My metal detecting in London

[TheVTCGuy]

As some of you know, one of my hobbies is metal detecting. I enjoy searching ghost towns in the desert and any place I can find old stuff (junk). I watch a couple You Tube channels about clubs in England that find coins from the 16th century and say: “That’s quite nice”. Me? I find a 1940 wheat penny and do cartwheels, there is a big advantage to living in a country that has been in existance for a couple thousand years or so.

I was in London last week for business and saw it as a prime oppurtunity to try some “hunting.” However, in England, you have to be (kind of) certified, can’t just do it anywhere, (Oh how I wish I could) and finds are subject to investigation and confiscation by the government. I am making it sound a lot harsher then it is but the English are serious about protecting their heritage, and I completely understand. I contacted a club like mine a few months ago and they were the nicest, most helpful group of people I have ever met. They invited me to search a certified field outside of London with them, and one of their club Officers is actually an investigator for the Government that can appraise my finds and either grant me ownership, or turn it over to the authorities.

The British government owes me a letter of thanks for cleaning dozens of pull tabs, nails, pieces of junk etc. from this field, but I DID make two nice finds. The big coin is a Victorian Penny, (obviously) from 1890, and an Italian coin, from 1799. The members I searched with said it was not at all uncommon to find foreign coins, there was so much trade going on. The club cleaned the finds better then I could ever have done, (well they have a lot more experience finding old coins ) and although the standards Officer took the coins when I found them, I had them back with certificate of removal (I took them home with me) in less then a week! They were the nicest group of people I have ever met and I enjoyed spending the afternoon with them.

Anyway, not exactly Gold, and not worth maybe $30 total, but still, I am really excited about these finds.

[BNA/LION]

Nice Finds Paul!

I'm thinking of starting Truffle Detecting myself...

Looking into getting a Truffle Hog.

[swatty]

Nice find Paul
Good to see you back from your vacation Larry

[Laszlo]

Wow, that's better than anything I've ever found.

That reminds me, I need to get out there again!!

It's been at least a year... so busy I forget my hobbies.

I have a Fisher F5 and it works really well.

Up the street from my house we have a park (Federal) and we dug up some pretty cool stuff. No coins but some old hardware from the Sutra Estate.

Park Ranger stopped us, asked what we found. Told him some old iron and he went on his way.

[City74]

You gotta watch the show The Detectorists. I believe it’s on Netflix. Hilarious show about detecting in England

[Brew]

That's very cool!

I'm supposed to use a hog?

[antbkny]

Very cool Paul!

[superdog]

That’s really awesome Paul.

Good for you. Congrats on the finds. The coins AND the new friends.

[AzPaul]

Sounds like fun

Now, on to Oak Island

[Burlington]

That’s really cool !! Great find. Amazing to think of the history those coins have seen before ending up in the mud.

Approximately how deep were they out of interest ?

I believe if you find a haul and the crown takes possession, then there is reimbursement of the actual value. I think some people have had millions back for large Saxon hoards.

[daveathall]

Those pennies were still in circulation when I was a lad in the 60's, we used to spend them, a pocket full of them (12 in a shilling) was a treasure to us. In todays money they were worth 5 pence. (I don't know how much it is in Dollars but 5 pence is a 20th of a pound sterling)

[Travelair007]

I don’t know why I click on this expecting to hear about how you smuggled a bunch of rolexes through metal detectors.

Maybe you’ve just conditioned us that way...

[037]

Ha... I was expecting an airport experience. This is much better!

Congrats on the finds!

I've always wondered if someone with a metal detector has ever found another metal detector in the ground. Imagine the surprise that would bring...

[1William]

Very nice. Good story and a very cool hobby.

[dddrees]

Very cool, thanks for sharing Paul.

[brandrea]

Awesome Paul

[Alexwwjd]

Have fun Paul... this hobby looks cheaper than collecting Tumi stuff!

[tyler1980]

nice

I meant to ask you. that pic with your DJ you posted on the street... where was that? It looked super familiar and its been bugging me

[Danny83]

Very cool Paul

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by BNA/LION

Nice Finds Paul!



I'm thinking of starting Truffle Detecting myself...



Looking into getting a Truffle Hog.

We had a friend that had a hound that could sniff out truffles or morels a mile away. He used to comb our family property and come up with all kinds of goodies.

Congrats Paul!!! Great finds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[mistermann]

Here are some of my recent finds in the midwest. Using an old White's from the 80's, great machine by the way. Was used by my grandfather, then my father, and he gave it to me a few years ago.

[RichM]

Cool finds. Thanks for sharing them.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Burlington

That’s really cool !! Great find. Amazing to think of the history those coins have seen before ending up in the mud.

Approximately how deep were they out of interest ?
.

They were both pretty deep, I would say about eight inches. The conditions were perfect though, soft grass (wet) field. I knew from the solid tone when I got them both were coins.

Originally Posted by Alexwwjd

Have fun Paul... this hobby looks cheaper than collecting Tumi stuff!

You would think! But it can be quite expensive, my detector, a pretty-close to top of the line unit was around $2,500

Originally Posted by tyler1980

nice

I meant to ask you. that pic with your DJ you posted on the street... where was that? It looked super familiar and its been bugging me

I don’t remember the street, but it was on a walk, about 30 minutes away from my hotel, which was the Raddison-Heathrow.

Originally Posted by mistermann

Here are some of my recent finds in the midwest. Using an old White's from the 80's, great machine by the way. Was used by my grandfather, then my father, and he gave it to me a few years ago.

Awsome! We have to get together and go hunting some time. My first detector was a White’s, a 1990 Eagle 2. About 10 years ago I made the switch to Minelab and love them, but there is nothing wrong with Whites or those vintage machines. As a matter of fact, some guys in our club still use them, preferring the dial controls. They find more then I do so who am I to disagree? Have you ever sent that in? I think you can and White’s will recalibrate it, could probably use it after all these years. Let’s get together when I’m in the Midwest!

[r8t3d_M]

That is so cool! Congratulations on the finds Paul..

[MinMay]

Nice. Collected these as a kid. Probably worthless. I’ll donate it when the time comes.

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

They were both pretty deep, I would say about eight inches. The conditions were perfect though, soft grass (wet) field. I knew from the solid tone when I got them both were coins.




I don’t remember the street, but it was on a walk, about 30 minutes away from my hotel

Fascinating ! I always imagine these things being at least a couple of feet deep. Must be very exciting doing the digging after hearing the beep.

I think it’s Harlington high street just off bath road. I really like the Radisson blu Edwardian, had a lovely suite upgrade there once.

[GradyPhilpott]

Nice finds.

[The Libertine]

That is awesome! Often think about “metal detecting” as a hobby myself.

[mistermann]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

They were both pretty deep, I would say about eight inches. The conditions were perfect though, soft grass (wet) field. I knew from the solid tone when I got them both were coins.



You would think! But it can be quite expensive, my detector, a pretty-close to top of the line unit was around $2,500



I don’t remember the street, but it was on a walk, about 30 minutes away from my hotel, which was the Raddison-Heathrow.




Awsome! We have to get together and go hunting some time. My first detector was a White’s, a 1990 Eagle 2. About 10 years ago I made the switch to Minelab and love them, but there is nothing wrong with Whites or those vintage machines. As a matter of fact, some guys in our club still use them, preferring the dial controls. They find more then I do so who am I to disagree? Have you ever sent that in? I think you can and White’s will recalibrate it, could probably use it after all these years. Let’s get together when I’m in the Midwest!

Sounds great!

[SG56]

That's pretty cool!