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Actor's First Metal Detect Find: Iron Age Gold Coin!
15 Mar
Summary
- A novice metal detectorist discovered an Iron Age gold stater coin.
- The ancient coin, dating to AD 10-43, features a horse design.
- The valuable find was made in a field near Saffron Walden, Essex.
On March 5th, a novice metal detectorist experienced an extraordinary stroke of beginner's luck, discovering an Iron Age gold coin on his very first outing. Matt Bell, assisted by actor Charlie Cooper, gained permission to search fields near his home in Saffron Walden, Essex.
Bell's find was a stater, an ancient gold coin dating approximately from AD 10 to 43, believed to have been minted during the reign of Cunobelinus. He described the coin as rose gold, small, and featuring a striking horse design. The coin was found remarkably clean, resting on a mound of earth in a muddy field.
Actor Charlie Cooper, known for his role in BBC TV's 'This Country,' has been passionate about metal detecting for about 18 months. While he had always dreamed of such a discovery, he was teaching Bell the basics when the find occurred. Cooper admitted he was overcome with emotion upon seeing the coin's abstract Celtic horse design.
The artifact has been reported to the Essex finds liaison officer for logging in the Portable Antiquities database. Both Bell and Cooper expressed a shared hope that this significant historical find will be donated to a museum for public appreciation.
