#metal detecting

[blueiscoool]

Hundreds of 2,000-Year-Old Gold and Silver Coins Unearthed in Netherlands

Metal Detectorists in the Netherlands Stumbled Onto Hundreds of Looted Coins From the Roman Conquest of Britain.

The 404 coins, including 44 from Britain, are believed to be a mix of military pay and the spoils of war, stashed by a Roman soldier after he returned to the European continent.

As they swept over the muddy fields of Bunnik, a village in the Netherlands’ Utrecht Province that once marked the northern edge of the Roman Empire, in 2023, two metal detectorists unearthed a remarkably extensive and diverse haul of coins from the first century C.E.

There find—a collection of 404 gold and silver coins of Roman, British and North African origin—is the first of its kind unearthed on the European continent, according to a statement.

For Gert-Jan Messelaar and Reinier Koelink, the men with the metal detectors, the historic discovery came as something of an accident. They were combing the fields for a local fruit grower’s lost tractor key in Houten when they decided to give up and go over to a nearby field in Bunnik, where they had previously found a few coins, reports RTV Utrecht’s Bas Teunissen.

Koelink made the first find: a golden Celtic coin resting near the surface of the mud. The pair found a few more loose coins—including the largest Roman coin ever found in the province—but their metal detectors would not stop beeping. Messelaar finally stuck his hand into a shallow hole in the ground, where he uncovered a stash of hundreds of coins. “Bingo,” he recalls thinking, according to RTV Utrecht.

Koelink and Messelaar used clumps of mud to keep the coins together before bringing the haul back home, where they carefully cleaned, sorted and reported their findings to cultural heritage authorities. Then, they celebrated.

“We opened a bottle of champagne,” Messelaar tells the Guardian’s Daniel Boffey. “You never find this.”

Following the detectorists’ initial discovery of 381 coins in the summer of 2023, the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency, with the help of Koelink and Messelaar, conducted additional excavations in the surrounding areas, finding another 23 coins.

Now, the grand total of 404 coins will now join a permanent exhibition titled “The Netherlands in Roman Times” at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden.

Dated to between 200 B.C.E. and 47 C.E., 360 of the coins are Roman in origin. Of these, 288 are denarii, the standard silver coin, and 72 are aurei, a denser, golden coin that was originally worth 25 denarii.

Many of the Roman coins bear the portrait of Emperor Claudius, who reigned between 41 and 54 C.E. One depicts Julius Caesar, while another even rarer coin shows the likeness of Juba, the ruler of Numidia, a kingdom in northern Africa that roughly corresponds to modern-day Algeria.

Two of the Claudius coins dated to between 46 and 47 C.E. are from identical dies, suggesting they were distributed to Roman soldiers as military pay, write Anton Cruysheer, an archaeologist with the Utrecht Landscape and Heritage Foundation, and Tessa de Groot, an archaeologist with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, for UtrechtAltijd.

The 44 non-Roman coins are perhaps the most notable of the entire stash. The golden alloy coins, known as staters, bear the inscription “CVNO,” the first four letters of Cunobelinus, the Latin name of Celtic King Cunobelin, who reigned between roughly 10 and 42 C.E. in southeastern Britain.

Cruysheer and de Groot argue that the eclectic composition of the hoard “strongly suggests a connection to the conquest of Britain” under Aulus Plautius, a Roman general who Claudius dispatched to cross the Channel and invade the island in 43 C.E.

The wide range of dates of the Cunobelin staters, including four posthumously issued coins, indicates that the stash was removed from circulation in one fell swoop, like Roman troops looting the newly conquered territory, according to UtrechtAltijd.

Combined with the Roman coins used as military pay, the entire stash strongly resembles spoils of war. Discovered less than a foot beneath the surface, where it was probably buried in a leather pouch that has since decayed, the cache was left in a region where Roman troops were known to have amassed before the invasion of Britain.

“This is the first time that physical evidence of the return of the troops has been found,” Cruysheer tells the Guardian. “Apparently, they came back with all sorts of things. That is new information.”

By Eli Wizevich.

[collection-bundle]

ITS MY BIRTHDAY! 🥳‼️🎊 My dad got me a metal detector and here are my very first finds at a beach near me

[inspofromancientworld]

The Science of Discovering the Past: Geophysical Archaeology

By Glab310 - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113524155

While much of archaeology involves unearthing artifacts, knowing where to find those sites requires research at the surface, as does mapping the site. Geophysical surveys help archaeologists know where to focus their efforts and help them avoid fruitless digs where no artifacts or remaining structures lie below the surface as well as avoiding the destruction of sites that are culturally sensitive, such as cemeteries.

By see above - http://www.archaeophysics.com/3030/index.htmlTransferred from en.wikipedia by SreeBot, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17210746

There are many methods used to map below the surface, some of which can be done with little training while others meld multiple methods for a more complete map of what's under the surface. Those techniques that are more specialized were adapted from those used to explore for minerals. Mineral surveys seek to know what is deep beneath the surface and archaeological sites are relatively near the surface. These surveys also are focused on larger structures that would take a long time to unearth.

Source: https://sha.org/the-montpelier-minelab-experiment/2012/03/

Various methods of performing geophysical surveys and reveal different information. Metal detectors can be used to find caches of metal, but they don't give detailed information of what is below the surface. They can be used to discover new places to focus studies on. They work by inducing eddy currents, or a looping current between the detector and the metal in the ground, which causes a change in how the current flows in the machine, resulting in a signal being reported to the user, either through sound or visual output. Many locations have regulations or laws that dictate how metal detectors can be used and the ownership of those items found.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109641426

A more precise form of the this falls into two types: Electrical resistance meters and electromagnetic conductivity. Electrical resistance meters work by inserting probes into the soil through which electrical currents are passed and the resistance of the ground around them is detected, revealing the structures beneath as things like stone have different resistance than the soil around them. Electromagnetic conductivity is similar to metal detection in that a magnetic field is created by an electric field of a known frequency while detectors pick up the change. These detectors and currents are stronger than those of metal detectors with a related increase in size of the detector.

By Archaeo-Physics LLC - http://www.archaeophysics.com, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36404337

Ground-penetrating radar uses electromagnetic pulses to detect what is under the surface in a way similar to how radar works in other applications. The pulses are reflected off items under the surface and recorded by the detector. It's possible to discover how things are layered beneath the surface because of the differences in reflections.

By Cargyrak - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48685015

Lidar is an optical technique that uses light, usually lasers, to map the land. It has the ability to penetrate foliage, such as forest canopies, and allows features beneath the surface to be distinguished. This also allows features that are too large to be distinguished from the ground to be mapped. Lidar has the additional benefit of being easily integrated into Geographical Information Systems, integrated computer hardware and software systems that are used to analyze and visualize geographic data.

[themuseumlady]

neat metal detecting find!! lock from 1910!!!

found this neat Eagle Lock Co. Lock today (finally got permission to metal detect at my work:)) - it is likely from c. 1910 as that was the primary time that the section of property was used !!! this is probably my coolest find so far metal detecting!!

[i-was-today-years-old-when]

i learned that a 3-Year-Old went Metal Detecting, and Found Treasure Worth $4 Million

If there is such a thing as “beginner’s luck,” then surely 3-year-old James Hyatt has it. The little boy went metal detecting for the first time and found a buried treasure worth $4 million dollars. It’s every kid’s dream to find buried treasure, and that’s exactly what happened to little James Hyatt one afternoon when his father took him metal detecting for the first time. However, it wasn’t the first time for James’ granddad who had been searching for 15 years. “James got a buzz after just five minutes,” said Jason Hyatt, who is the father of the little boy. “We saw a glint eight inches down and gently pulled the object out. Dad was blown away. He’d never found anything like it in 15 years doing his hobby.

[lowlylou]

I love my partners collections ❤️

[blackcherryvelvet0909]

Glimmering Dreams (Ruggie x GN!Reader)

“So, are you going to tell me where you got these from, or…?”

“Nope!” At the look of your concerned expression, Ruggie let out a giggle. “Alright, alright, if you’re going to pout like that: I got them from a store in town.”

“They look expensive,” you said as you examined the devices. You glanced up at the hyena and raised an eyebrow, “Where’d you get the money for these?” 

“Leona,” Ruggie simply replied. 

“With his permission, I hope.”

“You think he cares?” His ears flattened against his head at the look you sent his way. “Hey, hey! I got his permission, alright? Again though, it’s not like he cared - all he cared about was getting that meat sub he wanted.” 

You glanced over your shoulder to look at the lion prince, who still laid across his lounge chair a small distance away. The fact he was currently nibbling on that meat sub meant Ruggie was telling the truth. You were sure he wouldn’t lie to you…still didn’t hurt to check though. Satisfied with his explanation, you looked over the long handle that connected to the metal detector Ruggie had lended you. “How do you turn this thing on?”

“Uh…” Ruggie fiddled around with his own for a moment before a red light clicked on at the detector’s base. “Ah, there we go!” He held out his hand to you, “Trade me.” 

You switched out your metal detector for his, then watched him turn the other on. “That knob on the handle lets you adjust the sensitivity,” he said. “It’s on a sort of middle ground right now - feel free to turn it up or down whenever you want. Just not too much,” he pointed up at his ears, “don’t want to make me go deaf, do you?”

“Do I?” Ruggie looked unamused at your tease, so you chuckled and backed off. “I won’t, I won’t.”

With that, the two of you went your separate ways. You didn’t stray too far from the other, just in case either of you found something of value. Since Ruggie provided the metal detectors, you planned to split the earnings from any goodies you might find. Would he do the same with his? Probably not, which is why you prayed to whoever might be listening on high that you’d find something. While Crowley did provide funds for you and Grim, any extra would be a blessing. Since, you know, Grim ate you out of house and home on a regular basis. 

Just then, your metal detector squeaked. You stopped dead in your tracks and scanned it over the sand below. When it squeaked again on a particular spot, you dropped to your knees. Before you could figure out where to put your metal detector, you heard footsteps approach from behind. “Find something,” Ruggie asked, his sandal clad feet appearing next to you as he spoke. 

“I think so.” You handed him your detector before you took out the little shovel that stuck halfway out of your shorts pocket. Carefully you dug into the sand, eyes searching for the metallic object underneath. A small ‘aha!’ left your lips as you came upon the object, which glistened in the sunlight. You plucked it up with your fingers - and were sorely disappointed. It was just a bottle cap to a soda long discarded. “Damn…” you cursed under your breath. 

Ruggie let out a small laugh. “Eh, it happens. Not too surprising to find something like that around here, y’know?” His brows furrowed in confusion as you pocketed the small piece of metal along with your shovel. “What’re you taking it for? It isn’t worth anything.” 

“I know,” you said as you stood and took back your metal detector, “but I need to throw it away later. I don’t want the beach to get even more polluted.” 

Ruggie stared at you for a few seconds, the look in his eyes unreadable - then he snickered with a grin. “Look at you, being a goody two shoes. You’d fit right in with those Royal Sword sissies, shyeheehee~” 

You let out a ‘tch’ as you kicked a small bit of sand in his direction. “Shut up. It’s a good thing to do; besides, we’ve got three merman here to worry about. You think they’d like us leaving trash in their home?” 

You had a point. Even so, Ruggie only gave a small shrug before he trudged back to where he’d been before. You watched him go for a few seconds before you started back down your own path on the beach. 

***

Screeeee!

If you were a beastman, your ears would have perked up at the shrill sound. Ruggie must have turned his detector up a notch, a high one - that hurt! You heard Ruggie let out his own grunt of pain; you turned your head just in time to see him drop his metal detector and cover his big ears. It didn’t go far though, since it kept on screaming where it lay. You quickly ran over to it and picked it up, releasing Ruggie from the torture. All beastman around you glared in your direction, some more irritated than others, a few borderline angry. You gave a nervous, apologetic smile and a ‘sorry!’ before you focused back on Ruggie. 

“Are you alright?” you asked, hand placed on his shoulder. 

“Yeah, ‘m fine.” Ruggie shook his head, then scratched behind his left ear. His face was still in a mild grimace as he continued. “Are my ears bleeding?” 

“No,” you chuckled. You couldn’t help but smirk as you remembered his previous warning. “And who was the one who said to not turn it up too high?” 

“Shush,” Ruggie grumbled. He patted the sand under his palms, “Where was it again? When it squealed?” 

“Um,” you pointed down at the spot in front of him, “there, I think.” 

Ruggie took out his small metal trowel and began to dig. As the seconds passed, you wondered if you’d been mistaken, as nothing came up. Then, just as you were about to suggest the spot next to the shallow hole he’d dug, something glinted from beneath the sand. Ruggie’s ears perked up as he eyed the object; like you had before, he delicately lifted it out with his fingers. It was round in shape and looked to be a little rusty. When Ruggie brushed the sand off with his thumb, both your eyes widened at the color: gold!

“Is it real?” you asked, now knelt next to the hyena for a better look. 

“Hm…” Ruggie squinted as he brought the coin close to his face, scrutinizing every detail as he flipped it over and over. He then brought the coin to his mouth and bit down on it; sure enough, it didn’t bend. Ruggie’s grin spread wide as his eyes practically sparkled at the confirmation. “Yep, sure is!” 

“Holy shit!” you exclaimed. “That’s awesome!” You leaned close to get a better look at the little prize. “It looks old - how old do you think it is?” 

“Dunno.” Ruggie tucked the coin into the breast pocket of his open shirt as he stood, with you quickly following. “Maybe a hundred years or so?” 

“Wow! It must be worth a lot then!” 

“Could be,” Ruggie picked up your metal detectors off the ground and handed you yours, “c’mon, let’s go. I know a guy who’ll pay good madol for something like this.”

You followed after Ruggie as he began to walk back up the beach. For the time being, you turned your metal detectors off. “I hope I find something similar later,” you said. “There’s bound to be more around…hopefully.” 

“If not in the sand, they could be underwater,” Ruggie suggested. “I can see if I can get my hands on some goggles and snorkels, if you wanna look close to shore.”

“Really? I’d love to!” You waved to Ace and Deuce as the two of you passed them by. “I think it’d be fun.” 

“Yeah.” Your footsteps clumped against the wooden walkway that led away from the beach as you headed back to the resort. “Who knows, maybe after we split this prize, we might find more.”

“Split the prize?” You stopped in your tracks as you looked Ruggie in the eye. “You found it, Ruggie. I thought you’d be taking it for yourself?”

“I usually would,” Ruggie smiled, “but you helped me find it. If you hadn’t pointed out the spot, I could have easily missed it.” He let out a small giggle, “And, I mean, if you hadn’t moved the detector away, I’d probably be deaf right now. You saved my bacon!” He nudged your foot with his, “Splitting the goods will settle my debt.” 

“You don’t owe me anything, Ruggie,” you assured. “I know you would have done the same.” Well, you at least hoped he would have. 

Ruggie shrugged his shoulders, “Still sharing the cash with you. We’ll split it fifty-fifty.” He shot you a teasing grin as he looked you in the eye. “But don’t get too cocky - might not be so generous next time.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh, implications be damned. “Fair enough.” You pulled a smirk of your own as the two of you continued your walk. “It goes both ways though. If I find something, I might just keep it to myself~” 

“Hey, who got the metal detectors again?” Ruggie teased. “I’ve been oh-so generous to let you use one!~”

You groaned as you whined, “Stooop! You sound like Crowley!” 

“Whatever do you mean?” Ruggie mocked the headmage as he impersonated his voice to the best of his ability. “Is he not the Seven’s gift to students? He’s soooo kind!” 

“Stop!” You laughed and slapped his arm. “You’re horrible!” 

Your banter went on and on and on, all the way to your destination. It turned out the coin you two found was over three hundred years old; it was apparently the old currency once used in the Queendom of Roses. You and Ruggie got quite the payout from a certain octopus that practically fangirled over the small little piece of metal. How to celebrate your little added wealth? Simple: burgers, fries, and milkshakes - the biggest available at the beach!

[bviralmedia]

Man treasure hunting on a beach finds a coin fused to another piece of metal

[tinker-talents]

Hiii I just heard of this side of tumblr ^_^ I've been collecting lost things all my life! So I was so excited to see other people do it! Here's some of my finds when I went camping & metal detecting last year ^_^

[awehaven]

Some metal finds found while searching the ploughed fields of S.E. England.

1. Book clasp 15th/16th century & a Romano British Seal Box Cover.

2. Dagger Chape (from the tip of a scabbard). 15th-17th Century.

3. Two Anglo Saxon strap ends. 7th/8th Century.

4. Lid from a Mirror Case. 15th Century.

5. Spur Rowel. 15th Century.

6. Shield Shaped leather decoration together with a 15th Century Pewter Pilgrims Badge of 'Our Lady of Boulogne'.

7. 15th Century buckle with traces of gilding.

8. 17th Century (Jacobean) Buckle.

9. Three Small Medieval Buckles and a leather decoration.

10. Two Medieval Casket Keys. 14th/15th Century.

11. Two Early Medieval Buckles.

©Robin Fifield 2024.

[tocayafurr]

Commission for @/Ekron-vulture on Bluesky 💖🦃

[blueiscoool]

16th-Century Coin Hoard Unearthed in Poland

A father-and-son metal detecting duo discovered a "priceless" treasure trove of 17 rare historic coins.

Sławomir and Szymon Milewscy found the coins near Pomiechówek, a village in the Mazovia region of east-central Poland.

The silver coins, dated to the 16th and 17th centuries, came to light during a search by the Polish Association of Prospectors in collaboration with the Triglav Historical and Research Association. The search aimed to uncover evidence of a road from the time of the Roman Empire, but the effort resulted in a very different kind of discovery.

"We have a treasure. We didn't expect this at all," the prospectors association said in a on November 3 post.

"We will start with the historical value—this one for us is priceless," the association said in another post on November 4.

While Piotr Duda, an archaeologist from the Triglav Historical and Research Association, also noted that the coins' historical value is "indescribable," their material value is estimated to be around half a million Polish zlotys—equivalent to roughly $122,000.

"This is probably one of the largest treasures of this type discovered so far in Poland, and certainly in Mazovia. Yes, in recent years, deposits of coins from various historical eras have emerged, but not from the 16th and 17th centuries," Duda told Science in Poland.

We knew that these were silver coins and their value could be high, but when we started looking at them, we were rubbing our eyes with amazement. It is simply unbelievable," he said.

The coin hoard consists of thaler and paragon coins, which were large silver coins used in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

The thaler, originating in the Holy Roman Empire, was widely circulated and became the model for many currencies. It was known for its stability and high silver content. The English word "dollar" is also derived from the name.

The patagon, meanwhile, was a similar large silver coin primarily minted in the Spanish Netherlands. This territory included parts of modern-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands during the late 16th and 17th centuries. These coins were widely used in European trade and exported to Spanish colonies, making them valuable in international commerce.

One of the coins—a 1630 thaler depicting Sigismund III Vasa, king of Poland (1587–1632) and Sweden (1592–99)—is a particularly rare Thaler. An identical coin, but in much worse condition, was sold at auction last year for more than 86,000 Polish zlotys, or around $21,000.

The newly discovered treasure will now be transferred to the Mazovian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments and eventually placed in a museum.

By Aristos Georgiou.

[collection-bundle]

Do you have/want a metal detector ?

I would love a metal detector but I don't live near places where I could use it. Although I do live like an hour away from the ocean so maybe the beach? Unfortunately I feel like I wouldn't use it enough to justify getting one yk?

Quick side story, when I was a kid I loved watching metal detecting videos. I was obsessed with them and my favorite was Deep Digger Dan but I stopped watching for some reason.

[getthattreasure]

Found this beaut the other day! Love digging up a silver ring. I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting my tumblr but hopefully I’ll start posting here more. In the meantime I’ve been posting videos to YouTube. Check me out there!

[licensetohyperfixate]

You thought that this would be a normal post, but it was I, Von Karma!!!

[fightermage]

Fabulous late night hunt. They tore up the road a few streets down today, and i know they work quick, so i got out after dark and I hit a gold mine. All of these items were found in about a 50’ stretch. Some old buttons, a pocket knife, two makeup compacts, pocket watch back, a really messed up spoon, thimble, cogwheels and aperture, a copper cup, hinged door, a house #3, and an aluminum token. Only 3 coins. Two clad pennies amd a 1914 wheat. Exhausted but very happy.