roman gold coin I recorded with the EMC database. It turns out to be our 1st ever Gold tremissis, attributed to the Visigoths in Gaul, copying a coin of the Roman emperor Julius Nepos (AD 474-5) struck at Rome, dating to c. AD 475-500.What a fantastic find.

I will try and get more finds uploaded to the latest finds page as soon as I have sorted out this PC which was loaded also with the nightmare of Windows 8.1 !!

Ancient gold sheet - reported as potential treasure to museum

ID'd as c1000 BC Bronze Age

5.23g, 14mm L

I have been receiving various e-mails from the British Museum with updates on outstanding treasure going through the system.

Saxon gold solidus ? sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID- Initially ID's as Roman gold and recent update from Dr Moorhead at the BM below is it is Gold tremissis, attributed to the Visigoths in Gaul,

1.32g,14.1mm

This is very interesting find, but unfortunately it is notAnglo-Saxon and neither is it a solidus. This is a semissis (half solidus) ofJulius Nepos (474-5), from the Rome mint (RIC X, 3207). The damage mayhave been caused by removal of a mount.

I have recorded this as EMC 2015.0080 from 'near Colchester'.

Best wishes,

Martin>

Martin Allen forwarded details of this coin on to me which I have entered on our database:

Unique ID: FASAM-310211

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/710744

You will see I have re-identified the coin.

I was wondering if you could provide me with a find-spot and finders name.

With best wishes,

Sam

Dr Sam Moorhead
National Finds Adviser for Iron Age and Roman coins

Bronze Age Tress Ring C1000BC

Lock-Rings

Ornaments, whose function is unknown, made from gold plates in triangular cross-section and secured by a binding strip, resulting in a hollow ring. The face plates can be decorated with repoussé decoration or with fine concentric incised lines imitating fine wire works. More rarely, lock-rings are made from face plates obtained from individual gold wires soldered together.

References

• Eogan, G. 1969. 'Lock-rings' of the Late Bronze Age. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 67C, 93-148

3.12g,27.07mm long

Report to H. M. Coroner on find of potential Treasure from east of Colchester, Essex.
2014 T193

Description
Crushed and distorted gold lock ring. Triangular in section, the ring has one plain sheet gold face and two faces comprising twisted gold wires probably joined by soldering (see scientific report). The sheet gold id folded at the terminals to form the side-plates. The ring is hollow.
Maximum surviving dimension as found 27mm. Weight 3.03 grams.
Composition

See appended report.
Identification

A well known Late Bronze Age ornament type dating to circa 1000-750BC.
Gillian Varndell
Curator, Dept. of Britain, Europe and Prehistory.
19.03.2015

References

G. Eogan 1969: ‘Lock-Rings’ of the Late Bronze Age. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy

31st March 2015 - 78th gold find of the season - 8000 BC arrow head - Ron's gold bar is Bronze Age

Ancient gold ingot 11.7g, 34.99mm L - reported as treasure to museum

Perfect weight to make 2 full Celtic gold staters

Latest feedback from the British museum is the gold bar found by Ch Ron is Bronze Age c 1000 BC. They are waiting to hear if Colchester museum wish too acquire it . It is interesting that the bar was found in the same location as the 1300 BC gold ring donated to Colchester museum by Org Ed and the landowner.

1842 Victorian milled gold full sovereign

22mm,8.03g

My old PC is still hanging in there and I have been posting loads more great silver and relics to the latest finds page until it dies. 2015 March finds 2.

Stunning little 20thC gold, shell and possibly diamond ear stud

1954 - 9 carat gold signet ring - Birmingham

W.H.J maker

1.07g, 16.5mm

Senior member NH Frank popped our 78th gold find of the season with an early crisp Victorian full gold sovereign, his first ever gold coin. Org Laura also popped two neat gold finds, a nice signet ring and what she thought was a piece of junk jewelry but under my scope after cleaning it up it is an amazing little butterfly with inlaid wings and what looks like 3 diamonds. Amazing craftsmanship on such a tiny object. There has been so many really interesting finds, Iowa Dale's very last target before he finished his hunt looked a like a weird Saxon sceat but turns out to be an East India Company 2 Fanam 1764-1807. He also eyeballed a tiny 8000 BC flint arrow head, that is good eyesight. Both are posted below, Big kudos to Can Marty who has been sick as a dog during his trip but still out there hunting and he was rewarded with a mint full Henry VI groat, that is one hard core senior member dedication as it's best.

The guys have totally thrashed last years gold record of 71 pieces with 78 so far this season. They have just 4 more days to make it an even 80 before we close for the summer months. This years gold page.

1422- 27 Henry VI hammered silver groat - Annulet issue - Annulets by neck and tow sets of opposing pellets on reverse -Inital mark incurved pierced cross

Obv hENRIC DI GRA REX ANGLIE Z FRANC

Rev VILLA CALISIE - Calais mint

Fantastic little silver treasure - Similar size to a Saxon sceat - sent to museums for their views

1.76g, 9.2mm

East India Company
2 Fanam 1764-1807
Obverse shows Vishnu standing, holding chakra in each upper hand

Impressive eye ball find 8000 BC flint arrow head

1625 Charles 1st hammered silver half groat - unknown mint mark ?? Not like a badly struck crown - needs more research

Bust is very unusual also

14thC French Stock jeton struck for the Queen and her almonry

First used by Queen Marguerite de Provence, wife of Louis IX

Moor's head right with hair bound

Obv +AVE MARIA GRACIA PLENA

Rev Lis at centre of reverse cross type

27th March 2015 My PC is about to die - might go offline - more finds uploaded.

I have been having overheating problems with my PC last week and a new replacement PC arrived yesterday. The one I am using is about to die as it is making weird noises so I might go offline for a couple of days while I load all the software needed on to the new PC.

Meanwhile as it keeps working I have uploaded more relics and silver to the 2015 March finds 2. I will try and get the last couple of gold finds uploaded this morning while the PC holds out.

25th March 2015 Club's gold record smashed and more new land

I am seeing another landowner interested in our searching his land tomorrow and it sounds like he has a large plot. Is is close to the Barn accommodation so a quick 5 minutes to be on the land. Full details will be posted on the members forum.

The guys just popped their 76th gold find today of the season smashing last years record of 71 pieces easily. The guys have been hunting later as the light is now failing at 7pm. Only the real hard core guys like Louisiana Sal do the 10 PM night light hunts LOL. Just one more week to the end of the season so the pressure is off now and they can take it easy !! . I have not had chance to photo the last two gold finds which include a gold signet ring. This years gold page. I am still working my way through last weeks finds and posted a load more stunning hammered and milled silver and relics to the new finds page 2015 March finds 2.

Every single decent find made by our club is posted to the latest finds page so I have lots of catching up to do yet.

Ind Wendell just left to go back to sunny USA and I was going through his pouch and found what looked like a modern gold ring below but under the scope it is thick gold sheet laid over an inner core which suggests early construction. The punch work and lettering is of Lombardic Edward 1st style so it has been reported as treasure to the museum. Can Marty also found again what looked like a modern gold ring but it has a really good full set of hall marks including a duty paid bust and is 1815 George III of 22 carat. I also posted a 22 carat gold collar stud he also found and a rose gold can band to this years gold page.

I just received another large batch of approved approved export licenses including all the Celtic gold full staters that have recently been disclaimed by the museum. I have posted a full list on the members forum.

What looked like a modern gold plated ring is actually a lot earlier and gold sheet on an inner core The punched decoration on the outside is actually writing in Lombardic type script which suggest medieval. I can read the word 'Little' but it is very difficult to make out the rest. I am not sure what the inner core is so I have reported it as potential treasure to the museum in case it is 10% gold or silver by weight

Medieval rolled gold ring ?? - reported as potential treasure to museum

1.69g,19mm

Anglo Saxon zoomorphic strap end

22 carat 1815 George III Gold finger ring - date letter U

London mint , duty paid mark- bust of George III

1.10g,20mm

Stunning Roman bronze animal headed knife pommel

Huge multi layered rock with blue inlay , Is this Roman ?? sent to museum for their views

22nd March 2015 New March 2 finds page

Just uploaded a load more great hammered silver, gold and relics to a brand new 2015 March Finds page2 to help speed up load times.

2015 pages so far

2015 March finds 2

2015 March finds

2015 Feb finds

21st March 2015 3 more gold found equals our club record

More approved exports arrived in the post over the last couple of days including approval for the first group of disclaimed Celtic gold hoards. I have posted a list of names on the members forum.

Stunning strike of 45 BC to 25BC Addedomarus - Trinovantian tribe Celtic gold qtr stater - flower type - sent to PAS for recording

VA1608 Very rare

13mm,1.36g

Happy Can Ron - sent by cell phone from the field

1876 Victoria milled silver half sovereign

3.99g, 19.30mm

The guys are still making amazing finds and have now taken the gold total of the season to 71 which equals our best ever season. We still have two weeks of the season left so any crappy old modern gold ring will steal the record. Amazingly the bulk of this season's gold coin finds have all been ancient like Celtic, Roman and Saxon and very few 'modern' gold coins have been found. It was great when Can Ron popped a mint Victorian half sovereign with just a very small edge damage due to the plough. He also found a very rare find of a Henry 1st type 4 (Annulets and Piles) cut penny that has been recorded on the EMC and ID'd by Dr Martin. Ind Wendell also dug an amazing rare 45 BC to 25BC Addedomarus flower type Celtic gold quarter stater and boy is it a crisp example. The guys are certainly keeping the British museum busy this season. I still have another gold band to post that I have not taken pictures of yet. I have also uploaded more great hammered silver and relics to the latest find page. 2015March finds. Some of the hammered silver are beauty strike. I have at least 200 more great finds to photo and post so keep an eye on the March page as I upload even more during the day.

I have also added other gold finds to This years gold page. This years gold total is currently 71 that now equal the club's record.

1100-1135 Henry 1st hammered silver half penny

I have recorded this as EMC 2015.0089. It is a coin of Henry I type 4 (Annulets and Piles), uncertain mint and moneyer, reading [  ]O[  ]VPI[  ].

The weight would be appreciated when you have it.

Thanks,

Martin

13thC lead seal matrix - interesting symbols

+ S' MAI - Seal of MAIYO

19th March 2015 Quad gold finds - Our oldest ever Celtic gold coin beaten to 175 BC

175BC Celtic gold qtr stater

BC Celtic gold qtr stater - not a tribe I know so researching it. Thanks to John Sills at the CCI for the ID

12mm,1.96g

ABC 34 Defaced Die quarter with a left-facing obverse bust obscured by lines and a left-facing horse and rider on the reverse with triskeles below. This type was struck somewhere in the French/Belgian border region in the 2nd century BC by an unknown tribe and possibly dates to around 175 BC plus or minus a couple of decades either way. Used to be very rare, I listed 17 examples in my 2003 book but there are perhaps 30 or so known now


All the best

John>>

Amazing detecting by the guys see's Bav Jeff's mid 2nd BC coin posted on the 18th March beaten into 2nd place by NH Henry's 175BC Celtic gold qtr stater. I could not find it in my reference books and John Sills at the CCI ID'd it spot on. Henry then went on to pop a 2nd Celtic gold and this time a 70 BC Morini boat tree type. His buddy Vt Bob also found a rarer type 50BC Clacton type which I now have reported as potential hoard. Henry then went on to finds what initially looked modern gold hoop but on closer inspection it is solid gold over a copper core and not plated. I sent pictures off to the museum and initial ID is Iron Age from 1300 BC and it will go in for further inspection and recording.

I have also added other gold finds to This years gold page. This years gold total is currently 68 with just 3 pieces left to equal the club's record. I have also uploaded more great hammered silver and relics to the latest find page. 2015March finds

70BC Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.44g, 10.8mm

Trinovantes British G “Clacton” quarter, Hobbs 192 Celtic gold 1/4 stater 50BC - sent to PAS for recording

Chris Rudd 23.41 Clacton de Jersey - Classed as scarce

1.25g, 13.5mm

Interesting gold loop item - rolled gold over a copper inner - not plated

Possible from 1300 BC Iron Age

60mm Long

530 million year old sea urchin fossil

18th March 2015 Our oldest ever Celtic gold found by Bav Jeff who does the double

Mitch Chris ID'd our oldest ever Celtic gold coin - Mid 2nd C BC

Gallo- Belgic A type

Very interesting, very thin (1mm) like a medieval hammered gold- Celtic gold qtr gold stater - sent to PAS ID and recording

1.75g, 15mm

Iron Age, mid-2nd century BC
Probably made in northern France or Belgium another one found at Fenny Stratford near Milton Keynes, England

One of the earliest coins in Britain

This is a superb example of the Iron Age die-engraver's art. It also represents what is thought to be the first type of coin ever to circulate in Britain. They were probably made on the Continent in northern France or Belgium. Gold coins like this crossed over the English Channel, perhaps in trade or as gifts between high-ranking individuals. Some of them were eventually buried in coin hoards and not recovered by their owners. The owner may have died, or simply forgotten where they had put them. Alternatively, the coins may have been intended as permanent, sacred offerings to the gods. They are mostly found today by metal-detectorists, in locations throughout south-east England. Another one was found at Fenny Stratford near Milton Keynes.

The design of the coin is, at several stages removed, descended from the Greek gold staters of King Philip II of Macedon (reigned 359-336 BC). The hair on the left-facing head has grown considerably, while the original two-horsed chariot on the reverse of the coin has been transformed here into a lively, abstract depiction of a horse surrounded by a large array of symbols.

I.M. Stead and S. Youngs, Celts, British Museum Pocket Treasury (London, The British Museum Press, 1996)

D. Nash, Coinage in the Celtic world (London, Seaby, 1987)

Stunning strike with full Kings inscription showing

Eastern uninscribed Celtic gold full stater of Dubnovellaunus, c 20 BC- sent to PAS ID and recording

5.39g,19.1mm

Bav Jeff did the double Celtic gold coins in a morning and I must admit I did not know what he had found. The c20BC Dubnovellaunus full stater is a superb strike with the Kings full legend showing around the horse. Jeff's 2nd Celtic was thin like a hammered gold Saxon or medieval coin but it was clearly Celtic with an abstract horse facing left. I thought is was one of the Kentish types and sent both of them off to PAS for recording and further ID. Meanwhile I had posted them both on the members forum and Mitch Chris our senior researcher came back with a spot on ID. By sheer luck I had posted the obverse with a the right orientation and did not notice the woman's head facing left with a huge mad hair do. It turns out to be our oldest ever Celtic gold at mid 2ndC BC.

Chris posted the link to the page with a full write up on the coin at the British museum

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/g/gold_stater.aspx

Meanwhile I have posted more great milled and hammered silver and relics to the latest finds page including a superb crusty 13th seal matrix I have soaking to reveal the impression.

2015March finds

13thC seal matrix with cross impression - soaking to clean up inscription

17th March 2015 More gold, Saxon and great silver coins

10 - 40 AD Cunobelin gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.32g, 12mm

50 BC Celtic gold Gallic import qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording
Crossed lines with rider ABC 37, VA 37
Classed as scare
Caletes tribe, Normandy coast

I have posted tons of great hammered and milled silver coins to the latest finds page 2015March finds. including two really nice early James II and Charles II milled silver coins. Rory popped a 2nd Saxon silver sceat before he left and I have have posted it to the March finds page. It is well crusty and needs a good 'cooking' before I send it off for recording and ID. The guys are still finding some great gold coins including two mint Celtic gold qtrs on new fields. Buddy found a mint Cunobelin qtr stater and then a huge Victorian name brooch below. Oki Jim found his first ever Celtic gold with a rarer crisp Gallic type above.

I have posted two more treasures to the latest hoard and treasure page including the thickest medieval gilded silver ring I have ever seen.

I have updated the hoard and treasure page and this years gold page and I still have 4 more gold finds I have not taken pictures of to add to this page. Check out This years gold page

Huge Victorian gold name badge - possibly French name - fretwork sides and blue stone in mount

Continental - no hall marks

[French, from Old French, to recall, memory, from Latin subvenīre, to come to mind

42mm L , 3.51g

Great relic - 1794 George III milled gold half guinea forgery

Thickest Medieval gilded silver ring I have ever seen - reported as treasure to museum

13thC Lombaric script

*Ihn + LLM

2.3mm thick x 7.2mm W

1689 James II milled silver three pence	1679 Charles II milled silver penny
1544 - 7 Henry VIII hammered silver groat - Lis mint mark	1247 Henry III hammered silver voided long cross penny -Class 3c Obv hENRICVS REX III Rev NIC/OLE/ONL/VND/- Moneyer Nicole of London mint
1351-3 Edward III hammered silver half goat - Pre treaty Series C - no trefoils over crown, wedge tailed R, closed C & E Obv EDWARDVS REX.ANGLI.Z. FRANC Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint	1422-27 Henry VI First reign hammered silver penny Annulets by neck, annulets in centre of pellets in 2 qtrs Rev VILLA/CAL/ISIE - Calais mint

13th March 2015 Lots more gold and Saxon silver

Stunning heavily cast Saxon stirrup mount - Type 4 East Anglian Face type mount

A hollow cast head with trilobate apex. 2 Fe rivets survive

10-40 AD Cunobelin Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

1.34g, 10.1mm

More great hunting by the guys with two real nice rare George II gold coins and more Celtic gold. Ill Tim's full Guinea looks totally mint and Buddy's half guinea had a slight wrestle with the plough. Wis Steve popped his first ever Celtic gold Cunobelin from an area where none had ever been found and Ch Ron found part of a Dubnovellaunos gold stater taking his coin coin count to 16 keeping top gold coin finder in the club. There have been some superb relics like a stunning face type Saxon East Anglia type stirrup mount. I have uploaded some more great silver relics to the latest finds page 2015March finds with tons more to try and upload today.

I have added the medieval hammered silver coins on Feb 2015 page to the forum competition page to win a free trip. Check out your guess.

Dr Martin Allen has confirmed the ID ID'd the Saxon gold medallion posted on the 11th and it is a Dutch 600AD gold coin made into a Saxon pendant.

The coin is not Saxon but the rest of the pendant might be. This is the Madelinus type from Dorestad in the Netherlands, which has been found in England in relatively large numbers. I shall record it as EMC 2015.0083.

Best wishes,

Martin

1759 George II milled gold guinea

25mm dia, 8.44g

25BC Eastern uninscribed Celtic gold qtr stater of Dubnovellaunos

11mm,0.67g

c700 AD Saxon silver primary sceat sent to Fitzwilliam museum for ID and recording

11.1mm,1.22g

1750 George II milled gold half guinea

22mm, 4.08g

11th March 2015 Stunning Celtic, Roman and Saxon gold finds

Stunning Saxon gold coin pendant - reported to museum as treasure

1.35g, 15mm dia

Saxon gold solidus ? sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID

Semissis (half solidus) of Julius Nepos (474-5)

1.32g,14.1mm

This is very interesting find, but unfortunately it is not Anglo-Saxon and neither is it a solidus. This is a semissis (half solidus) of Julius Nepos (474-5), from the Rome mint (RIC X, 3207). The damage may have been caused by removal of a mount.

I have recorded this as EMC 2015.0080 from 'near Colchester'.

Best wishes,

Martin>

45 BC Addedomarus Celtic gold stater - reported to PAS for recording

16.5mm, 5.48g

50BC Clacton type Celtic gold qtr stater - sent to PAS for recording

13.1mm, 1.43g

The guys have gone crazy on the land and found another 7 gold coins including a mint George II gold guinea and a half guinea I have not taken pictures of. Cal George started with a Celtic hoard addendum coin, 45 BC full Adde Celtic stater above then Alb Rory popped a really detailed Clacton type 1/4 stater. Not to be outdone Cal Gary popped what I thought initially was a Saxon gold soildus but Dr martin Allen ID'd it as a 475 AD Roman gold half solidus. Not to be outdone again Alberta Rory found a magnificent Saxon gold coin pendant that could be our first gold sceat. I have sent it off to the Fitzwilliam museum for their views and reported it as treasure to the museum.

I have also had to report two Saxon silver Æthelred II's Long Cross type pennies below as a hoard as they are of the same type in the same area of a field.

I have posted all the usual hammered silver coins and relic finds to the new hunt page including a mint medieval groat and a beauty gilded silver medieval heart pendant treasure. 2015March finds.

I have updated the hoard and treasure page and this years gold page. This years gold page

Hoard and treasure page

2 - Saxon hammered silver pennies - too fragile to clean - reported as potential hoard

Sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID

978 - 1016 AD Æthelred II's Long Cross type

1413 - 22 Henry V hammered silver groat - Class C - Mullet on right shoulder - satire stops

Obv + hENRIC x DIx GRAx REXxANGLxZxFRANC

Rev CIVI/TAS/LON/DON - London mint

9th March 2015 Seven more gold finds including Saxon and Celtic

Staffordshire hoard example of complete button

Anglo Saxon gold button with tiny stone inlays - reported to museum as treasure

2.31g, 18.5mm dia

Merovingian Saxon gold tremissis of the 7th century - reported to museum as hoard

1.19g, 13.5mm

45 BC Addedomarus Celtic gold qtr stater - reported to PAS for recording

13.1mm, 1.33g

The guys are on fire out there and Ill John has doubled his Saxon gold coin total to 2 now and he also popped a mint 40BC Adde Celtic gold qtr stater. John's previous Saxon gold hoard coin was acquired by Colchester museum and is currently on display there.

The find of the hunt so far however has to be Cal Gary's Saxon gold button above and the glass stones were still lodged in the mud when he dug it. I am keeping the museum busy and have just reported another 7 pieces of gold including an ancient gold sheet and a nugget. Miss Brandon found a really neat 17th/18thC gold posy ring with a really sweet inscription below. I have posted them all to the new finds page 2015March finds.

I have updated this years gold page which now stands at 46.

I have so many more great finds to post including two Saxon silver pennies I have not played with yet.

Dr Martin has ID'd the cut half penny Saxon posted on the 7th March as a Cnut

This is a coin of Cnut's Short Cross type, probably from York, with a mint signature that might be read as [  ]RPI. I have recorded it as EMC 2015.0078.

Cut fractions are rare before the reform of the coinage by Edgar in the 970s, but increasingly common thereafter.

Best wishes,

Martin

17th/18thC gold posy ring - reported to museum as potential treasure

'GOD FOR EVER BLESS US FOREVER

26mm, 3.16g

1869 Maximiliano Mexican gold coin in ring

2.57g, 17mm

7th March 2015 2 more Saxon silver's and great relics

Stunning medieval harness pendant - blue and red enamel with gold

c700 AD Saxon silver primary sceat sent to Fitzwilliam museum for ID and recording

1.09g, 11.2mm

This is indeed a fine example of Series C2, which I have recorded as EMC 2015.0077.

Best wishes,

Martin

Saxon hammered silver cut half penny fragment - sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and ID

Can Drew added 2 more Saxon silver coins to his count this week with another mint Saxon sceat and a rarer Saxon silver hammered penny fragment. I have sent both to the Fitzwilliam museum for recording and Dr Martin has only recorded one so far. He has also recorded It John's rare Henry II Teably coin below on the EMC database. There have been some cracking relics found including a mint medieval enamelled harness mount above from Virginia Marg. I have posted loads more silver and relics to the latest finds page 2015 Feb finds. I have just created a new March 2015 finds page to speed up load times but not uploaded any finds to that page yet.

I have also due to the numbers we have found created a new page just dedicated to just our Venetian silver soldino coins. The guys found another two this week making a total of four examples over the last two weeks. I have also added the history of the coin and types you can find. Interestingly we have only found one example of a type 2 so far.

1792 George III milled silver penny

1158 -1189 AD Henry II hammered silver penny ' Tealby' cross and crosslet type

1.14g, 19mm x 20mm

In 1158 a monetary reform was introduced in England which was of sufficient importance for the contemporary chroniclers to record that 'a new money was made, which was the sole currency of the kingdom.' This coinage is notorious for its ugly appearance, bad craftsmanship and careless execution. It continued till 1180, and is named after a large hoard which was found at Tealby, Lincolnshire, in 1807

Many thanks for this very helpful information about the find, which I have recorded as EMC 2015.0073.

This is a coin of class F, and the mint might be Ipswich, as the last letter ofthe reverse inscription may be P in the Ipswich mint signature GIP.

Best wishes,

Martin

13thC seal matrix

Georgian fob seal - Dove of peace flying right

3rd March 2015 2 More gold, Saxon silver and potential Roman hoard

c700 AD Saxon silver primary sceat sent to Fitzwilliam museum for ID and recording

1.16g, 12mm

Many thanks for letting me know about this Series C2 sceat, which is EMC 2015.0066.

Best wishes,

Martin

1828 George IV milled gold half sovereign

19.1mm,3.98g

Can Drew popped a mint Saxon silver sceat and Dr Martin has recorded it on the Early Medieval Corpus database as EMC 2015.0066. Org Rick then found his first ever gold coin with a very crisp George IV half sovereign. Meanwhile Seattle Brian found a remarkable condition Roman bronze on new land. Mark Lehman the Roman expert suggest that it's condition could have come from a disturbed pot so the guys are looking closely for more and any deep target. Mark's fascinating write up is below.

Mint condition 4thC Roman bronze sent for ID

Given the usual corrosion and edge-chipping we tend to see on almost all the Roman Æ you find, we have to assume both a long time in the plow-soil and/or harsh fertilizers and pesticides are to blame for the typically poor state of preservation to which we have become accustomed. This piece however, given its generally high state of preservation, patina and near total lack of edge-chipping makes me think this has only very recently been disturbed from a long-term site of deposition and may even be a piece from the top of a larger, so-far undiscovered group - or it might have been found elsewhere from the average, active farm fields you work - or both.

Of course just about anyone can clearly read the CONSTANTINVS AVG obverse legend and tell it's Constantine I, "The Great", 307-337 AD. On the reverse, the PROVIDENTIAE AVGG legend framing the typical campgate of 6 layers with no door, two turrets, and a star above, and even the PTRE mint mark from the mint of Trier, is all perfectly clear as well.

This places it in the final emission of centenionales with the PROVIDENTIAE campgate reverses, 327-8 AD. After this issue of campgates, the familiar two soldiers flanking one or two standards GLORIA EXERCITVS was introduced and became the most common and current reverse type for all issues of Centenionales for at least the next 15 years.

The reference is: RIC VII 504 and this specific type is rated "C3" (extremely common) for frequency of appearance in major collections, mid 20th century.

Mark

Large medieval decorated and gilded shield boss or mount - 4 rivet fixings

Obv - Cross with 4 Fleur de Lis in qtrs

I have posted a load more great finds to the latest finds page 2015 Feb finds including the beauty heavy shield boss above found by Wash Tom and another gold ring bezel. I have updated this year gold page that stands at 40 pieces.

I have been trying to get a English reference book on Venetian silver coins with no success. Two more found during the week so I did a lot of research on the net to get all the legends on the early hammered silver examples to help ID them. I came across lost of useful info and history while I was researching so I have posted below the coins for reference.

Italian States-Venice, Michele Steno as Doge (1400-1413), Soldino, Venice Mint + MICHELE-STEN . DVX Doge standing left, holding banner, * / m in right field + . S . MARCVS  . VENETI . Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws all in inner circle Plain Edge 15mm x 16mm, 0.41g, Silver		Italian States-Venice, Antonio Venier as Doge (1382-1400), Soldino, Venice Mint + . ANTO. VE_NERIO DVX . Doge standing left, holding banner, * | F across fields + . S . MARCVS . VENETI . Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws, all in inner circle Plain Edge

Venetian Soldino legends and history

During the early 15th and early 16th centuries the English economy experienced so serious a shortage of English-struck halfpennies that people began using foreign coinage to fill the gap. The coin they used was the Venetian soldino.

The Venetians were notorious traders in the late medieval period with trade networks covering the Mediterranean and Europe. The Venetian fleet of galleys set out for England during May and stayed there until late August or early September, During these summer months soldini entered the English economy through trade with Venetian merchants and quickly became widespread across England. The soldino, meaning ‘little shilling’ became nicknamed the ‘galyhalpens’, or Galley-halfpence, after the ‘Galley-men’ who imported them. While the general population was enjoying these new exotic coins, the government was grappling with two major problems. The first was that the soldino was an illegally imported coin, and the second was that it weighed slightly less than an English halfpenny but mimicked it nonetheless. Soldini therefore became a particular source of irritation for the English government. During the early 15th century port-officials were charged with confiscating any soldini they came across and were later given the powers to forcibly search the galleys. Contemporary documents show large quantities of soldini being seized at London, Dover and Southampton. By the 1420s the English government eventually persuaded the Venetian senate to forbid the export of soldini, which effectively stemmed the flow of the coins into England. This success was short lived however, as large quantities of coins were imported once more by Venetian merchants in the early 16th century.

Venetian soldini span the period c.1382-1526. The dates of these coins show that the majority entered England in two substantial incursions: the first 1400- c.1415 under Doge Michele Steno, and the second c.1501-21 under Doge Leonardo Loredan

Type 1
Obverse: [Doge’s Name] DVX; Doge standing left, holding banner; mint control marks in right field
Reverse: S MARCVS VENETI; Winged lion of St Mark, holding book of gospels

Type 2
Obverse: [Doge’s Name] DVX; Doge standing left, holding banner; mint control marks in right field
Reverse: No Legend; Winged lion of St Mark, holding book of gospels, all within a quatrefoil with four external annulets between the lobes

Type 3
Obverse: [Doge’s Name] DVX (in exergue), S M V; Doge holding banner and kneeling before St Mark
Reverse: LAVS TIBI SOLI (Praise To Thee Alone); Standing figure of Christ facing, haloed and holding cross; mint control marks in exergue

The Doges
The doges of Venice from the late 14th to mid 16th century are listed below with the types they are known to have struck. It should be noted that their names are spelt in various ways, depending on whether they are rendered in English, Italian or Latin, and they are often very abbreviated on the coins.

Andrea Contarini 1368-1382 (Type 1)

Italian States-Venice, Andrea Contarini as Doge (1368-1382), Soldino, 1369-1379, Second Type, First Issue, Venice Mint, Filippo Barbarigo (May 10, 1370-May 18, 1385) as Mintmaster for Silver
+ ANDR ' 9-TAR DVX
Doge standing left, holding banner
F in left field
+ . S . MARCVS . VENETI .
Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws all in inner circle
Plain Edge
14mm x 15mm, 0.49g, Silver
Paolucci 35.4

Michele Morosini 1382
Antonio Venier 1382-1400 (Type 1)

Italian States-Venice, Antonio Venier as Doge (1382-1400), Soldino, Venice Mint
+ ANTON VE_NERIO DVX
Doge standing left, holding banner, * / P in right field
+ . S . MARCVS . VENETI .
Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws all in inner circle
Plain Edge
15mm x 17mm, 0.40g, Silver

Italian States-Venice, Antonio Venier as Doge (1382-1400), Soldino, Venice Mint
+ . ANTO. VE_NERIO DVX .
Doge standing left, holding banner, * | F across fields
+ . S . MARCVS . VENETI .
Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws, all in inner circle
Plain Edge

Italian States-Venice, Antonio Venier as Doge (1382-1400), Soldino, Venice Mint
+ ANTON VE_NERIO DVX
Doge standing left, holding banner, * / P in right field
+ . S . MARCVS . VENETI .
Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws all in inner circle
Plain Edge
15mm x 17mm, 0.40g, Silver

Michele Steno 1400-1413 (Type 1)

Italian States-Venice, Michele Steno as Doge (1400-1413), Soldino, Venice Mint
+ MICHELE-STEN . DVX
Doge standing left, holding banner, * / m in right field
+ . S . MARCVS  . VENETI .
Winged lion of St. Mark facing left, holding book with both front paws all in inner circle
Plain Edge
15mm x 16mm, 0.41g, Silver

Tomaso Mocenigo 1414-1423 (Type 1)
Francesco Foscari 1423-1457 (Type 1)
Pasquale Malipiero 1457-1462
Cristoforo Moro 1462-1471
Nicolo Tron 1471-1473 (Type 2)
Nicolo Marcello 1473-1474
Pietro Mocenigo 1474-1476
Andrea Vendramin 1476-1478
Giovanni Mocenigo1478-1485
Marco Barbarigo 1485-1486
Agostino Barbarigo 1486-1501 (Type 3)
Leonardo Loredan 1501-1521 (Type 3)
Antonio Grimani 1521-1523
Andreas Gritti 1523-1538 (Type 3)
Pietro Lando 1539-1545

27th Feb 2015 Viking gold ring confirmed - Monster hammered silver - Disclaimed treasures

REPORT ON POTENTIAL TREASURE FOR HM CORONER
Viking-period gold finger-ring from Tendring District area, Essex

Ref.: 2014 T939
PAS ref.:  ESS-9CB5B8
(Rec. no.  9028)

The ring consists of a gold sheet bezel of elongated lozenge-shape, which has been drawn into wires at each end. The ends of the wires are hooked, showing that they would originally have been twisted together, but the ring has been slightly flattened and the ends have sprung apart. The bezel has an internally toothed bordering groove, within which it is punch decorated above and below a short median ridge with two rows of single-pelleted, apex-to-apex triangles becoming two single triangles at the ends of the ridge, while groups of two or three triangles are squeezed into the narrow triangular shoulders beyond them. Length, 23.7mm; width, 10.4mm (max); weight, 2.0g.

A gold ring of similar, though more ovoid, form from Beachamwell, Norfolk, was reported as Treasure in 2004 (Treasure Annual Report 2004, no. 86, where further parallels are noted). A narrower version from Whorlton, North Yorkshire, and a fragment of another, both also in gold, were reported in 2012 (2012/T497 – PAS SWYOR-56EA98; and 2012/T62 – PAS NMS-D7AC68) and a silver ring of the form from Wood Enderby, Lincolnshire, in 2011 (2011/T76; PAS NCL-90DD85). A  number of related rings in non-precious metal are recorded on the database of the Portable Antiquities Scheme and for the type, see  J. Graham-Campbell, 2011 (The Cuerdale Hoard and related Viking-Age silver and gold from Britain and Ireland in the British Museum, London, British Museum Press, 104-106). They date from the late 9th – 10th century.

The ring from Tendring district would therefore qualify as Treasure under two of the stipulated criteria of the Treasure Act: it is more than 300 years old and the precious metal content exceeds 10%.

B.M. Ager, Curator
Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory, The British Museum
27 January 2015

I went to the museum today to pick up the disclaimed Celtic hoard coins posted on the 12th Feb post and there were several other disclaimed treasures ready for pick up. List below.

Col Bruce - Ancient gold ingot
Ch Ron - 17thC Charles II silver button
Boston beau - Medieval silver decorated pin
Fl Chuck - Silver ;Castle' thimble fragment
GA Buddy - 16thC Tudor gilded silver clothing fastener
Min Mindy - 16thC silver dress fastener

I have also had a few more British Museum curators reports through by e-mail including confirmation of the Viking gold ring I had ID'd from Sept found by Can Ryan. Monster rare find and a good bet for 'Find of the year' this season.

I posted more great hammered silver and relics to the latest finds page 2015 Feb finds including a monster pair of rare Charles II silver coins. The half crown below found by NV Bill is the last of the hammered silver coins before the machine made coins came in. I have posted a shot of the size comparison and production types below.

Treasure Case: 2014 T940

Known as Essex: Post Medieval silver pin.

PAS reference: ESS-9CC3F6

Finder: Mr James J
Land owner: ****
Date of Discovery: 11.10.14
Circumstances of discovery: Whilst searching with a metal detector
Date: Post Medieval, c. 1500-1600 AD.

Description: A silver-gilt dress pin in two pieces. The pin has a hollow cast spherical head formed of two hemispheres. The lower hemisphere connects directly to the shank of the pin.  The pin is broken just below the head.   The remainder of the pin tapers to a point.  The upper hemisphere is decorated with filigree and granulated designs forming circles with a knop in the centre of each; four are located around the circumference and one at the top of the head.  The lower hemisphere is decorated with four filigree and granulated designs forming circles. There are also traces of gilding on the head, though not much of it survives. The shank is also bent in several places.

Dimensions:
Head: diameter: 7.72 mm; length: 13.42 mm; weight: 1.21g.
Shank: length: 40.74 mm; thickness: 1.98 mm; weight: 1.06g.
Total weight: 2.27g.

Discussion: Similar examples can be found on the PAS database: BERK-832BA6  (2014 T428), SUR-237365 (2013 T752) and NMS-BD3138  (2013 T634).

The object contains a minimum of 10% precious metal and is over 300 years old. Consequently it qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996 in terms of both age and precious metal content.

Report by: Ben Paites, Finds Liaison assistant, Essex            
20th January 2015

1660-2 Charles II hammered silver half crown - 30 pence Crown mint mark - 3rd issue

14.68g, 35.1mm dia x 2mm thick

1663 Charles II milled silver penny - 2nd issue- bust to edge of coin (machine made single arched crown)

Size comparison of two earliest Charles II silver coins, half crown and penny

1280 1286 Alexander III Scottish hammered silver penny - 2nd Coinage

Stars have 6 points Ref SA3HD-005

Obv ALEXANDER DEI GRA

Rev SCO/TOR/VM+/REX

15thC Spanish hammered silver coin 1474 -1504 Seville, Spain, 1/2 real, Ferdinand-Isabel,	1300-1310 Edward 1st hammered silver penny - Class 10ab Obv EDWARD R ANGL DNS HYB Rev VILL/NOVI/CAS/TRI - Newcastle mint

19th Feb 2015 Disclaimed gold hoards - more finds posted and approved exports - potential new 'Barn' house

1679 Charles II milled silver four pence

Some of the disclaimed 45 BC Celtic stater of Addedomaros

Another wad of approved export licenses arrived this morning, names posted on members forum.

Washington Tom's team arrive tomorrow so I thought I would have a free week to try and catch up on posting the finds from last week. I have done 3/4 of them and posted a load more pictures to bottom of the 2015 Feb finds. I got caught out badly as the museum has sent out loads of disclaimed letters to all the finders of the three separate Celtic gold hoards from the last couple of years. I now have to prepare separate export license applications and pay the landowner for them all. The museum finally decided not to purchase them, probably as they already have a lot of other examples we found they acquired that are currently on display in the Colchester museum. It is great news for the guys as they get to take them home but a lot more paperwork for me. Chicago Ron also had his 17th/18thC gold posy ring below disclaimed so I have to knock up the paperwork for that also.

On the latest find page I have also posted several replies from Mark Lehman ID'ing the Roman coin finds from last week. Check out the 2015 Feb finds page.

Treasure T178 a 18k gold finger ring dating from the 17th or 18th century, with inscription "True to thee yle ever be"

I went and saw an additional huge rental property yesterday and have posted large numbers of pictures of the facilities onto the members forum. It is in a fantastic location near our sites and it is possible Louisiana Sal might be tempted to run an extra Barn hunt in April to trial the property. I will post details after Sal has had a wandered around it and worked out the logistics.

An internal flint mould of an echinoid (Echinocorys)

Echinoderms first appeared in the fossil record in the Cambrian around 530 million years ago

Roman hanging pendant - circle designs

14th Feb 2015 More gold, first Saxon and rare Celtic bronze unit

More approved export licenses arrived yesterday and I have posted the list of names on the members forum.

1st Celtic bronze unit - needs careful soaking and cleaning

Obv Horse facing right

The guys left this morning and had a great hunt right up to the end with our first Saxon silver coin of 2015 from Mass Robert and in great shape. Dr Martin has confirmed it's recording (EMC number) and type below . Miss Sandie found a very rare find for this area with a Celtic bronze unit that will require really careful cleaning on the horse facing right before I record it with PAS. The guys found a bunch of great coins and relics and I have started uploading more to the latest finds page 2015 Feb finds

The next team in arrives on the 20th so I have time to catch up posting the finds and completing museum paperwork.

Primary Saxon silver sceat 600- 700 AD - Plumed Bird variety - Sent to Fitzwilliam museum for recording and confirmed type

1.19g, 12.1mm

Many thanks for this new coin, which I have recorded as EMC 2015.0044. This is a classic example of Series E, Vico variety 2.

Best wishes,

Martin

13thC medieval seal matrix

Amazing condition Roman bronze coin sent to Mark Lehman for ID

2.90g, 21.5mm

11,000 BC Stone Age flint scraper

Victorian gold signet ring - Continental mark

Roman lock bolt of bronze, circa 100 AD - 200 AD

Lock bolts formed part of a tumbler lock and would have been opened with a slide key. Compare WAW-73CEE6 and BERK-D5E561 which state that "Similar lock bolts were discovered at Vindolanda in contexts dating between AD 120 and 180 (Birley, 1997, p26)."

12th Feb 2015 6 more gold finds - more approved exports

Both coins found by Mass Steve so I did this size comparison photo of a full and qtr stater

Just reported 5 gold Celtic gold coins to PAS and the BM this morning as potential hoard. Mass Steve not only found his first ever gold coin but managed within an hour to find two mint Celtic gold staters, a full Gallo Belgic and a qtr Morini. I took the opportunity to take a neat comparison picture above of the two so you can see the relative sizes. Miss Jeff also found his first ever Celtic gold and when he got home he had what looked like part of a silver unit. I put it under my microscope this morning and it is another fragment of a 50 BC Celtic Clacton type debased full stater. I have not photo'd Steve's 2nd gold ring find yet and have loads of great relics to upload yet. While the guys were search for more Celtic gold Boston Beau found a stunning medieval heraldic enamelled shield mount. below.

The Spink bible

It has certainly been senior member Mass Steve's hunt so far with 4 gold finds and he also wins a copy of Spink's Coin of England book for the first great find of 2015 which was his medieval gold ring posted on 8th Feb.

Updated this years gold page that now sits at 38 pieces, I have not uploaded Steve's 2nd gold ring yet to this page. 2015 Gold Page

I have posted some more really neat relic and coins to the new finds page 2015 Feb finds

Stunning large enamelled medieval heraldic shield mount - 40mm high

11th Feb 2015 5 more gold found and real neat relics - disclaimed treasures

Rarer 1420 Henry V hammered silver half groat - Class F London, annulet and trefoil by crown

Satire stop to other legend - 11 arches to tressure - mullet on breast- tall neck with 'larynx'- Crown of earlier class A-C

Obv +hENRIC:DI:GRA:REX.ANGLIE:Z:F'

Rev CIVI/TAS/LOND/DON - London mint

Boston Beau left presents engraved award to Mass Rob for clubs top 'Coin hunter 2014' - total 117 coins for week

The guys are on fire out there and have found 4 more Celtic gold coins and another neat gold signet ring. I have not had chance to photo them yet as I am working on the rest of the finds and museum items. I had a meeting this morning with the museum and dropped off more treasures and picked up a couple of disclaimed items. I have posted a list of finders names on the members forum. Boston Gary popped a really neat Honorius Roman silver coin below and nearby Miss Sandie found a fascinating large gilded coin that turn out to be a really neat 2 Escudo gold coin forgery of the period.

I have posted some more really crisp medieval hammered silver coins to the new finds page 2015 Feb finds

I have had feedback from Ian at the BM on the last Celtic gold qtr stater found. All Celtic coins are now recorded with PAS and not the CCI anymore as the two systems are not linked.

This is probably what Chris Rudd calls a “Maldon Wheel” type.
Eastern uninscribed gold quarter stater. 50-20 BC.
ABC (Cottam et al 2010) no. 2234
Nice coin.

Regards,

Ian

Roman silver coin - Honorius - 393-423 AD.

0.41g, 11mm

The coins are a denomination known as a siliqua. Some of them had been clipped to remove silver from the edges. Such tampering with the coinage was a very serious offence, and could only have taken place on the scale it is found in Britain when the Roman hold on the province had relaxed early in the fifth century AD.

Clipping was done to create a pool of silver bullion from the currency of the state that could be used by private individuals for their own ends: treason, in a word. Conventional wisdom has it that the clipping of coins was actually done to mint more unofficial siliquae and so make the pool of currency stretch a bit further at a time when no more bona fide Roman coinage was reaching the province.

Fascinating gilded coin find - fake 1709 gold 2 Escudos

5.09g, 24.1mm

Id'd by club researcher Ohio Drew

1709 M Lima Two Escudos

Obverse: cross potent with quartered castles and lions. Border of dots. The legend reads PHILILLUP V D G HISPAN.

Reverse: crowned Pillars of Hercules rising from the waves. Two horizon lines intersect the pillars, creating three tiers. On the topmost tier L/2/H gives the mint (L for Lima), the denomination ( 2 escudos), and the assayer, Felix Cano Melgarejo. The middle tier P./V./A. abbreviates the royal motto “Plus Ultra.” The bottom tier 7/0/9 gives us a three digit date. The legend reads ET INDIARUM REX.

Probably one of the smallest hammered silver coins you can find, 1/3rd the weight of a Medieval silver farthing

0.17g, 9.5mm

8th Feb 2015 Kick off and two gold off the bat

Probably a 40 BC Southern style QC type or even a Regini - it is in between the two, classed as rare

Sent to PAS for recording

12.1mm,1.36g

13thC Medieval gold ring - reported as treasure to museum

24mm, 2.0g

I have started a new finds page for the 2015 Feb kick off and uploaded two gold finds the guys have made already. Rare mint Celtic gold qtr Regini tribe from Boston Gary and a beauty medieval gold ring popped by OK Steve.

I will do I bigger post tomorrow as I am busy doing museum paperwork and updating this site with the new menu bars.

Check out the couple of finds I have just posted on the link below. I will do more later.

2015 Feb finds

2nd Feb 2015 Five days to the kick off - more approved exports - more great ref books

Great new ref books arrived

We have just 5 days to the kick off to the start of the 2015 session and I am still banging away preparing more export license applications. I have just a few more to finish and then the guys will start pulling out more for me to process. 3 new reference books I ordered arrived and I have updated ID's on the military badge page. The seal book has fantastic info on dating seals by shape and I have posted a couple of shots below and on the medieval seal page.

Typical seal shapes - date periods

I received a huge wad of approved export licences back and approval on the 5 Celtic gold coin finds that the British Museum were making their decision on whether their location could constitute a hoard. Their Celtic gold expert deemed they did not so far and the export applications will be back approved. List of all the names are posted on the members forum.