Who am I kidding - I had the best day ever in my short time detecting.
We met at around 8:45am ish somewhere in deepest, darkest Wales - the kind of place where the men are men and the sheep are scared (they should be seeing John in his wellies!
)
We are both armed with Explorer II's with a Muskie as a back up. Anyway we hit the pastures after a brief walk around and decide to grid the areas. Johns is ta the top of the field and I am at the bottom. I had found about 3 lead signals when I unearth a copper alloy object withh 3 holes in the bottom - reminds me of the base of a seal box. Any suggestions? I look up to tell John, but he's already upon me and is grinning from ear to ear as he is holding a Denarius in his hand - one nil to John! Looks like its going to be a good day!
Next item falls to me and its my first denarius ever! I had only been bemoaning my lack of Roman silver earlier in the day, so it was a great feeling to unearth one, that feeling will always be there! Looks like its Republican - but I want to try and research it myself first, so no guesses please!
Next signal, and oh my god its a votive offering of a man minus his legs. Found a couple of feet (excuse the pun) from the Denari. I rush 100 meters+ to show John who by now is muttering something about
"I'm the teacher - your the pupil! Not the other way around!"Return to my grid and then about 30 foot from Johns bag I pull out a couple of grots (I can call them that now) and then yet another Denari! Whats going on - none in 2.5+ years then two in a day (and they say you never find anything in Wales!) 2-1 to me!!!! This one is also a tad odd looking! I am trying to find what it is at the mo.
John then redemes himself with a really beautiful Disc Brooch - with an unusual fitting. Lovely find and intricatly carved. I find a bronze ring - another grot and lots of other bronze items. I also stumble across a lump of encrusted metal that is giving me a Denarius signal - I test it in front of John and we both agree - there's something in it, that is not ferous.
Its sat on my kitchen table at the moment - more on that in a later post!I pull a broken brooch out, and once again John is upon me (he's like a ghost!) holding yet another Denari! He gave it a clean a bit later and the reverse is outstanding! Well done mate - really pleased for you! Cracking find.
The scores 2-2 and we are entering injury time as the darkness is creeping up on us! And that is where it ends OR does it - as I still have the lump of mystery to open! Time to get my dremmel out - more on this later!
In the Denari photo the ones on the left are my finds, and the ones on the right Johns.
I get home about 7ish - shattered, but more than happy!
Its been a great detecting end of the year for me!
Happy Christmas one and all
Neil
P.S. To round up, last night I was lieing in bed with the wife and said " Do you know what, I have a really good feeling about tomorrow - I think I'll find something decent." she looked at me with the look only a wife can give. As if to say
"how many times have I heard that?" Looks like I was right for once.
