I’ve been detecting for just over 4 years now, and whilst I have used other brands of detectors I always felt I was missing out compared to other people’s finds rates. So I decided to upgrade to the Equinox 800 at my local dealers. I was impressed with the factory programmes and ease of use setting it up and couldn’t wait to try it out. My first trip out to a Farm with a local club allowed me to get used to the tones and numbers and I found a few buttons and old worn out late Georgian coins. Now I had some experience I was raring to go and give it a proper go. My second trip out was to new farm land in Kent UK with the Joan Allen Events. It was a glorious warm late September day with clear blue skies and sun shinning which made a change from the normal English autumn. Once we had parked up, checked in and got ready we all set off in different directions. There was three large fields two had recently been ploughed and was easy to dig and detect it on, the third field had the remains of a crop but was cut short with slightly harder ground to dig. I spent the first few hours trialling Field 1 and 2 programmes with some success of a 1860 Queen Victoria shilling and some buttons. As the afternoon approached I noticed more people had moved to the third field which seemed popular so I thought I would give that a go using the Field 1 factory setting without any adjustments. I had heard that small silver hammered medieval coins would come up around 8-15 TDI so decided any good strong sounding numbers around 10-20 I would dig. A few hours later and around 23 more small metal farm worker buttons I decided to start to head back to my car. I was almost off the field when I got one last hit, a steady 10-11 on the TDI and strong tone. Assuming this would be another addition to my growing buttons collection and the days heat was beginning to take its toll, I thought one last dig would be it. Well I was glad I did, barely 2 inches deep there it was, a small piece of gold looking at me. I was stunned into silence and after looking hard was convinced it was a fake plastic child’s button, I lifted it and was immediately confused by it weight. Could it be gold? I’ve never in 4 years found anything gold. I asked the people near me to confirm it and they did with glee. It was a Celtic Stater coin. Amazing the craftsmanship and quality straight out of the ground it was hardly worn and no damage, surprising when I thought about it these fields had been there for centuries and ploughed every year yet this was barely 2 inches deep and had never been damaged by the plough blades. I was over the moon and still partly in shock (so much so I forgot to do the obligatory gold dance detectorists are famous for !). I was also amazed at the Equinox, I had used the Field 1 pre set with no alterations to any settings and it had been outstanding in the fields. And now my first ever gold coin on only my second outing with the Equinox. It couldn’t have been a better day. I had the coin confirmed and recorded for the Portable Antiquities Scheme there and then with help from the help of the Joan Allen Events team. It has been initially identified as a very rare Celtic Gold Quarter Stater of the Floret Trophy type from the Trinovantes Celtic tribe. The coin is described with four voided ovals emanating from a central position in a blank background on the obverse, with a stylised war trophy and other dispersed symbols on the reverse, it was classed as extremely rare and extremely fine condition weighing 1.2 grams and dates around 60-20 BC. I am still in shock at its beauty as well as the simplicity of the Equinox to find it so easily. I am now hooked and convinced the Equinox is the best detector on the market.
