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| Sceat Series J, type 37 |
Over the years I have sometimes come away from a Mid Week Searchers dig in Hampshire with nothing interesting but have always been delighted to see other people's wonderful finds. February 27th was my day! Having found 4 musket balls, a Rose farthing and a decorated button in the morning fields, I had some lunch and made my way to a new field. Once again it was easy detecting and digging but not many targets. Then something amazing happened and I can't even remember what the signal was like! All I know is that it was diggable and when isolated in the soil the target looked like a small hammered farthing. After a water squirt and gentle brush I realised I had something exceptional! Using the Google lens app I saw lots of sceats with "Two diademed busts, facing each other" but couldn't see a similar reverse. I realised I would have to open my "Sceatta List" by Tony Abramson when I got home.I took the obligatory photos and posted them on the club page, then saved the What3Words location for PAS. I deliberately did not look at the comments as I knew people would identify it for me, but I wanted the fun of doing it myself before seeing the verifications. It was a pleasure to show the sceat to everyone who wanted to see it. My buddy Jim took some "grinning me" photos - he has appeared in Searcher himself with some great finds on MWS digs - we go regularly on Thursdays and Saturdays. The Sceat is a Series J type 37 c.710-725AD (PAS no: SUR-55C001). There are other Sceats which have two opposing heads but no authority has identified the significance of these in the Dark Ages. There are also reverses with 4 stylised birds going in the opposite direction to mine. That Thursday is a day I will never forget!
British Museum database: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1206685
Fitwilliam Museum database: https://emc.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/full-record/20250061
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