Shouldn’t Someone Look For Jo & His Crew?

At precisely thirty-five minutes past eleven on the night of January 23^rd 1944 it was bloomin’ chilly and, if you were still up and outside, you would have been able to see the warm plumes of your breath in the cold, still night air. A fine sparkling frost coated the countryside and the occasional cock pheasant called from the numerous small copses in the locality. If you lived in or near the village of Shingay in Cambridgeshire and you looked up into the night sky you might well have wondered what that aeroplane was doing just circling round and round. Exactly two minutes later, making the time now eleven thirty seven, you would have witnessed the aeroplane – or at least heard it – enter a very steep dive. After a few seconds, hearing the engines start to scream, you might have thought “come on guys pull out of that.” At eleven thirty eight it would have become clear that the steep dive had been terminal for both aircraft and anyone inside it as a colossal explosion shook the window panes in local houses and a massive billowing orange fireball lit up the surrounding countryside.

When a coin is spend worn

Two decades ago I came up with a phrase I use a lot today: “Spend Worn.” It was born from finding Roman Sestertii that, although they had retained very little detail, curiously still had a lustrous smooth glossy green (or other) colour patination. It’s a term that does not apply to corroded, deliberately filed, defaced or mutilated coins, just coins where the details have been gently and gradually eroded. Since then I have used the term on numerous occasions and, while I don’t claim to have invented it, I first had it published in a Treasure Hunting magazine in 1999. So, if no one used it prior to that well maybe I can take the credit….

Using and interpreting Google Earth

Like many metal detectorists I use Google Earth to have a look at the land that I search and to scope out potential new sites. The Time Shift icon on Google Earth allows you to essentially go back in time, sometimes as far as 1945, which is fascinating research. This icon is particularly useful with crop marks, as some show up better under certain light conditions, with specific crops and when there are certain moisture levels in the soil. On one of the estates I searched, for example, I noticed a field that clearly had strip lynchets on it. These medieval plough lines normally show up as lighter and darker soil stripes across an arable field – on pasture they are best observed as the sun sets and shadow falls across the lines.

On This Day in History…. 10th April

10^th of April may appear to be a day just like any other, but in fact it has marked some fairly momentous events, births and deaths over the years. Of which, we’ve noted a few below for posterity. If you think we’ve missed any out then let us know in the comments!

Metal detecting, whatever will you find next?

I guess many of us have had that so called ‘X-Factor feeling’ when a certain find just pops into your thoughts – a few minutes later you find it! Sometimes it might not be quite as quick – maybe you were talking to a mate a week ago about it, or perhaps even in the car on the way to the site. Whatever the case, doesn’t it feel good to show that find to the very people you talked to about it? It’s almost as if you have a rather satisfyingly psychic aspect to your personality…I chat a lot about Celtic Torques and Roman Coin Hoards but so far the X-Factor spirit has not helped me with these.

March’s Best Finds

As we enter another month, it’s safe to say that March has been another fantastic months of finds, so in keeping with the last couple of months, here’s our round up of the best finds from our community. If your find didn’t feature, have no fear! Keep uploading your best finds to our Facebook and Twitter pages for the chance to feature in next month’s edition…

Introducing the Minelab GPZ 7000

Looking for gold has never been easier, thanks to the new Minelab GPZ 7000 Gold Detector and its revolutionary technology. This extraordinary machine can detect tiny nuggets buried deep underground – up to 40% deeper than its deep-seeking predecessor, the Minelab GPX 5000.

Changes Over Four Decades

I’ve been detecting for a little more than 35 years now, and often reflect back to the days when I first started (though I shan’t disclose which machine I used because that’s just too embarrassing). I fell in love with the hobby as soon as I took it up, and still feel the same way today. I also laugh at some of my early antics.

Imprints From The Past

Like many of us do, I sometimes stumble upon curious things when out detecting. Pottery fragments and other ceramics are always interesting – even more so after I’ve cleaned them at home with my specs on!

To Be A Hoard, Or Not To Be A Hoard

Many people have found collections of buried coins, all over the world. Here in the UK, such finds have been dated as far back as Celtic times. Large quantities of coins discovered in a single or several pots are classed as ‘hoards’.