It had been a busy week for both of us as we were on night duty. But after some well deserved sleep and some time spent with our families, we arranged to meet the next morning. As always there was that air of anticipation that I am sure is experienced by every serious detectorist about to search a new site. I had researched the land in the local heritage centre but had discovered nothing of great historical interest connected with it. But as a friend of mine once said ‘All land, is old land.” Those wise words are worth keeping in mind if you are trying out new land for the first time, as you will see. On arriving at the site we had the obligatory cup of coffee and chat before setting up our machines. My detector was a newly purchased Fisher CZ7 while Andy was using a trusty Laser B3 that he had just bought from me the week previously. Andy, as usual, was eager to get started. I can always tell by the half finished cup of coffee being tipped out and the announcement that “Times a’ burning”. We started out in good spirits on that fine March morning. The soil conditions were good as there had been some rain in the previous weeks. After a hour or so Andy came across to where 1 was searching. He showed me a lead token he had found with vertical markings on one side and a number on the other side. This he said looked like the number 44 (which he subsequently claims to have always been his lucky number). 1 had only recovered a few bits of silver paper .... no doubt the remains of the farmer’s sandwiches. At long last my Fisher gave a loud two-way signal and 1 began to dig. As I removed the top 3 in. of soil up came a small silver Victorian spoon complete with hallmark. 1 tried to get Andy’s attention but he was over in the corner of the field with his head down like a blood hound on the trail. Over the next few hours we both recovered an assortment of lead tokens, buckles, and buttons. Meeting up eventually, we wandered over to the side of the field and started to eat our lunch. For most people lunch is a pleasant break in the day. Andy views it as a waste of detecting time, although recently a fierce competition has developed between us over the contents of our lunch boxes!
It started with individually wrapped celery sticks and miniature cheeses, but if it continues at its present rate we will end with lobsters and caviar or even a portable barbecue. Lunch out of the way we carried on. Andy, never satisfied, had disappeared into an adjoining field and when 1 last saw him he was madly swinging his machine to and fro with his head down again. By now I had recovered quite a variety of medieval buckles and some buttons and the day was looking promising. All sorts of thoughts go through your head when you are detecting making the hours just flash by (as I am sure you all know). I looked at my watch and realised that we had only another three hours left. Help! where had all that time gone? I wondered if I should try some mad swinging to and fro. At this point my machine gave a clear two way signal I looked at the LED’s on the screen and noted that the notch marker had appeared on the foil section of the display. 1 then pinpointed, and the detector indicated a narrow target at a depth of 4 in. I started to dig, removing the top 3 in. very carefully. I then used my electronic pinpoint probe to make sure that I would not spade damage whatever was lying beneath. The probe buzzed to the side wall of the hole .... so much for my pinpointing skills! Digging carefully I could just make out what appeared to be the silver milling of a coin. As I gingerly removed the mud from the object I could see the head of George III staring at me. Needless to say Andy was still out of sight. On catching up with him in the next field I showed him the coin, which was a 1816 silver shilling in excellent condition. It was perhaps not the oldest find of the day but definitely the best so far. We continued on, this time with even more enthusiasm. Half an hour later I heard a loud yell coming from where Andy was crouched down. I could tell by the look on his face that he must have found something good (from the loudness of his shout, so had everyone within a half mile radius!). I put down my machine and ran over to where he was kneeling. I will never forget the broad grin he had on his face as he

The Chessington Hoard