A nice surprise on a new field!

[Easylife]

Well what an exciting evening it turned out to be. I got home later than planned but as heavy rain was forecast for the next day I still decided to go to my stubble field for a couple of hours last evening. But when I pulled up I noticed that someone else's grass field across the road had just been cut and the bales wrapped. The gate was open so I took a look in and caught the farmer just as he was leaving. So by chance my late timing turned out to be just perfect. We had a chat, which then turned into a long chat – well maybe more like me listening to his grumbles of being a poor farmer and of his hatred of trespassing dog walkers, but to be fair he made some very valid points which I had to agree with and added some of my own supportive experiences. So we hit it off pretty well. But that was not all that we had in common as it transpired that we knew the same certain people and he wanted me to put in a good word for him to one of my other landowners. So it was no problem at all in securing this new permission and he also has much larger land holdings around other close villages. He asked when I wanted to detect this freshly cut grass field so I said right now and was on it within five minutes with the Nox and 15” coil. I didn't get his name but did make a point of getting his phone number.
(Click pics to make bigger.)


This new 6 acre field proved to have infrequent targets and be very clean of trash , which is good. As a bonus the soil also proved to be quite kind to targets as many came out in better than normally expected condition. One deep target was really quite iffy and didn't even respond to any sensitivity below 24 so was unlikely to be large iron, but from 13” deep a George III halfpenny appeared, the one with the grooved edge, but I didn't catch it's buried orientation in the ground which would have been interesting to know.



A sweet 21 was silver, but a blank 19mm sixpence that had worn as thin as a hammy. A musket ball came out really clean. An 1898 penny was counter-marked on both sides with 'YARWOOD TABLEY'. A large lead plumb bob was at 7” deep. I hadn't found a bag seal for absolutely ages until the last time out a few miles away, so it was a bit weird when I found exactly the same type here. So for a first quick reckie I guess the signs were looking quite good?



Here's all the other dug targets, I can't really even call them trash! Centre is a musical box mechanism on a lead/alloy base.


Time was getting on and I was about to head for home, but to my surprise I spotted a tractor track leading though the trees so followed it out of curiosity. It led into another much smaller grass field just the same with wrapped bales in it so I had to assume the same owner and had a very brief go in there too. This field was even quieter of targets than the first and it wasn't until I reached the other side of it that I got my first signal. I was thinking another Georgian coin but was very pleasantly surprised when this chunky presumably solid silver shoe buckle presented itself.



It could do with a good clean but I'm a bit flummoxed about its age though as there are no hallmarks at all but lots of file marks where it has been dressed so makes it feel pretty old. But due to the remains and staining from the copper/alloy chape I'm guessing that it dates about 1700, and if so could be a treasure item - which would be pretty cool for the first target dug on a new field! But I'm struggling to find anything similar so would appreciate your thoughts on this one.







I only have about a week before they spread stinking slurry fertilizer on them!

[Kenleyboy]

Very nice buckle find , hope you get a date on it .

[Oxgirl]

It looks like a cast pewter 17th century buckle - I’ll see if I can find a good match. Try some spit and foil in case it is silver though

Edit: great write up - forgot to say that!

[Easylife]

It looks like a cast pewter 17th century buckle - I’ll see if I can find a good match.

I had also considered the possibility of it being pewter and it may well be as it feels quite weighty for its size.

[shaggybfc]

Belter of a buckle

[bob79]

Lovely buckle, would have been more than happy with it.
Well done you.

[Blackadder43]

Thats a cracker of a buckle, i would be well chuffed with that one
Shows some higher status as thats not your everyday buckle?
Great write up too
Cheers

[Dave The Slave]

That is an exquisite buckle.
Well done,
Cheers,
Dave.

[Paint]

What a fancy buckle the owner must have been gutted to lose this one well found

[Ladybird66]

Well done EL. I wondered which buckle you were talking about in your other article and now I know. Just haven’t had time this last week to keep up with all the posts.
It’s a belter and I’d say possibly unique. Def not mass produced. Strange turn of events there. In the right place at the right time. Strange how things happen some times. Another unexpected string to the bow and very welcome I’m sure.

[Littleboot]

lovely write up ian!
What a cracking buckle......it looks late 17th century to me. (I find a lot of 17th century stuff and there is just a 'vibe' about it.) i found a nice 17th century buckle recently with the chape still in situ. I have come to the conclusion that the whole shoe may have been lost and since then has rotted away leaving the complete buckle. If it were otherwise it is more likely that the chape would have snapped and released the buckle from the shoe. i have to say I found my buckle in a corner of a small paddock...but despite going back I have found nothing else of consequence. I hope you have a different outcome. So how did it get there?
I therefore have a theory.....
When my mother was growing up on the farm the lane was un-metalled and pretty much as it had been in medieval times. So extremely muddy in winter. When they walked the mile or so into the village, or to church, they would wear old shoes (she called them a pair of old tratchels! ) and would then put on a pair of better shoes which were kept under the hedge at the end of the muddy lane. This swapping about was a constant feature of life...couldn't go about constantly carrying shoes, especially when carrying shopping on foot.
So i have every reason to believe that sometimes shoes were put in a safe place and swapped for old ones if lanes and footpaths regularly used were impassable or muddy.

[Easylife]

So i have every reason to believe that sometimes shoes were put in a safe place and swapped for old ones if lanes and footpaths regularly used were impassable or muddy.

I've never heard of that one but it does make perfect sense. Or maybe if the land was muddy they took a detour through the field?