Metal Detectors Rally 2012

Cars and coaches poured into the farm; the sun came out; bacon butties rolled off the barbecue; coffee flowed; and at 10am the sound of an air-horn marked the official start of the treasure hunt. 

Rumours of a ninth century battle had triggered imaginations and with several large fields covering many acres to explore, the participants were soon scattered far and wide.

Katie Hinds, a Finds Liaison Officer from The Portable Antiquities Scheme, helped to identify and catalogue the items discovered.  She noted that some finds would be sent off for further investigation. These included a possible Saxon coin, various Roman coins and some medieval finds.

Other finds included:

• a variety of Edwardian pennies
• a Bronze-Age socketed axe
• Roman nummi from the House of Constantine (4th century)
• a sovereign penny of Henry VII
• a Henry VIII groat and
• some Elizabeth I coins.

Of particular interest was a solid silver Soldino discovered by Terry Russell. The Soldino was a coin minted in Venice in the early 16th century. The photo shows the coin in Terry's hand.

There were also plenty of finds from more recent  times such as plough shares and other parts of agricultural machinery as well as a modern day solid silver bracelet.

One find reunited the farmer