Digger Diary: Hope in the Hills, Chapter 5, I Missed a Hammy! Day 85 (see last post)

[samuraitrev]

Here's the details:
Date of hunt: Sunday 22nd of January 2017
Location: Derbyshire. (D____'s Dig 4: field 1, barn ruin)
Ground: pasture (low/med mineralization, low iron contamination, low hot rocks)
Settings: all metal. Disc 2, 2 tones, Frequency 12, iron vol 3, reactivity 2, GB 90
Detector: XP Deus with 9" coil. (3.2 version) (my coil is at Regton's/ Deus factory getting repaired)
Hunt Time: 6 hours

A Reluctant Detectorist vs. a Stubborn completionist
Hello and welcome to another exciting outing with your two detectorist desperadoes. Pull on your boots, wrap up warm and join us for another treasure filled outing in sub zero Derbyshire. We've been in this field for the last 3 times and I fancied a change. However Ironman is unable to leave a field regardless of what is in it. I tried to tempt him into the 'gold ring field' (a gold ring has been thought to have been lost in this field by the landowner's wife.) I also tried to tempt him into another field which we haven't been in yet. He wasn't having any of it. It was like trying to get a kid away from an arcade when they've still got some money left. I eventually consented and got out the masons lines and prepared for a long day and suspected very little finds. How wrong I was...

The Finds Just Keep Coming
Every once in a while you get a field that just keeps giving. I don't know if the detector was set up in the ideal setting or I'm almost getting to grips with the machine (after 2 and a half years) or the field was just full of goodies. Either way, every now and again I was getting: BEEP, BEEP wow! There's my first silver it was a Victorian threepence. Even at this point I was happy. When you make a good find, early on, it's much easier to enjoy the rest of the day. My next row I hit the Lizzy half groat. I couldn't believe it. I was talking to my self, "Oh please be a hammered, please be a hammered." With a feeling of elation I decided to eat a quarter of a Christmas cake. This was all I could find to bring to eat. I even left a bit of icing for a mouse I'd startled while clearing some logs.

It Can't be Another One! Can it?
Well, How could the second half beat that? I got straight back to it and coins kept turning up along with buttons amongst loads of lead blobs. I'm pretty sure there was lead smelting going on in this field. Eventually another two way high sounding audio called to me. DIG ME, DIG ME it said to me. Who am I to refuse? Yes it gets lonely out there and it's not uncommon to speak to our detectors. Sometimes it progresses to more than just small talk but I digress... I dug down and there blinking in the sunset was George V on a sweet sixpence. What a day! As the sun began to set I felt compelled to do one more row and I'm so glad I did. Half way across, a quiet bleep-bleep made me dig with an anticipation I can only describe as hammysensual. There he was Elizabeth's kind-hearted father Henry VIII. How was this happening? Four silvers in one day! That's like winning the lottery (like a tenner) for us in Derbyshire. HORRRRAY!!!!!!

Gratis Junk Removal Service

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Iron x15, modern x3, Lead x22, copper alloys x3

Average bits

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coins from left to right
Nuremburg Ship Penny 16th century (made into a pendant)
Halfpenny 1694-1702 William III
Cartwheel Penny 1806 - 1808 George III
Penny 1862 Victoria
Penny 1937 George VI

Good Finds

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from top left
Henry VIII Penny 1509 - 1547
Elizabeth I Half Groat 1558 - 1603
from bottom left
Victoria Threepence 1843
George VI Sixpence 1917
Four silver separated by c.400 years!

Total Finds: 75

Ironman 0 Goldigger 2
Winning Find: see MDF poll

The quest for the gold coin will continue.
Cheers all and happy hunting! I Hope you enjoyed the read and I hope you'll join us on the next dig.

Comments always very welcome

OH and a massive thank you to all of you readers we hit 30,000 views. Awesome! Thanks for looking and I hope you stay with me for 2017 I think it's going to be the best year ever!

[samuraitrev]

A Henry VIII Silver hammered coin
or
Roman Brooch

Voting closes for 4pm on Friday

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[spazzyken]

Good read as always trev and what a great day 2 hammereds 2 silvers and a roman brooch the best day we've had for some time may it continue sunday.
I'm voting for the roman brooch cheers ken

[rockyrick]

It's a no-brainer - the Roman brooch wins hands down, it gets my vote! All the best, Rockyrick.

[samuraitrev]

Good read as always trev and what a great day 2 hammereds 2 silvers and a roman brooch the best day we've had for some time may it continue sunday.
I'm voting for the roman brooch cheers ken

Yes, roll on Sunday. I take it we're going to the same site?

You can't vote your own find Ironman! Nice try. Your vote is void.

So far, Hammered Silver 0 Roman brooch 1

[spazzyken]

Brilliant trev but I was just being honest the brooch is the oldest find and from where I plucked it out of makes it more worthy of a point cos I need em cheers ken

[Oxgirl36]

I've only recently stumbled on your diary and wish I had earlier! I am finding I've been wishing you on each week, especially last week when the going got tough, and then you have a blinder of a day. You deserved it. Lovely coins.

For me a hammered is an easy choice. Roman stuff would be lovely but there is something about hamerred coins that is magical.

[samuraitrev]

I've only recently stumbled on your diary and wish I had earlier! I am finding I've been wishing you on each week, especially last week when the going got tough, and then you have a blinder of a day. You deserved it. Lovely coins.

For me a hammered is an easy choice. Roman stuff would be lovely but there is something about hamerred coins that is magical.

Thank you for commenting. I think we're going to the same location this Sunday. So I've high hopes there'll be more to follow. I will try to post my Diary every Sunday or Monday at the latest. See you on the next hunt

Hammered Coin 1 Roman brooch 1

[samuraitrev]

Here's the details:
Date of hunt: Sunday 29th of January 2017
Location: Derbyshire. (M____'s Dig 2: Beer Garden)
Ground: pasture (med mineralization, high iron contamination, low hot rocks)
Settings: Gary's HOT setting
Detector: XP Deus with 11" coil. (3.2 version)
Hunt Time: 5 hours

This'll Only Take me a Couple of Hours...
Hello and welcome to my recent outing to a pub in Derbyshire. On this occasion, I was on the outside of a pub, instead of being inside, slowly getting confused as complete strangers become my objects of enforced friendship and unwilling listeners to my tales of detecting. Unfortunately Ironman wasn't with me today and was missed. I was going in solo without any back up. The spoils were there for the taking and only I had the courage and fortitude to seek them out. Ahhh the life of a debonair detectorist is never without its rewards. One of the staff told me her husband had lost a gold ring in one area so I endeavored to bring it to light. There was the odd beer garden bench but with a deft lift with my with my ripped physique they were quickly moved aside. (Truth be told I nearly put my friggin' back out!) I put my masons lines down and the beer garden probably measured 20x20 meters. I set off with the knowledge that it might be 'a bit junky'.

Do Drunk People Just Forget How To Use Pockets?
My first find was the Livery button a right hand holding a laurel crown [Armfield's Birmingham]. I thought this was a good omen. Straight away the coins started and they never stopped. It was like the entire garden was carpeted in them. I couldn't even do a single sweep without getting loads of sweet signals. I had no choice but to dig like there was no tomorrow. It took me hours before I finished my first row and at this point I decided to eat last week's maltloaf still lurking in my bag from last week...

Can Rings, Bottle Tops and a Whole Lot of Patience
Feeling refreshed from the poor fare and the softly descending rain I carried on. The coins kept coming and I noted that several were foreign. I wondered about all these people coming all this way. Had they dropped their coins on purpose? Perhaps a subconscious throwback to when early man left offerings to their Gods. Or were people as good at missing their pockets when inebriated from all over the world? The owners were really interested and were keen to see what I could unearth. The light began to fade and I began to slip and slide in the mud and rain like a slippy, slidey, muddy thing. With a heavy heart and very wet dirty hands I packed up my things and returned home craving a bath. Take a look at what I unearthed. Over 200 items! I can feel the old quadriceps today I can tell you! I only managed 2 rows. There's still loads left but can I face the dreaded can rings of doom again?

Gratis Junk Removal Service

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Iron x13, modern x84!!!, Lead x1, copper alloys x2

Average bits

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modern coins

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£8.33 in spendables

Total Finds: 217

Ironman 0 Goldigger 2

The quest for the gold coin will continue.
Cheers all and happy hunting! I Hope you enjoyed the read and I hope you'll join us on the next dig.

Comments always very welcome

[Oxgirl36]

OMG what have you let yourself in for? Great place to get loads of finds but good luck with it, rather you than me I really do admire your tenacity though and not at all surprised your aching today!!

I hope next weeks dig is a little less modern, with a lot less ring pulls!! I'll introduce myself as I have the advantage of knowing what you look like

[ljeffery]

I've just spent 4 hours reading the whole of this thread, had 3 coffee's, a ham sandwich, 3 toilet breaks and I'm finally at the end!

Well done on a truly fantastic read!

[samuraitrev]

Just love following this post.
Looks like the plastic money is having an effect on spendables. Or the drinkers keep thier hands in thier pockets.

Its surprising what can be found in gardens. Maybe be the "Gold label" will be next find at the pub


TF

Ha, ha! I like the Gold Label joke

[samuraitrev]

OMG what have you let yourself in for? Great place to get loads of finds but good luck with it, rather you than me I really do admire your tenacity though and not at all surprised your aching today!!

I hope next weeks dig is a little less modern, with a lot less ring pulls!! I'll introduce myself as I have the advantage of knowing what you look like

Thanks for the comments again. We should have some older finds this Sunday. See you on the next dig

[samuraitrev]

I've just spent 4 hours reading the whole of this thread, had 3 coffee's, a ham sandwich, 3 toilet breaks and I'm finally at the end!

Well done on a truly fantastic read!

You deserve a medal for reading all that. I tell you what, we'll give you a shout out at the great reveal for sheer determination on finishing the whole thread. You now know all the secrets of my Diary!

Seriously though, a huge thank you for the kind words. Your comments give me the encouragement to keep going out there in all weathers getting sludged up to the eyeballs. Keep reading folks, I'll do you proud

[Bully1970]

Not read the whole thread but keeping very much enjoying since i joined a few weeks ago :-)