No more stubble trouble

[figgis]

Aside from the gyp I get from her ladyship if I fail to shave every couple of hours, that is. Don't know why she's so particular about it. Must be a purely aesthetic thing because it's not as if I can ever get close enough for it to scratch, but I digress...

What ho,

Fired up the Jenks early doors and headed for the usual permission, deciding to go onto the pasture if the stubble was still there but to my relief it was gone. Further, and to my absolute delight, it had been ploughed for the third year running and I couldn't get out to the crease fast enough, wondering what further wonders this amazing field might throw at me.

The innings began in T20 style, with two of the first three targets being Roman coins. One was a half-decent barbarous radiate and the other just a mangled wreck, so not the best of coins, admittedly, but a cracking start which boded well for the rest of the day. Sadly, though, the run rate slowed to a crawl thereafter, with nothing of note coming up for the rest of that session nor the one after the gin break (the official one). Plenty of signals, mind, but they virtually all turned out to be lead, on or near the surface. However, the soil was dry and fluffy and I wasn't really expecting to find anything at any significant depth.

Having necked the last of the gin I set off on the final session with the strange expectation that something was going to happen to put a smile on my face before close of play. Sure enough, Great Aun't rubber foot came off and caused her to sink in the soft soil up to her hip But seconds later I was positively beaming. I had a signal which was clear, with a faint iron buzz, registering 56 on the screen. Typical Roman (or lead, copper or occasional foil, admittedly). I got the target out of the ground and went in with the pinpointer, shortly finding a small lump of ancient, melted bronze. Oh. Made quite a racket for such a small chap, I thought as I filled in the hole. Doing my habitual check of the hole I found the signal was still there, so went in again, this time to unearth a right cracking little brooch. A little beauty, with good and unusual detail, and of a type I've not found before (can't decide if it's a fantail or perhaps aesica just yet). It didn't matter if nothing else turned up after that - my day was made and it goes to prove that age-old adage: always check your hole before moving on.

clodshot

cleaned up

The good signals rolled in over the next hour or so, with a lot of ancient bronze partefacts clambering out of the ground at me. Then what i initially took to be the base of a shotgun cartidge morphed into an Edward III London halfpenny Well, look at the state of it originally:

dirty eddie

clean(er)

There was also an odd find which at first I took to be a buckle part but when cleaned up it doesn't look to be. Got a lot of age to it, though.

All in all a cracking few hours spent on a field which has had new life breathed into it. Add that to perfect weather and soil you could push your spade into and it was one of those days you always wish for. Had a dreamy smile on the old boat race on the way home which even the realisation that we'd left Great Aunt stuck in the field and would have to go all the way back to fetch her couldn't dampen.

Pip pip

[Allectus]

"There was also an odd find which at first I took to be a buckle part but when cleaned up it doesn't look to be. Got a lot of age to it, though."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Medieval strap-end.

A

[figgis]

Medieval strap-end.

A

Blimey, the day just got better

Cheers, Tony

[Dave The Slave]

Not a bad days detecting, John.
I assume the Medieval strap end is the hoop shaped jobby on the right.
Could well be more Bronze bits around.
Good Luck,
Dave.

[figgis]

I assume the Medieval strap end is the hoop shaped jobby on the right.

That's the very man, Dave Found one with virtually the same design on PAS and these are dated as 15thC.

And yes, there's loads more ancient bronze to be found on this field - it never stops giving

[Blackadder43]

I do hope Great Aunt found her way back home!
At least you could prop your detector against her whilst she was bogged down

Some nice finds John, a productive morning by the looks

[figgis]

I do hope Great Aunt found her way back home!
At least you could prop your detector against her whilst she was bogged down

You know me so well

Yes, a highly productive few hours and hopefully much more to come when that field's been rolled, settles down, and gets some moisture into it.

[Oxgirl]

Good day’s detecting there sir figgis. See you were cursed with roman rubbish too though. They were a careless lot with their money

[figgis]

Yeah, sorry to have sullied your day with the Roman toot, Cath, but hope I made amends with the medieval stuff

[TerraBritannia]

Well didn't you have a good day out? I need to get back on the Gin.

[alloverover]

Very amusing fig A definite Aesica there, very nice

[Paint]

Well done to you mr figgis that’s a great session by anyone’s standards

[figgis]

Well didn't you have a good day out? I need to get back on the Gin.

You mean there's a time when you're off it? You and I need to have a word, chap

A definite Aesica there, very nice

Thanks, Phil. I was beginning to lean towards that and thinking that perhaps the deep recesses to either side of the bow originally housed a 'ring'? New to this type of brooch but absolutely thrilled to have found one

Well done to you mr figgis that’s a great session by anyone’s standards

Except yours, Ian, in which case it rates as "OK I spose"

[Paint]

You mean there's a time when you're off it? You and I need to have a word, chap
Thanks, Phil. I was beginning to lean towards that and thinking that perhaps the deep recesses to either side of the bow originally housed a 'ring'? New to this type of brooch but absolutely thrilled to have found one
Except yours, Ian, in which case it rates as "OK I spose"

I was waiting for that just to say last time out only found 3 coppers back to normality