Metal Detecting
$155,000 royal ring dug from plowed field
A retiree from Manchester, England found a tiny ring while metal detecting plowed fields at Manley Old Hall on the edge of the Delamere Forest in Cheshire. It turned out to be a 650 year old piece of jewelry commissioned by Edward III for one of his supporters.
The ring brought £84,000 (approximately $155,000 US) at auction, which the finder will split with the land owner. The find was originally valued at only £3,000 by government appraisers.
You know, here in the state we just don’t get the chance to even dream about a 650 year old anything, other than maybe a gold nugget. Anyone from the US gone on one of thse European hunting trips?
Via “Telegraph.co.uk”:http://www.telegraph.co.uk
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Sales of Garrett metal detectors experience post 9/11 boom
After the tragedy of 9/11, sales of “Garrett metal detectors”:http://www.garrett.com have skyrocketed — at least those of the security side of the business. Garrett divides its business into the hobby side, which most of us are familiar with, and the security side which supplies airports and law enforcement with hand scanners and walk through units. The security side now accounts for 60% of revenues.
This article from the Dallas Morning news has really good background on Charles Garrett, founder and legendary treasure hunter. Well worth reading. I also found it interesting to here about the wide variety of uses metal detectors have these days. Notably, the Dallas Zoo is using metal detectors on their penguins! Apparently they’ve had a problem with people tossing change into the penguin habitats and they have to wand their bellies!
Via “The Dallas Morning News”:http://www.dallasnews.com
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Little treasures, little glimpses into the past
This nice little human interest piece about metal detectorist Glen Spoor does a good job of capturing the the essence of most treasure hunts. No gold bars, not cache of silver coins — just little treasures that while not extraordinarily valuable, are still a joy to find.
A cheerleader’s pin from the 1950’s, a turn of the century National Guard button, and a silver dollar are among Glen’s finds. Each a little victory and a little glimpse into history around us.
Via Maine Today
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Sixth annual “Cash Bash” to be held in Connecticut
The “National Metal Detecting League”:http://www.nationalmetaldetectingleague.com/ is holding their annual metal detecting competition in Woodbury, Connecticut this October. Over two hundred detectorists are expected to compete for cash and prizes, including a chest full of silver coins and a top of the line metal detector.
Organizer Jerry Burr expects hunters from at least 15 states to attend, from as far away as Washington and Colorado.
If you aren’t familiar with competition hunting, it works like this. Rather than hunt for real treasure “in the wild”, hunters seek out tokens buried in a designated hunting area. The winner is the user who digs the most tokens. Instant win tokens and buried silver coins are also generally part of the hunt.
If you think you have what it takes, “registration forms”:http://www.nationalmetaldetectingleague.com/cashbash.htm are available on the club’s website.
Via the Boston Globe
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