DetectingWales.com

The Detectorists came in Two by Two, Hoorah, Hoorah!

Following the severe weather over the past week, todays rally was seriously in doubt, but after spending three days crafting an ark, and ensuring that we had animal shaped lilo's just in case, we decided to go ahead with it.

I arrived to find about half of todays brave detectorists already at the site and eager to hit the fields. Todays battlefield was destined to be stubble and pasture that had been ploughed recently. The ground was certainly a bit wet under foot in places, but I have detected worse and I'm sure most of you have - it was a case of "He who dares, Rodney" and with little more than a two minute gathering we were off.

Less than 30 seconds into the first field a shout went up that a hammered Tudor silver coin had been found. Well it was what it was, and a bit dog earned, but I think it set the record for the quickest hammered coin at a DW rally.

Many of those present headed towards the area of the Roman Road in the hope that the Italians had at least had the decency to leave us a few of their belongings. Sadly this was not to be the case, although Mike The Hobbit managed to winkle a Roman from the lower section thats still ledgible. I have seen this a few times over the years, where you detect a site with a Roman Road running through it and find very little Roman. I thing its the same as todays infrastructure, where often the habitation and commerce is not along the actual road itself but a few fields away.

Speaking of fields away. A member who has been attending DW rallies for sometime now, was a field away in search of that ever elusive hammered coin. Little Chub has been detecting a good while now, but has been struggling with popping his Hammered Cherry. Well that all changed today in impressive fashion with Little Chub rocking up with a hammered Charles sixpence! (can we have a mintmark and date please Doc). To say he had the biggest smile of the day would not be an understatement. Your turn next Chris429!

The next find of note was an absolutely gigantic gilded buckle that boasted two lions heads on either end, and fell to the coil of Lloyder. A beautiful and unusual buckle that would have I feel been worn by someone of some importance. Difficult to date as it was still encrusted in mud and the lions head and design has been used for centuries way back to the Romans. My gut instinct is heading Georgian/Napoleonic and I think it has a military use.
  
I joined in with the finds myself, after finding a pretty rusted flick knife (whats that doing in a field in Hereford), I decided to pick up a piece of engraved silver work that looks like its come from a cherrot or similar small item.

Next up was  Moby with a somewhat dented Edward hammered coin, Jeff the Wizard with a Jetton and Debbie with a pot leg to add to the handfulls of coppers etc that we always seem to all find.

After a spot of lunch I headed into the pasture and near the furthest gate got a deep signal, that after I had dug a few spades out had me cursing. What is it with finding door knobs - thats my third dig in a row that I had found a door knob. Or that is, so I thought. On taking the knob out of the soil, it was no less than the largest Crotal Bell known to man! This thing is flaming huge, and decorated with scallop designs and the letter R. It was one of those bitter sweet moments as I was stoked to have found it, but gutted it was damaged.

My dissapointment was soon put on the backburner as the next hole was a medieval pendent shield with a spikey end to fix it. Theres a little bit of enamel still showing, so careful cleaning is required on this one.

I had to head off not long after this, as I am likely to get divorced if I failed to get home early following a weekend of drunken debauchery.

Not sure what else came up, but feel free to add you finds. Did anyone else find any lead loom weights? I had three all told - hole either end and one in the middle. All found nowhere near each other.

Great to see everyone today. A special word of thanks to Da Monkey for liasing with the farmer on behalf of DW. I shall see you online my friend for a game of Unreal Tournament!

All the best until next time.

Neil

Photos

Photos

The Big Ox and Tree rat had a great day but unable to see anyone to pay as we were late. We will see u at the next rally to pay.
See you all soon Treerat

great report as usual neil , enjoyed the day as always even if it was a   'bit muddy'  :o :o :o

Thanks to Detecting Wales for another cracking day out topped off with my first ever hammered. ;D Have given it a bit of a clean and the detail is really good made my year cheers guys.

Thats one Hell of a smirk on your face Little Chub - really pleased for you mate. You watch they'll come raining in now and you'll be sick of hammered coins.

Congratulations again

Neil

..................and this is the rest of DW  today  :o :o :o :o

well done all........ 8) great write up Neil........... 8)

Great report Neil, and well done to those who had some nice finds.

I believe Little Chub's coin is Spink 2817, Charles I sixpence, Tower mint under the King, mintmark triangle-in-circle, dates 1641-43.

todays bits and bobs  :)

Let me introduce you (hopefully, if my attached photos follow) to Walter. He was found at todays rally, not sure what he is
a lead or pewter figure and would appreciate any information anyone can give  please

Kind regards

Rookypair
 :) :)

Nice report and photos :)   I didnt find much, think I should have changed to a larger coil...   Never mind, there's always next time ;)  I did manage a horse harness thing and something I have no idea of its function, a couple of coppers, buttons, but that was about it for me today.

Nice Scrotal Bell  :D   I've seen one that size before, but it was also broken :(  guess it's a larger target for the plough :(

Also some nice coins there :)

See you all at the Santa Hats :)  ...   I'm off for a game of Unreal Tournament LOL  ;D

Love the pic 019 jpeg of Mike the Fob. Mike have you shrunk, or Neil must be up a tree? You look like a hobbit!!! :D

Enjoyed this Rally my first for a while. Found a couple of coins etc and after cleaning up my 'keep it just in case' finds at home I have 3 things to share......

A square coin weight: clearly see a hand and an initial? to the left hand side. Hand indicates it was made in Antwerp

A Georgian coin weight: D G 214 on one side. COINED BEFORE 1772 on the other used to weigh a Half Guinea
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ceejays_site/pages/Coinweight2.htm (http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ceejays_site/pages/Coinweight2.htm)

and a clasp? thing that I havent looked up yet.

cheers for the rally!

Reverse

Entertaining report as usual Neil. It was nice to see all the hardy souls who ignored the little light precipitation we've experienced over the last few days and turned up for some hardcore metal detecting today.

Just to add to the pics, this rather nice well-preserved George III penny was found by Welshbreed.

A good day out with fellow mud wallowers  :D  Plenty of the usual pre decimal coins and buttons - along with a large musket ball that would have really trashed the day of anyone it hit.

I had a nice buckle - poor condition, but interesting detail.  Sorry about the rubbish photos - took them under the rather harsh kitchen light  ;D

Says a lot about the day, my boy holding a George iii coins he probed out of its watery resting place.

great write up Neil.... great to see your finds there , well done all and congratulations to Chub for your first hammered

Here are my contributions enjoy.

Nice going everyone, whats that horsey deadlock? It looks like a roman artefact to me .... what do you think?

I have not managed to clean my collection of mud up yet!!!  ;D i only had the usual buttons, lead and a buckle.

But as usual some good banter with brilliant people look forward to the next one  ;D

I wish you wouldnt share your dirty mind on here Mike lmao ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

a good cross section of finds there , well done everyone  mickycoin  ;D ;D

Thanks Neil, Taff, Geoff and damonkey for organising the dig on Sunday. The mud and occasional rain didn't stop us from having a good day. I had the good luck to find a hammered inside the first two minutes. I'd only walked 20 yards and it was my first signal ! Looks like a Lizzie twopence but well worn. My other finds were a George 11 farthing, couple of musket balls, buttons, and bits of lead.  On the downside, I came across an enormous hole where the detectorist had made no effort at all to fill any of it (in the pasture field) , mud all over the grass.. A few yards further on another one with a large iron connecting pin lying nearby. Sorry to tell the person involved, your effort to lose sites for DW failed as I filled in both holes, took less than a minute, you should try it some time soon. Generally I thought holes were filled in very well, especially considering the muddy conditions. Thanks again everybody.

I enjoyed the rally yesterday and would like to know if anyone else found any george iii forged coins my sister and i hit a patch of them in the big pasture field.There were plenty off refilled holes nearby so somebody may have dug a few we found 6 . I think years ago someone hid or threw them away rather than get caught with them

I seen one other one fella. I thought it looked a little weird. I think someone found one with the molten dross attached to it still as well. I was telling hime, whoever it was about Casa's forging mould.

fab dig once again guys..lots of chit chat ,many laughs...{mike digging 4 wales} ::)i myself had 10 buttons old and paterned ones..buckle..bag seal...back of a watch... ::)which i thought woz a cracking coin.. ::)sorry for the yell. ::).charles had buttons...george halfpenny.cheers nick 4 setting up sir garrett ,VERY PLEASED WITH MY SIR INDEED....LOOKING 4 WARD 2 THE NXT.....jxc...... :) :) :) :) :) :)

i,m sorry i did,nt turn up on sunday, my sons car blew up saterday evening i had to run around sunday looking for another car for him to get to work,but will see you on the next rally,cheers.

 WeCan-Octavian, That's an interesting little pin, top right of you pici. Have you any idea what or how old.?

Val

Has screw thread at the bottom and an insert on one side of the bulb to take some sort of handle i reckon its just junk!!

Don't throw it away, it could be something well worth keeping. ;)  Get it looked at.

Val

Dont worry Val i will show it to the FLO in january  ;D

neil another great write up and congratulations to everyone on some really nice finds and looking forward to seeing you all on the 9th.viv