DetectingWales.com

Detectingwales.com headed off to return to the infamous field of Hammeredfest 2009 today and we were not to be dissapointed.

We have waited for this one particular field to be available for over 2 years! During that time it had been ploughed twice, and was to be found sitting there as a relatively low pasture. Another week and it would be too high to detect.

This was a short notice Rally and only 25 brave DW members arrived to face the elements. I got there at 8.20am in pouring rain to find a few others already trying to figure out which fields we were going to be in. Following an excellent overview from Cheffy and the statement "That last time we were here 1 in 3 detectorists found hammered with a total of 13!" we were off!  

After I had seen the farmer I returned to the fields to find Tom Tom with one of the best condition hammered coins I have seen on a rally. Its a hammered silver of I think Charles 1st  {I am notoriously bad on hammered coinage!) with a scottish thistle on the other side. He was well happy, and rightfully so as its a cracker and we speculated that the IX - may make it a 9 pence. Looking at the photo now - I am not so sure - its a beaut whatever and wasn't his only hammered of the day - more on that later.

I passed Tom and headed to the end of the field where Rambo appeared and was curious about where the hammered coins had sprung up from last time. I explained to him that it was no particular area and they were all over the place.

About a minute later I got a low two tone signal and after digging needlessly for a while found in amongst the grass roots at about an inch or two a hammered short cross. It dates to the Plantagenet Period somewhere between 1154-1272 and will probably turn out to be Henry III. I'll wait for the Doc to verify it, but I was ecstatic! Thats two hammered in only 30 minutes! I have just given it a blast with the hot gun on arriving home and it looks a bit better, but needs more work.

Could this rally rival the 2009 one on the hammered stakes? You bet your life it did - it even surpassed it.

I next bumped into Soft Top who had a lovely button that may turn out to be silver. I took a photo - returned to my machine, took a few steps and found the same design one. Went back to Soft Top and he had found another of a slightly different design - Very odd.

Shortly after new reached me of another small hammered falling to a newish memeber that is Jason31 - looks to be a fathing and wasn't the only one found today. Well done mate.

Back at the soggy Base Camp, Avalon was running a test on some 3000 year old worked gold he had buried. I failed miserably with the Explorer as did many machines - it was intersting to note the T2 did best, followed by a couple of Deus's. He also carried out a test with a gold half guinea that he buried at 7 inches - I was relieved to say the least that my ExplorerII was blasting that out. How did everyone else get on?

Steve also shared with us a stunning book on some of his finds, and then produced a Bronze Age Spear Head and Palstave Axe just to bring the photos to life. Loved seeing them.

Back into the fields and John Talbot had found a cut half and then promptly produced a hammered fathing. I asked him "Do you always find this many hammered coins?" His reply could not have been scripted any better and was "Only on Detectingwales Rallies!" Great quote John and well done!

The next sight I witnessed was Chef tearing across the field towards an unsuspecting TaffLaff. For a minute I thought he was going to take Taff down and then realised by his little jig that he too had produced a hammered coin - in the shape of a cut half. Chef was also sporting a Medieval belt stud.

It all gets a bit blurry now as I am useless with names at the best of times, but I saw another few hammereds taking the total to eleven. I once again met Tom Tom who made the amount jump to twelve and vowed to take it to thirteen!

Ademinelab produced a Charles button - you now the type with the two hearts - I think it was to show loyalty and to support his marriage to was it the strumpet known as Isabella? A nice find matey.

Back at Base Camp, new member Yoda had found a Tudor hammered, a pre decimal sixpence and a jetton. Not to be outdone Meatslicer had managed a lovely Medieval seal with what I took to be a clover design. If its not a seal then its an intricate early button. Any ideas guys?

Avalon was also at Base Camp with a Charles II milled threepence dating to the late 1600's. A beauty of a find that I have often seen in magazines but rarely in the flesh. To add to that he also had a strap end of some size that looked zoomorphic and could well be Saxon. It needs a bit of TLC bt you could see its former rivets and possibly a suspension loop. Can we have a photo Steve when you have worked your magic?

More hammereds all over the place including one from DetectorDave1 in the form of a cut half. A few others I forget who found them all together and a "poor mans" finger ring I think to Dai Davies.

My favourite find of the day though belonged to IFINDNOTHING - otherwise known as Mark, who found his first hammered coin after 30 years on and off detecting! Over the Moon for you mate and its what detecting is all about. I lose track of the amount of hammered cherries that DW has helped to pluck, but everyone is a pleasure to witness!

I think without a doubt we can say its a Medieval site. I only saw three copper coins all day. Its unlike any other site that DW has in its portfolio and thankfully to a very friendly farmer its solely our detecting rights for the future. As usual anyone found trespassing will be hung, drawn and quartered!

When I left at 4.15pm the count was up to 14 from 25 members - thats better than a 1 in 2 ratio! I dare say there were a few more I never got to see, so feel free to add them to this post!

As always it was a fun day out with members old and new.

Until next time

Neil

Get comfy a lot more photos over the next 20 minutes!

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Last for now

I think you will find that the half penny is mine !!!! lol

Herbie :-\

Great stuff Neil - cracking report and pictures as usual.

Tom's hammered is a Scottish twenty pence of Charles I - it is marked XX for twenty.

Really enjoyed the report and photo's Neil.  Glad you all enjoyed yourselves  :)

The hammered labelled Jason's but is herbie's is an Edward IV halfpenny.

The first bent hammered is Henry VI annulet issue I believe.

Well done to all that found, great stuff.

I always miss the best rallies :( :D

Another great report Neil and so many picis to drool over. Shame about the weather but at least the digging was easy. ::)

Well done everyone. ;D

Val

Very good report from monsieur Neil and a bravo to all members for a  top rallie welldone on the hammered .Nap

Neil - your short cross looks like Henry III class 7b. Strangely, the lettering looks different in the two picture. The first one of the reverse clearly shows an S, but in the second picture it seems to have morphed into a C. It's either Canterbury (CANT) or Bury St Edmunds (SANT). Any chance of better pics of the reverse?

Great report and well done everyone on braving the weather. Its good to read about the successes.

lets hope all the coins and artefacts over 300 years old are recorded on the Portbale Antiquity Scheme database, through your local FLO, or on UKDFD.

And thats not my cut half!   ???...... ;D

Well pleased today, but my lovely 18 year old thinks I look a "little camp" in the photo. Well you can't win them all. Thanks to all today, brilliant.

yeeep was aGrt day DW!...
A Big thanku........................... ;D

I knew Peter - would put me straight on the coinage! Well done Doc!

Apologies for the mix ups - its a lot to remember what with finds and finders, plus my brain is nearly 40 years old. Life has taken its toll I can tell you!

I know there were three cut halfs and I probably mixed up the finders. I am sure Jason had one of the small hammereds. Need to recheck my photos.

Better pictures later of the short cross Peter. Probably tomorrow now as the light has gone, as has two of my camera batteries!

Glad you enjoyed the read and photos guys - it was a quality rally.

Cheers
Neil

well done lads great finds  ;)

Thanks to Detecting Wales for organising yet another great Rally! Thanks for taking the photos Neil! I see you labled my cut half as diggerdave's, it's Jon's (mine), but you have a lot to remember so I do understand. My cut half I believe is rather a broken coin rather than cut, when I saw Chef's coin it made me realise that his was cut spot on where mine is slightly jaggered and not in line with the cross. And Neil labled my tiny coin correctly, it is a farthing of Edward the first, my word, had no idea they could be that small, I know mine is clipped, but nevertheless they are tiny, mine measures a mere 11mm. I thought I would attach two panoramic views of Rooksbridge that took before leaving. PS: Great write up too!  

Thanks for a good day out from myself and yoda.

Didn't find anything myself but it was great meeting such friendly people

I enjoyed the gold tests with Avalon

I got to meet RJM Bob at last none of us was on form today,are Deus's decided to have a day offf from finding hammered coins  :'(

welldone everyone ,i missed out again bum >:(

well done everyone, lovely finds,fair play :)

NIce to be back in the shadow of Brent Knoll, last time i was lucky to find a Edward III penny, today i found a couple of nice buttons, i saw Neil's short cross, nice coin mate, i was hovering by very near that could have been mine! , but in metal detecting thats the way the cookie crumbles. Well done ifindnothing, i think we had  brief chat after lunch break when i was on my way to the second field, lovely hammered. Thanks Rob and everyone else involved for making the day possible.

Had a great time apart from the rain, shame it got into my T2 coil, it went crazy after 5 minutes, and I thought it was ment to be waterproof, Now where did I put that hairdryer, got rid of mine years ago, as I grew taller than my hair ;D

Consider yourself lucky mines not even there :D


Brilliant write Up Neil and a personal congratulation to you and all those who found on the day and to those who didn't then just remember your turn could be at the very next DW rally. ;)

Well done to all you that braved the weather I for one did not bit of a wimp when it comes to that wet stuff. As I can see missed out on a great rally well done to all the finders and all that braved the wether some really nice hammererd and artifacts. Well done Neil on your hammered and as usual brilliant write up

Hi Neil, i never found any coins so i dont kno why sum 1 said i found a hammy lol. im sure i will find my first hammy soon. thanks for the glory tho haha

What a great day Neil. Well done to all finders. I would have gone if I had spotted it sooner but next time.

 :) great day for some well done

well done to all the brave souls that turned out. thanks for sharing the pics too neil.

OK I'll put my own up then :D Hey the best find pole is going to be fun, oh and by the way my find is the one that wins lol
Henry III voided long cross penny

nice coin chef....some great finds were had by all, its a shame that i had to work....next time maybe

Well done on some stunning finds - maybe one day I'll find some time to attend one of the rallies , looks to be a great day out and a very interesting site

Just for the record this one is mine!

THIS IS TWICE I MISSED THIS VENUE!!!! I hope the next one falls on a better day for me. Well done to you all.

some fantastic finds there well done everyone  mickycoin ;D ;D