My First Gold Coin

My First Gold Coin !!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that it only took a short 5426 mile trip over land and the Atlantic Ocean to find that coin,  but it happened.

Here is the deal…I went to England on a metal detecting adventure.  Reason I call it an adventure,  is that getting up every morning at 6:30am (with a time difference of 7 hours from my home time zone) starting to metal detect at approximately 8:30am detecting all day ’til 6:00pm,  except for the HOT lunch that was brought to us out in the fields at 1:00pm.  About an hour  much needed break for lunch.  This goes on for 6 days straight.  AWESOME! If you like self torture,  with rewards of course. This is some metal detecting at its finest!

I first have to mention the location of where I was at.  It is known as the oldest inhabited place in England.  Essex County UK.  This area dates back to the stone age!  How much more of an adventure is that.  You can find metal that was used by the people of the bronze age.  Just last week someone found a bronze age flat ax dating to 2000B.C.  That is correct over 4000 years old.

Now,  about my trip,  I was what they referred to,  over there as a newbie,  the person that leads the detecting trips,  told everyone on his website that I took to the fields and started finding stuff,  like pigs to S**t.

Well,  you could say I did just  that.  This Newbie  went over there with a purpose…to find goodies that I could not find here in Idaho or any other part of the USA for that matter.   Boy oh Boy,  did I ever.  There were things that I found that I could not even imagine finding.  First anything over 150 years old is VERY old for here!  Sad but true.  The first silver coin that I found was from 1838.  I was in hog heaven!!!!!   On an England detecting trip you will find what they call ‘Greenies’ these are King George I -VI copper coins.  They date back to (I hope I get this right…) the 1700’s maybe earlier.  These Greenies are junk to them well at least common to find.

That is not what you go to England to find…you go in hope of finding some gold coin or some other artifact that is gold or silver.  Silver coins are not a real rarity.  But some that are found are on the rare side.  It is all a crap shoot,  you might not find much or you just might find something that is very very rare! Or very valuable.  To me it is all priceless.

Or,   you can be like me and and have the Newbie luck and zig and zag in all of the right spots to get some very great finds.  First I will mention some of the more common things that I found,  that are quite interesting to me (but,  then again if it is much over 100 years old it is interesting to me).  A 17C dated Jetton (coin),  Medieval harness ring, 1550-1650 buckle,  post Medieval strap or cord end,  early 17C nipple button,  17c lead navy token and a 1634 Charles 1st copper rose Farthing( half of a half penny). I also found other interesting things such as a 15thC half Ryal coin weight,  a French Infantry Button circa 1803-1814,  18thC clog fastener,  a 20thC trade token (I know not very old,  just 100+ years is all  LOL ) also found a Roman stone shot,  this was an eyeball find due to the fact that it is rock,  The Queens regiment cap badge,  18thC silver button,  Georgian button with pearl inlay,  all of this with oh so much other things of interest.

But that brings me down to the part of which you are wondering about the title…not, so fast here.  I must tell you about other things first…can you tell that I am excited just mentioning these things…I am.  I found a Roman shot ,  this was an eyeball find due to the fact that it is made of rock, about the size of a very large chicken egg.   Along with the ‘Greenies’,   a couple of Dutch coins dating 1796 and 1752,  a couple of Roman coins dating back to the 1stC.  One of which dates 350-351AD and happens to be a scarce one,  I am (as I mentioned, one of the lucky ones) one of just a handful or two of people that can say they have found a Saxon silver coin.  It dates from 600-775AD,  this is smaller than my finger tip,  and a variety that has never been cataloged before.

So, this leads up to what this little story  is about……flew  for 19hours to get to my destination with a taxi/bus ride of another 1 1/2 to final destination to find my first gold coin.   And,   what a Dooooozy it was….it is a 50B.C. Gallo-Belgic Celtic Gold full stater.  One of those little gold coins ( about as big around as a dime) that has a horse hammered into them that the Celtic used to put in their farm fields to have a bountiful crop.

Here is a picture of my priceless find…it is not priceless but it is for me.  To find this on my first trip…I am still on cloud Nine!!!  Over 2000 years old…WOW

This is just a sample of what can be found,  so if there is anyone that loves the sport of metal detecting as much as I do,  then a treasure hunting trip in the UK is for you.

Good luck and happy hunting.

______________________________________________

I figure if I keep swinging one of these things long enough,  I will eventually find a ring that has a real diamond in it,  and someday I will finally find that gold coin that keeps eluding me (found this one).  I keep trying,  and loving every minute of it.  The search is what it is all about.  I have a mental list of the things that I really  want to find,  but as I find one of the things on my  list I just add another one,  this way,  the all the  things on my list will never  be crossed off,  in other words,  I will always continue to search for more and more treasures.

Until then,  may all of your pull tabs turn to gold!  Good luck and hope you find that special something that you are searching for,

Orvin Jr.