DetectingWales.com

Detecting Wales Rally 86 - Kings, Queens & Tokens

The early morning journey to Leominster seemed to fly by, largely helped along the way with tales of my ongoing war with a resident mouse, Mike’s unhealthy Grog addiction and the merits of pulled pork sandwiches.

We were soon at the parking location, aided by an excellent signage job undertaken the evening before by Da Monkey. Well done on doing this and liaising with the farmer, it certainly made our lives a lot easier. Thanks Andy.

Usual routine followed, along with a brief description of the area we had to play with, which consisted mainly of pasture (that had been ploughed in recent history) and one strip of freshly ploughed, rolled and seeded land. It literally was as fresh as they come, the farmer was doing it as we gathered.

At 9.30 on the dot, we were off into the fields with high hopes of the odd hammered coin being found. I don’t think any of us ever imagined that we would be discovering over 20 hammered silver coins!

The first of the day feel to the aptly named Win, who was certainly a winner today with a Lizzy sixpence that he found in the gateway between the first two fields heading immediately down towards the farm.  God knows how many of us trampled over it as we moved between the fields.

Shortly after that I spoke to Dave Hart who was now the owner of a somewhat sacred find to those from South Wales’ green and pleasant land, in the shape of a crotal bell. They just never seem to turn up in South Wales, but certainly do in abundance as soon as you hit the borderlands. Along with the bell he also had a pellet and line decorated spindle whorl, a belter of a 1700’s buckle and I also heard later that he picked up a hammered, but never got to see it.

Mike the Hair was next up, with a lovely profiled Eddy coin – I make that five hammered coins for Mike in four outings this year. I’m obviously doing something wrong as I’ve not even had a sniff of struck coinage this year. Maybe his power come from his ever increasing hair?

Plenty of new faces attended today and I hope we made you feel more than welcome. It was great chatting to you and seeing some of your finds, that included a grotty Roman sestertious for one of the newbies and a nice George III penny for another. Its all a learning curve chaps, stick with it and the rewards do follow eventually. Feel free to use ask along the way though if you need help.

Next up came Rod, with a fair old lump of silver that he wasn’t sure was silver, luckily I had my eagle eyes with me today and could see a hallmark on the side. An interesting silver lid that was emblazoned with the name Rudge Whitworth. Rod commented he was going to add it to the top of a walking stick. I just did a bit of research and it would appear that Rudge Whitworth is an early manufacturer of bicycles and motor bikes. Quite a collectable and I dare say valuable item Rod! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudge-Whitworth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudge-Whitworth)

A cracker of a silver thimble that had sadly been squashed appeared next with early writing of the initials SAR. It’s a thing of beauty and should be quite easy to have reshaped. Any jeweller should be capable of doing it for a small charge.

The next 30 minutes started with an animal stampede! First up were some marauding sheep and lambs. Who were legging it in a playful manner from field to field. Shortly after they were followed by some Aberdeen Angus long horns who were just strolling through towards the farm for their lunch. They were then followed by what was surely the largest bull in the UK, who to be quite frank just sauntered his way along and why not, when you are that size you can just do whatever you want to. Everyone wisely gave him a very wide berth. As you know, you are all responsible for your own Health and Safety when it comes to livestock and thankfully he was pretty placid.

The winds picked up along with the find rate, with the hammered coins flying in like bees to a hive.

Soft Top was particularly happy, as he had his first hammered since we revisited Rooksbridge some two years ago. He was joined by Radnor Bandit with two hammered coins – a cut half Plantagenet short cross and a pierced Charles II. Steven King and Melonhead both added hammered coinage, as did numerous other finders. I lost track to be quite honest of who found what on the hammered front, but I know we got into the early 20’s!

Throughout the day, numerous lead tokens surfaced of all manner of design, including the early pelleted ones. There was one particular find that looked like a token, but also reminded me of an earlier coinage – its posted in the last section of photos. Any ideas?

It wasn’t just hammered silver though as plenty of milled silver surfaced including a shilling of William III and one of Victoria. Along with love token sixpences, George III sixpences, three pences and even a fake King Billy sixpence.

Wet Feet Again recovered a Silver Georgian Spoon that will reshape easily from the pasture gate leading into the ploughed field. Judging by the font of the ET inscription its certainly early 1800’s and someone certainly needed to ‘call home’.

Big Chris had a lump of a Lizzy sixpence dated 1566, along with a XXX coin weight and a cut quarter of ‘Johnny Foreigner’ that I speculatively thought may be Portugese/Spanish.


I think the find of the day though belonged to Trout Master Funk. After years of getting sand between his toes, he has recently headed inland to see what mud on a welly feels like. After many attempts, he had finally managed to unearth his first ever hammered. None too shabby either as it was a Calais Minted unclipped groat of Henry VI – I can assure you they won’t all be of that quality. Congratulations, I am sure it was worth the wait.

Mike and I had to leave around 4:30, but I know of more coinage being found and it’s the first time I have seen the car park so busy that late in the day. You were obviously all enjoying yourselves.

There is definitely more to be found there and if you are up for it, I think a return visit in a year or so may well reap similar rewards. Well done Mike on finding such a great farm.

In other news, we are currently working on a rally location that as far as I am aware nobody has ever considered. It’s all a tad ‘hush-hush’ at the moment and more news to follow on that over the next month or so. We are also in the early planning stages of the Annual Two Day event. Keep checking in a Wales’ premier metal detecting forum for more information.

Until next time. Keep The Faith.

Neil

More finds

And Again

Any ideas on the long bronze pointy item?

Also anyone confirm that the last photo is speculatively a Bronze Age toggle? Its been bugging me since I saw it. I know what it is I just cant remember!

Last few

The curved lead thing in this batch of photos - what is that? And what size is it?  I found something vaguely similar there yesterday, but thought it was just a blob of lead...would be cool if it turned out to be an *actual thing*...  ;D

That will be a shy cock. Used as a lead target instead of a live chicken when that becameviewed as a bit out of order on the chickens behalf!

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=5655&cat=130 (http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=5655&cat=130)

So now I know what a shy cock is... ;D  Metal detecting is such an enlightening hobby...last week I discovered Victorian skirt-lifters, and now shy cocks...it's just one big smutty innuendo!   ;D

Having checked back at my little lead find, it's not as detailed as the pic so may just be a little lump of lead after all...will take a photo later and let you decide whether it's a case of 'willing it to be something' syndrome...

Thanks again!

A brilliant low-down on the day there Neil and what a cracking rally wow! Personally I think the shy cock idea is more the eye of faith with a big dollop of hope mixed in and looks more like window leading given the groove.
On the down side Deadlock who did the land survey for this rally and contacted me straight afterwards has as you probably know been in hospital and sadly I have to report he has had a relapse or I should say he will have as soon as I get hold of him >:(

Try again

Dont post a minute - more

great report and pics neil , a great day had by all , we will be going back there again next year for sure  ;)

Cheers Neil for the write up cash in the post lol  ;)

very nice finds everyone,  pity i couldn,t go, maybe next time, well done everyone.

Great finds, well done everyone :)

Neil, is the long pointy thing a fighting cock spur  ?  sure I've seen one similar.

Great write up again.  Well done all the finders  ;)

Val

Many thanks for a great rally and on my doorstep as well  :) :)

Some very nice finds made on the day, and was nice to catch up with a few fellow detectorists, for me it was a blank :'( basically , next time may be but for now thanks must go to the guys for securing the land and the organisation so well done guys. ;) ;)

Great report Neil as always ;) With the amount of silver finds I wouldn't be surprised a bit gold surfaces on the next trip :D  well done to all the finders.

It was a good day, I only got a couple of coppers, Vicky threepence and two lead tokens but enjoyed it. Thanks to the farmer and organizers for an enjoyable day 👍👍

Fantastic write up - and pictures - well done everybody.

One day, one day I'll be on a rally like that :)

(currently in Boise, Idaho, so little chance of Romans here - apart from in the local coin shop that is)

Some lovely finds there and great write up......... Well done all  :)

Well done Neil,  Mike Damonkey sounds like i missed a corker well done all on the finds,  and chef justice was served 😡

Great write up and many thanks to the organisers. I had a great day, only found a couple of tokens and a nice 1806 penny but it was great to see the finds coming from all the fields. Very nice to meet some of our bretheren from the deep South  ;D Completely shattered by the time I got home.

Enjoyed looking  at all your finds and good report of your day , well done.

Had a great day out nice to meet a few new detectorist's didn't find a lot myself, a couple of coins a lead token lots of lead a piece of a crotle bell a bit smaller than the piece pictured but might be off the same one. My thanks to the great work the organizers did and the time they put in. The only down side was someone was not filling in all their holes as in the farthest field from the parked cars I filled in 5 what had been left open with the soil piled next to them all near the hedges. All I can say is shame on them as talking to another detectorist he also filled some in as well.

I think a lot of us tidied up holes as we went past, like you say a shame people are willing to risk further digs in the area from laziness, all I can say to them is you know who you are, pack it in!

I also filled in half a dozen holes, it would be a great pity to loose such productive land due to irresponsible people upsetting the landowner.

There was quite a bit of scrap left in holes and on the fields, come on people keep it tidy !!!

 I got caught out with one hole on Sunday. Swung my detector over a filled in hole and got a cracking signal. Oohh thought I someones missed the target.  Guess what,   yes,  large iron.  Can't criticise whoever dug the hole fist. It must have been a fair old chunk, and it's still there.  If I think I can get it out, I will but I, for one don't intend digging half an old tractor up.