A man made an unexpected discovery that prompted archaeologists to descend on his neighbourhood after buying a metal detector – and he will likely earn a tidy bit of cash for his find
When starting a new hobby, you expect to make slow but steady progress as you learn the skills required to carry it out. But one man became an overnight expert after buying a metal detector and scanning the green spaces around his town with it.
Much to his surprise, he struck gold on his second-ever trip out and quickly became the talk of his neighbourhood thanks to his discovery. Taking to Reddit, his stepson said: “My parents moved to the UK about four months ago, and my stepdad decided to get a metal detector as a hobby. Today was the second time (besides trying it at the house) that he went out to hunt.
“Up to this point, his best find was a coin from 1904. Then this came out of the ground. Fifty feet away, a gold crow head was found, so the site is believed to be a burial and has been closed off.
“I don’t have a ton of info besides that they believe it to be a Saxon gauntlet ring due to its size. Truly once in a lifetime!”
The family declared the discovery “almost immediately”, and the site has been on lockdown ever since as experts came in to excavate.
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Wanting to know whether he’ll earn anything from his discovery, the family were told: “The total value will be split 1/4, 1/4, 1/2 — to him, the finder of the bird, and the owner of the land.”
He added: “I’m so excited to see what else comes from it. There was something else large in the hole with the bird, but due to the digging being halted, we don’t know what it is!”
Commenting on his post, one user said: “The insane chance of being the first person to handle the items since they were put there amazes me. Congratulations on your fabulous find!”
While another added: “Wow. Well, I’ve watched enough Time Team to know how insane of a find that is.
“Literal doctors of archaeology can spend their whole lives digging and never find anything so lovely.”
A third person said: “Your dad’s finds have added significantly to the archaeological and historical record. He’ll do well financially and is no doubt as pleased as punch.
“As a retired archaeologist, I’m delighted for everyone concerned. There will be lots of happy people because of this.
“They are stunning pieces. I cannot wait to hear more about them.”
One more user added: “That’s so cool, congrats! I’m jealous of those who live on land like that! The oldest stuff around here is like from the 1880s or something.”