Your best find(s) of 2020

[Bors]

Here`s a bit of "extra" info on this subject of "Love tokens",which might come in handy for those that are not familiar to the love tokens to be found.
It is believed that the love token originated in Great Britain as early and as far back as the 13th century, with the practice of bending coins. When dealing with your favorite saint, in return for a favor, a coin was bent and a pledge was made. The bent coin, "a token of your pledge," became a physical reminder of your obligation.

Where did love tokens come from?
Love tokens are coins which have been hand-engraved after the minting process, often with sentimental messages.

For years, love token coins have been carried for luck, but on occasion were accidentally spent. To try and prevent this from happening, various techniques were employed to more effectively mark the coins.

The practice of engraving the coins took hold during the late 1600s, with some of the coins being crafted by experienced artisans as well as individual amateurs. One of the most recognisable styles used to mark coins was “pin punching”, a technique involving pounding a series of dots using a pointed metal instrument to make an impression of an engraved finish.

As these tokens were growing in popularity, people soon started to recognise them as love tokens – primarily due to the engraved messages.

Over the course of time, love tokens became extremely popular across the globe; though appeared in a slightly different guise in the UK.

British love tokens, also sometimes referred to as ‘crooked coins’, were coins which were given by young men to the object of his affections. The suiter would bend the coin to create a wave, in a bid to prevent it from being used. If the coin was kept, it was a sign that the young man’s affections were reciprocated. If the coin was rejected on the other hand, this was a sign of rejection.

How to recognise a love token?
Love tokens were smoothed down almost ‘obliterating’ the monarch’s head, before being bent out of shape. They were also hand-engraved with special initials as well as love signs, including hearts and knots. Some love coins have been also struck with little holes, allowing the owner to attach it to a chain and wear it.

The vast majority of love tokens seem to have been made of silver, however you can still find bronze and copper pieces.

[Paint]

I have had a amazing year of finds will post some of them later but my best find has to be
Wish all the team a happy new year

[Oxgirl]

2A736793-44DA-4831-A53C-637E48A08A3C.jpegI have had a amazing year of finds will post some of them later but my best find has to be
Wish all the team a happy new year

Flattery will get you everywhere

[Paint]

Here are some of my best finds of 2020

[muddy mick]

The vast majority of love tokens seem to have been made of silver, however you can still find bronze and copper pieces.

I found a gold one a while back, A George I half guinea

[figgis]

Ian, that has to be the best condition Liz tanner I've ever seen outside of a museum or coin shop

[Doug]

This beach find ring did a 'runner' after it entered the house earlier this year, I suspect it is hiding in a jewellery box in the bedroom...

[Bors]

I`ve just had a sudden urge to Stab Paint.
Cue the shower scene music in Psycho .

[alloverover]

First off, Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody Ive not been on the forums much lately, just having a bit of a break but it wont be for long i,m sure

Ive been out nowhere near as much as normal, same is true for us all I guess, odder than you average year, but looking back through the phots, ive had some reasonable finds, a couple of nice ones really

[Paint]

I`ve just had a sudden urge to Stab Paint.
Cue the shower scene music in Psycho .

I have had a lot of threats

you will have to join the cue Bors
I’m glad I could only post 6 photos

[figgis]

I’m glad I could only post 6 photos

So am I

ive had some reasonable finds, a couple of nice ones really

A couple?

As BA said avove, the quality of finds above totally belies the circumstances they were found in and just goes to show how good you lot are at winkling out the good stuff. Great to see

[Littleboot]

Some great stuff...such a variety of treasures ...different ages and materials.....
I had a mixed year as the condition of my permissions was very dry for a lot of the available 'window' of time after the crops came off. I suspect i wasn't the only one afflicted this way. However, my one best field was left ploughed, rolled and not seeded for a month and I therefore concentrated my efforts on that more than usual.
I accumulated my best coin of this year from there ...a mid 14th century Franc a Pied.
My favourite metal artefact was a complete late 17th century shoe buckle in solid silver, hallmarked Paris....very pleased with it as I had drawn a blank on a small pasture paddock whenever I'd tootled over it before..
Perhaps my favorite find of all though was the neolithic polished axe I found on a field that had been deep dug for drainage. Just laying there in the dust. (It had been fruitless trying to metal detect and I was trudging home when I saw it.)

[Oxgirl]

Oh wow Jan you’ve had a corking year.

In fact most of you have. There are some stunning finds this year - not one of two stars but loads of them.

Hope 2021 brings us more lovely things, well anything really. At this stage I’d be happy just getting out sometime before the summer. Let’s all cross our fingers and enjoy our evening drinking the last hours of 2020 away

[Doug]

This single Queen Anne halfcrown coin was the highlight for me for 2020.

The clock is slowly but surely taking us all to the end of 2020 but in the words of Captain Sir Tom Moore: Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day.

Good luck and good health for 2021..........Doug.

[Danzigman]

Here is it...


I know it is stunning. But sometimes they just come up great.. May the 2021 be better...