Detecting Wales Rally 78 – The Fake and the Real Silver

[celticspikey]

Detecting Wales Rally 78 – The Fake and the Real Silver

The Detecting Wales faithful met once again for a return visit to a farm we had not visited in a number of years nestled deep in the glorious Vale of Glamorgan.

A great turn out of long standing members and a sprinkling of newbies (welcome on board chaps) joined us for a day of searching on large stubble fields. Following the normal formalities we were off, and onto what once again proved to be still very productive fields.

Shortly after the start a local farmer arrived on a quad bike and was trying to locate a wooden block he had lost whilst helping the landowner harvest the fields. He was zipping up and down with no success for sometime, until a clever Melonhead reset his Explorer to ‘Wood Mode’ and promptly uncovered the block to the delight of a very happy farmer. Well done Mark.

First find of the day fell to Val who is a regular on the forum to say the least, and had made the journey down with her helicopter flying husband and dogs. She had uncovered a pigeon ring that still had the poor pigeons leg attached. It was the first I saw of I think six discovered throughout the day, at what should have been dubbed the ‘pigeons graveyard’! Its worth noting that the earlier smaller and silver tone ones go for surprising prices on eBay. An odd thing to collect, but I suppose most people find us an odd bunch for doing what we do.

The day was only 10 minutes old when a shout went up and in his first hole of the day, Pull Tab Paul had pulled out a groat speculatively of Henry VII with a right facing bust. It was in great condition apart from a chunk missing from the top right hand corner. Seemed like there was still plenty here to discover, and we weren’t disappointed as the hammered count soared quickly into double figures as the day progressed.

The next find was a curious one, as it purported to be a hammered groat of Henry VIII, but when I first saw it I thought that ‘Old Copper Nose’ was looking a tad to healthy, and that it had to be the thickest hammered coin I had ever seen! I returned to the finder Kernel Custer a bit later to have a second look, and ask if I could remove some of the mud. Poor Kernel Custer. As soon as I removed the mud to one side, his first hammered coin changed before our eyes into a decent WRL (Westair Reproductions Limited) replica coin, made probably in the last five years. This was obviously a trick played by someone, and its not the first time we have experienced it as I recall Ben Watergent finding one a few years ago at a rally. Oh well at least Paul now had a decent quality replica for his collection.

Next up was young Nobby with a jetton that was unceremoniously rattling around in his find pouch. Alongside him was Justin, with what I think is his first milled silver coin and a beaut in the shape of an early Vicky florin.

John Talbot, who always finds on DW Rallies, appeared on my horizon with a hammered coin that I think turned out to be a clipped half groat of Charles, a lead bag seal and a chewed bomper of a musket ball. Hopefully it had been chewed by a cow and not a soldier, as a chewed musket ball used to cause horrendous damage when it impacted on its target. The theory is that a chewed musket ball acts like a dumdum bullet, and would splatter on impact causing maximum damage.

A couple of decent coppers from George II onwards were in most people’s pockets – I even had four in mine! One of the more unusual coins was a silver sixpence of George III that you don’t see every day.

Melonhead had the only short cross I saw on the day, although I did hear about a cut half short cross also coming up. I personally love the coins of the Plantagenet period, but I am absolutely dire at deciphering them. This one needs a bit of TLC to shed some light on the monarch and the mintage, but it looks to be a prime example.  On the other end of the spectrum for quality of hammered coins stood John Sheeley, with a virtually blank scrap of a coin, but it was a hammered and they all count – just!

Willowtree passed by shortly after with what he had been told was a car bonnet emblem, but he wasn’t too disappointed when I told him that it was in fact a Sterling Silver US Air Force World War II officers badge. A very collectible item in fantastic condition. His other find was also silver and a great engraved man’s silver ring with letters to the bezel and design to the arms. Should be interesting to see it once its been cleaned up, and Willowtree promised to pop a photo of it onto DW.

A Lizzy groat (thats a fourpence for newbies) for a new member called Penny Magnet was a great reward as a first hammered find, and there was certainly no doubt that this one was real. Well done a quality first!

Mike the Afro also got in on the hammered finds with a brace of what I think were an early Edward and a Charles II. Well found Mike and keep growing the ‘fro’ mate – it suits you sir.

I know there were quite a few finds I missed including three hammered coins for The Doc, and as I was driving off the field I could see someone in my rear view mirror giving a hammered signal, so please feel free to add your finds to this post.

With four rally dates already in the side calendar, and another three farms we are struggling to find time to fit in, it going to be a busy Autumn at Wales’ Premier Metal Detecting Forum.

Keep checking in as we have a few unusual rallies coming up, including one on a World War One training campsite. Lets just hope we don’t find the rifle range!

Keep the faith

Neil  

Nice write up as usual Neil, glad you all had a good day out great pictures

[wondering]

some very nice finds there guys well done and I'm sorry I missed it

[nobby]

thats a really good report Neil......proud of my protoge JCB with his gothic florin.......even if it has taken him 6 detectors to find it
myself didnt do to well on the finds front.....my best was a bristol token (your face was a picture when i was rumaging through my scrap to show you it )
cant wait for the next one
nobby

[Doug]

Well done on the finds and the rally report.

Due to a commitment to another rally I was unable to attend.

[colin]

penny magnets lizzie sixpence nice and clean and peterh that's just plain greedy lol great finds mate 

[Mike]

good report and photos ( even the afro ) , lots more to be found there if the stubble gets disced up , well done to all thosethat made finds  

[adrian wall]

It was a lovely day. But I wish the farmer could have rolled the fields.cos as far as I'm concerned. Some of it was impossible. To get the detector near the ground.

[bristolminelab]

Many thanks to all involed

[bowman]

could anyone give a possible id /  age for the ring in photo jpg315  as found at DW rally on sunday.  As a newcomer to DW rallies I would like to thank one and all for the welcome I was given.

[Dryland]

Another great rally and report, It was a bit hard going in the long stubble but a thoroughly enjoyable day. I came away with 2 Queen Elizabeth coins [  2 x £1 coins ] and a 1d Roll on next rally.

[Chef Geoff]

I was shocked, after a gust of wind, to find out exactly why Mike is growing his hair

[jcb (THE THIMBLE) jones]

cracking report neil ,thanks to all at dw for another great rally , it was nice to come away with a  1860 gothic florin my best find so far 

[BeachHunter101]

Awesome day yesterday, very nice place to be in some cracking finds. I didnt find anything other than iron and bits of foil but did pick up a nice arrow head and what i think is one thanks for organizing a great day! p.s i didnt have chance to show people the arrowhead my lift turned up and i had to shoot

[Chef Geoff]

Wow! not too certain on the second but the barbed and tanged is a beauty and yet another Bronze Age artefact from that site

[jcb (THE THIMBLE) jones]

I was shocked, after a gust of wind, to find out exactly why Mike is growing his hair

great picture of friar mike ,i always thought there was more to the fro lol