It was early evening when the phone rang, it was my detecting friend Peter, telling me of a new field he had just been given permission to detect on, and asked if I would I like to join him the next morning for a couple of hours. Without hesitation I said yes.
The next day was very cold and frosty, and my first impression was not great as I noticed, horses on one side of the field. I always get nervous around horses, so I turned my E-TRAC on and headed in the opposite direction.
A couple of hours went by, and I'd been picking up the odd button and buckle but no sign of any coins. I turned to see what part of the field Peter was detecting in and noticed that the horses were heading in my direction. So I promptly moved down towards a small stream.
After 20 minutes or so, my E-TRAC gave me a strong signal. I could tell that this wasn't going to be another button or buckle. Just underneath 3 inches of waterlogged ground, I put my spade into the turf and turned it over. And there it was, just what I had always wanted to see, my first sight of gold.
At first glance it didn't look like anything special until I turned it over and gave it a gentle clean. It was in perfect condition, no damage on it at all. It was a gold brooch with an inscription on the top. My E-TRAC had come up trumps.
Next stop was my local find liaison officer, and after a couple of days he phoned to tell me it was a gold medieval annular brooch dating from 1400-1500 with a Latin inscription carved into the top. He also said that because of its age and gold content it would be declared as treasure at the coroners court at a later date.
Four weeks went by and the brooch had been officially declared as treasure, and is now in the hands of the British Museum awaiting valuation. That same week my local newspaper printed a half page article about the brooch with the headline ''Gold brooch dubbed a unique discovery''. And our local museum has also expressed an interest in acquiring the brooch.
I'm so thrilled with the find, and can't believe the interest it had from the museums. It's all thanks to my E-TRAC, which never lets me down, and now more than ever, I'm excited to hit the fields with my trusty machine.
Wayne - Isle of Wight, UK
