Nobby sells for £3000
This Celtic fertility figure sold for £3,000 in Noonans auction of Ancient Coins and Antiquities on Thursday, June 20, 2024. It was nicknamed “Nobby” presumably due to some likeness to Nobby Stiles.
He was found by Bob Jemmett, a detectorist for 30 years, during an organised rally in South Cambridgeshire almost six years ago.
Bob recalls the find “It was on the 12th of September 2018 that I was metal detecting in a ploughed field at Little Chishill, near Royston in South Cambridgeshire on an organised rally. The weather was appalling with the rain lashing down, but I persevered and received a lovely signal from my Minelab 3030 detector.”
He continued: “Digging down four inches, I uncovered a small bronze nude male figure which featured a prominent erection similar to the Cerne Abbas Giant that is carved into a hill in Dorset. The figure was identified as a Celtic fertility figure and published on the Portable Antiquities website and subsequently used as a logo by the rally organisers in their promotions. As a result, detectorists from all over Europe at Rallies would ask me if they could see ‘Nobby’ who I always keep in my pocket as a constant companion!“
Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin expert at Noonans, explained: “This unique figure dates from the 1st century BC, he has an oversized bald head with deep sockets for eyes, wedges for arms and short legs. There is a loop behind for suspension.”
After a recent local house burglary, Bob decided it is time to let ‘Nobby’ go and send him to auction .He fetched twice the pre-sale estimate and Bob intends to spend his money on home improvements.