Hello to all Farmers.
I am posting here on behalf of PHEC – Thesaurus Club, which is a metal detecting club affiliated to the National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD). All our members are covered by the NCMD’s Public Liability Insurance of five million pounds . We are a reputable club, for example London City Council have granted us licences to search on public parks in the area, mainly because we were able to show how responsible we were and how well we were able to dig holes and replace them again tidily.
We have good relationships with a number of landowners in the Hampshire area already, but are always looking for new areas to search.
We are looking for land to hold 1-day club rallies on. We usually hold rallies on Sundays or Thursdays although this can be varied if this is unsuitable. The typical turnout for these rallies is (1-5 / 10-25)members.
"We will pay you cash for the privilege of being on your land"( the price of one day is usually 8-12 pounds Pp)
We will ensure that all holes are filled in, and that no crops or livestock are affected by our activities. Most metal detecting finds come from the first six inches of topsoil, so there would not be vast craters left in your fields. I have heard from some sources that rabbits are more likely to cause damage than responsible metal detectorists!
If we already have arrangements to go on your farms, please let us know if you have acquired any new land, and we will be happy to pay you to hold rallies there.
We are looking for land within easy reach of South-East of England. If you are further afield but still interested, please let me know. We may be interested in spending a full weekend on your land, particularly if you are in an area likely to produce more in the way of older finds, such as from the Roman, Anglo-Saxon or Medieval periods.
If you have lost any metallic items on your land, whether jewellery or farm machinery, etc we will also be pleased to arrange for a smaller number of members to search for them free of charge, without any obligation to allow rallies to take place. Sometimes this can lead to unexpected finds. The majority of serious, responsible metal detectorists are not out to make a fortune from finding "treasure", but have a deep interest in the local history and archaeology of an area.
Sorry if this has gone on a bit long, but I wanted to explain a bit about metal detecting and try to allay any fears that metal detectorists are one of those annoying nuisances like slugs, thistles and ragwort that farmers could do without!
Please reply on here or by email if you can help us (or if we can help you).
Many thanks for your interest,
Committee Member
PHEC – Thesaurus Club
Regards:
Jerzy Nowak
e-mail. [email protected]
[email protected]
Mob. 07772495714
The National Council for Metal Detecting Code of Conduct
9. Remember that when you are out with your metal detector you are an ambassador for our hobby. Do nothing that might give it a bad name.
10. Never miss an opportunity to explain your hobby to anyone who asks about it.
Appendix A to the NCMD Constitution Revised February 2000
Amended AGM June 2012
I am posting here on behalf of PHEC – Thesaurus Club, which is a metal detecting club affiliated to the National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD). All our members are covered by the NCMD’s Public Liability Insurance of five million pounds . We are a reputable club, for example London City Council have granted us licences to search on public parks in the area, mainly because we were able to show how responsible we were and how well we were able to dig holes and replace them again tidily.
We have good relationships with a number of landowners in the Hampshire area already, but are always looking for new areas to search.
We are looking for land to hold 1-day club rallies on. We usually hold rallies on Sundays or Thursdays although this can be varied if this is unsuitable. The typical turnout for these rallies is (1-5 / 10-25)members.
"We will pay you cash for the privilege of being on your land"( the price of one day is usually 8-12 pounds Pp)
We will ensure that all holes are filled in, and that no crops or livestock are affected by our activities. Most metal detecting finds come from the first six inches of topsoil, so there would not be vast craters left in your fields. I have heard from some sources that rabbits are more likely to cause damage than responsible metal detectorists!
If we already have arrangements to go on your farms, please let us know if you have acquired any new land, and we will be happy to pay you to hold rallies there.
We are looking for land within easy reach of South-East of England. If you are further afield but still interested, please let me know. We may be interested in spending a full weekend on your land, particularly if you are in an area likely to produce more in the way of older finds, such as from the Roman, Anglo-Saxon or Medieval periods.
If you have lost any metallic items on your land, whether jewellery or farm machinery, etc we will also be pleased to arrange for a smaller number of members to search for them free of charge, without any obligation to allow rallies to take place. Sometimes this can lead to unexpected finds. The majority of serious, responsible metal detectorists are not out to make a fortune from finding "treasure", but have a deep interest in the local history and archaeology of an area.
Sorry if this has gone on a bit long, but I wanted to explain a bit about metal detecting and try to allay any fears that metal detectorists are one of those annoying nuisances like slugs, thistles and ragwort that farmers could do without!
Please reply on here or by email if you can help us (or if we can help you).
Many thanks for your interest,
Committee Member
PHEC – Thesaurus Club
Regards:
Jerzy Nowak
e-mail. [email protected]
[email protected]
Mob. 07772495714
The National Council for Metal Detecting Code of Conduct
- Donottrespass.Obtainpermissionbeforeventuringontoanyland.
- RespecttheCountryCode,leavegatesandpropertyasyoufindthemanddonotdamage crops, frighten animals or disturb nesting birds.
- Whereverthesite,donotleaveamessoranunsafesurfaceforthosewhomayfollow.Itis perfectly simple to extract a coin or other small object buried a few inches below the ground without digging a great hole. Use a suitable digging implement to cut a neat flap (do not remove the plug of earth entirely from the ground), extract the object, reinstate the grass, sand or soil carefully, and even you will have difficulty in locating the find spot again.
- Ifyoudiscoveranyliveammunitionoranylethalobjectsuchasanunexplodedbombor mine, do not disturb it. Mark the site carefully and report the find to the local police and landowner.
- HelpkeepBritaintidy.Safelydisposeofrefuseyoucomeacross.
- Reportallunusualhistoricalfindstothelandowner,andacquaintyourselfwithcurrent NCMD policy relating to the Voluntary Reporting of Portable Antiquities in England and Wales and the mandatory reporting requirements in Scotland. See: http://www.treasuretrovescotland.co.uk/index.asp
- Rememberitisillegalforanyonetouseametaldetectoronadesignatedarea(e.g. Scheduled Monuments (SM), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), or Ministry of Defence property) without permission from the appropriate authority. It is also a condition of most agri-environment agreements that metal detecting access is subject to certain rules and regulations including mandatory finds recording. Details of these agreements and the access conditions they impose are detailed on the NCMD website.
- Acquaintyourselfwiththetermsanddefinitionsusedinthefollowingdocuments:-
(1) Treasure contained in the Treasure Act 1996 and its associated Code of Practice, making sure you understand your responsibilities.
(2) Advice for Finders of Archaeological Objects including Treasure 2006.
(3) The voluntary Code of Practise for Responsible Metal Detecting to which the NCMD is
an endorsee.
(4) Advice for finders in Scotland: see http://www.treasuretrovescotland.co.uk/html/finders.asp
9. Remember that when you are out with your metal detector you are an ambassador for our hobby. Do nothing that might give it a bad name.
10. Never miss an opportunity to explain your hobby to anyone who asks about it.
Appendix A to the NCMD Constitution Revised February 2000
Amended AGM June 2012
- Note: The law differs in Scotland to that in England Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Note: Because of differing restrictions on searching for archaeological object in Northern Ireland a seperate information sheet has been produced by the N Ireland Environment agency on the Treasure Act.
- The Agency has also produced a guide to Metal Detecting, Archaeology and the Law in Northern Ireland.
- Further information can be found at http://www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/built-home/information/treasure-2.htm
- The following finds are Treasure under the Act, if found after 24 September 1997 (or, in the case of category 2, if found after 1 January 2003):
- Any metallic object, other than a coin, provided that at least 10 per cent by weight of metal is precious metal (that is, gold or silver) and that it is at least 300 years old when found. If the object is of prehistoric date it will be Treasure provided any part of it is precious metal.
- Any group of two or more metallic objects of any composition of prehistoric date* that come from the same find (*see note 3 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 per cent of gold or silver there must be at least ten of them).
Only the following groups of coins will normally be regarded as coming from the same find:- hoards that have been deliberately hidden
- smaller groups of coins, such as the contents of purses, that may been dropped or lost
- votive or ritual deposits.
- Any object, whatever it is made of, that is found in the same place as, or had previously been together with, another object that is Treasure.
- Any object that would previously have been treasure trove, but does not fall within the specific categories given above. Only objects that are less than 300 years old, that are made substantially of gold or silver, that have been deliberately hidden with the intention of recovery and whose owners or heirs are unknown will come into this category.
- Note:
1) An object or coin is part of the ‘same find’ as another object or coin if it is found in the same place as, or had previously been together with, the other object. Finds may have become scattered since they were originally deposited in the ground.
2) Single coins will not be treasure, unless they are found in association with objects that are treasure, or unless there is exceptionally strong evidence that they were buried with the intention of recovery.
Section 3 (2) of the Act defines the term ‘coin’ as including any metal token that was, or can reasonably be assumed to have been, used or intended for use as or instead of money. This definition only includes coins and tokens made after the introduction of the first coinage into this country during the Iron Age period and excludes objects made earlier such as iron currency bars. Jettons or reckoning counters are also excluded from this definition.
3) “of prehistoric date” means dating from the Iron Age or any earlier period
