LUNE VALLEY METAL DETECTING CLUB

Club's Report-74 June 2013

We had a somewhat reduced attendance at the June meeting, with the appearance of some decent summer weather unsurprisingly providing too great an attraction for some members.

There was unusual subject for our talk this evening; the guest speaker John Noblett, who is a Master Mole Catcher, provided us with some interesting aspects of his work. John gave a brief talk and then invited questions from the audience, of which there were quite a few. The talk was both enlightening and enjoyable.

John Ferguson gave us news of a rally at the end of the month, details of which will be sent out shortly and he mentioned 3-4 possible rallies that are awaiting grass cutting before things can be finalised.

The Find of the Month Competition suffered somewhat from the reduced attendance, with only a handful of items finding their way 
to the table. The results were:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

John Short Cross Penny 1199-1216 - Andy Lomax

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

William III Shilling 1696 - Alan Dawson

Artefacts Pre 1500

Decorated Medieval Ring - Charles Kenyon

Artefacts Post 1500

Two Crotal Bells - Jim Newton

Club's Report-7 May 2013

Since our last meeting the club has held a rally at Brindle which was very well attended and raised a decent sum for the local church fund.  It was our second visit to the site; the last one attracting only a handful of participants due to the inclement weather. This time we managed to get a few hours in before the rain descended again. Finds included a ring inset with jade - thought to be of some age, a number of silver coins, a bronze mount and a gold sovereign.

Jim Newton was doubly delighted to receive gift tokens from the North West NCMD for both his excellent finds from last month. Our chairman mentioned that it was the first time there had been a total consensus when judging the finds.

Due to a lack of volunteers to assist the chairman in producing a club display it has been decided that the club will not be taking part in the Treasure Chest Exhibition this year.

With the club in a healthy financial position a couple of lights have been bought for the finds table (hurrah!); making viewing and photographing finds a more pleasurable task.

The honours were shared this month in the Find of the Month competition:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Charles I Shilling 1644     -     Lewis Lawless

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

James II 'Gun Money' Crown 1690     -     Sheila Gunn

Artefacts Pre 1500

Roman Silver Pin     -     Eddie Bethwaite

Artefact Post 1500

Lead Toy Soldier     -     Jason Neil

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-2 April 2013

April's meeting had a good attendance and with no speaker to entertain us everyone had the opportunity to have a chat and also have a good look at the finds table. Having said that, the lighting in the room was particularly poor this evening which made viewing (and photographing) the finds rather difficult, as a result it was suggested that a couple of table lamps be bought by the club to replace the previously donated one 
(now broken).

John Ferguson informed the meeting that he currently has 13 rallies planned for the coming year and the chairman announced that we also have 10 farmers willing to hold rallies on their land in aid of the NW Air Ambulance; so there's a lot for member's to look forward to.

An impromptu auction of detecting magazines took place before the raffle, which added another fiver to the club's coffers, and then the Find of the Month competition got under way with some outstanding finds on show. The results were:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Ferdinand & Isabella Double Excelente 1474-1516 - Jim Newton

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George I Sixpence - Bill Lomax

Artefacts Pre 1500

Iron Age Terret Ring 100BC-70AD - Jim Newton

Artefacts Post 1500

Toy Cannon - Howard Broomby

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-5 March 2013

March's meeting had a very good attendance, due in no small part to the speaker for the evening, Adrian Warrell. We've been fortunate to have 
Adrian visit the club on a number of occasions and he never fails to deliver a very enjoyable and interesting talk. Wearing the costume of a middle 
class Tudor, complete with codpiece, and with copies of contemporary items for us to look at and handle, Adrian gave us an informative picture 
of the typical Tudor household.

There was welcome news of a few rallies to come over the next few weeks and following the raffle the Find of the Month competition took place, 
with entries having increased in number again after a bit of a dip last month. The results were:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Denarius of Trajan 98-117AD - Eddie Bethwaite

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Anne Sixpence - Jim Scott

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Spindle Whorl - Lorraine Watson

Artefacts Post 1500

Spectacle Buckle - Vera Randall

Club's Report-5 February 2013

Ian Whyte, Professor Emeritus from Lancaster University was the guest speaker at our meeting this month.  He gave a very informative talk on 

the changing upland landscapes in the North West; illustrating with slides how the countryside has changed 

over the centuries and pointing out  remaining features that leave us some clues on past activity.

 

Memberships fees for 2013 were being collected on the evening and members were asked to ensure they renew these by 

next month.

 

Our Chairman Brian pointed out that it will be the club's 30th anniversary later this year and we will be doing something special 

to commemorate the occasion.  Brian also mentioned that, as with last year, we hope to be involved with the Treasure Chest Exhibition at Chester.  

He did, however, make a plea for volunteers to assist him in organising our contribution as without this 

we will be unable to participate in the event.

 

Finds were a little scarcer this month for the Find of the Month competition whose results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Richard I Penny 1189-1199     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Sixpence 1819     -     Charles Kenyon

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Hawking Bell     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Silver Thimble     -     Clint Jones

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-8 January 2013

Our January meeting took place a week later than usual due to the normal date falling on New Year's Day and it was well attended. Not a great deal had occurred since the last meeting; with the constant rain having caused rallies to be held over until there are more agreeable conditions and, of course, the Christmas holidays taking place.

There were a couple of announcements, the first being the appointment of Sheila Gunn as our new Membership Secretary - with a reminder that membership fees were required by the next meeting. Secondly, Stuart Wentzel kindly donated a magnifying lamp to the club which helped to give everyone an improved view of the finds on the table and helped yours truly to get some better photographs. Stuart was thanked for his donation.

It was quite a surprise to see so many finds on the table at this time of year but members carried on where they left off last year. The Find of the Month competition results were:

Tokens, Coins & Jettons Pre 1662

Richard II Halfpenny 1377-99 - Jason Neil

Tokens, Coins & Jettons Post 1662

George II Sixpence 1757 - Clint Jones

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Seal Matrix - Eddy Bethwaite

Artefacts Post 1500

15ct Gold Pin - Jason Neil

Hoard

Fused Hoard of Silver Pennies c1300 - Carl Draper

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-4  December 2012

A very busy evening began with a thank you letter for the Singleton rally held recently which raised £220 for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Some gold & silver rings were found along with a couple of hammereds, lots of decimal coinage and a nice little buckle. A mobile phone and a set of car keys also found on the day were subsequently returned to their owners.After everyone had partaken of the tasty hotpot supper we had the grand raffle, which took a little time as there were so many prizes to be won. Many thanks to Vera for all that 
shopping!

The Find of the Month competition results were:

Coins, Tokens, Jettons Pre 1662

Henry VII Groat 1495-98 - Lewis Lawless

Coins, Tokens, Jettons Post 1662

George III Quarter Guinea 1762 - Susan Hill

Artefacts Pre 1500

Lion Rampant Seal Matrix - Jason Neil

Artefacts Post 1500

Roman Centurion Pipe Tamper c1800 - Ian Sharp

Then came the highlight of the evening when the club rewards those members who've had a successful year. There have been some excellent finds on the table these past 12 months, and lots of them. Quite often it has been unfortunate that a number of items worthy of winning have been up against something that little bit better. As can be seen by the results, one member in particular dominated:

Coins, Tokens, Jettons Post 1662

1st Carl Draper 2nd Eddie Bethwaite 3rd Ron Graham/Ian Sharp

Coins, Tokens, Jettons Pre 1662

1st Eddie Bethwaite 2nd Carl Draper 3rd Darren Webster

Artefacts Pre  1662

1st Eddie Bethwaite 2nd Carl Draper 3rd Jim Newton

Artefacts pre 1662

1st Eddie Bethwaite 2nd Carl Draper 3rd Jim Newton

Detectorist of the Year

Eddie Bethwaite

Find of the Year

Saxon Silver Mount Dave Greenall

Most Promising Detectorist

Carl Draper

Chairman's Trophy

Ray Mountain

Club's Report-6 November 2012

Once again at November's meeting the club held its AGM where Chairman Brian thanked the committee for its support over the past year and for the time and effort they give to the club. 

There were some changes to be made as two post holders, treasurer David Mayo and membership secretary Carol Hargreaves, stepped down after devoting a number of years to their roles. Jim Newton was formally appointed to be the new treasurer and, after an unfortunate lack of volunteers, David Mayo put his hand up to become the new membership secretary; with the proviso that it was for one year only. All the other post holders were willing to carry on for another year, though the Chairman stressed the need for some of the younger members to consider putting themselves forward in the future.

Eddie Bethwaite's terminal mount was voted the winner by the North West NCMD and he duly received a gift token as his prize.

As the first Tuesday of January 2013 is New Year's Day members were informed that the meeting would take place on 8 January instead; so every-one has ample time to recover from any over-indulgence.

Once the club business was out of the way and the raffle had taken place it was onto the Find of the Month competition where the items 
on show were again of a good standard, especially the coins. The results were:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Denarius of Vitellius 69AD - Susan Hill

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Charles II Shilling 1663 - Charles Kenyon

Artefacts Pre 1500

Roman Dress Pin - Eddie Bethwaite

Artefacts Post 1500
James I Coin Weight 1603-25 - Eddie Bethwaite

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report- 2 October 2012

This month's meeting included a talk on the Huxley Hoard, which was discovered at one of our club digs back in November 2004. Rob Philpott of the National Museum of Liverpool brought along some slides to illustrate his talk which was of great interest and very informative; Rob provided some background to the Viking period and discussed similar Viking hoards discovered in the region.

We received a letter from the trustees of Parrox Hall thanking us for the donation of £225 from the recent rally and asking for some of finds made on the day to be put towards a collage for the Hall. A further rally is to be held there on 4 November. Another rally has been arranged for 28 October at Brindle where the farmer has asked us to look out for a Jaguar car badge he lost as a teenager - who knows, he may show his appreciation to the finder.As mentioned previously, 
David Mayo will be standing down as club treasurer at the AGM and Carol Hargreaves will also be leaving her post as membership secretary and we'll therefore be hoping for some nominations for both positions.

There were some really nice items on the table this month which made choosing a winner no easy task but these were the results of the Find of the Month competition:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Denarius of Septimius Severus - Paul Devoys

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Charles II Threepence - Linda Renshaw

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Terminal Mount - Eddie Bethwaite

Artefacts Post 1500

Sword Belt Hanger 16/17th Century - Jim Newton

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club at 7.30pm.

Club's Report- 4 September 2012

Chairman Brian Randall and his wife Vera were away when the September meeting took place so John Ferguson was once again kind enough to chair the meeting.David & Nancy Mayo had generously devised a quiz for the evening but before that got under way John gave us news of some rallies that will, weather permitting, take place in September and he then presented Sheila Gunn and Ian Sharp with gift tokens for their finds from
last month which were voted winners by the North West NCMD. John also mentioned the AGM in November where David Mayo will be standing down as club treasurer after a number of years in the post so we'll be looking for a volunteer to take his place.

It was then on to the quiz which was good fun and closely fought; the winning team receiving some goodies for their efforts. Many thanks to David & Nancy.There was some news from Dot Boughton, FLO who explained that she would be on maternity from next January, though she hopes to continue attending meetings whenever possible. Best wishes to Dot.

Finds were a bit scarce on the table this month compared to the last few meetings, though I expect this will change next month as the larger rallies take place. The Find of the Month competition results were:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Edward I Penny - Lorraine Watson

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Halfpenny 1772 - Ron Graham

Artefacts Pre 1500

Bronze Age Dagger Fragment - Eddy Bethwaite

Artefacts Post 1500

Tudor Dress Fastener - Eddy Bethwaite

Club's Report- 07 August 2012

A warm welcome was given to Mayor of Lancaster, Sheila Denwood as she attended the August meeting to judge the annual Showcase Competition. There was an impressive number of showcases for Sheila to cast her eye over and our Chairman Brian along with John Ferguson were on hand to advise the Mayor about the items on display. After due deliberation and having said how impressed she was by the showcases Sheila gave her final verdict:

1st Jim Newton

2nd Ian Sharpe

3rd Sheila Gunn

Following the trophy presentation Brian, on behalf of the club, presented the Mayor with a cheque for £50 which she said would be split between a couple of charities.Our presence at the Great Eccleston Show has resulted in land being made available for a rally on 16 September. Details will be sent out shortly.William Hargreaves has been in touch with John Wells from the NCMD Midland Region and due to John's efforts the MP for Colchester is to bring up an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on the subject of green waste. Once again members are urged to sign the online petition and to contact their local MP.

The results of the Find of the Month competition were:

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Richard II Groat 1377-99 - Ian Sharpe

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

William III Halfpenny - Andy Lomax

Artefacts Pre 1500

No entries

Artefacts Post 1500

16th Century Sword Belt Hanger - Sheila Gunn

Club's Report- 3 July 2012

There was no speaker at July's meeting so chairman Brian listed what we have coming up at our next few meetings, which include the showcases competition, a hotpot supper and a talk on the Huxley Hoard.  He also read out an article from the local paper which highlighted the damage caused by nighthawkers at nearby Heysham - definitely not the sort of publicity we want to see. 

 

The club is hoping to arrange a trip to a rally at Carlisle in August, and from the number of hands raised it looks as if  numbers will be sufficient to hire a minibus or two.

 

William Hargreaves again raised the subject of 'green waste' and reiterated the damage it causes, not only to the hobby but also to the environment.He urged members to sign the ongoing e-petition and to write to their MP with their concerns.  

 

The results of the Find of the Month competition were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Charles I Shilling 1638-9     -     Sheila Gunn

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Barbados Penny 1788     -     Jim Newton

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Knife Terminal Scallop Shaped     -     Eddy Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Pewter Spoon 17th Century     -     Brian Randall

Club's Report-5 June 2012

We were treated to a talk on the North West Air Ambulance at the June meeting, given by Anne Burrows.  Anne poignantly explained how she became involved with the Air Ambulance following her son's death, when he was air-lifted to hospital following an accident, and her talk was very informative and emphasised what a vital service it provides.  Anne and her husband stayed on at the meeting and they were so impressed by the items on the finds
that it has inspired Anne to have a go at detecting herself.

 

It was a bit damp at the rally held the previous Sunday but some hammered came up along with a number of Georgian items and funds were raised for junior member Jessica Jones' primary school.  Further land could be made available so, all in all, it was a good day.

 

Two additional categories will be added to the finds table next month, just for general interest - What Is It? and Interest Only.  The results of this month's competition were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Elizabeth I Shilling     -     Dave Greenall

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Victoria 4d     -     Ron Graham

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Mid Bronze Age Palstave Axe     -     Andy Lomax

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Fob Seal     -     Vera Randall

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-1 May 2012

There was no speaker at May's meeting but we had a good attendance nevertheless.

 

Following on from the rally held at Lupton, the club received a thank you letter from Kirkby Lonsdale Special Needs Support Group for the donation of £330 raised on the day.

 

Members have been doing really well recently, bringing some nice items to the finds table.  They didn't disappoint this month either as there were a number of good finds in all categories.  The results of the Find of the Month competition were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Posthumous Henry VIII Groat     -     Darren Webster

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George V Twelfth of a Shilling     -     Carl Draper

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Roman Fibula Brooch     -     Jim Newton

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Silver Garnet Ring     -     Stewart Wilson

 

Meetings are held at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster every first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm.

 

Club's Report-3 April 2012

The club held a rally at Pennington two days before the April meeting which brought a good turnout.  One or two nice things were found including a William IV groat, a trading token and a couple of other silver coins.  More land may be made available for another rally there later in the year.

 

Congratulations were given to two couples - David & Nancy Mayo and Robert & Jean Wadsworth - who were celebrating their ruby and golden wedding anniversaries respectively.

 

Before the raffle took place there was an impromptu auction to sell off a jacket & detecting magazines donated by Lorraine and Ken and these raised £21 for the club.

 

There continues to be good quality entries in the Find of the Month competition and these were the results:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Henry III Penny 1247-72     -     Vera Randall

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Half Guinea 1788     -     Ian Sharp

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Silver Annular Brooch Fragment 13th-14th Century     -     Ian Sharp

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Silver Teaspoon 1806     -     Andy Lomax

 
Club's Report- 6 March 2012

The club was grateful to speaker Tony Mac for stepping in at short notice to give his talk on the Titanic at this month's meeting.  The subject was obviously close to Tony's heart as he brought a plethora of information and memorabilia on the events of a century ago and after his talk he was more than happy to answer members questions.

Last month's pre-1500 artefact winner, David Greenall's saxon silver mount (pictured) was the recipient of a gift token from the North West NCMD.

 

The results of the Find of the Month competition were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Denarius of Septimus Severus 193-211AD     -   Eddie Bethwaite

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Victoria Sixpence 1866     -     Karl Draper

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Saxon Cruciform Brooch 500-700AD     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Tudor Dress Fastener     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7,30pm.

Club's Report-7 February 2012

Here's the club report for the February meeting.  I'm afraid I only managed to take photographs of the coins as the batteries in my camera ran out and the spare ones wouldn't work either, even though I'd recharged them - time for some new batteries I think.

 

 

William & Carol Hargreaves informed the meeting that they had recently given a talk on detecting to the Woodplumpton History Group and this has resulted in the possibility of some land being made available for a club rally.

 

Our FLO, Dot Boughton mentioned that there will be the opportunity for a small number of members to take part in a fieldwalking & detecting day in conjunction with Ribchester Roman Museum.  This will take place in August and Dot will give further details nearer the time.

 

The Find of the Month competition results were as follows:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Edward III Penny London Mint     -     Carl Draper

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Half Guinea 1789     -     David Kierzek

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

8th/9th Century Saxon Silver Mount     -     David Greenall

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Queen Anne Silver Fork 1709     -     Lewis Lawless

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club at 7.30pm.

Club's Report -3 January 2012

There was some unfinished business at the first meeting of the year as two awards were presented to members who were absent from last month's annual prizegiving.  Darren Webster was presented with the award for the Most Outstanding Find for his Viking silver hoard and Sheila Gunn and Vera Randall were jointly awarded the trophy for the Coins, Tokens & Jettons pre-1662 category.

 

Despite some poor weather during December there were more entries than might have been expected in the Find of the Month competition, the results being:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Roman Sestertius     -     Darren Webster

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Maundy Penny 1800     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Miniature Medieval Cauldron     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Post 1500    

Tudor Dress Fastener     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm. 

Club's Report 6 Dcember 2011

At December's meeting we had the annual awards presentation, a grand raffle and a hotpot supper to look forward to so, inevitably, it was a busy night.

 

A letter was read out thanking the club for the donation of £460 raised for the Soldiers Charity from the Christmas rally held at Haverbreaks, which was very well attended and saw lots of interesting finds.

 

Although he wasn't present to receive it, Darren Webster was the beneficiary of a gift token awarded by the North West NCMD for his Viking silver hoard.

 

The results of the Find of the Month competition were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Bronze Sestertius of Faustina     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George IV Farthing 1830     -     Carl Draper

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Anglo Saxon Strap End     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Fob with Intaglio     -     Carl Draper

 

It was then on to the awards presentation.  Finds finishing 1st-3rd in the Find of the Month competition are each given points and the person with the most accumulated points in a category is the winner.  The results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

1st    Sheila Gunn/Vera Randall       

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

1st    Vera Randall       

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

1st    Eddie Bethwaite/Jim Newton       

 

Artefacts Post 1500

1st    Clint Jones

 

Outstanding Find

Darren Webster

 

Detectorist of the Year

Vera Randall

 

Ian Sharp Award for Most Promising New Member

Eddie Bethwaite

 

Chairman's Trophy

David & Nancy Mayo

Club's Report 1 November 2011
The AGM took place at the meeting in early November.  Chairman Brian Randall thanked the members of the committee for their help over the past year and all agreed to continue with their current roles.  Following a request at last month's meeting William and Carol Hargreaves have kindly volunteered to become the membership secretaries.  The club's finances are healthy and donations of over £1600 have been made to various charities over the last 12 months.

 

One of our members, Darren Webster, has been in the news recently after discovering what has been described as a "significant Viking hoard".  The hoard was made up of 200 pieces of silver and included bracelets, ingots and coins.  It is currently being researched at the British Museum and the inquest is due to be held in mid-December.

 

Jessica Jones, our youngest member saw her first silver coin narrowly beaten in the Find of the Month competition but it was a successful evening for Jim Newton as he won three out of the four categories.  The results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Anglo Saxon Sceatta 600-775AD     -     Jim Newton

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Stamford Halfpenny Token 1667-8     -     John Ferguson

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Annular Brooch Pin 13/14th Century     -     Jim Newton

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Sword Belt Hanger     -     Jim Newton

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Centre, Lancaster at 7.30pm. 

Club's Report-4 October 2011

The numbers at October's meeting weren't quite as large as usual, but those who were unable to attend missed a very enjoyable illustrated talk on The Slave Traders of Lancaster & District given by local historian Janet Nelson.  It was a bit of an eye opener to hear about the city's relatively large involvement in the slave trade and it was also interesting to have Janet point out some of the buildings in the city & district built by those involved in the trade.

 

Before the raffle was drawn the Chairman mentioned that our next meeting would include the AGM.  Our treasurer and de facto membership secretary David announced that he would be unable to continue doing both jobs due to the work involved and would be looking to hand over some of the workload.

 

The Find of the Month competition once again had a good number of entries, many of which would have been winning entries at a less bountiful time of the year.  The results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Charles I Sixpence 1628-29     -     Linda Renshaw

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Shilling     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Roman Bronze Mount of Sartyr     -     Linda Renshaw

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Tudor Dress Fastener     -     Jim Newton

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster. 

Club's Report-6 September 2011
At September's meeting we were pleased to welcome our guest judges for the annual Showcase Competition, Mr & Mrs Miller of Cobble Hey Farm.  There were quite a few entries to cast their eye over and they confessed it was difficult to pick a winner.  However, after due deliberation the couple judged the winner to be Ken Sedgewick; finding his showcase to be the most informative.

 

Prior to the competition and the tasty hotpot supper, founder member Ian Sharp gave a short talk on the history of the club.  He also brought along a number of photos and press cuttings relating to the club from the early years for everyone to look at as well as his treasured detector from those days.

 

The open rally held at Singleton a few days earlier got off to a good start when Vera Randall found an Edward I penny within the first few minutes.  Unfortunately, not everyone had such good luck but there were a few other items of interest discovered.

 

The Find of the Month competition results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

James I Irish Sixpence 1604     -     Jim Newton

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

William IV Maundy Penny 1835     -     Tony Saul

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Strap End     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Tudor Dagger Belt Hanger     -     Jim Newton

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-2 August 2011

August's meeting had a very good attendance and a couple of people were paying their first visit to the club so we hope they enjoyed the evening.

 

A club rally was held at the site of the Great Eccleston Show at the end of July which saw 27 people in attendance.  The weather was fine and sunny and thankfully the ground wasn't too difficult to get a spade into.  Hammered and silver coinage was found as well as a few cartwheel pennies and tokens and a fair amount of modern coinage also came up.  Further club rallies are in the pipeline, all dependant on the weather and farmers getting out to cut their grass.

 

Members decided that the Showcase Competition next month should be of items found at any time and that the competition for items found in the last twelve months exclusively should be dropped.

 

There were quite a number of finds on the table this month and these are the results of the Find of the Month competition:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Elizabeth I Threepence 1578     -     Sheila Gunn

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Sixpence     -     Pat Saul

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Anglo-Saxon Strap End     -     Eddie Bethwaite

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Tudor Buckle 1550-1650     -     Ken Sedgewick

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.   

Club's Report-meeting held 5 July 2011 

We had a good attendance at our July meeting and welcomed a couple of members from the Kendal club. 

 

In June we had a display stand at an event held by Piccadilly Garden in Lancaster and from this we garnered an enquiry about holding 
a rally and also about giving a talk to the National Trust.  Being involved in local events such as this gives the club a chance to promote the hobby to a wider audience and to give the public something which I find is the most gratifying part of being a detectorist - the chance to actually hold a piece of history.  It is also an opportunity to make new contacts and possibly gain new land for club rallies, which is an added benefit.

 

The club will also be taking part in the Treasure Chest Exhibition at Chester in August along with a number of other clubs and our showcase of 'Lead Items Through the Ages' for the event has been completed and looks very impressive.  

 

The Find of the Month competition results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

No entries

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

John o' Gaunt Jetton 1792     -     Andy Lomax

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

12-14th Century Strap End     -     Andy Lomax

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Silver Victoria Jubilee Brooch 1887     -     Brian Randall

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

 
Club's Report-meeting held 7 June 2011 

 

In June our guest speaker was Professor David Shotter, formerly of Lancaster University.  David's subject was North West England: Roman Conquest & Consolidation and his talk was very informative and well illustrated with David showing us slides of various roman sites within the region.

 

Having proved very popular last year the club will once again have a stall at the Great Eccleston Show on 16 & 17 July.  This time around a number of other North West clubs will be involved and they will provide displays and information to sit alongside our own material.  

 

As the club is also involved with the Treasure Chest Exhibition at Chester in August it was announced that the annual showcase competition, normally held at our August meeting, will now be put back until September.  

 

The Find of the Month competition results were as follows:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Julia Sanevius Augusta Denarius 220AD     -     Vera Randall

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Shilling 1817     -     Ian Sharp

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Spindle Whorl     -     Lewis Lawless

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Decorative Buckle 1750     -     Vera Randall

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm


Club's Report-meeting held 3 May 2011

May's meeting began with the presentation of a gift voucher to Vera Randall from the North West NCMD for her bullion weight from last month (previously thought to be a coin weight).

  

The club rally at Pendleton raised £320 for the Kings Own Border Regiment Museum and a letter of thanks from them was read out.

 

Clint Jones has kindly built a display case which will be used to showcase the club's 'Lead Items Through the Ages' at the Treasure Chest Exhibition in August.  Many thanks to Clint.

 

Chairman Brian mentioned a survey being conducted by Peter D Spencer on the number of silver & gold coins found by detectorists from the reigns of George I, II and III (pre-1800).  Brian asked members to let him know of any finds they have made and he will pass the information on.

 
David Mayo asked for volunteers to help him with some of his club duties.  He is nominally the club treasurer but now finds himself struggling to keep up with the many other duties he has taken on.  Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. 

 

The Find of the Month competition results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Edward III London Penny     -     Vera Randall

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

William III Halfpenny 1697     -     Ian Sharp

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Lead Vessica Seal 14th Century     -     Brian Randall

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Buckle     -     Lewis Lawless

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-meeting held 5 April 2011

A decent spell of weather at last allowed a club rally to be held at Ribchester.  The day raised £230 and this will go towards providing hydrotherapy sessions for a young man named Jack Horne who is quadriplegic.  Jack's father sent the club a letter of thanks for the donation and also for the £180 raised by John Ferguson's daughter Ruth who completed a half-marathon.  There were a few finds on the day including hammered, roman bronzes and a roman brooch. 

 

The issue of informing members without computers of rallies taking place at short notice was brought up.  Treasurer David Mayo will look into sending out details by mail to those without computer access.

 

Members were asked to begin gathering any lead items they wish to be included in the club display case for the Treasure Chest Exhibition taking place on 6 August.  These need to be handed over by the June meeting at the latest along with any individual cases members wish to be displayed.

 

The Find of the Month competition results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Edward VI Groat 1551-3     -     Sheila Gunn

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

William IV Groat 1837     -     Brian Randall

 

Artefact Pre 1500

Spindle Whorl     -     Robert Wadsworth

 

Artefact Post 1500

Five Penny Coin Weight     -     Vera Randall

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-meeting held 1 March 2011 

 

It was no surprise to see a good attendance for the March meeting as we had Adrian Warrell giving a talk on the English Civil War. Adrian has visited us on a number of occasions and he is always able to make the period he is covering come to life; his wearing of contemporary clothing giving added flavour.  Adrian showed us some of the equipment and weaponry used during the conflict and we then braved the cold outside as he finished his talk by loading and discharging a matchlock musket.

 

Clint Jones was presented with a gift token from the North West NCMD meeting for his winning entry of a silver spoon. 

  

As the weather improves so do the number of entries on the finds table.  The Find of the Month competition results were:

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Bronze Age Dagger     -     Steve Glew

 

Artefacts Posts 1500

Posnet Handle 1500-1700     -     Clint Jones

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Roman Denaruis     -     Steve Glew

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Victoria Sixpence 1895     -     Vera Randall

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm. 

Club's Report-meeting held 1 February 2011

The February meeting took place on the first day of the month and was once again well attended. 

 

Wet weather unfortunately put paid to a club rally which was due to take place in January - just lately it seems that if the ground hasn't been too wet to detect it's been too frozen.  Fingers crossed things improve soon as there are a few rallies planned in the coming month or two.

 

The Chairman outlined some of the plans for the Treasure Chest Exhibition taking place in August at Chester Town Hall, the main theme of which is 'Lead Items Through the Ages'. A number of detecting clubs from the North West are involved and the event should be well worth a visit.  Members were asked to inform the Chairman if they could offer assistance on any of the points raised.

 

There was no speaker this evening but next month things should be interesting as we have Adrian Warrell giving a talk on the English Civil War, which will include the firing of a musket.

 

The weather seemed to have taken its toll on the finds table again this month as there were just a handful of entries for the Find of the Month competition.  Here are the results:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Henry VIII Half Groat 1526-44     -     John Ferguson

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

2 Victoria Florins (Same Hole)     -     Mark Webster

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

No entries

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Silver Spoon 1741     -     Clint Jones

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.

Club's Report-meeting held 4 January 2011

The club's first meeting of 2011 took place in early January and was well attended.  

 

A minute's silence was held in memory of Geoff Egan, Finds Advisor who sadly passed away recently.  Linda Renshaw was presented with a gift voucher from the North West NCMD for her find of a bronze age axe head.  There was little to report since the last meeting but we were informed of some upcoming rallies, weather permitting.  As we had no speaker in attendance members had ample time for a chat and a look at the finds table.

 

Items for the Find of the Month competition were few and far between this month but there was at least one entry in each category.  The results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Edward III Penny     -     Ken Sedgewick

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Victoria Half Sovereign 1893     -     Alan Wilson

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Coin Weights (Edward IV 1470 & Louis XI Ecu de Soleil)     -     Sheila Gunn

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Livery Button of Viscount Hill 1842     -     Brian Randall

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club at 7.30pm
   
Club's Report-meeting held 7 December 2010

It was a busy evening at our December meeting as not only did we have the annual trophy presentation but also a quiz, a grand raffle and a hot pot supper to enjoy.   

 

Dot Boughton,FLO announced that a further four years' funding had been agreed for her post which was welcome news indeed.  Unfortunately, Dot also mentioned that she would no longer be recording our finds, due to a change in the club meetings she covers. There was disappointment at this news but Dot assured us we would still be able to record finds with her replacement Stuart Noon.

 

It was then onto the quiz, organised and held by David & Nancy Mayo, which was great fun and the hotpot afterwards also went down very well.  Once the raffle had taken place we got down to the main event of the evening - the trophy presentation.  Points from the Find of the Month competitions are added together to get the results.  Here are the trophy winners:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Ken Sedgewick

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Jim Newton

 

Artefact Pre 1500

Vera Randall

 

Artefact Post 1500

Jim Newton 

 

There have been some great finds this past year and Jim Newton has done particularly well, having been placed in the top three in every category bar one.  It therefore came as no surprise to find that Jim was awarded Detectorist of the Year.  Well done to Jim and may next year prove as succesful.  The Chairman's Trophy was presented to John Ferguson for his hard work arranging rallies for the club.

 

The Find of the Month competition results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Trajan Dupondius 98-117 AD     -     Chris Richmond

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George III Sixpence 1820     -     Ken Sedgewick

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Medieval Penannular Brooch     -     Vera Randall

 

Artefacts Post 1500

RAF Ring (made from 1920 penny)     -     John Ferguson

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm. 
      
Clubs's Report-Meeting held 2 November 2010

November's meeting was surprisingly well attended despite the weather being particularly wet.  A few newcomers were in attendance along with some colleagues from the Kendal Club. 

 

Members from our club were amongst those attending the Kendal Club rally in October and items found included roman coins, strap ends and a gaming weight.  Unfortunately, the Kendal chairman felt obliged to put in writing a reminder to everyone that unwanted finds should be disposed of properly and not left in or beside the holes, as was the case in some instances at this rally.  This does not reflect well on the hobby and could impact on land being made available in future so members were asked to be mindful of this when detecting. 

 

The AGM took place during the meeting and had added significance this year as our current Chairman and Secretary, William & Carol Hargreaves, stepped down after five years in office.  Carol was presented with a bouquet of flowers, and a gift voucher was presented to them both in appreciation of their great work for the club.  William thanked all the current officers for their assistance during his tenure before announcing that Brian Randall had agreed to take over the post of Chairman/Secretary.  Brian was duly nominated and voted in.  Brian has been a valued member of the club for the last few years along with his wife Vera and I'm sure he will prove be a great success in his new role.  Ray Mountain volunteered to take over the Finds Recorder post vacated by Brian and all the other officers agreed to continue for another year.  The treasurer reported that the club is in a secure financial position and as a result it was decided that current members would be offered a reduced membership rate for 2011 if they apply before the end of February.

 
The Find of the Month competition once again saw a number of items on show and there were some good finds in all the categories.  The results were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Marcus Aurelius Denarius 162-163AD     -     Ken Sedgewick

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons

Victoria Crown 1889     -     John Hornby

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Bronze Age Axe 2000-5000BC     -     Linda Renshaw

 

Aretefacts Post 1500

Purse Bar Fragment 1500-1600     -     Clint Jones

 

Meetings are held at Lansil Sports & Social Club at 7.30pm every first Tuesday of the month. 

       
Club's Report- Meeting held 5 October 2010

Here's the report for October.  There isn't a photo of the winning Artefact Pre 1500 as it came out too blurred to do anything with.

 

October's meeting was well attended and took place as usual at Lansil Sports & Social Club in Lancaster.  Since our last meeting the club has held a rally at Croglin which had a good attendance and managed to raise £300 for the nominated charity.  Another rally at Kirkby Lonsdale saw only 13 people keen enough to brave the persistent rain, but despite the low turnout there were a few finds made including a silver ring and a Elizabeth I hammered.  Towards the end of September the club hired a minibus to take members to the rally at Lightwater Valley which was enjoyed by all.  Many thanks to our chauffeur Alan! 

 

A letter of thanks was received from the North West Air Ambulance for a recent donation from a club rally.

 

The club voted to donate £100 to Tullie House Museum to help their efforts to buy the Crosby Garrett Helmet. (The auction has subsequently been held and Tullie House have been unsuccessful in their bid.)

 

As the club now has a barrelling machine it was suggested that everyone bring in their grotty pound coins, etc.in order that they all be processed together rather than each member using it for just a few coins.  If members are willing they should bring in their coins and once we have a suitable amount they can be put through the machine. 

 

There was no doubting that rally season had arrived as the Find of the Month table groaned under the weight of entries.  They included the first ever entry of our youngest member, 9 year old Jessica Jones - hopefully the first of many.  The result were:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Antonianus of Salonia     -     Jim Newton

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

George II Penny 1751     -     Alan Wilson

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Viking Dress Pin     -     Jim Newton

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Dog's Head Hunting Whistle     -     Linda Herbert

 

Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm.
       
Club's report-meeting held 2 September 2010

The club managed to raise £400 for the North West Air Ambulance from the rally held at Great Eccleston in early September.  There were various finds made, the best of which was an Edward VI sixpence in good condition.  A few lucky people also went home a bit richer as a large number of pound coins and other decimal coinage was found amongst the dreaded ring pulls.  A further £100 was also raised for the Air Ambulance from a rally we held in August.

 

Dot Boughton, FLO has now set up the display in Lancaster City Museum to highlight the cooperation between the Portable Antiquities Scheme, metal detecting and our club in particular. The display will be in place until December and members are encouraged to go along and take a look.

  

It was unfortunately announced that William and Carol Hargreaves, our Chairman and Secretary, will be stepping down from their posts at the AGM in November.  They have served the club in this capacity for five years but feel they are now unable to devote the time and effort required to fulfil the posts.  They will, however, continue being involved with the club.  William & Carol will be a hard act to follow but, nevertheless, the club will be looking for nominees for both posts at the November meeting.

    

The Find of the Month competition results were as follows:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Roman Sestertius     -     Lorraine Watson

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Guernsey 8 Doubles 1918     -     Ken Sedgewick 

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

La Tene Brooch 100BC-100AD     -     Vera Randall

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Coins Weight 1700's     -     Vera Randall

 

Meetings are held every first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club at 7.30pm.  

       
Club's Report, meeting held  3 August 2010

Since our last meeting the club has taken part in the Great Eccleston Show where our stand attracted a lot of interest.  Many people stopped to have a chat and to look at the finds on display and quite a few took information about the hobby away with them.  Children also got involved as they used a detector to locate and dig up some old coins from the sand pit we had set up and this proved very popular indeed.  We have arranged to be part of the Show again next year and an added bonus from our appearance was the offer of land for a rally so it was a great success all round.  Many thanks to everyone involved.

 

Lyn Butterworth, who was one of the organisers of the above mentioned show, & Andrew Scott were our guest judges this evening for our Showcase Competition for finds made during the last year.  Despite a poor number of entries Lyn & Andrew had difficulty in deciding on a winner but eventually agreed that Vera Randall's showcase was the most deserving of the trophy.  Well done Vera.

 

Dot Boughton, FLO will now be setting up the display at Lancaster City Museum towards the end of August.  Members wishing to donate finds for the display can either see Dot at the museum when she returns from leave towards the end of August or hand them to staff at the museum who will provide a receipt for the items.

 

The Find of the Month Competition results were as follows:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

Henry VIII Groat 1521-40     -     Ian Gumm

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Queen Anne Sixpence 1708     -     Ian Sharp

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

Dragonesque Brooch  75-150 AD     -     Linda Herbert

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Silver Thimble Chester 1922     -     Philip Anderson

 

Meetings are held at Lansil Sports & Social Club on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30p
     
Club's report, meeting held 6 July 2010

July's meeting was chaired by our regular stand-in John Ferguson in the absence of the Chairman and Secretary. 

 

The club recently held a rally north of Kendal which raised funds for Cancer Research.  It was a lovely summer's day with a cooling breeze but unfortunately the lack of recent rain made digging hard work. There were a few finds made but for once that oft used phrase 'never been detected on before' seemed to be correct judging by the amount of scrap metal on the finds table.

 

Dot Boughton, FLO has arranged for club members have a showcase of their finds (from Lancashire & Cumbria) on display at the Lancaster City Museum.  Dot will be setting up the display on Wednesday 3 August and it will run until December. 

Abbey Shakoor has created and taken over the running of the new club website which will be online in the near future.

 

A leaflet about the club and the hobby has been produced for distribution at the Great Eccleston Show on 17 & 18 July where we will have a stall set up.  Members' showcases will be on display and the public will be able to try their hand at detecting.

 

Members are asked to bring their showcases of finds from the last 12 months for the Showcase Competition at next month's meeting; where we will also be having a hotpot supper.

 

The Find of the Month Competition results were as follows:

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Pre 1662

James I Sixpence Second Coinage     -     Ken Sedgewick

 

Coins, Tokens & Jettons Post 1662

Philip V 'Cross' Real 1733    -     Ian Sharp

 

Artefacts Pre 1500

No entries

 

Artefacts Post 1500

Crotal Bell     -     Jim Newton

 

Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster at 7.30pm.  New members are always welcome.
      

Club's report, meeting held 1st June 2010 

At the June meeting it was announced that Tony Bateson would be retiring from overseeing the club website and as a result the club would be seeking a volunteer to take over.  A new website may need to be set up but the VOIP number 
is now out of action.  David Mayo has taken over the production of the newsletter.

Meetings are held at Lansil Sports & Social Club, Lancaster every first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm.  New members are always welcome. 
      
Rare Roman helmet found near Appleby Tuesday 14 September 2010 (This is Lancashire)

 
RARE Roman helmet discovered in Eden is set to become the centre of a fierce bidding war to keep it in Cumbria when it goes under the hammer at Christies next month.
The 2,000-year-old bronze helmet which features a full face mask and a never seen before Griffin crest on its peak has been described by experts as an ‘extraordinary, rare and important find’.
Christies expect the mask to fetch between £300,000 and £500,000 when it is auctioned in London on October 7 but staff at Carlisle’s Tullie House museum are desperate for it to stay in the county. And this week they launched an appeal asking for donations from the public to help them buy it.
Museum archeologist Tim Padley said: “It is an iconic item and we really want to keep it close to where it was found. In 2011 we are opening a new Roman gallery where we’re aiming to show the power and sophistocation of the Roman military, and the helmet perfectly sums up those two things.” The intricatly worked helmet was found by a metal detectorist from Peterlee on farmland in Crosby Garrett, near Kirkby Stephen, and is only the third of its kind ever found in the UK.
Dr Ralph Jackson, Senior Curator of Romano-British Collections at the British Museum said: “The face mask of the Cumbria helmet is chillingly striking, exceptional and unparalleled. It is a find of the greatest importance.”
Archeologists think the helmet would have been used in cavalry sports events known as ‘hippika gymnasia’ and its face would have had a polished white-metal surface and its hair and hat a golden-bronze colour. Bright coloured streamers may also have been attached to the mask and it could have had a matching shield.
Arrian of Nicomedia, a Roman provincial governor under Hadrian, left the only recording of the games in his diary in AD 136, noting that the helmets were worn by high ranking horsemen ‘to draw the attention of the spectators’.
“The mask would have been very much part of the Romans impressing the natives. Part of trying to demonstrate superiority in a military occupation would be by showing off weapons and armour, and I think the mask would have been an initimidating part of that idea,” said Mr Padley. The helmet is believed to be an isolated find although there are earthworks dating from an unknown era nearby which may now be investigated.
Although cavalry men were based in Carlisle throughout the Roman occupation, there are no known cavalry game sites in the county.
The only other helmets discovered with face-masks are the Ribchester Helmet, found in 1796 near Preston and now in the British Museum, and the Newstead Helmet, found around 1905 and now at the Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh. Under British treasure laws objects that are at least ten per cent gold or silver must be presented to a coroner who declares whether they should first be offered for sale to museums.
But because this helmet is made of bronze it can be auctioned directly to the public and the sale proceeds will be split between the finder and landowner.

Park coins find is one to treasure
Published on Thu Aug 26 10:21:37 BST 2010

A treasure hunter has unearthed a set of coins believed to be more than 1,750 years old.
History buff John Harrison, 60, unearthed 30 of the coins, which are thought to date back to the fall of the Roman Empire, at Holgates Caravan Park’s Far Arnside site on the Lancashire-Cumbria border. Retired carer Mr Harrison, who lives in Carnforth with wife Josephine, 58, was walking with his metal detector when he found the silver and bronze coins, which are known as Barbarous Radiates, and are imitations of a type of coin issued during the Roman Empire.

It is known that the coins were produced at several different locations and previously found hoards indicate that there were different local styles produced which had a different design to reflect northern and southern England. Two years ago Mr Harrison came across a hoard of 34, 750-year-old short cross pennies which are currently with the British Museum in London for listing and will eventually be offered to a local museum for display.He has also uncovered Roman brooches, Bronze Age spears and a dagger from the Copper Age during 40 years of hunting.Father-of-three Mr Harrison, who spent three years researching and mapping possible treasure sites, said: “It’s created a lot of interest. They’ve gone down as treasure. It’s worth all the research.

Mike Turner, general manager at Holgates said: “John is well known locally for his passion for metal detecting and history and this is a really exciting find for him and the site.”
      
                                                                                                                                                                                    

Archaeologists from Somerset County Council excavated the jar and coins

One of the largest ever finds of Roman coins in Britain has been made by a man using a metal detector.The hoard of more than 52,000 coins dating from the 3rd Century AD was found buried in a field near Frome in Somerset.

The coins were found in a huge jar just over a foot (30cm) below the surface by Dave Crisp, from Devizes in Wiltshire."I have made many finds over the years, but this is my first major coin hoard," he said. After his metal detector gave a "funny signal", Mr Crisp says he dug down 14in before he found what had caused it."I put my hand in, pulled out a bit of clay and there was a little Radial, a little bronze Roman coin. Very, very small, about the size of my fingernail."

Mr Crisp reported the find to the authorities, allowing archaeologists to excavate the site.Offering to gods Since the discovery in late April, experts from the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the British Museum have been working through the find.

It is estimated the coins were worth about four years' pay for a legionary soldier."Because Mr Crisp resisted the temptation to dig up the coins, it has allowed archaeologists from Somerset County Council to carefully excavate the pot and its contents," said Anna Booth, local finds liaison officer.

Somerset County Council Heritage Service now hope the coroner will declare the find as treasure. That would 
allow the Museum of Somerset to acquire the coins at market value with the reward shared by Mr Crisp and the land owner.

The story of the excavation will be told in a new BBC Two archaeology series, Digging for Britain, presented 
by Dr Alice Roberts and made by 360production, to be broadcast in August

To watch the video click here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10546960.stm