HOLLY’S GOLD – or my first gold coin
During the later part of my dog Holly’s life, she used to come detecting with me either on my own 'permissions', or on any rallies where dogs were allowed. She had become a little deaf and blind, so she stayed in the car while I detected, with me going back regularly to check on her and take her for a little walk. She enjoyed staying in the car and would soon fall fast asleep knowing I would be back with a treat or two.
Sadly, in July 2023 she left me after reaching sixteen years of age and anyone who has gone through losing a beloved pet knows the pain, but I have sixteen years of lovely memories. Three weeks after she died our club; the Crewe and Nantwich Metal Detecting Society, held a rally just outside Nantwich in Cheshire, and with encouragement from my brother I attended. The fields had been detected on before but as we know, no field is ever completely done, the weather was fine and sunny, the fields were short grass pasture, so it promised to be a good day.
My Deus was assembled, switched on, program set, ground balanced and after the pre-rally talk, we all set off. Very soon copper coins were being found by some of the members, myself included. One of my finds was a George 11 Hibernian half-penny, I always like finding these Hibernian coins they seem to be made of better metal and retain the images more clearly. One member found a small coin spill which included a Half-crown, a three penny bit, both Queen Elizabeth 11 and a sixpence of George VI. I continued to find a few more copper coins and some buttons as I walked back to my car for a drink at break time.
It really was a scratchy signal, and it really was a tossup between digging it and that cup of coffee, but ‘when in doubt dig it out’ as the metal detectorist mantra says, so I dug. The first glint of gold made me think it was a piece of a gold milk bottle top as never having found a gold coin before, it was the last thing on my mind but suddenly here it was in my hand, a small gold coloured coin about the size of an old decimal half penny and as I gently removed the excess soil with the water spray, I remember saying to myself ‘what do I do now?’. I could see the Rally Officer across the field so after filling in the hole I went across to him, ‘Is this what I think it is?’ He confirmed it was, I had found my first gold coin, which he identified via Google on his mobile as a George III gold third of a guinea dated 1799.
Congratulations and the request for the ‘gold dance’ followed, but at that moment I remembered Holly, and I knew that although I had ticked a bucket listing box which many detectorists had never achieved, it suddenly meant nothing to me it was just a piece of shiny metal, I had recently lost a far greater treasure - Holly. I explained this to the Rally Organizer and the group of members who had gathered around as the word spread. And this is why I seriously recommend to detectorists- join a good club because everyone was pleased for me but the sympathy I received from members regarding Holly that day was comforting and meant a lot to me.
There followed twenty minutes or so of congratulations and yes sympathy, and ‘Can I check what signal it gives with my machine?’ and ‘Whereabouts did you find it?’ One member said he had been detecting for over forty years and never found gold, (I am wishing you a gold find soon Barry). If I had found this coin while detecting on my own, I would not have had this interaction with such kind people instead I would have been in the middle of a field on my own and yes probably crying.
I finally got back to the car and that cup of coffee. I rang my brother who with his wife, have always supported and encouraged me in this hobby, and I told him I had found gold, but he knew from my voice that I was not excited or overjoyed. He asked what was the matter, and I told him that it didn’t mean anything without Holly. I then told him of the little plan I had with Holly, that if she was with me detecting and I found gold we were going to have a ‘Del-Boy and Rodney’ moment in the car, (the one where they came out of the auction room after the Harrison timepiece sold for several million) and our car too would be rocking like the Trotter's Trading three-wheeler.
A few more tears and my brother was telling me to see it as a gift from Holly, so with that I set off again to detect but just a couple more copper coins turned up, Victorian and George V. One member did find a lovely silver decorated annular brooch which was stunning and some silver coins also turned up, but my only other find of interest was ironically a dog tag which had the name of the dog and the full name and address of the owner. (I later posted this to the owner with a note hoping that their dog was still with them).
The gold coin now sits in my coin collection and I rarely look at it. So I have now decided that it is going back to the owner of the land on which it was found along with this story. Why? because we detectorists each have our own reasons for taking up this hobby. For me it is history and each thing I find has a story to tell as does the field. A landowner could have lost this gold coin as he walked or rode across the field or it could have been the wages of a farm worker and its loss could have had a significant impact on their life, such as eating or starving. The coin has its own story and now Holly and I are part of it, but it will now go on to its next chapter, the landowner can keep it or sell it, it will be their choice.
I know some of you will say ‘sell it', but I am not in this hobby for the money. Although I do have a question for you; what will happen to your precious finds when you (hopefully not for a long time) depart from this world? it is a question we should all give some serious thought to.
Me? I am in my seventies, and rather than have my finds dispersed and scattered after I'm gone, I am working to send them back to the respective landowners as they are part of the history of the land on which they were found, or I will offer them to a museum if any of the finds are worthy.
Thankfully, I am an avid supporter of the Portable Antiquities Scheme and have recorded many of my finds with the F.L.O.s. I feel this is an integral part of our hobby and I encourage everyone to do this. I know some detectorists consider this a waste of time and are critical of the P.A.S., or cannot be bothered, but why do we metal detect? Are we treasure hunters or history seekers? For me? I am I am in it for the history.
So, this is the story of my first gold coin and why this story is called Holly’s Gold. Hopefully, I will find gold again and this time I will do a dance, be it with two left feet!!, but in the meantime, I am content with spindle whorls, lead tokens, the occasional hammered, roman (if I’m lucky), buckles, brooches, and yes buttons or anything that has a story to tell, that's why I love metal detecting.
Update: On the 9th of May 2024 the gold coin was given to the family, who own the field on which it was found.
© Penny Vickers
