Thursday, June 6, 2013

Novice unearths 'nationally significant' find during first treasure hunt


Exciting news from the British press:
Wesley Carrington was just 20 minutes into his first metal detecting trip when he unearthed a hoard of Roman gold coins estimated to be worth £100,000.  The novice revealed he had bought a basic detector from a local shop and headed straight out to woods to try his new gadget. His initial finds included a spoon and halfpenny piece but then the machine started bleeping to indicate metal some way beneath the ground. After digging down around seven inches he unearthed the first of 55 ‘solidi’ – gold coins – dating back more than 1,600 years. Stunned experts later returned to the site and discovered a further 104 coins, describing the haul as ‘spectacular’ and of ‘national significance’. The remarkable story behind the find emerged yesterday at a formal inquest which was held to decide if the coins qualified as ‘treasure trove’. Hertfordshire Coroner Edward Thomas ruled that they did and the coins will now be sent to the British Museum for a formal valuation before they go up for auction. Any proceeds made could be split between Mr Carrington and the owner of the land where the find was made. 

Read more:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336423/I-Roman-coins-worth-100-000--20-minutes-buying-metal-detector-Novice-unearths-nationally-significant-treasure-hunt.html#ixzz2WjzUEIqR
 

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