The latest person to unearth a buried treasure in a field in Great Britain is Chris Kutler, who found it near Chelmsford, Essex.
Chris Kutler stumbled upon a field and discovered some ancient gold coins.
For four days straight, 54-year-old Chris Kutler meticulously scanned the mud of a field in Essex with his metal detector.
His determination paid off as he uncovered the remnants of an Anglo-Saxon who had left behind their gold centuries ago.
Hailing from southwest London but exploring in Essex, Chris described the find as a sort of metal detecting Holy Grail and even considered giving up before stumbling upon the treasure.
The discovered treasure has been sent to the British Museum for further analysis and valuation, with experts estimating it could be worth up to 10,000 British pounds.
“When I found the first coin, I thought it was a wasp. I saw a flash of yellow and recoiled, but then I realized what it was,” Chris said.
“It was the best feeling in the world, especially after four days of hard work.”
How Chris knew where to look is a mystery akin to finding buried treasure.
The coin king bears a striking resemblance to Donald Trump, according to SWNS-Cambridge. Chris, with over 25 years of metal detecting experience, discovered rare Anglo-Saxon coins in the same spot 18 years ago, which are now housed in the British Museum. After reading an article suggesting there may be more coins still hidden, he decided to investigate further. “I decided to sift through the top soil and dig down to the compact soil below, scanning each 100-square-meter area individually,” said Chris. “I thought I really needed to do it because this is my last chance. I needed to go back.” “I went back and meticulously searched the area, but found nothing.” How did he decide to look there? Research. “I started collecting data on place names, as field names often indicate archaeological activity,” said Chris. “If you find one coin, there may be many more.” Just how rare is the buried treasure?
Chris’s treasure coins have been sent to the British Museum for analysis and valuation. However, his coins are just a drop in the ocean, with almost 1.3 million finds recorded in the 20 years since the Treasure Act came into effect, 82,272 of them in 2015 alone.
The lesson here is that accumulated treasure is not only real but is still being uncovered at a rapid pace in Britain. However, without a conveniently placed “X” marks the spot map, how do you find lost treasure and keep it if you do?
Step one: Gear up
Derek McLennan, who discovered a Viking treasure in Scotland with his Mιnelɑb metal detector (PA)
People buried Treasure for a while, which means they often buried it deep. That means you need a metal detector that can reach that far.
The best detectors can penetrate over a meter into the ground and even tell you the type of metal they find so you know exactly when you find gold.
But these are not cheap: while you can buy a metal detector for less than £30, a good one will cost around £200.
The Garrett Ace 250 is one of the most popular in the UK and costs £189.95, but you can spend much more with some of the premium models from companies like MιneLaƄs and XP that cost over £1,000.
A GPS unit is something else that is popular among treasure hunters: it allows them to plot the position of their finds and ensure you don’t end up searching the same area twice by mistake.
You should also pack a small shovel, and possibly a trowel for small holes and a brush to clean your finds.
There’s also a case for a small handheld detector/pointer, so you can save time finding the metal you’re looking for once you’ve dug the hole.
Step two: Get permissionAsk the farmer (Getty)
If you’re searching on your land, you don’t need permission, but if you’re on someone else’s property, there could be problems.
That’s because going on someone else’s land without permission is, at best, trespassing and theft if you find and remove it.
However, landowners often don’t mind you searching on their land, and a verbal agreement that you share the value of what you find with them is sufficient.
Experienced treasure hunters say this is often a 50-50 deal, though it depends on the person, with some demanding written agreements before letting you know.
Step 3: Take care of what you findYou heard the telling signal, unearthed a bag of gold and then… What exactly?
Inexperienced treasure hunters might drop the coins into a pocket, but as finds often deteriorate and ancient coins and jewelry easily damaged, it makes sense to have something that protects them.
You can buy a special bag for your finds, but equally, you can keep them in a cotton-lined tin or a Tupperware container you have with you.
Step 4: Report itThis Viking treasure was found in Oxfordshire by a metal detectorist (PA)
If you find treasure, you must report it.
In fact, there’s an unlimited fine and up to three months in prison for people who don’t. A former police officer was recently sentenced to 16 months in prison after not only lying about the origin of his coins but also selling them.
You need to report the treasure to the local coroner (yes, really) within 14 days. Then, a nearby search liaison officer will contact you, discuss where and how you found it, and give you a receipt. In fact, they will even contact the county on your behalf if you haven’t already.
The Treasure Valuation Committee, made up of independent experts, decides how much it’s worth if a museum wants to take it off your hands, and the money is shared between you and the landowner.
If not, the treasure will be returned to you.
If the landowner disagrees with who owns it, they have 28 days to object and the coroner will hold onto it until the dispute is settled.
What counts then?Viking treasure found in Harrogate by a father and son metal detecting team (PA)
According to the Treasure Act, if you find any of the following, you must report it:
Any metal object, other than a coin, provided that at least 10% by weight of metal is precious metal (i.e. gold or silver) and that it’s at least 300 years old when found. If the object is ρrehistoɾιc, it will be treasure, as long as some part of it is of precious metal.
Any group of two or more metal objects of any composition from ρrehistoɾιc date that come from the same find (see below)
two or more coins from the same find, provided they are at least 300 years old when found and contain 10% gold or silver (if the coins contain less than 10% gold or silver, there must be at least ten of them). Only the following groups of coins are normally considered to come from the same find: treasures that have been deliberately hidden; Small groups of coins, such as hoards that may have fallen out; Votive or ritual offerings.
Any object, regardless of what it’s made of, found in the same location as another object that is treasure, or has been carefully placed together with it.
The official notice adds that an object or coin is part of the “same find” as any other object or coin if it’s found in the same place as the other object or had previously been together with it. Finds may have dispersed since they were originally deposited in the ground.
Where to search for treasureYou can start in the back garden if needed (Getty)
Treasure hunting in the city is a lost cause: generations of buildings and more make finding anything almost impossible.
In fact, most finds in the big cities are discovered by professional archaeologists, who don’t even get to keep them.
That means most major finds made by members of the public occur in the countryside, usually on farmland.
As for where is best in the country, analysis of finds recorded over the past 20 years shows that Norfolk has produced the highest number of finds (1,292 discoveries), followed by Yorkshire, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire.
You can check what’s been found near you using this tool.
