Get digging for gold!

As two men are set to share £3.3m after discovering Anglo-Saxon gold, Mark Adams investigates whether you could boost your income with a little treasure hunting

It's set to be a very merry Christmas this year for two Staffordshire men.

In July, metal detecting enthusiast Terry Herbert discovered a hoard of gold on land owned by farmer Fred Johnson and soon after the treasure trove was dated back to the 7th Century and declared to be of "immense historical significance" by the official Treasure Valuation Committee.

Four months later the extent of the discovery was revealed. The Anglo Saxon treasure hoard was valued at a staggering £3.285m by a committee of experts - and the whole sum will be shared between the two men.

Could you follow in Terry Herbert's footsteps and start digging for gold? We look at the equipment you need, the laws governing metal detection and ask whether it's worth your while.

The equipment

Metal detecting became a popular hobby in the 1960s with the emergence of the first detectors for sale on the high street.

These early machines were pretty basic, comprising little more than a simple transistor radio attached to a stick with a coil attached to the end, but since then detection equipment has improved dramatically.

As a result, you need to think carefully about how much you're willing to spend as the price of different machines can vary dramatically. An entry-level metal detector should set you back around £30: the National Geographic Digital Metal Detector detects all types of land finds including base metals and alloys and is available to buy for £24.99 from Amazon.

Further up the price range, you can expect to pay between £200 and £500 for more sophisticated and powerful machines.

A mid-range machine will be fully waterproof, help you distinguish between types of find and even show you how deep you need to dig to retrieve a find. Enthusiast website Gary's Detecting recommends spending at least £250 on a serious machine: the VK40 machine from respected manufacturer Viking retails for £224.  

There are also more specialised machines designed specifically for underwater detecting and hoard hunting. Be aware, however, that the hoard hunting machines tend to be simply a large box with a coil at each end, and are only designed to look for large targets, such as pots of coins, buried at great depths.  

Time to accessorise!

Once you've found a machine, you'll have to shell out on some essential accessories.

The National Council for Metal Detecting recommends buying a good stand-alone search coil, a set of specialist headphones and a good quality trowel to retrieve your finds. In addition, it's vital to buy a good quality 'finds bag', as shoving a precious item into a dirty pocket could do more damage to it than centuries of erosion could ever do.    

Finally, you may want to purchase a good quality, low-cost digital camera to record your find and some warm, waterproof all-weather gear. Think fleeces and lightweight waterproofs rather than an old worn jumper!

Where you can dig

The rules and guidelines regulating metal detecting are defined by the 1996 Treasure Act - and it's a good idea to know the basics before you start roaming and digging.

The first thing to know is where you can legally detect. Never trespass on private land and obtain permission before you venture anywhere - if you don't, your share of any find will be significantly reduced. It can also be worth drawing up a written agreement with any landowner.

The situation is a little vaguer regarding public land - there may be local byelaws or other regulations forbidding the use of public land and any activity on 'protected' archaeological sites is strictly outlawed.

Wherever you are, always follow the Countryside Code and don't leave a mess or an unsafe surface for anyone else who may follow you. The NCMD Code of Conduct outlines basic good behaviour.

When you discover a find

If you find anything you think is valuable, you must first inform the landowner on whose premises you are detecting.

You should then take your find to a local museum to ascertain whether the find comes under the definition of treasure. Initially, it must be deposited either at the museum or at the direction of the designated coroner, who will then assess the historical significance of your find. 

If you're lucky, your find could well be designated as treasure. If it is, it will go to the Treasure Valuation Committee for assessment.

The body will then ascribe a financial value to the find and decide how much of the sale proceeds will be shared between the landowner and the person who discovered the find - the proceeds of finds are usually split 50-50 if all laws have been followed, according to the NCMD.

But even if your find isn't declared to be treasure, it could still be worth a pretty penny, in which case it's worth taking it to an auction house or antiques dealer. In the event of any sale, the proceeds are again split 50-50 between landowners and finders. Do bear in mind as well, that any proceeds worth more than £10,100 will be liable for Capital Gains Tax.

How much treasure is out there?  

Metal detecting is a worthwhile and enjoyable hobby and it has some surprising celebrity enthusiasts. Even so, it may not be worthwhile for anyone looking to make a fast buck - Terry Herbert had been regularly scouring for finds for 18 years before coming across the Anglo Saxon hoard.

Nonetheless, metal detecting enthusiasts regularly uncover finds of historical significance - and Britain's foremost treasure hunter Julian Evan-Hart points out that "There's treasure everywhere out there: the challenge is to find it."

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