Valuable Metal Detector Finds Explained
24th Aug 2023 by Stephan Welz
A recent news piece highlighted the story of Jason Jones, metal detectorist, who discovered a 1,000-year-old Viking relic in a Norfolk field. The bronze die, which measured 5.5 inches long and 1.5 inches wide, was buried just two inches under the soil. Mr Jones had no idea what he had found at first but, after posting it on social media, he was flooded with messages from people helping him to identify the artefact. He subsequently found out the item could fetch as much as £24,000 at auction and was advised to contact The British Museum to report and record the find. He decided to put the item up for sale and has stated that he intends to split the proceeds with the landowner.
Metal detecting can be a fun pastime and, if lucky, you could find some valuable objects. However, the rules and legality around metal detecting can be complicated. It’s not always obvious where you can metal detect and who gets to keep or sell a find.
