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 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

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?

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.

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.