Christmas message 2023

Covid is still with us but is nothing like as prevalent as it was at its height. Some of us still take precautions but most now attend club meetings and outings as often as we can. That is, of course, if the weather isn’t too bad. I remember during one of my earliest outings it was cold, breezy and drizzled during the whole session, which added up to uncomfortable conditions for detecting. I noticed a group of hikers walking across the bottom end of the site and said to a nearby colleague “Look at those idiots, hiking in this weather.” To which my colleague replied “Yes, but they are probably saying the same thing about us.”

Lady Luck

Due to various other commitments during 2023, I have not been out detecting anything like as often as in previous years. I first became involved with detecting around 1995 and in all the succeeding years I managed to find at least a few hammered silver coins. This year, 2023, is the first in close to three decades that I haven’t unearthed a single hammered coin. My outing total is down but even so I would have thought that Lady Luck would have given me one – at least. Let’s hope that I do better in 2024.

Market for “collectables”

I initially thought that the significant increase in the cost of living through price rises in food, mortgages and energy bills would have a negative impact on the market for ‘collectables’. As many people had little or no surplus cash for hobbies I thought that the market for coins and antiquities could be depressed.

As things turned out, I was wrong. Despite the increase in the overall cost of living, prices held up well. However, according to one of the London auctioneers, dealers are now buying less due to a decline in sales. This could just be the start of a downward shift in prices but only time will tell.

Selling your finds

Lots of detectorists sell most of their finds and there is no reason why they shouldn’t, provided the landowners are informed. Some sell to their colleagues, some to dealers and some through auctions. I tell all detectorists to ensure they know all about what they are selling before they dispose of anything.

Someone I know once sent me images of what looked like a fairly nondescript Charles I shilling. Had it been a Tower Mint issue it might have been worth £40-50. However, I identified it as an extremely rare coin struck at Chester during the Civil War of the 1640s; when offered for sale at auction the hammer price was £26,000!

If selling through a dealer then get at least a couple of quotations. If you choose sale by auction then you should ensure that the firm you pick knows all about coins and/or antiquities. An item needs to be properly catalogued to gain the best price. Not all auctioneers are capable of doing this so be certain that you sell through one that does have the necessary expertise.

Astonishing finds

In the not too far distant past metal detecting as a hobby was subjected to a great deal of criticism, especially from archaeologists. Today the situation is different, as most archaeologists and academics now admit that this hobby has helped to broaden our knowledge through all the discoveries that have been made. Year on year astonishing finds continue to turn up and there is no reason to think that this situation won’t continue into the future.

All that remains to do is for Paul and me to send our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all the followers of this website.