Veteran’s medal reunited with relative

A FIRST World War serviceman’s medal that was found on a beach by a metal detector enthusiast has been reunited with the officer’s great-nephew.

Bill Pollard got in touch with metal-detecting fan Tom Neesam after reading in the Hartlepool Mail how Tom unearthed the medal, which belonged to Robert Henry Pollard.

The medal, which features a man on a horse on one side and King George V on the other, was discovered by Tom, 45, on Seaton Carew beach.

He appealed in the Mail last month for any relatives of the officer, who was born in 1886 and served in the Royal Naval Reserve, to come forward and claim the piece.

Now the solid silver medal is in the hands of Bill, whose grandfather, William James Pollard, a haulier, was Robert’s brother.

http://www.peterleemail.co.uk/news/local/veteran_s_medal_reunited_with_relative_1_3810742

Men discover historic coins in Norfolk

Two men made an amazing discovery of silver coins dating back to the 16th century while using metal detectors on the outskirts of Norwich, a hearing has been told.

Gavin Bowen and Gary Barker found the 11 coins, dating back to 1553, while using their detectors in Spixworth.

A treasure trove inquest was conducted this week by Norfolk Coroner William Armstrong, pictured, who read from a report by Dr Adrian Marsden, of the British Museum.

Mr Armstrong said: “The coins were found while searching with metal detectors in the months up to September 2009.

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/men_discover_historic_coins_in_norfolk_1_1018734

Historical group strike gold in Luton

A RARE Roman coin was among hundreds of historical artefacts dug up by a Polish historical society in Luton earlier this month.

Members of the Polish Historical Exploration Club Thesaurus struck gold while digging for archeological treasure in a farmer’s field on the outskirts of Luton.

Igor Murawski, chairman of Thesaurus, said: ““It is really amazing and a great privilege to be able to connect with history like that.

“We chose to come to Luton because of its rich past.

“The fields around the town are very promising with lots of Roman and Celtic history.

“It looks as though we made the right choice coming here.”

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/local/historical_group_strike_gold_in_luton_1_3072296

Volunteers needed to save fort

Archaeologists in Denbighshire are calling for volunteers to rebuild part of an iron age hillfort.

The 2,500-year-old man-made defences of Caer Drewyn above Corwen, in Denbighshire, have started to erode.

It is not the only ancient monument to have attracted attention this week as Matthew Richards found out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/15012670

DUO FIND RARE ROMAN COIN

A RARE Roman coin has been discovered in the fields of Furness.

Metal detectorist duo Dave Taylor and Ian Miles, from Dalton, unearthed the coin along with another Roman coin.

Dr David Shotter from Lancaster University identified the artefacts and estimated the coins were from 67 AD and 119 AD, when Emperors Nero and Hadrian ruled.

In his findings, he reported the Nero-era coin was quite rare.

Mr Taylor and Mr Miles have only been detecting together for a few months and have already made a number of discoveries. Mr Taylor said: “When we are walking through the fields in the pouring rain for ages and the fields are like a mud bath, it’s great when you hear that beep. When you see a glimmer of silver, it makes it all worth it. It’s such a buzz. It gives you that kick to carry on.”

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/home/duo-find-rare-roman-coin-buried-in-a-furness-field-1.879046?referrerPath=news/

Metal detectors' grenade drama

A CHARITY metal detecting event went with a bang – literally – after a live and unstable Second World War grenade was uncovered.

The event on Sunday had been organised by Anton Rotary Club member Mike Bonner to raise money for Andover Young Carers, the club’s charity this year.

It was a huge success with about 100 people turning up to do some metal detecting on a couple of fields at Penton Mewsey when one of the detectors uncovered the grenade.

Mr Bonner said: “One of our Rotarians is ex-Army and he realised that it still had its charge intact. So we called the police and they called out the Royal Logistic Corps’ bomb disposal team.”

http://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/news/9255590.Metal_detectors__grenade_drama/

Coroner rules Iron Age gold coins as treasure

A CACHE of Iron Age gold coins thought to be more than 2,000 years old has been unearthed in Gnosall.

The four coins were discovered in July last year by four people using metal detectors and are thought to belong to the same hoard.
It is one of two significant finds in the Stafford area this year. In May a silver Snake ring dating back to Roman times was discovered on a farm in Gailey.
Both finds were this week declared as treasure by Staffordshire South coroner Andrew Haigh.

http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/News/Coroner-rules-Iron-Age-gold-coins-as-treasure-22092011.htm

Yorkshire hosts charity metal detector festival

More than 400 treasure hunters have descended on an East Yorkshire village for a weekend metal detecting festival.

The Bishop Burton event has drawn enthusiasts from around the world to hunt for buried items on 1700 acres (688 hectares) of farmland.

Each participant's entrance fee goes to the military charity Help for Heroes.

One of the experts supporting the event said he hoped they would uncover some new finds.

Dr Kevin Leahy is an archaeologist from Scunthorpe who worked as an advisor on the excavation of the Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold jewellery which was discovered by a metal detectorist in a farmer's field in July 2009.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-15047711

Sandbach Crosses Rotary Club digs into the past

THE Rotary Club of Sandbach Crosses has raised almost £500 from a metal detecting rally held on fields between Sandbach and Brereton.

Sixty enthusiasts from across the North West attended the rally, organised by the Mold Historical Search Society, and searched the 55-acre area.

Society organiser Colin Sharratt said: “The most significant finds made on the day was a pilgrim’s ampulla made of lead, a 14th century medieval mirror, two Roman coins, four medieval silver coins, William III silver sixpences, Victorian silver sixpences, numerous copper coins of the Victorian and Georgian period and shoe buckles.”

Sandbach Crosses president Neville Thornhill said: “This is the second such charity event the club has organised.

Full Article

Gold ring find nr York

A MAN who uncovered a valuable item of treasure at a York field has described his delight at realising what he had found.

Derek Greenwell, 58, said he considers uncovering a heavy gold signet ring just six inches under the soil at Church Farm at Overton, to be the high point of the 23 years he has spent metal detecting.

The 17th century ring, with the coat of arms from Manchester’s Prestwich family, is now in the possession of the British Museum and has been declared treasure. He said: “I was ecstatic when I found it. Finding that in my hand, I said ‘thank you God’ and I’m not even religious. I was really over the moon. It’s a day I will never forget.”

The Article

'land Fishing'

Just reading a brief article on Bill Wyman, when he refers to the hobby of metal detecting as 'land fishing'

http://www.forbes.com/forbes-life-magazine/2011/0926/life-full-rock-former-bassist-band-bill-wyman-sallie-brady.html

New one on me Bill

Cardiff dig could throw change history of ancient Britain

A major excavation at Britain’s biggest Iron Age hill-fort has begun in Somerset, in the hope that it will at last enable historians to explain the meaning and purpose of the enigmatic site.

The excavation is being carried out by a joint team from the School of History, Archaeology and Religion at Cardiff and researchers from Cambridge University. The team will spend three seasons digging a hectare of Ham Hill's interior to try to understand more about its layout and use

Stretching across a vast area measuring more than 80 hectares, Ham Hill dominates the landscape a few miles west of Yeovil. It is by far and away the largest hill-fort in the country, dwarfing better-known sites from the same period such as Maiden Castle, in Dorset, or Danebury in Hampshire.

http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Culture&F=1&id=22291