METAL DETECTING AND THE PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES SCHEME

Tens of thousands of Britons from all walks of life, including a former member of the Rolling Stones, are regularly spending hours of their weekends searching for hidden treasure and they have uncovered more than a million historic artefacts over the past 20 years, including hundreds of ancient Roman coin hoards, elaborate Anglo-Saxon wargear and Viking silver.

Metal detecting is still condemned as near-vandalism by some archaeologists. However, the broadcast this autumn of BBC Four’s comedy series, Detectorists, has increased awareness of a hobby that has become much more accessible as a result of the equipment becoming cheaper.

With a £200 metal detector and some patience you are almost certain to find historical artefacts, and there is the chance that some will be valuable. However, for every knockout gold coin they find, experienced detectorists unearth hundreds of fascinating but low-value items such as worn bronze coins, buckles and buttons. Besides Mackenzie Crook, the author and co-star of Detectorists, another celebrity who is a metal detector enthusiast is Bill Wyman, the former Rolling Stones bassist, who now sells his own Wyman Signature Detector. He has found hundreds of artefacts, including medieval gold coins worth £1,000 each, but stresses that his hobby is for historical interest, not money.

Wyman has said: “After I’ve been out metal detecting I come home with my pockets full, wash the finds, spread them out to dry and begin to wonder what they all are. Then I can invent my own stories about how a particular coin or brooch came to be in that field. Detecting makes history so much more interesting — it’s a great hobby.”

The millionth find was recorded this year by the Portable Antiquities Scheme, a government initiative that began in 1997 and which encourages metal detectorists and other members of the public to report finds dating from before 1650 to local liaison officers for identification. The finds are mapped so archaeologists and other researchers can analyse their distribution and draw important conclusions about our history. The scheme is optional, but if your discovery could qualify as treasure, you have a legal obligation to report it to the district coroner.

The term “treasure” applies to any gold or silver artefact or group of coins more than 300 years old. If your find is declared treasure, you may be allowed to keep it, or there is the chance that it will be purchased by an institution; however, you should receive its full market value.

Since the scheme’s inception, detectorists have reported more than 500 discoveries of Roman coin hoards alone, including the Frome hoard of more than 52,000 coins found in a large ceramic pot in a field in Somerset. The hoard was acquired by the Museum of Somerset for £320,250 with the proceeds split between David Crisp, the finder, and the landowner.

Through coin finds, the scheme has already revealed the existence of previously unknown rulers, including Anarevito, a chieftain in Kent around the time of the birth of Christ. A silver-gilt badge depicting Richard III’s emblem of a white boar and probably worn by one of his retainers helped pin down the real site of the Battle of Bosworth.

Neil MacGregor, the director of the British Museum, says: “The success of the scheme and its site, finds.org.uk, cannot be overestimated in terms of our understanding of our past. The sheer variety and diversity of finds registered over its 17-year history is extraordinary and the one-millionth find is a truly exciting milestone.” The best way to get started in detecting is to attend a local club event. Clubs provide opportunities for prospective detectorists to meet members who can advise on getting started. You can find contact details for clubs at the website of the National Council for Metal Detecting.

To read the complete article, see:
For history and riches go treasure-seeking (www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/money/consumeraffairs/article4306502.ece)

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