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Detectorist

Pretty cool:

The UK’s largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire.

Experts say the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date to the 7th Century, is unparalleled in size and worth “a seven figure sum”.

It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown.

Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said it “was what metal detectorists dream of”.

It may take more than a year for it to be valued.

If the Anglo-Saxons are leaving 1400-year old gold in the ground, maybe I should get one of those metal detectors.

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10 comments to Detectorist

  • NaCly Dog

    King John of England’s treasure is still missing, so there’s hope. We have any airborne magnetometers with the required sensitivity? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Jewels_of_the_United_Kingdom

    • virgil xenophon

      NaCly Dog/

      Plus there’s always “The Seven Cities of Cibola.” Lots of territory to cover in the American SW, Central and S.A….Keep us busy for years…

  • The Crown ought to give old Terry a cut. If I find any on my land you’ll never hear about it!

    • AW1 Tim

      Steve,

      The Crown has marked the hoard as “Treasure”, which means it now belongs to the Crown. However, the way that works in England is that the articles are appraised, and an amount equal to that is given to both the person who discovered it, and/or the landowner. The items may not be sold by the Crown, nor transferred out of England.

      So those two fellows are about to become very rich, even after they lose 60% or so to the various taxes that the government, council, etc, tack on.

  • Dust

    Won’t work now Lex. Like the UK Crown, the Dems and the Fearless Leader will redistribute it do fast to pay for healthcare you won’t even remember you found it.

  • Marianne Matthews

    Just hope poor old Terry’s beer money lasts until the Crown pays him off. Since he is both the owner of the land and the finder of the treasure, he ought to do right well. Good on you, old fellow… Now some charming young totty might just marry you. Which would certainly be fun while it lasted.

    Marianne

  • I like the way you think Marianne. Not point in it for me though. I married my trophy wife first. ;^)

  • laurie

    The British have a brilliant system regarding “national treasures”. Our country has no comprable way to preserve antiquities for the national heritage if found on private property…the only way we’d hear about this kind of discovery in the US under similar circumstances would be after the materials were ready to be auctioned or started flooding the market, and certainly, it would be unlikely that archaeologists would be involved. The British government knows how to protect their heritage for the good of the people, even if it costs them.

  • Navig8r

    Lex,
    Just how many Anglo-Saxons lived in Sandy Eggo 1400 years ago?

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