AMDS Times issue 3

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A benefit of your membership of AMDS includes a £10,000,000 Public Liability Insurance Cover when metal detecting and in accordance with the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales as outlined on the PASatwww.finds.org.uk.

Remember to register and create your own unique accountonthe website at www.amds.org.uk. Also from therein, follow the link to join the AMDS privateFacebookgroup.

In this issue

P.3 Prize Crossword

P.4 Treasure Changes Explained

P.5 Roman Bath House Explained

P.9 Lost and found G.I. Dog Tag

Association for Metal Detecting Sport

Contents

AMDSTimes s

Front cover picture Fiona David – Western Region

Prize crossword by John Wells

Explanation of Treasure Act changes

Beauty and the Bath House - Cosmetics and Perfumes in Roman Times by Jo Wenlock

Simplex + Legend Owners Group by Clive Smith

The Lost and Reunited Dog Tag by Fiona David

Green Waste Revisited

PAS Update by Prof. Michael Lewis (British Museum)

Modern Day Numismatics by Dr Adrian Kiermasz

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All rights are reserved on the entire contents; and nothing may be used or reproduced in whole or in part without the expressed written permission of the publisher.

All contents © copyrighted 2023 AMDS Times Publishing.

This publication is provided with the understanding that information presented is from many sourcesforwhich therecan beno warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or completeness.

The forwarding of material is a guarantee that material is original and not an infringement on the rights of others. The author, in submitting material to AMDS Times Publishing, signifies by this act agreement with the above terms.

Readers should abide by the Code of Practise for Responsible Metal Detecting and never detect anywhere without the permission of the land owner. AMDS Times Publishing assumes no liability for information shared in editorialoradvertising content.

Northampton Detecting Association a brief history by Roger Atterwill

The ignored part of the field by Steve Pulley

Learn English Kings and Roman Emperors by Dr Phil Williams BA PhD

Field test and comparison of the C Scope CS4MX and CS4Pi Part 1 by David Rees

Obituary to Sue Austin by Syd Hallam and Brian Vaughan

AMDS/ARMD Presentation to the PAAG

Throughout this publicationthere are hyperlinks to various online websites andFacebook groups thatwehave includedto makethis edition interactive. You will note that the cursor will change to a hand to signify a link. You can then click access this, and return using the navigation arrow on your computer or smart phone.

AMDS Times Publishing shall be rendered harmless from and against any claims or suits for liable, violation or right of privacy, plagiarism, copyright infringement, improper use of the mails or violation of UK criminal or civil law based on the subject matter of editorial and advertisement content.

AMDS Times Publishing reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed questionable or in bad taste and assumes no liability for omitting advertising for any reason.

All data in this publication, technical or otherwise, is based upon the personal experience of individuals using specific tools, equipment and components under particular conditions and circumstances, some of which may not be reported in the article or advertisement and which the Association for Metal Detecting Sport has not otherwise verified.

Prize Crossword created by JOHN WELLS the Chairman of the Midland Federation ARMD for the March 2023 edition.

CLUES DOWN

2 Franz XXXXX Hungarian composer, pianist and teacher (1811 – 1886) (5)

3 To reorganise or make new groupings of (7)

4 An abnormal tissue growth that can be found anywhere in the body (6)

6 Device for tanning (7)

7 Alaska’s biggest city has ships moorings (10)

8 Carpe xxxx Latin phrase for “seize the day”(4)

11 Viral disease affecting sheep, cattle, deer, goats and camelids (10)

15 Old boat used in the kitchen for food preparation (7)

17 Wall forming part of the defensive boundary of a castle or hillfort (7)

18 Entire set of DNA instructions found in a cell in humans (6)

20 The currency of Vietnam (4)

22 English gold coin introduced by Edward IV in 1465 (5)

CLUES ACROSS

1 Former two-bob bits (6)

5World’slargestcontinent(4)

9 In Norse mythology, the dwelling place of the gods (6)

10 One of three column styles builders used in ancient Greece (5)

12 Currency of Lithuania, until 1st January 2015, until replaced by the euro (5)

13 Pain in the muscles and joints of the lower back (7)

14 A member of an ancient Jewish ascetic sect (6)

16 A brandy distilled from the fermented residue of grapes in winemaking (6)

19 In arrears and behind time (7)

21 George XXXXX United States general in charge of the Union troops at the Battle of Gettysburg (1815-1872) (5)

23 A homeless street-smart boy who has been abandoned and roams the streets (5)

24 A Pain in the ear (6)

25 Longest River in Spain (4)

26 A city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, in the USA (7)

The GREEN SQUARES will give you a seven-letter anagram. Solvethe coin related answer and then email this to Rachel Edwards at membership@amds.org.uk correct answers will be entered into the FREE draw and the winner will receive £25. Well done to Andrew Crowley the winner for ourissue 2 who correctly submitted SOLIDUS

Government changes the legal definition of treasure so that more new discoveries can go on public display

New definition of what constitutes treasure will mean many more objects of exceptional archaeological, historical and cultural importance are protected

• Objects of historical importance more than 200 years old and containing metal will now fit the criteriaof‘treasure’

• Move will see more finds on display in museumsacrossthe country for the publictosee and enjoy in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Under the current definition, newly discoveredartefacts canonlybelegallyclassifiedastreasureiftheyaremore than 300 years old and made of precious metal or part of a collection of valuable objects or artefacts. But to make sure the most significant future discoveries are acquired by museums for the benefit of the nation, the Government is expanding the definition set out in the Treasure Act.

The move has been prompted after a number of recent discoveries fell outside the scope of the Act While these artefacts were, thankfully, acquired by museums, this new definition will make it easier for them to do so in the future.

The newcriteria willapplytothemostexceptional finds over 200 years old – regardless of the type of metal of which they are made – so long as they provide an important insight into the country’s heritage. This includes rare objects, those which provide a special insight into a particular person or event, or those which can shed new light on important regional histories.

Discoveries of treasure meeting these new criteria will be assessed by a coroner and will go through a formal process in whichthey canbe acquired bya museum and go on display to the public.

ProfessorMichaelLewis,HeadofPortableAntiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, said: “The British Museum welcomes the extension of the Treasure Act to ensure museums across the country have the opportunity to acquire more finds of archaeological significance. The reform of the Act will also update its Code of Practice to acknowledge the fundamental role of the Portable Antiquities Scheme

(Managed by the British Museum in England) in ensuring the successful operation of the Act.”

Dr Kath Davies, Director of Collections and Research, Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, said:

“We are pleased that, through this proposed new treasure definition, a greater number of archaeological finds of the highest significance for Wales may be declared treasure each year. This means that more treasures may be acquired by local museums across Wales, for people to see and enjoy in their own communities.”

This new definition will mean that future discoveries of objects made of non-precious metals, like the Bronze AgeRudhamdirk,aceremonialdaggercouldbeclassed as treasure.

Discovery of the RomanCrosbyGarrett Helmet (Figure 1) which was discovered by a metal detectorist in 2010 which was later sold at auction for 2.3 million pounds made the nation aware that valuable historical finds needed to be covered by a change in the act which has resultedinthe inclusion of important historical artefacts other than gold or silver.

The Treasure Act 1996 was introduced to enable archaeological discoveries to be acquired by museums. By widening the definition of treasure, the Government aims to improve its ability to preserve important artefacts for the nation.

Fig. 1

Beauty and the Bath House – Cosmetics and Perfume in Roman Times

Jo Wenlock the author of this article has worked as a hazardous waste chemist and a Secondary school teacher, she has a BSc (Hons) in science from Open University, and has also studied Classical Latin. She has an interest in the past especially Roman Britain, and the history of medicine. Other hobbies and interests include art, historical demonstrations and astronomy. She also bakes massive sponge cakes.

Introduction

In our current 21st century world, the cosmetic and perfume industry generates billions in revenue from those wanting to look, smell and feel good. It often attracts as much criticism as admiration from society due to the perceived pressure to fit an ‘ideal’; to emulate an idol or indulge in the latest fad or trend.

Up until a few decades ago, we would be influenced by posters, magazines, entertainers or portraits of well-heeled aristocrats or socialites- or even (often wildly exaggerated) accounts from those who had at least claimed to have met them and been charmed by their attributes, now we have social media to further promote these ideals.

What were we like two thousand years ago?

Well, not really all that different…

Theuseofperfumesand cosmetics in the ancient world is well documented. As well as themany archaeological finds ranging from ornate flasks to preserved hairpieces, we also have recorded evidence via ancient writers, most notably Seneca, Ovid, Martial, Juvenal and Pliny, who all gave detailed, and often satirical accounts of society.

The abundance of information stresses the importance of perfumes and cosmetics, not only to scent and beautify, but also as having medicinal and social benefits in

a world where beauty and a pleasant odour signified good health, wealth and high status.

Many perfumes and cosmetics commanded high prices. The Romans, as today, had designer brands, and the inevitable counterfeit items too! Many popular perfumers became very wealthy, and their products were in demand. One such perfumer, Cosmus, is cited frequently in ancient texts. Some of these texts also record the prices of some of the raw ingredients used to produce these items and perfumes containing imported or difficult to harvest items must have been very costly. Cinnamon and saffron were highly prized ingredients imported from Asia. Perfumes containing these would have only been worn by the very wealthy on special occasions.

Body odour in the Roman world was socially unacceptable. Poor or unclean Romans were viewed as barbarians or no better than ‘wild animals.’ Destitute Romans had to make do with nothing or occasionally a perfume made from grasses or cheap ingredients available locally.

Cosmetics and perfumes were worn by both men and women, although public use of these by men was viewed as ‘unmanly’ and unbecoming for a Roman male citizen. However, even some of the greatest Roman military men were partial to a little scent occasionally, Julius Caesar was said to have been fond of a perfumed oil called ‘Telinum’ which ingredients included cat mint, yellow clover and fenugreek.

The beauty regime for many began in the public bath house. It was seen as a place not just for bathing but also for relaxation, exercise, socialising, and even serious business was conducted there. Mixed bathing was forbidden by most emperors and women generally bathed later in the day than men.

The bath house consisted of many rooms, the main three being the hot room, the warm room and the cold room. These rooms had a supply of heat and hot water via lead pipes and

Fig. 1 (see page 7)

a furnace. Slaves constantly stoked this furnace and great amounts of wood were burned daily to fuel the baths. Other rooms at the bath house included a changing room and a gymnasium.

A patron of the bath house was usually accompanied by a house slave or could pay for the use of a bath house slave. These slaves would carry the flasks of oils and help with bathing, but most importantly- look after the patron’s belongings. The vast number of curse tablets found damning “whoever stole my cloak/ robe/ tunic…” is testament to the high incidence of theft that occurred.

When bathing, theRomansdidnotusesoap. Instead, assisted by their slave, they would rub olive oil or perfumed oil into their skin, and after a spell in the hot room, the mixture of sweat, dirt and oil was scraped off the skin using a curved metalscraper. Aftera finalplungein thecold bath and drying with a linen towel, more perfumed oil was added, if wished.

The bath house provided a range of services such as massage and hair removal. Seneca provides us with a vivid account of this latter service.

“Imaginethehairplucker with hispenetrating shrillvoicefor the purposes of advertisement continually giving it vent and never holding his tongue except when he is plucking his armpits and making his victim scream instead.”

(Seneca, Epistles .56.2)

In Roman times, an abundance of body hair (except on the head) was seen as unsightly for both men and women and there were many different methods to remove it. One could apply a potion made from arsenic sulfide and calcium oxidewhich worked very much like modern depilatory creams, or one could use blood from a bat instead. For the less squeamish, tweezers or pumice could be used to pluck or rub the hair away.

Skincare and treatment.

The ideal Roman woman, based on various statues and surviving artwork seems to be youthful, have dark hair, bright eyes, a medium sized figure and a pale, clear complexion. In Roman text, personal attributes such as chasteness and a pleasant manner are also emphasized as contributing to beauty.

For those Romans who were not blessed with the above ideals, help wasathand from amyriad oflotions, potionsand accessories. Ironically, many of these products used to enhance beauty were often harmful, even deadly.

White lead in powder form was used in abundance to whiten and brighten the skin. Mercury II sulfide, lead sulfide and antimony compounds were used extensively in cosmetics.

The dangerous properties of these compounds were known to the ancient philosophers and physicists, and were well publicised, but this did little to curb their use. However, not all beauty products were as dangerous, although many may

seem disagreeable to modern tastes.

Ovid lists many different beauty preparations in his Medicamina Faciei Femineae (Art of Painting the Face) some of the more agreeable concoctions included the use of starch, orris root, frankincense, roses and honey to brighten the complexion, others were downright dangerous, with the usual addition of toxic lead compounds.

Pliny the Elder recommended a rather more disagreeable face mask made using crocodile dung and oil to help get rid of blemishes.

A more pleasant concoction was created by the physicist, Galen. Hewastheinventoroftheoriginal‘cold cream’based on roses, beeswax and oil. This cream was so successful that variations of this are still used today, although the original olive oil is now replaced by mineral oil in modern products.

In 2003,Southwark,London,archaeologistsdiscovered apot of cosmetic cream which is thought to have been used as a skin whitener or cold cream. Chemical analysis revealed that it was composed of mainly starch, tin oxide and animal fat.

Fig. 2 (see page 7)

Cosmetics

Once skin was glowing and scented, (preferably not smelling of crocodile dung), make-up could then be applied. This began with a dusting of white lead, kaolin or chalk to the face, neck and lower arms. The desired look was to appear as if you were wealthy enough to be able to stay indoors rather than work outdoors for a living- so a suntan, although desired by modern populations, was not ‘in vogue’ during the Roman era. Eyelids were enhanced with eyeshadow madefrom azuriteormalachite-both copperoreswhich gave a blue or green tint. Eyes were then enhanced with eyeliner made from burnt frankincense, kohl, antimony compounds or for poorer women, lampblack or ashes. Again, these eyeliners were also seen as having medicinal benefits. Burnt frankincense and antimony mixed with gum was thought to help cure eye ailments according to Pliny the Elder.

Mascara could be made from ashes, powdered soot and antimony or, as advised (probably sarcastically) by Plinysquashed flies! Thick, full lashes were seen as virtuous as ‘loose morals’ were rumoured to make your eyelashes fall out!

Pigments were usually crushed and applied using thin metal applicators called ligulae. These cosmetic implements had a spoon at one end and tapered into a point at the other. The solid cosmetic was ground down using a cosmetic grinder, and then blended with oil to form a thick liquid, then applied to the skin. Brushes may have been used, but there is little surviving evidence that they were used cosmetically.

Cheekswerecolouredwithalightsweep ofred ochreorwine dregs. Many ancient authors and politicians lamented the excessive use of this ancient rouge and even tried to outlaw it. Despite their toxicity, powdered cinnabar and red lead were also used to redden the cheeks.

Eyebrows were then enhanced by using pigments ranging from soot to burned frankincense and galena, as thick, dark eyebrows were deemed attractive on women. A ‘monobrow’ was the height of beauty and the bridge of the nose was painted on to give this effect!

There is no material evidence that Roman ladies wore lipstick, and it is not mentioned in surviving texts. However, frescos and portraits from the era do suggest that lips may have been reddened with pigment.

Cosmetics were often stored in elaborate glass flasks or little boxes. These, along with their applicators, were also stored in decorated toilet boxes. Roman ladies’ graves have been discovered containing many of these personal effects. Did these ladies want to look their best on their journey to the afterlife? Or were they merely cherished by the owner when alive and buried with them for sentimental purposes?

Whichever the correct reason is, this gives us a good indication of the importance of such items in Roman society.

Dental care

To complement clean, fragrant skin, breath was freshened with pastilles, or a mouthwash made from orris root and wine. Teethwerecleaned withpumiceorpowdered stag horn washed out with urine! Myrrh was also used to alleviate dental problems, and this is still used today in some modern dental products. The Romans were quite skilled at dentistry, and this included false teeth and dental work using gold wires. Evidence of this elaborate dentistry is found listed in the ‘Twelve tables’ (laws passed in Ancient Rome). One of these laws’ states

“Neve aurum addito. At cui auro dentes iuncti escunt. Ast in cum illo sepeliet uretve, se fraude esto.”

Nor gold shall be added to a corpse. But if any one buries or burns a corpse that has gold dental work it shall be without prejudice (Cicero)

Hair

Roman ladies, unless in mourning, wore their hair pinned up. Loosehairwasdeemed barbaricoran indication thatonehad given up on life. Hair was usually dressed using pins made of wood, bone, bronze or precious metals adorned with jewels. Hair fashion changed more frequently than clothing did, and hairstyles are more frequently used to date statues or frescoes.

Some hairstyles, notably from the Flavian period (69- 96AD) seem to defy gravity and special means were used to create such styles. Hair shorn from captive women slaves or criminals was frequently used to make wigs or hairpiecesand hair could be padded out to create height. The use of these wigs and hairpieces was common by wealthier Roman ladies, but a Roman man wearing an obvious wig or toupee was subjected to ridicule. For a bald man in the Roman Empire, life could be very tough. Bald men were viewed as incompetent and weak, and a receding hairline could even threaten a political career. Julius Caesar’s opponents would mock how he carefully

Fig. 3 (see Page 7)

scratched his head so as not disturb his hairstyle- which was styled to hide his thinning hair. There were many claimed ‘cures’ for baldness using ingredients such as goat urine, lard and bird droppings. It is highly unlikely that these had any beneficial effect.

As well as augmentation with false hair, colour could also be enhanced with a variety of dyes. Grey hair was unbefitting for a lady in a society which valued youth so highly. Hair could be darkened, lightened or the colour completely changed. To darken hair, a dye made from burnt dates could be applied, or according to Pliny, a black dye could be made by leaving leeches to rot in wine for forty days.

Blonde hair was also popular, and a hair bleach made from wood ash and caustic could make your hair lighter (or fall out if you were not careful!)

The Ornatrix

The application of cosmetics and hair dye was indeed a hazardous process, not only for the wearer who was at risk of being burned or poisoned by the ingredients, but also for the house slaves or hairdressers who applied them. The poor assistant, if her mistress so wished, could spend hours applying and reapplying cosmetics and dressing the hair. If the mistress was not satisfied with the result, the slave could be punished severely.

According to Martial, one mistress beat her slave to death with a mirror due to a ringlet being out of place.

“One ringlet of hair, in the whole circle of Lalage's tresses, wasoutofitsplace, having been badly fixed by an erring pin. This crime she punished with the mirror, by means of which she discovered it, and Plecusa fell to the ground under her blows, in consequence of the cruel hair.”

(Martial.

Epigrams II. 66)

Ovid also derided mistresses who attacked attendants by stabbing them with hair pins:

“Leave your maid alone: I hate those who scratch her face with their nails or prick the arm they’ve snatched at with a pin. She’ll curse her mistress’s head at every touch, as she weeps, bleeding, on the hateful tresses.”

(Ovid, Ars Am. III. IV)

Finally, when the mistress was satisfied with her look, another dab of perfumed oil would have made her presentable too.

Perfumes

Perfumes in Ancient Rome were used to scent houses, clotheshair, skin and even added to wineandingested. These were stored in various flasks made from glass or alabaster. Many perfumes were very costly and difficult to produce.

The base oils used had to be prepared before the other ingredients were added and this was a very time-consuming process. The ancient writers recorded many of the perfumes used and their ingredients. Pliny’s Naturalis Historia contains a wealth of information about unguents and the sources of their ingredients.

Chemical analysis of dregs found in flasks in the ‘House of the Perfumer’ in Pompeii recently enabled scientists and archaeologists to recreate some of these ancient scents.

Many of the recreated perfumes were described as ‘sweet’ and ‘delicate’ and were not deemed unpleasant, others were not as well received and probably not to most modern tastes. As stated at the beginning of this article, the perfume and cosmetic industry makes billions in profits every year, demonstrating how important image and personal grooming are to modern society just as they were to our ancestors. Some ingredients in ancient cosmetics, such as iron oxides and copper compounds, are still used in modern cosmeticshowever, we have thankfully moved on from covering ourselves in white lead and other toxic or yucky substances in our modern pursuit of ‘perfection’.

Unless you still fancy trying Pliny’s squashed flies… maybe?

Figure 1 is a collection of Roman replica cosmetic items:

1: Roman cosmetic powders made from natural pigments

2. A toothpick shaped like a heron

3. Replica jet hair roller/ hair pin

4. Hair shears

5. Various‘ligulae’ for applying cosmetics and a cosmetic or paint brush

6. Various ornamental hair pins

7. Tweezers/ forceps

8. Woad or cosmetic grinder and applicator tool.

Credit: Sailko - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=312207 76

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>,

Figure 2 - One of the Fayum mummy portraits from Roman Egypt, 3rd/ 4th century AD depicting an upper-class woman wearing cosmetics and her hair dressed in the fashion of the time.

Figure 3 - ‘The Fonseca Bust’- a sculpture of a Flavian woman (AD69 to 96) showing a distinctive hairstyle of the time: Credit: Sailko, CC BY 3.0

via Wikimedia Commons

Figure 4 - Replica Roman ‘bronze’ mirror, a pottery jug, powder pot and glass cosmetic flask

Clive Smith started this group a while ago because as a novice at Metal Detecting he was experiencing a barrage of negative comments from several groups he had initially joined on Facebook, and from very small beginnings in July 2019 the group now has over 1900+ active members and the members are welcome to join AMDS.

With a stated aim of helping novice and expert alike, they’ve grown in popularity over time, and everyone is a valued member of the group.

The members are from all over the world and their experience and input has greatly benefitted the group as a whole. The number one issue for the members once they've made the decision to purchase a detector, has been how to obtain a permission to detect.

Members with a permission are encouraged to share them with other members where they can do so.

Clive regularly has invited some members to his permission and feels it is great fun to meet up together metal detecting.

The group run a monthly finds competition for members and havelivelydiscussionsbetween each otherregarding thebest settings to use. To finance the cost of the monthly prizes Simplex accessories are sold within the group and they have opened their first on-line shop.

Everyone with a Simplex or a Legend is welcome to join this group, and aswe'vegrowninnumberadminsandmoderators have been needed to run the group smoothly and their input has been enormously important.

Clive will state that he is looking forward to blasting through the 2000 members barrier very shortly, keeping the very same aims in mind as when he first started the group.

Simplex plus Legend Facebook Owners Group

Fig. 4

The Lost and Reunited Dog Tag

Fiona David, started metal detecting a few years ago, and is a member of the Wiltshire Detectors Club (WISE). She was on aclub dig abouttwo yearsago outsideavery smallhamlet in Wiltshire when she located Thomas Flynn’s dog tag (Figure 1)

Ironically, this is the area that Fiona David (Figure 2), some 76 years later, found Thomas Flynn’s military dog tag.

Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project in the USA was contacted by Chess Fearnley, who explained to them that her mother, Fiona David, had found a dog tag while medal detecting in England, and that they were looking for some help in locating/reuniting the veteran/family with this military dog tag.

After researching this hero, it was found that while Thomas Flynn has died, his son and grandson are living less than 10 miles away! Certainly, it is a small world! Chess and Fiona sent the dog tag to Sue Quinn-Morris, which was received on November 22nd, 2022.

This WWII hero, served with the 376th Infantry, 94th Division and served from March 23, 1942 until Christmas Day December 25, 1945.

His unit left NYC for overseas in 1944 – first landing in England before proceeding to France. It was the 11th August 1944 when he and his comrades arrived in Hullavington England. The troops were met by members of the advance party whohad been preparing thecamp sitefor overamonth. The Regiment was located near a small hamlet in Wiltshire, England.

Once settled in England the Regiment immediately began training, consisting mainly ofhedgerow tactics, conditioning marches and range firing New vehicles and crew-served weapons were issued, as was ammunition and all other equipment needed to fill combat loads (Figure 3)

It was on the 6th September 1944 that they left Wiltshire bound for the docks in Southampton England. That evening, under cover of darkness, the 376th left the blacked-out coast of England – the destination they were told was simply “somewhere in France”

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

In the coming battles, Thomas Flynn (Figure 4) was injured numerous times, including once in December of 1944 in France and also in February of 1945 in Germany, suffering a bullet wound in the thigh. He received a battlefield commission to 2nd Lt in February 1945 by command of Lt General Patton

Figure 5 is from the presentation of the dog tag to the son of Thomas Flynn. Figure 6 is Thomas Flynn’s son who cried at the surprise presentation, and behind his son, his grandson Figure 7 three generations of the Flynn’s.

Sue Quinn-Morris thanked Fiona and Chess for caring and understanding the importance of this treasure and beginning the journey. She also thanks Jeff Flynn for theconversations, information, stories and photos of his grandfather.

The last leg of the journey home of 2nd Lt Thomas Flynn’s military dog tag came full circle with the help of our friends of the Cherry Hill PBA and Lt Col Al Bancroft.

On November 26, 2022, at the Cherry Hill PBA Annual Veterans Appreciation Dinner Vietnam Veteran, Thomas Flynn, was presented with his father’s Dog Tag with his family by his side, and surrounded by fellow comrades.

VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSKj_pMlOX0

During theVeteransdinner, theirbeloved LtAlBancroftwas also honoured for his 30+ years in the USMC and over 20 yearswith theCamden County VeteransAffairsOffice, from which he recently retired. From attending hundreds of Welcome Homes, presenting Camden County Service medals to our local veterans, helping veterans with their benefits and much more, he has given selflessly to all our local veterans for over 30 years. HOORAH!

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Green Waste revisited

The nation owes a debt of gratitude to its metal detector enthusiasts. As I will explain, individually and collectively they have identified a serious environmental disaster that must be averted.

At first glance, the concept of spreading garden waste across farmland seems to be an excellent idea more “green” than burying it in landfill sites. The idea has been taken up with enthusiasm by councils across the country, encouraged by a combination of financial incentives and regulations to reduce, if not eliminate, landfill. Indeed, local authorities, spurred on by Government targets, compete against one another to see who can collect the most recycling materials. In principle, that is a worthy objective, but it has led to unintended consequences in the collection of so-called green waste from gardens. Once, households had their own compostheaps. Istilldo. Thatisonebasicweshould go back to.

It is those serious, environmentally damaging consequences that I shall highlight this evening, in the hope that action will be taken with immediate effect by central and local government to prevent any further damage to the soil and water courses as a result of the contamination caused by discarded materials mixed in with what is often wrongly described as green waste and spread on food-producing fields.

I was first alerted to this worrying situation on 7 June this year, when a constituent, Mr Stuart Elton, attended my advice bureau. Metal detecting is hishobby. What he told me appalled me. Nowadays, when he and fellow metal detecting enthusiasts, with the permission of the land owner, go out looking for buried treasures from the past they are more likely to find a wide variety of metal, cut, crushed and mashed among the rotting green waste. That is not so much a needle in a haystack, but rather the contents of a scrapyard strewn across fields.

That led me to write to the president of the National Council forMetalDetecting, MrJohn Wells. Iwaskeen to learn more about the matter, both from a metal-detecting perspective and because of the obvious pollution and environmental consequences that my constituent had drawn to my attention. In due course, Mr Wells travelled from hishome in Coventry to have a meeting with me at the House of Commons, which in turn led me to apply for tonight’s debate.

There was a time when the world of archaeology was variously sniffy or even hostile to those engaged in metal detecting, claiming that such activity was harmful to archaeological sites and discoveries. Quite often landowners were oblivious to what was going on. That is no longer the case. The National Council for Metal Detecting and its members have an excellent record of partnership working

with allinterested partiesand havebeen responsibleforsome breath-taking finds that have added to the sum of our knowledge of the past. As I represent the first capital of Roman Britain, Iam delighted to report thatin Colchesterwe have an excellent metal detectors group, whose members epitomise best practice. It is currently full, with 100 members, and has a waiting list. As recently as 30 November, its chairman, MrsSueClarke, was reported in the Colchester Daily Gazette as saying: “Colchester is a great place to be part of a metal-detecting group. There is so much history around here. There is never a boring rally.”

The term “rally” in this context refers to members, with the permission of a landowner, going as a group to search for artefacts.

To get back to the subject of my debate the consequences of the contamination of green waste I hope that the Minister will acknowledge that the serious environmental and pollution issues literally cannot be covered up any longer. Not everyone in the green waste industry is up to the job, whether we are talking about deliberate deceit or failure to comply with the strict regulations. The Minister’s briefing will, I trust, include accounts of people being prosecuted for spreading pollutants and other contaminated material along with so-called green waste.

One example that I have been told about involves a company called Vital Earth GB Ltd, which, in August this year, was fined £75,000, with costs of £13,535, at Derby magistrates court for offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.Thecompostdelivered bythecompanyto afarmerwas found to be contaminated with mixed waste, such as plastics, paper and metals, including kitchen knives, bottle tops and cigarette lighters not at all environmentally friendly, and not friendly to those engaged in metal detecting, either. The compost quality protocol states that if quality compost is mixed with other waste materials, the resulting mix will be considered to bewaste, and will therefore be subject to waste regulatory controls. Spreading it across England’s green and pleasant land is not what should happen to it.

After the court hearing in Derby, an Environment Agency official said: “This is a serious environmental crime. By depositing controlled waste Vital Earth have fallen significantly short of their environmental duties. We will not hesitate to prosecute in such cases.”

Perhaps the Minister could state how many prosecutions there have been under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 against those who have contaminated fields with compost that contains contaminated materials. This serious crime of pollution, which affects fields growing crops for human and animal consumption, and watercourses into which the pollution leaks, is a matter that needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency.

Mr Elton told me that a colleague contacted him to say that “afarm nearColchesteriscovered in thestuff and isvirtually undetectable. How long will it be before the whole of the Colchester area is affected?”

This afternoon he e-mailed me to wish me luck with the debate, and added: “Although it was my metal detecting interests that brought me to this problem originally, having seen the dreadful state of some of the treated fields I believe everyone would want to stop this non-biodegradable rubbish turning our countryside into one big landfill site.”

I have been provided with other eye-witness accounts that include references to finding, in “green waste” on fields, medical waste, such as bandages. Another metal detector enthusiast observed that “many local historical sites are becoming saturated in aluminium and making it extremely difficult to recover metallic artefacts such as coins and brooches and that side of things, whilst not as important as the food we eat or environment we live in, will affect our national heritage and academic learning from the past.”

Mr Alan Charlish, from the West Midlands, reports that “Despite the known problems of contaminated compost we in the UK are allowing the stuff to be spread across our fields without, it seems, any form of control. It is not only the obvious contamination that we as metal detectorists see all the time, such as old batteries, various metals, plastics, etc, it is also the unseen chemicals that are going in.”

He added: “Left much longer the problems will become irreversible. The fact is that despite the claims that screening takes place there are so many contaminants that are entering the food chain via local authority recycling schemes.”

As if those problems were not enough, I have been advised that we must now add ash dieback to the unwelcome ingredients in green waste, because leaves from infected trees are apparently finding their way on to farmers’ fields. I understand that last week, a soil conference conducted by the all-party group on agro-ecology was held at the House of Commons. Variousspeakersdiscussed theneed forgood soil and protection of the environment.

In addition to drawing the Minister’s attention to that meeting, I wish to advise him of the magazine “Digging Deep” which is published by the National Council for Metal Detecting. In issue 9 Mr Wells sets out the concerns of his members about the problem that is the subject of my debate.

I sense that what I have told the House this evening is only a snapshot of a major national scandal. The UK is the fourth largest producer of cereal and oilseeds in Europe, with cereals grown on more than 70,000 farms. There are more than 42,000 beef and dairy farms in England and Wales.

In his article Mr Wells states: “Green waste is biodegradable waste that can be composed of garden or park waste, such as

grass or flower cuttings and hedge trimmings, as well as domestic and commercial food waste. The differentiation green identifies it as high in nitrogen, as opposed to brown waste which is primarily carbonaceous.

This definition identifies those elements that when composted singly ortogetherform nitrogen rich materialthat when added to existing soil serves to enrich and aid development of plants and crops.”

Thus, in theory, the spreading of green waste on farmland is sensible. Sadly, the reality is different. As Mr Wells so rightly observes: “The so-called green waste now being spread upon fields cannot be classed as green waste. A high percentage of the content is not compostable and needs to be controlled in exactly the same way as refuse going to landfill or incineration plants.”

In his article he explains how things go wrong in the collection of garden waste, its onward transfer to a contractor, and the manner in which it is then processed and finally spread on fields. Frequently, at each stage, there are failures, the consequences of which are catastrophic.

Elsewhere Mr Wells writes: “Farmers, in the belief that they are doing the right thing for the community, are being conned, and have their land contaminated with plastic, aluminium, glass and all kinds of other products, containing chemicals and substances which not only destroys the appearance of the countryside but also puts at risk the health of wildlife, our waterways and our human beings.

Thousands of tonnes of this toxic rubbish, containing syringes, bottles, gloves, toys, glass someof which willnot decay for hundreds of years are being tipped on the fields each year.”

I conclude with a rallying cry from the president of the National Council for Metal Detecting, which I am confident will be echoed by every environmental campaigner in the country: “The dumping of green waste on farm land is not only ruining our hobby, it is also contaminating the land for decades to come. If this continues, metal detecting in this country will become a thing of the past. The dumping of this material is nothing short of legalised fly-tipping and has to be stopped.”

I invite the Minister to promise the necessary action to do just this.

Hansard 12th December 2012

John Wells is the Chairman of the Midland Federation of ARMD and a voluntary consultant for AMDS.

Sir Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD)

An Update from Prof. Michael Lewis, Head of the Portable Antiquities Scheme

Happy New Year!

Thank you to everyone who recorded finds with the Portable AntiquitiesScheme(PAS)in2022. Itwasanotherproductive year, with over 53,000 finds being recorded by the Finds Liaison Officers (FLOs), their assistants, interns and volunteers – the volunteers included detectorist ‘selfrecorders’ who logged almost 2000 finds on the PAS database. 2022 was also a bumper year for Treasure reporting, with almost 1,300 cases from England alone.

I hope many of you enjoyed seeing Mackenzie Crook’s Detectorists on Boxing Day. I was really pleased to see the PAS highlighted. I think the message was very clear – if you want your finds to contribute to Britain’s history, they need to be recorded. But we need your help to do this.

It is estimated that there are over 40,000 detectorists in the UK, and we have limited resources (a team of 40 FLOs) to record all these finds. That means it will take time, so please be patient – FLOs should be able to tell you how long this will take. Also, detectorists can help by providing information (good photographs and findspot) information to help PAS staff make good records – your local FLO will be able to explain what they need.

From time to time there are vacancies across the PAS. Also, people might be on leave or unwell. So if anyone has any difficulty contacting their local FLO please contact me directly (mlewis@britishmuseum.org) or the British Museum treasure team (treasure@britishmuseum.org) if it is in relation to a Treasure case. I know all the FLOs are working really hard, even if now and again things do not go to plan.

Following the recent ‘spending review’, the PAS has been given more money by the Government (DCMS) to invest in more staff. With this, we have been able to up the hours of part-time staff and fund Finds Liaison Assistants (FLAs) in many of the busiest areas. Also, the DCMS is supporting the development of the PAS Database. This will allow us to make the most of new digital technology to (hopefully) record more finds.

I am also keen that we work with the detecting community to build our network of self-recorders and other detectorist volunteers. If you are interested in working more closely with the PAS please talk to your local FLO.

We are also looking to build a Treasure Tracking System as part of the new PAS database so that finders can follow their cases through the Treasure process. As finders of Treasure will know, this process can take time - especially if a find needs conservation or scientific study. It is also the case that museums will need time to raise the funds to acquire Treasure.

It is right that the most important finds are acquired by museums for the benefit of all, and anything we can do to make the process more efficient will be welcomed by everyone involved.

Prof. Michael Lewis

Modern Day Numismatics by Dr Adrian Kiermasz

THE MARKET

According to Mhojhos (ref1) the annual numismatics market is quoted at $17.59 billion in annual revenues. I initially was shocked at it being this large, but the report goes on to state there are 615million coin collectors in the world with 140million in the US, so when you consider the number of collectors maybe the market size is not that surprising, perhaps even an underestimate. The report can be downloaded for a few pounds for anybody who is interested. Market Insight Solutions (ref2) claims this will increase by a 10.2% CAGR.

Becauseofthe internet and socialmedia, itiseasierthan ever to download information on almost anything. Who is selling what and how much for is just a few keystrokes away at any time of the day or night. This is so different from just 30 years ago where all research had to be done in libraries, accumulating expensivelimited-edition booksand/orjoining a numismatic club. Identification tickets which show provenance were handwritten and it is not unusual to find them 100 years or more old. In the days before the internet readily finding out about value, grading, mints and die variations was not like it is today. As an example, between 1860 and 1863 there are nearly 40 different Victoria penny die pairings created from some twenty obverse and reverse die types. This wasn’t the sort of thing you could find out by asking somebody or reading the local paper, or even probably going to the local library. Added to this complexity were recently discovered variations entering the equation. Identifying the rarest penny can mean a difference of many hundreds of pounds. Coin collecting today meets this very dynamic situation head-on with social media and the market is responding with coins being collected as an investment.

WHAT TO COLLECT

Without wishing to state the obvious, there are many types of coins all over the world and therefore almost unlimited options on what to collect. For example, I know collectors who gather foreign change from overseas travel, collect Saxon coins with York mints, Aethelred pennies & modern 50p bits. Others I know only buy coins from hoards and Roman Denarius. The motivation can vary from just simply loving the texture, tactile nature, and history to saving as an investment hoping to sell for more later. There is a plethora of variations, and each person has their own preference and reason why they started. In my case, I started with predecimal British pennies 1797-1970 because my late dad used to collect them when I was an infant. He would collect them just by date from pocket change. Back then it wasn’t unusual to have Victorian, or even earlier coins in your change (makes me feel old …). He wouldn’t worry about what an H

or K type meant, he just liked looking at the detail & differences and talk to me about them. Nonetheless he got a lot of enjoyment out of collecting them and one day hoping to find the well-publicised elusive 1933 … and that is what it is all about, enjoyment, fun and just maybe that elusive 1933 equivalent, depending on what you might collect.

Towards the end of my working career, I decided to collect British pennies. There were a few reasons why I chose pennies. Two of them were nostalgia and cost, but a close third was that British pennies are typically not counterfeited which should be a reassuring point for the beginner. Collecting pennies is a very low-cost way of getting into numismatics as they can be found in almost any antique or bric-a-bracshop. Formejustcollecting dateswasnotenough and I would photograph and catalogue each Penny I bought, highlighting which variants they were.

Fig.

GEORGEVI REVERSEA

After I had a few in my collection and decided I wanted to continue, I upgraded pennies as I went and when I came across a reasonable priced one. All the photographs shown in this article were taken with my iPhone and editing done with a free download App called Photoscape X, mainly to remove the background.

To give an example of the sort of variations available with pre-decimal pennies, I have picked a George VI 1937 penny as an example (Figure 1,2,3,4). It’s not particularly scarce or even massively expensive to purchase in an uncirculated state. You can find them on the internet for between £10.00£25.00 depending on the configuration. The point is this almost common penny has several variations which a collector of such coins would want to understand and add to their collection.

I would always create a small spreadsheet of all the possible variations, ticking the line off when I had the coin in question. By doing the research I would fully understand which pennies were available for collecting and therefore understand what I needed to look for. I also now had a quick way of knowing what I had already collected. For me producing these slides and doing the research was part of the fun. In my career I had trained as a physicist and was used to carrying out research and both documenting & writing technical papers for whatever topic on which I was working. This in-built methodology naturally spilled over into coin collecting. When I travelled in my job, if time allowed in the evening, Iwould spend itsearching forthatspecificvariation or an improved grade.

To be fair this was usually in the hotel bar with a pint of beer in one hand and my iPad in the other … Most collectable coins can be bought on auction sites, but there are other optionsavailable. Iwouldgo intosecondhandshops, antique shops, local markets, car boot sales asking if they had any coins. I would do this in the UK and even markets when I have been working abroad. It is quite surprising what you might find.

A great specialist book to help with understanding British pennies & Half-pennies from 1860 to 1970 is by Michael J Freeman (ref3).

I liked to research and understand different die types using all the modern-day search techniques available. I should say here that you don’t necessarily have to collect pristine uncirculated pennies as shown in the pictures. Circulated pennies show exactly the same variations and cost a lot less!

At some point I started metal detecting and soon medieval hammered coins began to surface along with Roman coins. Initially I put them in boxes and didn’t pay them much attention. Far too interested in British pennies I guess; but one day I took all the coins out and started to identify them. Igothooked!Thiswasfarmorecomplexandinteresting than British pennies and I decided to start looking deeper initially into hammered coins.

I had collected almost all the variations of British pennies realistically available anyway, so this new opportunity offered another challenge.

F-219,F-221

Fig. 2

Fig.

Fig. 4

Collecting medieval hammered coins taught me that collecting isn’tjustaboutobtaining coinswithdifferentdates and variations. There is a massive amount of history surroundingeach hammered coinandit’sagreatway to learn about history. As I started to identify the King or Queen associated with a hammered coin, I would learn when they reigned, how long for, which famous battles were they involved in, who bumped off who to become monarch and how all this featured in the landscape of the current monarchy. This is very different from pennies spanning 1797-1970.

Medieval hammered coins simply ooze interesting features, but sometimes it can be difficult to identify and read the legends. Before going onto books, we are fortunate as metal detectorists to be surrounded by experienced knowledgeable people who have a wealth of knowledge. Don’t be afraid to ask and get advice. While I have definitely improved, I am bynomeansanexpert. However,givemeacoin and theright books and eventually … hey presto! To those of you who are beginners, after identifying enough coins and getting enough expert advice it really does start to get easier.

A plus with medieval hammered coins is they usually are precious metals, so they can be in reasonable condition when they come out of the ground. Unlike their bronze or copper counterparts. The caveat is if they have been hit by a plough or clipped to death. There are lots of articles and books available to identify medieval hammered coins.

The ones I use (in order of which to go to first) are:

• Spink - Coins of England and The United Kingdom

• J. J. North – English Hammered Coinage Vol I & II

Both book types can be found for sale on internet web sites. Spink is especially useful as an initial step because the coin photographs are actual size so if your coin doesn’t fit the

picture, it’s not that coin! If you want more detailed identification, then North is the next visit, but it can be more difficult to use until you are used to it. My Spink book is dated 2021. The previous edition I owned was 2018 and I ‘recycled’ it to a fellow detectorist. As they are in the £40 region buying one each year is expensive. However, currently on a well-known internet site a 2023 version (predecimal & decimal) is £50, and a 2021 pre-decimal Version is £13. No doubt this will change before the reader investigates prices. As we are dealing with coins which are typically many hundred years old the 2021 version will certainly suffice and older versions as well. The values quoted will not be up-to-date and some of the pictures might have changed, but it’s not worth another £40 in my opinion and the relative values between coin variations will be close. The internet is always available to find an up-to-date sales price. The same goes for North. I am using a 1975 edition. There are later editions, but they are very expensive.

If you want to collect world coins, then the following picture might help. These books (Figure 5) are published each year and are 7cm thick! Every coin post-1600 you ever hope to own is in this collection, but each book is priced at £60 or so. However, by looking on the internet you can find much older editions for a lot less. I think the most I paid for one of these was £13 for a 2013 edition. They also issue them for banknotes as you can see.

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

ForRomancoins, thereareagain specialistbooks. TheDavid R Sear five volume collection of books, published by Spink willretail atabout£250 ifyoupurchasethem alltogetherand there are over 20,000 coins documented. They are fantastic, but again expensive. Spink - Coins of England, mentioned above has a small Roman coin section; but Roman Silver coins by H. A. Seaby can be accessed and downloaded via an internet archive (ref4) and ERIC (The Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins) can be downloaded for free (ref5).

There are also a host of places on the internet to use as identification aids. A few of the sites I really like are as follows: For Hammered coins, I particularly like PS Detecting (ref6) which lists what legend to expect on various coin denominations and also provides very useful translations of hammered coin legends from farthings to shillings. There is a similar website from PS Detecting for later Milled coins. The United Kingdom Detector Finds Database (ref7) has an amazing section on identifying Edwardian hammered pennies, while UKdetectornet has a great article that focuses on identifying Henry III pennies. UKdetectornet is also a great resource to post pictures of unidentified finds, and usually several members will provide opinions. When it comes to Roman coins, understanding various inscriptions can be difficult at the beginning. The website forumancientcoins.com offers a wealth of knowledge and particularly the section on coin legends (ref 9). If you think you have identified the coin but want to see comparative coins, then the PAS database (ref10) is again an excellent source of information

CATALOGUING

As you have probably guessed from my British penny templates shown previously, I am almost obsessive about organising things. With the use of computers, internet, spreadsheets and mobile phones with cameras, it is very easy to record your collection. I personally think a record is essential. It could be a list on apiece of paper and some hardcopy photographs but if you have a rudimentary familiarity with computers then I think using a spreadsheet (Figure 6) is the way to go. It can be backed up and easily changed/added to. I use Microsoft excel as this is what I haveused for years, and I am very familiar with it. There are other spreadsheets such as Numbers (Apple) etc which are also capable ofdoing the job. The columns need to be carefully chosen to suit your requirements. Below are the headings of the spreadsheet I use. It is obviously divided in two to fit on this portrait style page. Notice I have given this coin and all the coins in my collection acataloguenumber.Formethisnumberstayswith the coin, even when I might sell it. That way I have a permanent record. When I found or bought it and what I got for it when I sold it along with a lot of identification data. I

use my phone to take a photo of the coin and store that on my computer

When it comes to the coin photos, Idocument the pictures on my computer for Obverse and Reverse as follows, showing the moneyer and the mint.

021 s1344 HENRY II (WILLELM, LONDON) Penny OBV [or REV].png

023s1351 JOHN(WILLELMT,LONDON)PennyOBV[or REV].png

I use free ‘Photoscape X’ to remove the background, so I have a clear picture of just the coin’s Obverse and Reverse. The number at the beginning is my catalogue number for the particular coin and the Spink & North numbers also recorded. I don’t always get it right, but this is the beauty of software… correctionsareeasy!TheMoneyerand Mintsare recorded within the brackets and Obverse/Reverse following. I have a very similar format for Roman coins.

The other thing I sometimes do where it is difficult to read the legend, is to show the detail of the legend by drawing. It is surprising how much detail becomes obvious when you have to define a letter or a ligated series of letters and have to commit a line to a page. If you feel it’s wrong, you can erase it and start again.

Making a drawing like this might look difficult, but it is very easy with a few tricks. Firstly, you need to import the photo of the coin into PowerPoint. Go to the transparency tab in the picture menu and increase it until the image is ghost-like.

Using a drawing App such as ‘Paper’ which is free to download, you can import the picture and your tablet can now be used as a drawing pad and the features of the coin you want to be more visible can be traced by using the ghostlike image as a template. (Figure 7 and 8)

Fig. 7

This results in a ‘sketch’ of the coin. This can be exported back to your computer. It might be that the drawing can be done on some of the new Windows computers, but I use Apple Mac. Where this technique starts to become really useful is for silver coins which are really black due to a lot of sulphurisation and worn in areas. The ghost-template can beexpanded, and contrastchanged to revealfeaturesdifficult to see. It takes time, which not many people have these days, but the results can be worth it.

GRADING

Grading is one of the most difficult things to gauge and one of the key things to influence coin value. Here is my simple guide which I use (Figure 9). However, I will never guarantee my assessment, it is just a guide. Because grading is merely a judgement there is a lot of room for error. In my opinion confident grading needs to be left to a respected expert (Baldwins, Hansons, London Coins, Noonans, etc) or transferred with the coin via a sales ticket. Because of the amount of judgement used when grading coins, an absolute standard does not exist. Several well-respected systems are used such as CGS, PCGS, NGC which use a point system for each part of each face of the coin (ref 11).

The points allocated to each part is again a judgement call, but as each part is given a numerical value there is at least some documentation.

There are other forms of damage which can occur to coins which should be part of the grading process. These should be mentioned by the seller if not obvious and would almost certainly affect the bidding price in an auction.

Bag Marks

Small scratches or knocks which are only considered in the grading of EF and UNC coins. But in excess they can be downgrade coins from UNC to EF or lower.

Cleaning

This can range from complete removal or patina with an aggressive technique to removing the sulphurisation on silver coins using a silver dip process. Please don’t …

Edge damage

A cartwheel penny is a good example of this, although clipping of hammered coins could well be included

Metal Defects

Small irregular circular surface features which are caused by air bubbles in the metal during the manufacturing process

Streaky toning can occur in Bronze coins due to an uneven mix Carbon Spots in high quality Copper and Bronze coins, but the cause is unknown

Non-Flat Coins

What happens when a coin is placed on a flat surface. Very common for those coins found metal detecting, however this can also be a function of proud features and non-uniform metal thickness on milled coins

Scratches & Graffiti

Notice in the table (Figure 10) above the headed column mentions ‘old’ scratches. This is not ideal but is acceptable for a very old Roman coin with a limited circulation and comes out in the grading process as the scratch has a similar patina. For a recent scratch which digs through the coin and exposes the underlying metal the value can be decimated.

Graffiti can be treated differently as the coin can become a love-token or even an historical reference. However, it does depend on the quality of the engraved feature and the circumstances.

Verdigris

Present on Copper Alloy coins, it can be treated. Should be declared at point of sale.

Weak Strike

Somecoinsaredowngradeddueto aflatspotoraweak strike when in fact the cause is due to poor manufacturing. Some Elizabeth 1st coins are notorious for this in the

Fig. 8

Worn Die

More wear will appear on the face of the coin which is affected. This was part of the cause of why 40 different Victorian pennies were minted between 1860 and 1863. The poor dies eventually broke before Die wear was observed

STORING AND DISPLAYING

There are many ways to display your collection. The diagram here probably covers most of the options

A) Standard Album with clear pockets

B) Sealed cardboard coin pockets

C) CGS style plastic cases

D) Boxes with specialist coin compartments which exactly fit the coin or capsules in which the coin is placed

E) Stackable trays with varying size of compartments and shape of compartments. The coin can be placed in the compartments directly or put into a capsule

F) Capsules can be used in conjunction with other storage/display methods or on their own

There are a host of companies which provide coin storage solutions (Ref 12). But whatever method is used, the quality of the material used to store the coin needs to be fully checked. Poor quality storage or inappropriate materials might well lead to serious problems and harm to the coin. You usually can’t go far wrong with well-respected

Fig. 9

companies who specialise and supply storage solutions for the hobbyist including acid free materials, airtight containers/clear envelopes. Quality does cost more, but the difference would probably be less than that expensive coin you have stored, so I would avoid less expensive copies. Some good overviews on eco-friendly products are also available (Ref 13) and interesting information on available materials.

COUNTERFEIT COINS

There are a lot out there! This is why it might be a good choice to choose something which is less expensive to buy and sell, but much less risky. Saxon coins are a major area of counterfeiting. Seethe Abramson book entitled Anglo Saxon Counterfeits (Ref 14) or Counterfeit Coins of Roman Britain by Ken Peters (Ref 15). There are a lot of counterfeit coins for sale on social media auction sites. Not all are forgeries of course but care must be taken. Ideally purchase from a reputable auction house such as Baldwins, Hansons, London Coins, Noonans, etc. Unfortunately, with such a purchase can come a hefty fee of 20-30% so be prepared. Not always, but sometimes coins come with prevenance tickets showing where they have been sold before. This is where the internet once again can be a major help. If you find a coin for sale on an auction site that has a poor reputation, then search a reputable sales site for that exact coin (past ot present). Check the sales prices, average diameter, weight (3 significant figures) and compare it to the example for sale. Check the legend and lettering style and compare. You can even take a ghost image as mentioned above and superimpose it to see how the features align. There is a lot of judgement here, but if after carrying out due diligence you are still not sure then there is an old adage should always be remembered ‘if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true’. Walk away.

CLEANING

I have dabbled with cleaning, non-expensive coins where the results don’t really matter. Just to see the effects. But if you have nice coins whether expensive or not, I advise not to clean them. Very often the results are not what you would have intended and it is obvious the coins have been cleaned

REFERENCES

Ref 1 The annual numismatics market https://mhojhosresearch.com/2020/05/06/coin-collectingmarket-analysis-global-and-europe/

Ref 2 Market Insight Solutions

https://www.marketinsightsolutions.com/report/global-coincollecting-market-size/

Ref 3 The Bronze Coinage of Great Britain (1860-1970) Rotographic

Ref 4 Seaby Roman Silver Coins

https://archive.org/details/h.-a.-seaby-roman-silver-coins-2tiberius-to-commodus/H.%20A.%20Seaby%20%20Roman%20Silver%20Coins%20%281%29%20The%2 0Republic%20to%20Augustus/

Ref 5 Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins

http://www.dirtyoldbooks.com/eric.html

Ref 6 PS Detecting

http://www.psdetecting.com/Inscriptions.html

Ref 7 PS The United Kingdom Detector Finds Database

https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/pages/edwardianPennies/Edwardian%20Pennies%20P1.htm

Ref 8 Identifying Henry III pennies

http://www.ukdetectornet.co.uk/H3%20Booklet%20%20RP%20Jan%2027th%202018.pdf

Ref 9 Roman Coin Inscriptions

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?k ey=Roman%20Coin%20Legends%20and%20Inscriptions

Ref 10 PAS database

https://finds.org.uk/database

Ref 11 Coin Grading

https://www.chards.co.uk/blog/coin-grading-uk-cgs-pcgsngc-uk-and-us/79

Ref 12 Storage

https://prinzuk.co.uk

Ref 13 Storage issues

https://www.preservationequipment.com/Blog/BlogPosts/How-to-store-coins-full-guide

Ref 14 Counterfeits

Anglo-Saxon Counterfeits by Tony Abramson ISBN 978-09569433-0-9

Ref 15 Counterfeits

Counterfeit Coins of Roman Britain by Ken Peters

ISBN: 9780954348748

Our club was founded in 1977 by a group of like-minded detectorists, amazingly we still have one member who attended that first meeting. We meet once a month at a local rugby club to share information, help identify, and show finds and vote for both coin and artefact of the month. We also have digs on club land about once a month or when the ground is available.

As a club we have we have been detecting on the Isle of Wight forthe last 23 years. We have an annuallong weekend trip which are always successful with one of the better finds being a hoard of bronze age axe heads, which after going through the PAS process, were donated to Newport Museum (IOW) for display.

Over the many years we have established good relationships with many landowners on the island. The pictures (Figures 1 and 2) show that the club will detect and fossil hunt in any area in any conditions, are they mad?

Since the early days, the club has evolved somewhat into a club with more diverse interests but still with detecting at its heart. Occasionally whilst on Isle of Wight we may go fossil hunting on the beaches for a change. The pictures (Figure 3) show a fossil of a limb bone of a juvenile Iguanodon which was found on Brook Beach

The club also organises day outings, such as mud larking on the river Thames foreshore (eyes only). The picture (Figure 4) shows a large, enamelled cast iron emblem for London County Council found on the bank in central London. Makes you wonder how did something like it find its way into the river in the first place.

In addition, we visit cities with interesting museums in our locality, so far visiting London, Oxford, Cambridge and lately Leicester where the Richard 3rd exhibition centre was well worth the visit. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get into the cathedral to visit the tomb as it is closed until next autumn for major refurbishment. The picture (Figure 5) shows the trench where his body was found as the centre was constructed over part of the carpark.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

For the members who like to eat (don’t we all) we occasionally get together for an evening meal in a local restaurant.

Finally, as a club, we joined AMDS when it first started and sit in with the Western Region ARMD (how that happened we don’t really know as Northampton is hardly in the west), However it is an active region, and we are content to be part of it.

We are open to new AMDS members from our local area who share the same interests as ourselves and would like to join a club. Contact the club secretary, Derek Clarke (dmcchester@hotmail.com) for further information.

The Western Region ARMD (Affiliated Regions for Metal Detecting) covers a large area of England and Wales, and clubs and individuals wherever based are always welcome to apply to join. It is a democratically run region, overseen by an elected committee of volunteers and there are regular regional meetings throughout the year.

Thankyou tothemanymembersthathavedecided tosupport theAssociation forMetalDetecting Sportfor2024and2025.

The membership cards for these years will be posted out to members in the preceding December ahead of each New Year. Do check out the AMDS merchandise available to our members with full details on our web site.

This the link: Merchandise | AMDS

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The Ignored Part of the Field by Steve Pulley

I am sure that I am not on my own but when I search a field I inevitably end up searching and re-searching the most productive parts of a field.

The field in question was no exception. I had searched the field using the union jack method and a productive area had become clear. Roman coins and hammered had shown themselves so this was the area that I concentrated on.

As time went on the productive area understandably became quieterso Istarted to wanderthefield again. Thishad limited success but I always found myself disappointed with a strip at the edge of the field along a hedgerow. The strip was approximately 50 metres long by 20 metres wide. I had wandered over it several times but it didn’t produce that many signals so mentally I had labelled the strip as dead and I didn’t pay it that much attention. That is until all of the rest of the field died and I was lucky to get one signal every two hours

Out of nothing more than desperation I decided that the only place that I had to search was the quiet strip at the end of the field and with little enthusiasm I set off for what would turn out to be one of my best detecting weekends ever.

My search methodwasgoing tobemethodicalandonebright Sunday morning in 2022 I set off gridding the ”waste of time” strip of field. After just two marches up and down the grid I received a low tone number 8 signal in field 2 on my Nox 800. It was a signal that was not exciting but it was two way so it needed digging. In went the spade and a large clod and a scatter of loose soil shot out in front of me. I had to look twice but laying in the loose soil was a distinct small round grey disc. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. It was only a sceat!! A Saxon coin from the 8th century (Figure 1). What was going on?

precious coin and in disbelief I carried on gridding this previously written off piece of land. Two rows further on came a lovely solid number 15 two-way signal. An excited dig exposed the edge of a small hammered coin. This time it was not a sceat but a presentable (Figure 2) Henry 8th halfpenny

I picked up the coin and could not believe what I had found. I had to take a break, sit down and have a cup of coffee from my flask. Absolutely unbelievable. I stowed away the

By now I was seriously doubting my ability to read a field. How on earth had I missed these signals before?

After calling myself all manner of names I carried on and after another four rows out came a beautiful example of a Commonwealth shilling (Figure 3).

I was quizzing myself about what had changed that was making me find these wonderful things. The only thing that was different was that I had recently changed from using field 1 settings on the Nox to field 2. The signals on field 2 are far sharper than field 1. Maybe that is what made the difference?

I called it a day then as I had to be somewhere but I resolved to return the next day.

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Bright and early, I was back to my gridding and three rows in I got another number 15 solid signal, an excited dig and there before me was a gold 19th century signet ring (Figure 4).

So, what have I learned? Firstly, never ever write off a part of a productive field. Always consider that you have probably missed something even if signals are few and far between. Finally, never be afraid to try new settings. Since changing from field 1 to field 2 factory settings on my Nox my finds rate has gone through the roof, but that’s another story…..

Wiltshire Police have a dedicated Rural Crime Team that specialise in heritage, rural and wildlife crime along with trained staff and police officers throughout the county on hand to tackle crimes effecting the historic environment and assets, such asillegaldetecting, graffitiand criminaldamage.

Unbelievable.

I carried on and it went quiet for a couple of hours then the silence was broken by a fantastic number 18 signal. I dug down and checked the hole. The signal was still in there giving a solid 18. I checked using my pin pointer and pinned down the area of the find. I then grabbed a handful of soil and checked using the pin pointer. I now had the item in my hand. I slowly opened my hand and could clearly see the edge of a hammered penny supported by bookends of mud. I could see clearly from its size, even though it was edge on that I had found a complete Eddy penny. Except I hadn’t

Opening my hand made the coin fall on to its side and there before me was an intact silver coin in great condition that portrayed a cross that I had not found before. I turned it over to look for the portrait and there wasn’t one! I knew what it was, Ihad seen them in books. Itwasasilverpenny, aViking silver penny…. Mind blown.

The coin was a Danish Viking St Edmund memorial penny of the late 10th/ early 11th century (Figure 5).

The Police have a good working relationship with the Western Region ARMD, and AMDS. This has continued since the Heritage Watch training a few years back, and recently the Police had some funding available to help combat criminals and their illegal metal detecting activities, often referred to as Nighthawking. A trifold leaflet (Figure 1) has been produced that will be distributed to landowners particularly where there are suspected criminal activities.

There is also an acknowledgement for the attention of landowners given to the Western Region and AMDS within the booklet as promoting responsible metal detecting.

The leaflet is full of useful information and encourages landowners and the general public to report all evidence of unlawful metal detecting and other rural crimes to ruralcrimeteam@wiltshire.police.uk

Similar leaflets will be produced by other Police Forces.

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Learn all the 67 English Monarchs from Offa to Charles III, plus, some Roman Emperors by

It is a fresh but sunny day, and your detector has gone “bip,bip”- you unearth a coin, but which king, and how old might it be? Wouldn’t be great to ID the king and know how many hundreds of years old it is?

I know you can look itup later, or ask an expert, butknowing the Monarchs of England yourself would be good to know, and if like me you are getting on a bit – learning new things even in your 70’s can help your brain stave off Alzheimer's etc. Keeping your brain active can benefit everyone. Plus, it might come in handy at the local pub quiz and in my case surprise my grandchildren that I can learn such things.

If you would like to learn all of the English monarchs from Offa to Charles III, then I would strongly recommend Ed Cooke’s excellent book, called “Remember, Remember” whereyou willlearn to train yourmemory to neverforget the 67 Kings and Queens of England (before No.68 Charles III, as the book was written in 2008). Also, it includes learning all the US presidents & all of the British Prime Ministers, if you really want to show off!

Dr Phil Williams BA PhD

a bucketof warm, slimy, smelly Offal being poured over him in bedbyanangrywarlord.Hewakesup shaking,andwiping the offal from his eyes looks at the Mercedes bedside clock it reads 7:57 and he remembers today he is going to learn about all the Kings and Queens of England. By the way, 757 is the date Offa became king and the Mercedes reminds us he ruled the kingdom of Mercia. So we have met our first

Ed, who is a Grandmaster of Memory, uses a memory technique called the journey method. It takes you on an easy to remember journey through a house, then via some buses, a school, a sports field and finally ends with a race to Buckingham Palace. To make any event rememberable, Ed has created a funny picture that is outrageously funny, silly, colourful, loud, bright, and smelly etc. The journey is acted out by a school boy. At the start, he is suddenly woken up by

king. The boy then goes to the bathroom to clean up, and along the landing, there is a small helicopter flying above him making a loud whirring noise – it is aWessex helicopter, which remindshim thathe is now in the kingdom of Wessex. The journey continues in the bathroom, where he meets the next 5 kings of Wessex and so on. Each king is made rememberable by placing them in a funny easy to remember picture etc. with action and funny circumstances along the journey so you can recall each stop, associated place and monarch.

Once you have learnt all the monarchs, Ed also has another chapter giving a bit more information on each monarch –again he uses picture association to allow you to remember this.

Now I personally also wanted to know the dates when each monarch reigned, so I have used another memory technique called the Major Memory Method. In this method, I have used the 2 last numbers of the date of each end of reign and to remember them using this method. Each date is represented by an object, animal etc. which kills the monarch in question by squashing, knocking off their head, smothering them etc. Making this act as violent, noisy, smelly, sexy etc. will help retain the picture in your mind. Table 1, shows the basis of the Master Memory method, where numbers 0-9 are given a constant letter, and a word is then made-up using vowels, letters h, w and y to fill in the spaces between the constants.

You can use this method to remember other numbers like a pin number- for example say your bank card pin was 3591 you could make up two things, one for 35 (ML) and another for 91 (BD) – so MoLe and BeD – so picture a giant mole in bed blocking your way to the cash machine. You’ll see the mole first, and then the bed – giving you 35,91.

For example, Offa dies in 796 – now we should remember it started at 757 (just before 8 O’clock, so we have the 7 hundreds in our mind but now we need to remember 96, and using the Major Memory method where 9=P or B and 6=G we could use PiG, PeG, BuG, BoG etc. However, an animal or person is a good choice as it can add action to the picture. So, we could image Offa being squashed by a giant pig (getting revenge for taking his fellow pigs’ offal). Table 2 lists the first 10 kings with their dates and memory peg for the end date, and a brief note.

* = Note: dates are 1000 years from World War I (end +1), that is why in Ed’s book there is a picture of a solider on the ‘Head Mound’ (= Ed Mund)

Ed’s book makes excellent reading, and after a few read thro’s you’ll be able to recite the order of the kings and queens both forward and backward, because the journey method links all the monarchs together in order of their rule. Ed’s book is available on Amazon, and used copies often appear on eBay.

Now, let us move our attention to the Romans. Again, I have used some bits of both memory methods mentioned above to remember these. Table 3 shows the dates and memory peg

for the end date. The journey is based around the rooms of my house where I have itemised 10 objects in each room (first item is always the door of a room, and the 10th item is always the light fitting). You could do the same for your house. For example, if you wanted to learn say the first 20 emperors, you’ll need to find 2 rooms and you if you used my idea of1st is a door and the10th item is a light fitting, then you only need to find/remember another 8 items in each room. Best to go around each room clockwise, starting at the door, etc. Then peg each emperor to each item in turn in a vivid memory picture. This is part of another memory technique called the Memory Palace. By going around your room, you can remember the order of each Emperor either forward or backwards. By the way, you could tell your children about these memory methods to help learn things at school, and as it is fun, it might aid their education (check out YouTube and Google them for more information).

Back to the Romans. To start the story, you can image a scene outside your house; it is snowing and very cold. A well-known roman leader is being very nosily stabbed to death (this is of course Julius Caesar), before him is a big thermometer showing -27 deg C (with a sNaKe wrapped around it, N=2 and K=7). This is the year 27 BC when our 1st Emperor starts his reign. Table 3, shows each emperor, in which room, then which object I use to associate the picture with, the emperor’s name, his memory picture, the date of his demise (AD) and it’s memory peg.

So taking the 1st Emperor, we can imagine, on our front door is an emperor wearing a big colourful tie (1st Emperor) and

holding a calendar page for the month of August. This reminds us that the 1st emperor is Augustus and the DooR tellsushedied in 14 AD (imaginethedoorfallsoffitshinges and squashes Augustus).

The second emperor, looks like Captain James Tiberius Kirk in suN (2nd Emperor) glasses from Star Trek. He is tying beer (tie-beer-us) bottles on the curtains, but they are going up in smelly, thick black sMoKe killing Tiberius in 37 AD, and so on. You can even smell his flesh burning! You can use the memory pegs to create your own imaginative memory pictures – making it as vivid, silly, colourful, smelly, big, loud, sexy etc. – the more ridiculous the better to help stay in our memory. The pictures don’t have to be exactly correct, but enough to trigger the required memory connection. Please create your own pictures, and if you can draw them out then please do send them to the author, so they could be shared on Facebook etc.

So put your imagination together, make up some marvellous pictures and have fun.

If you would like to get a full list of my 67 monarchs with dates etc. or the 87 Imperial Roman Emperors then email me at doctorpw@hotmail.com or catch me on the Facebook group at “Happy Detecting”.

Thanks to Ed Cooke and Penguin books for allowing me to use ED’s pictures from his book.

Field test and comparison of the C Scope CS4MX and CS4Pi (Part 1) by David Rees

My association with C Scope started about forty years back and the TR400 (Figure 1) was one of my earliest metal detectors enabling me to make my first finds, and to become hooked on this great hobby of metal detecting.

The control panel of the CS4MX (Figure 4) shows that it has five controls, and these are ground balance, on/off and sensitivity, a flick switch for selecting pinpointing or discrimination 1 and 2 set to discrimination 1), and controls to set each discrimination level. Whereas the controlpanel of the CS4Pi (Figure 5) has just two controls, on/off sensitivity, and a frequency control. There is also a light that illuminates when a target is located. Both have speakers and jack plug sockets for the use with headphones.

I reviewed the C Scope CS4MX (Figure 2) in a previous issue of the AMDS Times, and wanted to compare that detector with their CS4PI ((Figure 3) which is an extremely powerful pulse induction metal detector that is designed for use where most other detectors struggle, on the beach.

The ‘switch-on-and-go’ principle makes the CS4Pi a joy to use for anyone, even if they’ve never used a detector before when compared with some of the competitor’s machines that require all sorts of complicated adjustments to work on wet salt beaches.

The CS4MX and CS4Pi have distinctive cleverly designed control boxes, which can quickly be detached from the stem

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and belt mounted around the body and both are highperformance machines

These are the features of the CS4MX: -

• Frequency is the famed C.Scope 17kHz frequency operating system developed by C.Scope specifically for European and UK soil and mineralisation types.

• Mode Motion

• On/Off Sensitivity

• Two channel discrimination adjustable settings

• Default Auto Ground Balance setting

• Manual adjustable Ground Balance setting

• Pinpoint switch

• Power 8 Alkaline 1.5-volt AA or rechargeable NiMH pack.

• Battery life approximately 50 hours.

• Waterproof sealed battery compartment with easy fit large knurled nut locking.

• Control Box is constructed from rugged pressure tested ABS moulding.

• Hip mount facility.

• Two-part stem with cam knurled nut locking. Hole and pin alignment and length adjustment. GRP lower stem with ultra-strong bolt to the search head

These are the features of the CS4Pi: -

• Variable Frequency Motion Search System designed specifically for beach use.

• 1K-4.2K PPS Frequency Control.

• Audio Response with LED.

• Automatic Retune ‘Switch-on-and-go’ means less knob twiddling and more searching.

• All Metal Super Depth Mode optimised for beach.

• Belt mountable control box.

• Weight 1.45 kg including batteries

• Counterbalanced stem with Arm-rest has been designed for fingertip control and perfect balance.

• Lightweight Control Box ensures the detector is especially easy on the arm.

• Quick secure Adjustable Stem and locking mechanism enables the detector to be tailored to any user.

• Waterproof lightweight search head is fitted for deep probing and superb stability.

• Internal Loudspeaker.

• 6.3mm (1/4”) headphone socket.

• The operating frequency is 1.0 to 4.2 kHz

• Search head 20cm x 28 cm elliptical

• Typical battery life 30 hours (depending on batteries used, alkaline are recommended)

• Weight 1.45 kg (including batteries)

• Guarantee 2 years parts and labour, 5 years parts cover.

The CS4Pi is an extremely powerful machine and was designed for use where other detectors really struggle, on the beach. The operating frequency can be adjusted for maximum sensitivity on all ground types with minimal

interference. It is lightweight and can be made even lighter with the belt-mountable control box. The "switch on & go" makes the CS4Pi easy and a pleasure to use for anyone, even if they’ve never used a detector before.

The assembly of the CS4MX and the CS4Pi is straight forward, although with the coil on the CS4Pi being hardwired into the control box. It is just a simple step of inserting thelowerrod into thetop shaftand widing thecableto a snug fit ensuring that the coil can tilt fully backwards. You then tighten the knurled twist lock for a firm grip. Fit eight AA batteries into the battery holder, fit theholder into the control boxwith thecorrectpolarity, and tightenthefourlock screws to close. Once fully assembled and held in the hand, both of these detectors have a balanced and quality feel to them. Each detecor comes with a user manual and the manual for the CS4Pi has just seven pages and both manuals provide all the information a user need know to start detecting including quick start settings.

Now that you have the features of these two detectors, before I head to the beach I though that I would include two more recent finds made using the CS4MX. The silver 1943 Mercury dime Denver mint was found at “7 depth (Figure 6) and contains 90% silver (. 0723 oz pure silver). Easily identified clear two-way signal. The small Roman coin a Constans, AE of Arles. 346-348 AD (Figure 7), and it gave a good clear signal and about 5” depth

You may wonder how a pulse induction metal detector works. Pulse Induction metal detectors work by sending a highamperagesignalthrougha, usually, coppercoilto create an electromagnetic field. This electromagnetic field is then allowed to collapse which in turn creates a voltage spike that is able to be detected by the receive coil. Pulse induction metal detectors can deal much more effectively with complex, undulating ground conditions. For this reason, pulse induction devices work well when searching for gold. Often times, if you use a continuous wave metal detector in high ground mineralization, you will spend a lot of your time digging with little to no good items found. When compared to very low frequency (VLF) devices, pulse induction metal detectors can detect metal at greater depths.

Look out for Part 2 At the seaside with the CS4MX and CS4Pi in the next issue of the AMDS Times.

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SUE AUSTIN

It is with profound sadness that I have to inform you all of the passing of a true stalwart of our great hobby.

Suewasaproudmotherandgrandmotherto Amanda, David, Jenny and their children, and along with her late husband Trevor was amongst the founding members and defenders of organised metal detecting in the United Kingdom.

Between them, they made formidable advocates for the protection and advancement of our hobby, whether it was at their club at Bolsover, within the Yorkshire region, at formal meetings with members of the House of Lords, MPs’ and Government officials or at meetings with Clubs and National Organisations in Europe.

Sue was always the quiet power behind the throne, encouraging and supporting Trevor in his work as National Secretary by taking on the role of Assistant General Secretary and also supporting him whilst he was a member of the Treasure Valuation Committee.

In later years she continued her advocacy for our hobby at all levels as a member of the Associated Regions for Metal Detecting (ARMD) and also the Association for Metal Detecting Sport (AMDS)

Away from metal detecting Sue loved to spend time with her family and friends, be it wine tasting in Tenby, a quiet game of 10 pin bowling or just some quiet time with her family.

She will be sadly missed, not only by all her friends and family but within the metal detecting community as a whole. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Austin family at this sad time. RIP.

With thanks to Syd Hallam (Yorkshire Region ARMD and Brian Vaughan (Western Region ARMD)

Trevor and Sue Austin

AMDS/ARMD presentation to the PAAG on 14th March 2023

On Tuesday 14th March members of AMDS/ARMD gave a presentation to the PAAG (Portable Antiquities Advisory Group) in support of their application to join this advisory group.

The PAAG has a duty in Mike Hayworth’s words, “To advise the British Museum on the strategy and operations of the Portable Antiquities Scheme; comment at crucial points on related written material; contribute to the annual plan; consider issues raised about the plan and suggest possible solutions; facilitate two-way communication with the sector about the Scheme. The Advisory Group will also work with the Scheme to develop policyandbestpracticein relation to thediscoveryandrecordingofportable antiquities and to foster co-operation between archaeologists, museum professionals and finders.”

Since the inception of AMDS/ARMD one of their aims was representation on this decision-making body. Mike Hayworth the chair of the PAAG stated that it was very helpful to hear more about the two groups.

The representatives of AMDS/ARMD were asked for information on the make-up, the mission statement and their aims in becoming active members of the PAAG.

It was acknowledged that the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting was fully adopted by AMDS/ARMD from the outset of these two bodies being formed. Professor Michael Lewis (Head of the PAS) had welcomed this initial approach by AMDS/ARMD in late 2021. The Code of Practice differed from the existing Code of Conduct which hadbecome unfit for purpose, this being an area where the views of AMDS/ARMD differed from any other detecting organisations at that time.

As members of the Advisory Group AMDS/ARMD will also work with the Scheme to develop policy and best practice in relation to the discovery and recording of portable antiquities and to foster co-operation between archaeologists, museum professionals and metal detectorists.