It was found near Billesdon, Leicestershire by an 81 year-old detectorist who has preferred to remain anonymous. Over the 60 years, that she has been detecting, the finder has found many Medieval and Roman coins. When she started detecting in the 1960s people asked her what she was doing, and she told them she was looking for bombs.

She tells the story of the find ““It was the 8th of July 2021 at a local detector meeting while searching a field, that everybody said had nothing in it, that I had a signal from my Minelab Deus 2. After digging to a depth of 7 inches, I discovered a gold Saxon sword pommel dating to the early 7th century AD decorated with a filigree pattern.”

The find was recorded at the PAS as LEIC-C615C9 went through the Treasure process and was disclaimed. The PAS record says “ This pommel can be categorised as Menghin’s (1983) Typ Beckum-Vallstenarum …dating to the later sixth to seventh centuries.“

Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin expert at Noonans, explained: “The sword pommel is a beautiful example of fine Anglo-Saxon gold measuring 4 centimetres by 1.5 centimetres and weighing 20.5 grams. It is of cocked hat form using beaded wire filigree ornamentation. On one side are two dragons or beasts facing each other with their heads and front paws touching. The other side has an interlaced snakelike pattern. It compares with the detectorist-found Staffordshire hoard of gold jewellery, while the motif of the confronting beasts on the sword mounts can be seen on a shield from the Sutton Hoo ship burial. The pommel would have been fixed to the end of the sword handle both as a counterbalance and to stop the hand slipping. The imagery displayed would have imbued a mystical power to the sword.“

The £18,000 hammer price was at the top end of the pre-sale estimate. The finder will be sharing the proceeds from the sale with the landowner and will be using her half to buy a replacement vehicle.

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The ring was found by detectorist, Tom Clark. After the auction, Tom said “I didn’t watch the sale as I was out metal-detecting, I only stopped as it began to rain! I am very pleased with the result, which is fantastic. I would like to put the money in my bank account, but I am sure that my wife will have ideas of how to spend it!“

Finding the ring

In May last year, Tom went out detecting with his brand new Minelab Manticore in a filed near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. He had a good start, finding a Roman bronze coin and a Georgian gilded brooch.

About three metres away he got another signal and, on digging down 10 inches, unearthed what appeared to be a Medieval gold seal ring. Reading the name around the edge he saw the name ‘Grenvil’ and immediately recognised it as one of the ancestral surnames of the nearby manor house.

Tom said “I have been detecting since the age of 30, and over the years I have been lucky enough to find a Bronze Age gold armlet, a Roman lead coffin and many other treasures which are now in museums“

George Grenville

Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin expert at Noonans, explains “The ring dates from the 18th century and originally belonged to George Grenville who was Prime Minister from 16 April 1763 to 10 July 1765.”

Stamp Act

Nigel continues “He tried to reduce Britain’s growing debt by raising revenue in the American colonies with the introduction of the Sugar Act, the Currency Act, and the Stamp Act. These new laws, especially the Stamp Act, were strongly objected to by the colonists and stirred up protests, which resulted in George III dismissing Grenville. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, but concerns over taxation ultimately led to the American Revolutionary War of 1775-83.“

The ring

The arms on the bezel of the ring are those of Grenville, of Wotton Underwood and of Stowe in the county of Buckinghamshire.

This is a shield quartered with a central cross bearing five roundels, a helmet placed above the shield has a crest of a sheaf of corn. An inscription around reads “Sigillum Georg de grenvil’”

This seal ring appears to have been handed down to his second son, also named George, as the find spot is close to the son’s residence near Aylesbury.

The ring presumably became a family heirloom passing from father to son and remained hidden in the ground until now.

The auctioneer described it as “a truly exciting discovery!“

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Finding the torc

Billy found the torc five inches below the surface in a field in Copeland, Cumbria in late 2019. Speaking at the time, Billy described the find:

“I’d only been detecting six months and I was out by myself on a field I must have been in dozens of times before, spending seven or eight hours going through it.

This time I got a strong signal so I dug down five inches and saw it. My first reaction was it was a piece of climbing equipment, or perhaps coupling from a tractor. I never thought it could be gold.

I carried on detecting for an hour and a half before I called my friend and sent him a picture of it. He said I must come around with it right away so I hopped in my car and drove to his house with it.

He was very excited about the find and told me to take it to a jeweller’s, who confirmed it was 11oz of 22 carat gold. He said it had a value in gold of £11,000, but it was worth a lot more because of its age and what it was.

I was stunned and gobsmacked. I still can’t believe it.“

PAS

The torc was recorded at the PAS as LANCUM-C6B5FC

The PAS record says the torc’s form is similar to those of the Tullydonnell hoard from County Donegal. This is dated to 1200 – 800 BC. The punched decoration is also known from another Irish example.

Display

The torc has been jointly acquired by both The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven and Tullie in Carlisle, purchased with support from Art Fund, Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Cumberland Council and the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. The Beacon Museum will showcase the find from November 18 to June 2024 in its Prehistoric and Bronze Age section. It will then move to the Tullie.

Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places said “This joint acquisition provides more opportunities for our communities to see this amazing find and discover more about their local heritage“

Beacon Museum’s Customer and Visitor Experience Manager, Heather Holmes said “The nature of the item, and its role as a showpiece object, will highlight the importance of the museum as a venue for sharing heritage. It’s a must-see exhibit“

Prof Michael Lewis, Head of the PAS said “It is wonderful news that The Beacon Museum, Whitehaven, has been able to acquire this important Late Bronze Age gold arm ring for local people to see and enjoy. The British Museum is proud of its role in managing the Portable Antiquities Scheme in England, through which this object was reported Treasure via the local Finds Liaison Officer.“

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Priory

The findspot is a couple of miles away from Mottisfont where an Augustinian priory was founded at Mottisfont in 1201 by William Briwere. The legend on the seal, reads sigillu officii prioris  (p’or – etas?)   Cce trinitat’ de moteCfont or  “seal of the […] prior of (the priory) of the Holy Trinity of Mottisfont.

The priory allegedly held a finger of John the Baptist and was an important Medieval pilgrimage location.

Display

The will be displayed in the Red Bedroom of Mottisfont house (a National trust 18th century house) alongside other medieval objects found on the site. It’s claimed that this will make it the first seal of its type to be reunited with its original home.

Indulgences

The pope granted permission for the priory to sell pardons in return for money to support its work, as George Roberts, curator at the National Trusts explains:

“Pilgrims travelling between the great cathedrals at Salisbury and Winchester are likely to have passed Mottisfont and may well have stayed and worshipped with the community there.

All this was done to help secure a place in heaven after their death. However, before they could reach heaven, they believed they would need to spend time in purgatory to be purified.

By being able to sell indulgences, Mottisfont Priory could offer people a reduction in their time in purgatory – in effect, fast-tracking them to heaven. This of course came with a price, which was then used to support the priory’s finances”

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Hoard

The Norton Hoard contains coins from 18 Roman Emperors, (and their wives and mothers) spanning from Mark Antony, which date back to 32BC, through to Severus Alexander. The last latest datable coins in the hoard is from 231 AD. It includes coins of Septimius Severus and his wife Julia Domna (on the coin above), a North African imperial couple who famously set up their imperial residence in York while Severus campaigned in Scotland.

A Romany pottery vessel in a number of fragments was found nearby and was likely the container for the hoard. The reason for depositing the hoard and its location are something of a mystery; it was found in what would have been a rural, farming location some 28 miles from the nearest Roman city of York.

Display in Doncaster

The hoard has been bought by Doncaster City Council.

Professor Michael Lewis, Head of Portable Antiquities & Treasure, British Museum stated “The British Museum is very pleased that this important find has been acquired by Doncaster Museum for public display“

Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “What an incredible find! This hoard of Roman coins provides a glimpse into the history of Roman Britain from 1,800 years ago. It allows us to imagine how such a valuable asset came to be buried in the first place and now this treasure will be a part of Doncaster’s history forever.”

Peter Robinson, Collections and Exhibitions Officer (Archaeology) at Heritage Doncaster, added: “It is thanks to metal detector users and other members of the public, dedicated to researching and going out searching for our shared past, and reporting their finds to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, that such wonderful and important finds come to light. We’re delighted that we’ve been able to acquire this treasure so that everyone can enjoy and learn from their heritage.”

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The find was recorded at the PAS as KENT-574634 where it was designated a Find of Note of County Importance. It was inscribed with the date 1712 and so, being gold and more than 300 years old, it qualified as Treasure.

The full inscription on the inner surface of the ring reads “M M obt 24 nov, 1712 at 82” in italic script. The PAS record says that research of the burial records in the area revealed a Mary Matson nee Boreman buried St.James, Dover on the 28th of November 1712. Mary was the wife of John Matson, a prominent local merchant and the Mayor of Dover from 1668-1670.

Aiden said: “I am very pleased to be returning a piece of history back to Dover and having it on display for everyone to see.”

Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “We’re delighted to accept this donation to the Museum’s collection. As well as being a fine example of a memento mori, the ring is also an important link to one of the town’s most prominent families of the time.”

The ring is is now on display at Dover Museum which is free to visit

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Featured Find

Mount of John Wesley

Photo: North Lincolnshire Museum CC By SA2.0

PAS record: NLM-7BD68E

Object type: Mount

Period: Post Medieval

Primary material: Copper alloy

Date found: 12/01/2023

Location: Epworth, North Lincolnshire

A plain copper-alloy mount bearing the initials “JW”. It was found in the grounds of the family home of the Wesley family and the birthplace of John Wesley. As the PAS record states, it’s possible that this mount belonged to John Wesley but as it also rightly cautions “There were doubtless many others who shared the initials J W in the Isle of Axholme in the later 17th and 18th centuries“. It has been designated a Find of Note of County Importance.

I thought a little research was in order to see if anything could support the connection with John Wesley and after doing just that, I think I would go further than saying that it just belonged to him.

John Wesley

John Wesley was born at Epworth Rectory in 1703 and lived to the age of 87. in 1738 began his own ministry, which was effectively the start of Methodism.

From the outset, Methodists kept a keen eye on their spending and the modest mount is in keeping with this. The suggested date for the mount fits well with John Wesley’s life.

Horseback

Wesley would travel from place to place on horseback in both England and America to preach in the open air.

There are several statues and numerous images of Wesley on horseback with some showing him reading while he was riding. Some even show him writing at some sort of small desk, which is attached to the saddle.

This is all consistent with the PAS record saying “The robust construction and fixings may suggest this was attached to a substantial item of horse furniture, perhaps a saddle.“

“JW” brand

During my short research into John Wesley it became clear that he was known as “JW” and it even became something of a brand for him; his personal seal was the letters “JW” with “Believe Love Obey” around the outside. When writing to friends he would sign off the letter with “JW”¹. In books he would mark passages with “JW”² and when other wrote to him they would be addressed to “JW”³

John Wesley and his brother Charles are depicted in a stained glass window, made in 1924, in Wesley’s Chapel & Leysian Mission, London. They are both identified by their initials.

Therefore, although there may have been other people near Epworth in the 17th and 18th centuries with the initials “JW”, it wouldn’t make sense for them to just use those to identify their belongings as these initials were so strongly linked with John Wesley.

Inscribing his own initials

The final intriguing aspect of my look at the life of John Wesley was the discovery of his penchant for etching his own initials on things.

As with the piece of glass shown he would sometimes etch “J Wesley” on the glass. On another occasion he wrote a poem on a pane of glass and then wrote his initials diagonally across it⁴

As shown by etched glass the style of the J and W are similar to those on the mount.

This all leads me to speculate that not only did this mount belong to John Wesley but the initials may have been written by the man himself.

References

1. LETTERS OF JOHN WESLEY, Augustine Birrel, 1915
2. John Wesley’s Reading:Evidence in the Book Collection at Wesley’s House, London. Randy L. Maddox, 2003
3. John Wesley and George Whitefield, Irwin W. Reist
4. John Wesley & Wesleyanism In New Mills by Steve Lewis

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Featured Find

Bulla of Roger de Moulins of the Knights Hospitallers

PAS record: LEIC-B64E07

Object type: Bulla

Period: Medieval

Primary material: Lead alloy

Date found: 21/11/2022

Location: Leicestershire

A lead bulla issued by Grand Master Roger de Moulins, Master of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (Knight’s Hospitallers). It is a Find of Note of County Importance

Knights Hospitaller

The Knights Hospitaller was formed by a group of Crusaders in 1099 to support the hospital in Jerusalem which had recently been conquered.

On 15 February 1113 Pope Paschall II issued a Pie postulatio voluntatis (“Most pious request”) to formally recognise the Knights Hospitaller. This bulla confirmed the independence of the Order and gave them the right to elect their Grand Masters without external interference. The order if preserved at the National Library of Malta; Malta

Bulla

The Order’s Great Seal, or bulla, was introduced by the second Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, Raymond du Puy who served in the role from around 1121 to 1160. It remained in use, with some modifications until 1798.

Obverse

The image on the obverse shows the Grand Master kneeling in prayer before the patriarchal cross. Between them are the letters alpha and omega. This is a common Christian symbol and refers to the phrase in the bible “I am the Alpha and Omega” which can be interpreted to mean that God is eternal.

The legend reads ROGERIV[S] CVSTOS, which is the Master’s name followed by his title, CVSTOS (“Guardian“).

Reverse

The reverse depicts a patient at the Hospital in Jerusalem. The legend reads +.hOSPITA[LIS.Ih]ERVSALEM.

Grand Master Roger de Moulins

Roger de Moulins was the eighth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1177 to his death in 1187. He issued a number of statutes to regularise the administration of the Order.

In 1184 he toured Europe to seek support for a new crusade against the growing power of Saladin. He arrived in England in 1185 which helped bring the Order to greater prominence here; in 1194 Richard I granted the English Hospitallers a charter and entrusted hospitals at Worcester and Hereford to their care.

Photo: Kent County Council CC By SA2.0

“Manus Fica” amulet

A Roman copper-alloy amulet dating to c. AD 75 – 120. It is in the form of the manus fica (“fig hand”) gesture where the thumb is wedged between the index and middle finger. Used a lot on Roman pendants and mounts to ward of the evil eye. It’s possibly a bit obscene, and may have alluded to a verbal pun for a vagina.

Read more

Photo: York Museums Trust CC By SA2.0

Viking imitation penny of Alfred the Great

A Viking imitation of a penny of Alfred the Great dating to AD 880-899. The obverse reads ÆL FR ED RE and the reverse LUDIG MON for the moneyer Ludig.

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The Rosemary Foundation provides a “Hospice within the Home” service at no charge to the patient. Have a look at The Rosemary Foundation on Solent MDC’s website to read about the work of the Foundation and how the club have been supporting them for many years. If you would like to donate to The Rosemary Foundation, you can do so through their Support Us page.

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Featured Find

Roman brooch – FIBULA EX REG LAGITIENSE

Photo: Suffolk County Council CC By SA2.0

PAS record: SF-F57791

Object type: Brooch

Period: Roman

Primary material: Copper alloy

Date found: 24/11/2022

Location: Campsea Ashe, Suffolk

A complete Roman knee brooch of Mackreth’s Type 3. The inscription reads FIBUL[A] EX REG LAGITIENSE in two panels which would have been inlaid with enamel. The knee brooch is a later style of Roman brooch from around the 2nd to 3rd centuries and was favoured by the Roman army.

FIBULA EX REG LAGITIENSE

The inscription is short for “Fibula ex regione Lagitiense” meaning “Brooch from the Lagitiense region”. This was based around the Roman settlement of Lagentium, which was in modern day Castleford. Various suggestions for the source of the Roman name include “Place of the Bottles” from the Latin lagenae for bottle or “Place of the Swords“.

The Romans built there first fort here in AD 71. A civilian settlement, known as a viscus, was established near the fort. This may initially been for traders and craftsmen, deliberately settled here by the army. The viscus appears to have been its largest during the first half of the second century. Large quantities of high quality and luxury items have been discovered during archaeological excavations. The discovery of part manufactured brooches and some raw red enamel show that these were been produced here.

Photo: West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service CC By SA2.0

17th century mourning ring

The ring is inscribed on the inner face: “TL Ob 20 Jan 83 aeta 60” which shows that the person memorialised (T L) died on the 20th January 1683 aged 60; “aeta” is an abbreviation of the Latin word “aetatis” meaning “at the age of”. A Find of Note of County Importance. It has been disclaimed as Treasure.

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Photo: National Museums Liverpool CC By SA2.0

Iron Age Gündlingen type sword

A Gündlingen type sword dating to c. 800 – 750 BC. In the PAS record, Brendan O’Connor notes “This type of sword are uncommon in western Britain and are thought to originate in western Europe between Meuse and the Trent, around 800 BC”. A Find of Note of Regional Importance.

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Photo: West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service CC By SA2.0

Roman phalera

This is thought to be a phalera or strap slide from a harness dating to about AD 100 – 300. It is a Find of Note of County Importance.

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