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@girlthatdigs

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History Beneath Our Feet
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Today is decision day!

Will the tiny Saxon Gold Thrymsa I found back in March be deemed treasure?

The inquest will be held around midday and I am attending because I'm not just interested in the outcome, but I'm intrigued by the legal process of identifying, confirming and preserving treasure finds like this here in the UK.

I dont suppose for one minute that when this coin was buried (likely as part of a hoard) the Saxon man or woman who dug the bare earth to protect their wealth, didn't think for one minute the journey this coin would one day take or how important it would be to the national archeological record.

I will share what I can with you all on my stories as to how it goes. Im a little nervous. I've never been to a court hearing before.

#history
#treasure
#saxon
#gold
#archeology
#britishhistory
#anglosaxon
#minelabfinds
#reelitfeelit by @girlthatdigs

Here it is in all its glory. This beautiful coin is an extremely rare Anglo Saxon Gold 'Two-Emperors' Thrymsa (Post Crondall) c.655-675 A.D. of which around 30 are known.
It is thought to have been struck during the reign of King Eorcenberht, who ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Kent between the years 655 and 675 AD. Bede tells us he was the first Christina king in Britain.
This coin is known as the 'two emperors' type due to the pair of facing heads on the reverse, above which is a figure, thought to be an angel. The obverse shows a stylised cuirassed bust wearing a pearl diadem.
I feel very privileged to have found this incredible piece of history.
Detected using the Minelab Equinox 900
As always a huge shout out to my team at @cmdetectors for supporting my dream and best friends in the hobby for teaching me all I know.
@minelabdetecting
#minelab
#detectingfinds
#anglo
saxon
#gold
#reelsoftheday
#instagood
#historylover
#explorepage
#reels
#numismatics by @girlthatdigs

One of the things I love most about Instagram is that somewhere out there in the ether is someone with an absolute wealth of knowledge who will randomly pop up in your comments and share a little gem of information with you.

I recently shared a Roman bronze coin that I thought was Gallienus. Turns out it isn't Gallienus at all. It's Postumus!

And thanks to a lovely follower who knew their Romans and kindly shared their thoughts in the reel comments, I now know a whole lot more about this little piece of history.

The coin bears the portrait of Postumus, with the inscription IMP POSTVMVS AVG.

On the reverse is the inscription CONCORD EQVIT, depicting Concordia, the Roman goddess of harmony, holding a patera (a shallow offering dish) and a rudder, with the prow of a galley beside her.

But who was Postumus?

Well, this is where it gets interesting.

Postumus was a Roman general, thought to have been of Batavian origin, from an area around what is now the Netherlands.

In AD 260, during a period of enormous turmoil in the Roman Empire, he rebelled against Emperor Gallienus and established what became known as the Gallic Empire.

And here's something I didn't know. This breakaway empire included Roman Britain, Gaul (modern-day France and surrounding regions) and, for a time, parts of Spain. So while Gallienus was ruling the Roman Empire, Postumus was effectively ruling his own Roman Empire in the west including Britain.

He remained in power until AD 269, when he was reportedly killed by his own soldiers after refusing to allow them to plunder a city.

And there's another fascinating twist to this particular coin.

Coins of this type were actually struck in Milan around AD 268 by the Roman commander Aureolus, in the name of Postumus, during his rebellion against Gallienus. The inscription CONCORD EQVIT refers to harmony or loyalty among the cavalry.

So this little coin has quite a story behind it!

#history
#metaldetecting
#romanhistory
#roman
#fyp by @girlthatdigs

Detectorists (and archaeologists too)....what's the strangest thing that's ever happened to you in a field?

I want to hear your spooky stories!

I love this footage I took last October.....its so well, seasonal and weird. It came up on my memories and it got me thinking....

Often, I get a feeling about a field, do you?

Not that anything really spooky has ever happened but I am pretty sure you will have some spooky stories to share.

Tell us your creepy stories in the comments 👇

#metaldetecting
#archeology
#metaldetectingfinds
#fyp
#reelinstagram by @girlthatdigs

Yesterday's conditions were somewhat trying! Standing upright in the gale force winds and not getting blown halfway across the field was an effort.
It was so windy, that when I put the super lightweight Deus II I have been using recently down on the ground, it flipped over several times like a whirling dervish and made a bid for freedom across the field.
Still, it was worth persevering as the field we were detecting was producing some great Roman finds.
My finds were not the most exciting I saw yesterday by any means, but I was happy with this lovely bronze coin (possibly Gallienus 253-268AD) and this sweet, extremely slim and delicate fibula.
I have found tiny children's fibulas before which remain chunky, but never such a slimline fibula like this! The top with the small pin and detail reminds me of a bee 🐝...I realise it isn't but I still love it.
As always, any help with a definitive ID of the coin or fibula type would be much appreciated. Drop me your thoughts in the comments 👇🙏🙏

#roman
#history
#metaldetecting
#metaldetectingfinds
#fyp by @girlthatdigs

💀 SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT BURIED...

Not every find comes with a happy history.

Sometimes you unearth something that, once researched, leaves you feeling a little uncomfortable.

This skull and crossbones was one of those finds.

At first, just an intriguing little piece of military history, but researching the symbol led me down a rather dark path.

Known as the Totenkopf, or "Death's Head", the skull and crossbones was used by German military units long before the rise of Nazism.

However, a later version of this symbol became infamous through its association with the SS-Totenkopfverbände, the Nazi "Death's Head Units", responsible for guarding concentration camps and involved in some of the most horrific atrocities of the Second World War.

Thankfully, from the research I've done, I believe my particular find predates one of the darkest chapters in modern history and belongs to an earlier German military regiment.

Still, it's quite unsettling to think how a symbol can carry such a chilling legacy.

It's a reminder that not everything we uncover has a pleasant story to tell.

💀 So, with Halloween approaching, I'd love to know...

Have you ever unearthed a particularly disturbing find or something that gave you the heebie-jeebies? Sometimes those innocent-looking finds can have a surprisingly dark history?

I'd love to hear your stories and see your finds 👻. You can share pictures in the comments too 📸😀👇🙏

#reelinstagram
#fypage
#history
#metaldetecting
#wwii by @girlthatdigs

I've reposted this quote a few times on Instagram over the last few weeks, and every time I read it, I think how perfectly it sums up the way I feel about life, my obsession with history, my enduring love of nature, the countryside and the simple pleasure of being outdoors.

That feeling of being connected to something so much bigger than ourselves is so grounding for me and something I carry through life.

I wanted to share this quote but because I love art and art history, with a painting that I felt really captured the meaning behind the words.

This is Hadleigh Castle, The Mouth of the Thames – Morning after a Stormy Night, painted by John Constable in 1829.

Constable painted this beautiful, atmospheric landscape shortly after the death of his beloved wife, Maria, in 1828. He was devastated by her passing.

The castle itself dates back to the 13th century. Once a formidable medieval stronghold, it stands here centuries later, still majestic, despite slowly crumbling beneath the weight of its own history.

What I particularly love about this painting is the tiny figure of a man and his dog in the foreground. Look how small and insignificant they appear beside the ancient ruins, the vast, wild landscape and that extraordinary sky.

There's no glorious sunrise in this painting, but the sky is every bit as beautiful. Dramatic, immense and something to simply stand beneath and wonder at and for me, that's exactly what this quote is about.

We are here for such a fleeting moment. The landscapes we walk have witnessed centuries of human life. People have lived, loved, worked and died on the very same ground beneath our feet.
The castles crumble, generations come and go, but the landscape remains, carrying all those stories within it.

For me, in life that is so humbling and I think one of the things I love about metal detecting. It isnt about the things I find, but the connection to the past, to nature and importantly the lives that came before mine.

Its a daily reminder that we are only a very small part of a much bigger story.

And what a privilege it is to be part of it. ❤️

#history #metaldetecting #constable #arthistory #naturelovers by @girlthatdigs

If all I do on this earth is save a little history for future generations then I will feel like I have served my purpose.
History means everything to me 🤍

#history
#historylovers
#historynerd
#historymemes
#metaldetecting by @girlthatdigs

Another mystery object from the field that has me scratching my head! 🤔

I do love a find that sends me down a historical rabbit hole, but this one has had me stumped for quite a long time.

At first glance I wondered if it could be some sort of lead token or seal, but I'm really not sure. Its much larger and weighted than the average farm token and then there is the very strange markings on the face, although I can't make much sense of them.

I thought maybe it was a hem weight but why go to the trouble of including a design to sew it into a hem?? It also hasn't been sewn into anything because that dent in the middle doesn't go straight through. Its just a dent!

So I'm calling on the collective knowledge of the detecting community. Do you have any ideas on its age, purpose or what those markings might represent? Let me know in the comments 🙏

Sometimes lead finds are the most intriguing finds. I have several strange lead finds I have never shared because they left me with more questions than answers.

Over to you, history detectives! 🔎

#metaldetecting
#metaldetectinguk
#metaldetectingfinds
#history
#mystery by @girlthatdigs

Thanks to those who kindly helped ID this broken silver coin.

It is believed to be part of a James I Irish sixpence, and although I can't narrow down the date, I'd absolutely love it to be from the first issue of 1603–1604.

Elizabeth I had died in 1603 ending the Tudor dynasty and James VI of Scotland had become James I of England and Ireland.

Ireland had also just emerged from years of war, and one of James's early changes was to introduce new silver coinage to replace the debased currency of Elizabeth's reign.

So if this little piece dates to 1603–1604, it was struck right at the beginning of the Stuart era, during a huge period of change.

I can't see enough of the coin to confirm which issue it is, but I do love the possibility.

This was also my first silver find with the Deus II from my friends at @cmdetectors

#history
#metaldetecting
#metaldetectingfinds
#fyp
#explorepage by @girlthatdigs

Yesterday, I unearthed a bit of a mystery. Its a fairly large broken silver hammered but there's something about the lettering that is puzzling me.

I can make out what looks like S C O… and possibly F R A...that lettering just doesn't look familiar to me for an English coin.

I've looked online and can't identify it or even narrow it down to where it may have been minted.

So I'm handing this mystery over to you.

If you have any ideas, please let me know in the comments.

#metaldetecting
#history
#numismatic
#medievalhistory
#metaldetectingfinds by @girlthatdigs