23rd Feb 2008 Exports completed - Updated export page

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

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

Updated the Romano/British finds page with the latest finds

21st Feb 2008 Land news, more unpublished finds - hunts start again in a week

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

2 more unlisted Crimera War period 5th Dragoon Guards buttons - This is the 4th of this type from our POW site so they must have been on guard duty		Titled family livery button Walter Williams London	1624 E. LATYMERS ALMS BOYS During the 17th century important charities were founded for schools and for alms-houses. Latymer school was established under the will of Edward Latymer dated 1624 Latymer school catered only for boys but in 1778 a girls' charity school was started in Edmonton
Shipping line button - not found it in the books yet	Medieval annular buckle	Interesting post medieval lead trade weight with Eel design	Medieval drop pendant with traces of gilding remaining
Large Georgian star patterned mount		1587 dated Antwerp Hand coin weight
1666 Thomas Peeke of Colchester hammered copper trade farthing		Spanish bronze cob dated 1621

20th Feb 2008 More unpublished finds and ID's

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

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

Small 1st to 4th C Roman bronze knife quillion - 14.35mm W 13.66mm H x 10.26mm T
17thC Daniel Walker, Grocer of Woodbridge Suffolk hammered copper trade farthing	Roman - Cast copper alloy buckle tongue with half of it's loop broken. File marks are evident on the sides and underside. Three incised lines decorate a raised rectangle at the base of the loop - Ref Bishop 186
15thC Shield of France Jetton	1770 Russian St Petersburg lead bale seal

16thC lead Tudor Rose mount	15thC lead token - long cross and pellet type

17th Feb 2008 More unpublished finds

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

Royal Horse Artillery 1888-1889 Smith & Wright Ltd 180 Brearley Street, Birmingham	1860-1912 'I will maintain' Charles Jennens London	WWII National fire service	USA Marine button 1941 - 1960
1710 Corneill & Limest Ward Schools	French Infantry Button 26th Line Regiment Circa 1803-1814	C 1825 'Corde Rixam' Firmin & Sons Strand London	Dublin Fire Brigade Henecy & Son Dublin
16thC Tudor button		16th/17th Nipple button
17thC 3 pence token - William Morrifon Barr (William Morrison Barr)		Georgian horse bell

15th Feb 2008 More finds - New land research

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

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

Roman circular mounts

Roman copper alloy domed studs

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

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

Roman Military equipment - Bishop & Coulston

Roman buckles and Military fittings - Appeals and Laycock

Finds from Roman Aldborough - Bishop

Prehistoric and Roman studies - British museum

3rd C Roman spear butt – Osterburken type Ref Coulston - Drawing Roman 3rdC spear butts
Roman 'heart' mount Ref Laycock		What initially looked like the end off a snake buckle is a fragment of a Roman Open looped dolphin buckle Ref Laycock
16thC decorated Tudor duck head S buckle along side a 19thC version of a snake buckle

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

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

WWII Civil defence	19thC livery button 1838 Nortzell & Son 21 Bouverie St. London	Gordan Highlanders 1884 - well after 1899 J R Gaunt & Son London	Huge decorated lead mount - Lead mounts with crests were used on carriage doors so this could well be a decorative mount for the same- Probably Georgian period
1603 Coin weight for Scottish thistle crown of James 1st, revalued - IIIIs 4 D ½		Copper shilling - May 1690 James II Irish 'gun metal' emergency coinage

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

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

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

1634 -36 Charles 1st Rose hammered copper farthing type 2 Obv CAEOLU D G MA FRA Rev FRA ET HI REX	Very interesting James 1st hammered copper farthing with a mintmark that appears to be Pommel with 6 arms but should be Cinquefoil with 5 ? 1613- 15 James 1st hammered copper farthing Type 2 Mintmark Cinquefoil or Pommel ? General type Obv. IACO D G MAG BR (IT) Rev. FRA ET HIB REX
1586 Hans Krauwincel II Rose orb Jeton HNNS KRAVWINCKEL IN NVRENB	1564 Elizabeth hammered silver sixpence – Pheon mintmark 3rd Issue
1853 Victorian milled silver sixpence	1897 Victorian milled silver sixpence

1774 Annulets, with a Lion Bullion Weight – 4 pennyweights
Really nice decorated silver cord end dated 1751 Chester mint date letter ‘a’
Roman Baldric phalerae	Roman military Pelta mount
Unusual open topped lead thimble - probably Georgian	Interesting 16thC clothing fastener

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

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

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

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

More individual find lists just published on members forum.

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

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

1418 -37 Charles VII Shield of France Jetton – shield of tressure design – double stranded  arcuate cross fleuretty with lis at centre –Ref  Mitchiner 322		L.G.W.F. Loyal Greenwich  Water Fencibles ( Coastal Home Guard ) In use 1798 - 1820 ?	Mid 20thC Back mark - Firmin . London
RN Capt / Commander - 1901 Other Ship's Officers - 1901 In use 1901 - 1952	Royal Marines light infantry W Twigg & Co Birmingham Buttons include Royal Marines Light Infantry dating from 1855	Royal Marines 1888-1889 Smith & Wright Ltd Birmingham	UK - Britain SE&CR - South Eastern & Chatham Railway Cº Marine Division 1902 - 1922 Æ Gilt - Ship's Officers Maker - Unknown Merge - Southern Railway 1922
18thC Norwich Copper Halfpenny		17th century Allen Gurney - AG crotal bell – Hull foundry
??	Fire button - helmet with breast plate ?	19thC snake belt clasp
1619-25 Gold coin weight Half laurel of James I, 3rd Coinage 5.0 gm - Crown XS		Interesting design on a Georgian button	19thC Lion livery button
Superb Medieval square lead goldsmiths coin weight – Single Lis of 3 flowers in square obv shield Ref Rogers 3.21g		19thC Crescent livery button	Unusual Post medieval lead bale seal with figures

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

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

14thC French Jetton - not in the ref books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tokens copper 17thC

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

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

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

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

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

1566 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver 3 pence - 3rd issue Portcullis mintmark	1591-5 Elizabeth 1st hammered silver 2 pence -5th issue Tun mintmark
1645 Charles 1st hammered silver penny – A, Ashby mint	16thC duck head S buckle

28th Jan 2008 More finds and exports

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

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

1478 Louis XI Shield of France Jetton – Cross fleuretty with roses on reverse Ref Mitchiner 706		1690 William III circular lead trade weight – Bust and Averdepois mark, 0.86 oz	16thC casket key
One piece Navy button HONI SOIT QUI MAN Y PENSE PACKET Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French: shame upon him who thinks evil of it) RN - Packet Service ( Mail & Supplies Delivery ) c.1800-1811	The Edinburgh and District Tramway Co Ltd Back mark - H.Totery London	16th/17thC decorated crotal bell - we have found a few with the makers mark 'I' but they are unlisted in the known foundry owners of that period
WWI Machine gun corp	1685 John Burrough, Grocers of Ipswich Suffolk, hammered copper trade farthing Ref Noweb 4362a		1509-47 Henry VIII trade weight - London hallmark, Crown h - 1.9oz 48.9mm dia
16thC Tudor clothing fastener	Medieval strap end - 2 rivet fixing (remaining)		Prussian NCO Imperial Eagle WWI one piece button
Kings Royal Rifle Corp 1872 - 1939	1634 -36 Charles 1st Rose hammered copper farthing type 2 Obv CAEOLU D G MA FRA Rev FRA ET HI REX		20thC Butlins holiday camp enameled badge , Clacton is local seaside town.
One piece Navy button HONI SOIT QUI MAN Y PENSE PACKET Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French: shame upon him who thinks evil of it) RN - Packet Service ( Mail & Supplies Delivery ) No back mark	Unlisted button - Crimea war's period THE 5TH. (PRINCESS OF WALES'S) DRAGOON GUARDS		19thC livery button RW Jackson & Co 58 Gracechurch St London

24th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds - Axe heads

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

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

Cast copper alloy Gargoyle pendant	Roman prick spur fragment		1586 Hans Krauwincel II Rose orb Jeton HANNS KRAVWINCKEL IN NVRENB
15thC Silver on bronze pin
19thC lead fishing weight		Georgian flintlock pistol toy
1344 Edward III hammered silver penny – Florin type obv EDWAR ANGL DNS  HYB – Canterbury mint

Great find Kemper Military School Boonville Mo Back mark Superior quality Kemper Military School was a private military academy located in Boonville, Missouri	38th Regiment of Foot ( 1st Staffordshire ) O/R's - 1855-1881	RN Air Service In use WWI Officers Tunic Button	??
RN - Royal Naval Reserve Captain & other Officers In use 1886 - 1901	P&O Line In use 1920 - 1940s Maker - Unknown	Capt / Commander - 1774-1787	4th Regiment of Foot ( The King's Own ) Officer - 1808-1830
?? Back mark superior quality	Britain's Merchant Navy Generic Design Issue In use 1900 - 2000's Bliss Bros Ltd Rd 665050	16thC fretwork Tudor button	Corporation button ?

20th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds - buttons and coppers

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

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

1886 Victorian young bust copper penny in real nice shape		1900 Victorian older bust copper penny in real nice shape
1901 Edward VII copper half penny in real nice shape		George 1st copper half penny in real nice shape
circa 1500 -1550 Rose Orb Jetton – anonymous issue – Large orb series with three Fleurs de Lis around a 5 petalled rose –fictitious legend - Ref Mitchiner 1190		1672 Charles II milled copper farthing
THE 5TH. (PRINCESS OF WALES'S) DRAGOON GUARDS   WWII type 1935-1952 Firmin London	Livery button 1860-1912 C.J Jennens [Prince of WalesPlume]	Pre 1947 The Kings (Shropshire Light infantry)	32nd regiment of foot ( Cornwall ) O/R's - 1855-1881
1870 -1914 Bavarian reservist	Unknown	94th regiment of foot O/R's (Brass) - 1802-1881 No buttons of the 94th are listed in any reference book	RN Capt / Commander - 1901 Other Ship's Officers - 1901 In use 1901 - 1952 J R Gaunt & Son Ltd
Poughkeepsie Police button - New York button ?	Infanterie de ligne (1871-1916) French   Brevete.Parts H TW&W	ROYAL MARINES This button dates 1923 - 1952 O/R's Tunic Button Maker = Smith & Wright, B'ham RMLI & RMA merged in 1923	Owl livery button 1860-1912 Charles Jennens [Prince of WalesPlume]
Victoria Royal Engineers button Officer & O/R's - 1856-1901

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

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

He has more supporting evidence that his date is correct

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

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

Silver clasp item with crude decoration - reported to Colchester museum as potential treasure 0.78b, 17.51mm dia x 4.24mm W x 1.93mm T
17thC Lancelot Felton , baker of Bergholt Suffolk hammer copper ½ penny token - undated type - Ref Norweb	George III 1760-1830 1 pennyweight (Dwt) and 7 grains (G) coin weight - 6 shillings and 9 pence - 1 pennyweight = 24 grains - Ref Whithers
Unknown foreign hammered copper coin 0.91g, 16.76mm - needs researching	Foreign military button - possibly Dutch	It's in poor shape but it's a great find , the first 1912 -18 Royal Flying Corp button found here - Pre Royal Air force

Vickers F.B.2 (1914)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago Keith:  Late Iron Age – early Roman terret fragment

Cal Jim : Post Medieval spur fragment - c 16thC

Ohio Mike :Post Medieval knife stop

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

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

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

Penn Christie's : 11000 BC Mesolithic Axe

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

15th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds and updates

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

Really nice 18thC decorated silvered clog fastener	Unrecorded 30 th Regiment of Foot ( Cambridge ) Cambridge shire XXX Back mark C. Clancey & Co - Dublin 1817-47	Unrecorded Buckingham shire Back mark J Gaunt & Sons London 1899 onwards	Great condition General service Army button - From 1890
16thC Tudor period button - possible late Medieval	1871 French copper coin - 10 Centimes		1603 James 1st gold Angel coin weight, 2nd coinage revalued - Crown XIs
Picard’s Duke of Wellington Hull (Yorkshire) halfpenny token. Obverse: Bust of Wellington, wearing laurel, to left. Reverse: Text in centre and round edge listing major battles and their dates. Diagonally milled edge. These Peninsular War tokens are thought to have been issued by Picard, the owner of the Hull Lead Works, who spent some of his time in London and took to gambling his fortune away, eventually becoming bankrupt in 1827 and dying in reduced circumstances in 1843			RN Capt / Commander - 1812 RN Lieutenant - 1812 RN Midshipman - 1812 RN Volunteer Gr.I - 1812 After this issue a Midshipman will have the Captain's style
16th/17thC spur buckle	Georgian fob seal with head facing right impression		North Eastern London Tramways button Back Mark John Hatton & Co
Roman bronze clevis pin ? 30.82mm L x 6.68mm dia 12.98g			WWII Royal marines button
Medieval bronze knife pommel- Fleur di Lis type- part of iron blade remains 5.18g, 14.54mm W x 14.13 L			17thC lead token with chicken design

12th Jan 2008 More unpublished finds and updates

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

Romano British artefacts

Saxon finds 410 -1065 AD

Seal Matrix

17thC George Nicholson, Grocer, Thorp Le Soken, Essex, hammered copper trade farthing	Not in ref books, Scottish regiment ? Early 20thC Firmin&Sons Ltd London 'It looks like, a generic, Scots Regimental Bandsman's Button.   So far, no reference, will keep looking'.
19thC Silver 6 penny token HM - Payable by a £1 note for 40 of these at Morgans token manufactory 12 Rathbone place London
Advertisement from the The Star, London, June 24th, 1813. Local tokens of Gold and Silver, invented and first made for Public Convenience, in March, 1811, by Messrs. Morgan and Co., die Makers and Medallists, at their Licensed Token Manufactory, No. 12, Rathbone Place, Oxford Street, London,having been honoured with Legislative sanction and patronage, by three successive Acts of parliament, continue to make to any design, for Companies and Individuals, at a short notice, in that superior style of execution which has obtained for M & Co. during the last two years numerous and extensive orders for Bankers, Manufacturers and Shopkeepers, in almost every city and town throughout the United Kingdom. NB. Unpaid letters will not be admitted. Dies of numerous patterns ready engraved. C10thC Saxon key

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

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

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

Romano British artefacts

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

Mounts - Updated the mount page that now includes all periods

Thimbles - - Updated the thimble page with also some history

1553- 86 AD Hans Schultes I ‘Lion of St Mark’ Jetton obv Lion of St mark standing left, nimbate and winged, holding book of the Gospels in right fore paw: Lions halo orjecting into the margin and surmounted by a cross + SANT:MARGVS:NORPED Rev Imperial orb surmouned by cross patty HANS rosette SCHVTLTES rosette NORNBE Ref Mitchiner 1382	5th Regiment of Foot ( Northumberland ) O/R's - 1790-1830	Customs ( Victoria ) VR 1837-1855
Roman bronze helmet trim	19thC livery button	RN Capt / Commander - 1812

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

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

Chess, dice and gaming pieces

Book clasps

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

17thC Rose Ryal (Ship and Rose type) square brass gold coin weight from Antwerp the low countries, 3.3 g,16.65mm . Reverse hand with makers letters - possibly Bernaert Bommeres 1620 to 50		One piece Navy button HONI SOIT QUI MAN Y PENSE PACKET Honi soit qui mal y pense (Old French: shame upon him who thinks evil of it) RN - Packet Service ( Mail & Supplies Delivery ) c.1800-1811 Firmin & Co	Victorian Generic Military HQ Staff Officer Smith & Wright Birmingham 1840 -81
German POW ?	92nd Regiment of Foot ( Highlander ) Officer - 1798-1830	Interesting lead crown seal	Royal Navy Lieutenant - 1748
Circa 14th to 16thC Decorated copper alloy book clasp - single rivet fixings	17thC spur		2- Georgian decorated watch winders

8th Jan 2007 More unpublished finds and Trade tokens

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

Probably Napoleonic period

1664 Joseph Gleson of Dedham hammered Copper trade farthing	17thC Groome, John of Stoke by Nayland, Suffolk hammered copper trade farthing Legend reads John Groome Stoke Nailon
17thC Groome, John of Stoke by Nayland, Suffolk hammered copper trade farthing Legend reads John Groome Stoke Nailon	Louis XII 1497 -1515 Tower shield of Tournai French Jetton – 4 lis in a lozenge type Obv SIT IIOIIIEII BOIII I II I
Stunning condition 1724 Dump issue George 1st copper halfpenny	1614-25 James 1st hammered copper farthing Type 3c General type Obv. IACO D G MAG BR (IT) Rev. FRA ET HIB REX

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

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

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

Crude decorated copper alloy strap end - Early Medieval

Roman bronze military helmet trim

Unusual Tudor period buckle fragment

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

C J Burns Ltd 1840-1860	German navy pre 1918	This Agnus Dei indicates Surrey or West Surrey Regiment. Horn indicates Volunteer or Rifle Brigade Probably one of the Surrey Rifle Volunteer Regiments Sorry no reference on this	Possible Belgian navy related or merchant shipping line ? Will do more research.

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

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

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

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

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

5 Finds are taken to Colchester museum

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

29th Dec 2007 Exporting and More ID's

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

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

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

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

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

Record Gold Treasure Trove Found click for Global News Page

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

Similar to Trinity House pilot button	Similar to Trinity House pilot button	Foreign Navy ?	Foreign Navy ?
Dutch/Danish Army ?	Unlisted 3rd Dragoon guards	Unknown maker - Jackson 30 Gracechurch St London 3rd one of these we have found - not ID'd yet

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

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

22nd Dec 2007 - Updated more pages with latest finds

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

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

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

Click on the thumb nail pics to enlarge

850BC Axe hoard - currently on display in Colchester museum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Updated the following pages with latest finds

	Buckles		Toy cannons		Clog and shoe fasteners
	Romano British artefacts		Sword, dagger and musket		Spurs and rowels

14th Dec 2007 More updated pages

Updated the following pages with latest finds

William IIII to Victorian milled coins 1830 to 1901

Charles II to Queen Anne early milled silver coins

Georgian Period milled coins

Watch Winders

13th Dec 2007 More updated pages

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

18thC Conder (Condor) token

	Seal Matrix		Scottish Coins		Tokens 18thC
	Roman coins		Weights trade		Weights coin

11th Dec 2007 Current research - Hammered silver pages updated

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

Updated some of the hammered silver pages with the latest finds

King John to Richard II

Edward 1st to 3rd

Charles 1st and Commonwealth

Tudors

Foreign hammered silver

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

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

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

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

Charles II (1665-1700)

DOBLER DE CARLOS II CECA DE MALLORCA FALSO ÉPOCA

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

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

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

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

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

Philip

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

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

1422-27 Henry VI hammered silver half groat - Annulet issue obv HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC 2 annulets by bust, annulet in 2 qtrs of reverse Calais mint	Copper alloy bird mount - one for the museum to date
16thC seal matrix with flower design - very unusual type	2ndC Roman bronze fibula brooch

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

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

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

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

NS Andy discovered an unrecorded type Celtic gold coin 50BC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have uploaded more finds to the latest finds page

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

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

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

Mestrelle's Coinage

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

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

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

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

Briot's Coinage

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

1631-9 Nicolas Briot's coinage Charles 1st milled silver one pence one of the first milled silver coinages ever made rev IUSTITIA THRONUM FIRMAT	1633-4 Charles 1st hammered silver penny - Portcullis mint mark Tower mint under Charles

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

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

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

28th Nov 2007 Correct terminology - Slim pickings

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

What a really neat copper coin - 1897

obv FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY

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

THE DIAMOND JUBILE

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yep it is a galley on the obverse