Exciting discoveries whilst metal-detecting
As part of the social history session for Day Services, members have been trying their hand at metal-detecting. Read more about their latest finds.
Social History is a new session for our Day Service members, where the group go out metal-detecting to find some items of historical interest, and then inspired by the finds create art pieces, build display cases, take photography, make prints and write news articles to learn more about the local history in Leicestershire.
Investigating all their finds online, the group have made some exciting discoveries, including:
- Two vulcanite tops from beer bottles – one from a Leicester brewery called All Saints Brewery in High Cross, one from Watney, Coombe and Reid in London (later became Watney’s)
- Silver brooch – late Victorian/Edwardian with the name Alice on it
- Silver hammered 1/2 penny from either Richard II 1377 to 1399 or Richard III 1483 to 1485 (both have a similar centre to the cross)
- Navel button & army button dated late 1800s
- Coronation medallion of King George V and Queen Mary 22nd June 1911
- Tiny medieval buckle
The most interesting find, albeit a bit grim, was a button with Shardwell Union on it from a workhouse for the poor in Derbyshire.
Along with all these, the group decided to investigate other historical coins and find out what you could buy with them during their era, versus the cost those items would be these days, as well as the difference between prices from the late 1700s to present day.
Pottery that was discovered during the metal-detecting sessions will also be used to make art prints and inspire some creative writing about their past.
