Hi all, Nov. 05
This was our second trip there this year and I was hoping that it would be as prosperous as the first.
Lloyd T, Keith L, Bob M from MHRS, Tim R and Bob C from the I & I club and myself left Chicago on Oct 3rd. We arrived on the 4th at 8 a.m. took a shuttle bus to the rental car agency. This was to be our first big hurtle. We were suppose to pick up a 15 seat minibus, but upon arriving I was told that I couldn’t drive a 15 seater without a European Union license. The largest vehicle available was a 9 seat mini-van and it was 200 pounds more for the 2 week rental. After 30 minutes of discussion and me whining a lot they agreed to honor the price quoted.
After loading the bags we were off on the 2 hour ride to Colchester. Having not driven in Europe for at least 10 years I think I did pretty well. I had Keith as navigator and by the time we reached Colchester he had resigned the position and decided to ride in the back seat. I was told I drive a little too fast! We drove straight to one of the farms, unpacked detectors, and hit the fields for about 3 hours. Nothing exceptional was found the first afternoon. A few greenies, lead seals, and buttons.
Arriving at the house Chris rented for us we got the tour. The house is called the Tallow factory, very nice, 5 bedrooms, sitting room, formal dining room which seats 12, and a fireplace. The entire village was built in the 1400’s by clothiers who settled the area. There is a huge church across the street from our house. Once unpacked Chris brought Fish and chips from a local chipper.
The premise of the help yourself house is just that, you save 200 to 300 dollars per week, and for that you all pitch in with cleaning and helping around the house. I was the driver, cook, and group coordinator.
Back to the hunting. The first full day, Wednesday we decided to try the Celtic hoard field as it had been plowed the day before we arrived. 7 gold coins had been previously been found on this 200 acre field. Everyone started to spread out from the corner, and within five minutes of starting Tim calls me over and drops a gold coin into my hand! A very nice Celtic full stater from the Addedomarus tribe 45 to 30 B.C. To think Tim’s first trip to England, and his first coin is a Celtic Gold!!!! Congratulations Tim!!! Outstanding!!!! At lunch just about everyone had something so show for the first morning. After lunch and a lot of hi-fives, I decided to grid a section about 200 feet from where Tim got his gold. After about 2 hours I had a few greenies, lead tokens, and lots of buttons. I got an iffy coin/lead signal, dug out a shovel full of dirt, checked the hole no target, broke up the dirt and then I saw it, my own Celtic Gold, again a full stater but this time it was a different tribe. The Wadden Chase tribe 54 to 45 B.C. It was a bit larger and had more of a gold color then the previous Addedomarus staters. A silver or two were found along with the usual stuff.
As usual when someone finds gold on the first day, the next few days were kind of lean, Lloyd got a beautiful hammered silver groat ,12 pence. It is about the size of a silver half, only thinner. Bob also got a nice hammered silver groat, both were from the 1400’s. It wasn’t until Sunday that we struck more gold. The group wanted to try a field that had been hunted less, so we hit a 600 acre farm as they were harvesting potatoes, All were finding the usual stuff. I decided to try a field across the road that had never produced anything. As Chris says “that field sucks, don’t know why you would want to go there.” I walked on to this 40 acre field and decided to try a wide pattern from the north end out to the center. After 3 or four passes I hadn’t found much, I got a solid signal that read 35 on my MXT. I figured it was a lead token or bale seal, take out first shovel full, signals still there, second scoop, still there, third scoop, ah! It’s out of the hole. move the dirt around and can’t see the target. So I get down on my hands and knees to sift thru the dirt, grab a hand full, start to sift and out drops a Celtic gold. This time it turns out to be Snettisham tribe, 54 to 45 B.C. Excited and all alone I decide to grid the area incase there were more. I did a grid three swings wide and 50 yards long, along the plow line in both directions. Finding nothing else I started to wander, about 40 feet away I got another good signal and turned up a Elizabeth the 1st hammered silver from the 1600’s. grid that area, nothing. Wander 100 feet get another solid coin signal and dig up a 1817 silver bullhead 6 pence. As it’s time for lunch I headed back across the street to show all my new found treasures. Everyone decided to hit that field after lunch. We pulled at least 6 more silvers and a dozen or so greenies off that sucking field. LOL
Monday was Tim, Lloyd and Bob C’s last day. We tried another just plowed field. Lloyd found another nice large hammered silver, Tim got a couple small hammered silvers. Not remembering all there nice finds I’m sure they will show them at a future meeting.
Week 2 had Reid G and a friend Tom from Philly join Keith, bob, and myself. Wednesday Reid got a nice hammered silver penny 1400’s. Thursday was very quiet as it was rainy most of the day. Friday we went back to the potato farm, Bob and I crossed the road again. I started to grid along the road and after an hour or so I got a nice hammered silver. 20 minutes later bob walked over to me with this big smile, and said “put out your hand and close your eyes.” I feel this very heavy object hit my hand, Wow it feels like a ring! And it’s a big one ! Upon opening my eyes it is a huge wedding band and I looks like very high karat gold. Looking inside it has no markings and looks hand made and very old! This field was supposed to have a roman fort nearby and I think it is roman! The ring weighs 14.8 grams. It is off to the museum to test the gold to find out the age. Congrats Bob!!!
Saturday back to the hoard field. I managed to get a very nice Charles the 1st hammered silver groat 1640’s. a few more silvers came to light, more lead tokens and cloth bale seals including a couple Russian lead seals from the late 17 early 1800’s. Sunday we went to the pig farm and if you have ever been within a mile of a pig farm, you know that’s too close! Avoiding the barn I started patterns where Chris had said a roman road had cut across the farm. I immediately started finding greenies, and picked up 2 more hammered silver coins and a hammered trade farthing from the 1660’s. Keith had quite a bit of luck on this farm, in the last 2 days he picked up 6 pieces of silver some Hammered and some milled.
Monday last full day of hunting we started on the pig farm. My best find of the morning was a beehive thimble from the 1100’s. After lunch I wanted to go back to a farm where they have found Saxon silver in the past. Wasn’t finding much until almost 4:00 when I got a Roman silver in beautiful shape. Turned out to be a contemporary forgery. Probably made 72 to 75 A.D.
We celebrated at the pub on the last night, as we did almost every night! And everyone said what a great trip it had been. We all made some very nice finds, had a great time, and learned a lot about the history of the British Isles.
All in all the trip was amazing, and almost everyone said they would be back for yet another chance to find more amazing artifacts, coins, and share in the friendship and competition of detecting in the oldest recorded town in Britain!
Happy Hunting
Ron Guinazzo
Pres. MHRS
