£5k find in Rasen field

A medieval brooch discovered by a father and son metal detecting in fields near Market Rasen fetched more than £5,000 at auction on Tuesday.
Andy and Ryan are thrilled with the find. EMN-180521-160152001Andy and Ryan are thrilled with the find. EMN-180521-160152001
Andy and Ryan are thrilled with the find. EMN-180521-160152001

Andy Firth and son Ryan, 10, found the gold brooch – believed to date back to the 13th or 14th century – while out on fields near Market Rasen.

Mr Firth, 50, has been metal detecting for 40 years and described the find as his ‘best to date’. He said the medieval brooch allowed his son, who has also caught the metal detecting bug, to ‘look history in the face’.

As the pair scanned the field, Ryan came upon a piece of white lead – which can indicate medieval activity. Mr Firth’s machine then began to sound, and he saw gold on the surface.

The brooch was found in Market Rasen. EMN-180521-160142001The brooch was found in Market Rasen. EMN-180521-160142001
The brooch was found in Market Rasen. EMN-180521-160142001

The emergency medical technician for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service in Leeds said: “I really wish you could bottle that feeling, made even better that my son was there to share the moment.

“This my best find to date, not because of the value but because of the sheer beauty of the brooch.

“I have looked long and hard at it and I cannot for the life of me fathom how a goldsmith 700 years ago was able to create such beauty on such a small object, they were true craftsmen and I have total respect for them.”

On one outing, Ryan was desperate to find a “hammered” – coins that were minted in medieval times, made by hammering them between two dies.

Before the day was out, the youngster even discovered his first hammered coin.