Silver and relics: From the Viking raids to la Grande Armée

Aureus

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Finally managed to finish the research and choose the right pictures for the second and final part of the post about my 3 weeks stay in Europe.
For those of you who are wondering if I participate in any detecting rallies or hunt with some detecting club while traveling, I don't. All of the finds were discovered without any prior knowledge of the areas, using on the ground research only,with lots of door knocking and almost as much hit and miss.

Here are my favorite finds of the trip from the period spanning from the Middle Ages to the Modern era.

Medieval period 400-1500 A.D.

Denier of Saint-Denis Abbey for Charles the Bald, king of West Francia from 840-877
Probably my favorite coin and the oldest silver I have ever found.
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I was extremely happy finding it as the coins and relics from that period are pretty scarce. Charles the Bald was the king during the infamous raids on Paris, the capital of West Francia by the Vikings under the leadership of Ragnar and Rollo. The movie adapted version of Charles the Bald is featured in the TV series The Vikings (for those of you who have seen it).
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My favorite relic of this trip was this zoomorphic annular brooch from 1200-1300's
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It features three snakes circling each other with cabochon blue and white stones set as eyes. It's very surprising to find it intact after 800 years spent in the ground. A unique and unusual find, just the way I like them :laughing7:
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An other good find in my books was a first one for me.
Medieval seal matrix 1300-1400's
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The legend reads : S' GVILL ELOVDET CLC
latin: SIGILLUM GUILLAUME ELOUDET CLERICI
english: SEAL OF GUILLAUME ELOUDET - CLERIC

Got a few Medieval silver coins.

Hammered English long cross penny of Edward the first or second 1300-1327 A big surprise as I was nowhere near England, a first one for me.
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Obole Thibaut IV of Champagne 1200-1253 A pretty rare coin as only a limited quantity of oboles were made.
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Obole Parisis, Philippe IV 1285-1314
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Double tournois, Philippe VI de Valois 1338
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A few partial silver and billon coins,some aren't in the pic
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A few cool relics

A believe a part of a dagger. Unsure of the period, but I would say pre-1500's I was intrigued by the cross design on one side and some mystical creature on the other.
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And the dagger guard. Again with crosses.
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Late Medieval and Modern period.


A few coin weights.

Angelot 14th-16th century
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Spanish coin weigh for 2 Reales 17th-18th century
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Two 1600's rings. Both I believe feature the cross of St-Andrew
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A Capsulae again from 1600's (a large belt decoration sometimes worn by women)
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A few brooches and buckles. The one on the left in the shape of an amphora might actually be Roman.
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A large 1700's shoe buckle (would have expected to find one over here, would make my day:laughing7:)
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Some ''modern'' silver. My first Napoleon Bonaparte 1 Franc coin 1809
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Some other silvers. Napoleon III 1 Franc and Napoleon I half Franc
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Some Napoleonic wars German States copper coins.
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Some Revolutionary and latter period buttons
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And an other surprising find. On one of the hunts got a partial Roman Dupondius of Augustus and Agrippa 10-14 A.D. A week or so later 20 miles away got a second half that seems to fit. I can't imagine both of those being from the same coin, but I found the coincidence pretty funny.
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Thanks for the comments.
 

Last edited:
Upvote 66
I voted banner on this post A. Both for the grotesque brooch with intact stones, and the late-medieval seal matrix. I keep coming back to look and I’m lovin’ it!

Banner!

Thanks man.
 

I can't imagine how great it must have been to find all that let alone one or two of those things! You did very well!
 

Aureus, all I can say is Banner! Those are some real nice finds. Congratulations!

Thanks Hawks88 and thanks for the vote.
 

Wow man you’re getting a bunch of banner votes!!!

I hope everyone remembers that banner votes only get counted when they hit the banner button on the thread, and that just typing banner does not cast a vote.

WTG again Anton
 

Wow man you’re getting a bunch of banner votes!!!

I hope everyone remembers that banner votes only get counted when they hit the banner button on the thread, and that just typing banner does not cast a vote.

WTG again Anton

I wonder how many people don’t know that you need to hit the banner button?
The button is so tiny,maybe make it more prominent?
 

I hit the banner button. Left my reason why. Just so you know.
 

I can't imagine how great it must have been to find all that let alone one or two of those things! You did very well!

Thanks xcopperstax
 

Unbelievable ( in a good way ) !!
 

Wow man you’re getting a bunch of banner votes!!!

I hope everyone remembers that banner votes only get counted when they hit the banner button on the thread, and that just typing banner does not cast a vote.

WTG again Anton

:icon_thumright:
 

I have been waiting for this post! Crazy finds, wow.. I want to go with you next time! That first coin is stunning! Amazing brooch and seal! You killed it!
 

Crazy what can still be dug across the pond Aureus... this whole thing is a banner, but the brooch is stunning. Votes inbound

Thanks for your vote VMI Digger
 

I have been waiting for this post! Crazy finds, wow.. I want to go with you next time! That first coin is stunning! Amazing brooch and seal! You killed it!

Thanks Rubka888
 

I'm kind of at a loss for words to respond to this post. The breadth and depth of the cultural history on display, the sheer beauty of the objects, and the level of ability and persistence that underlies your having found them on foreign soil in such a short period...I mean, WOW! Another epic experience that makes your world class skill level that much clearer.

Anton, I've put in an application for a grant with the Albanian government on your behalf...hard to find a more extraordinary crossroads for the great civilizations (not including the bottom of the ocean), there is little to no unexploded ordinance, and they've had a problem with looters in the last couple of decades. I told them you could probably find everything of historical value in, oh, about 18 months. Give or take a few weeks. : ) It would make for a hell of a museum. Ha!
 

I'm kind of at a loss for words to respond to this post. The breadth and depth of the cultural history on display, the sheer beauty of the objects, and the level of ability and persistence that underlies your having found them on foreign soil in such a short period...I mean, WOW! Another epic experience that makes your world class skill level that much clearer.

Anton, I've put in an application for a grant with the Albanian government on your behalf...hard to find a more extraordinary crossroads for the great civilizations (not including the bottom of the ocean), there is little to no unexploded ordinance, and they've had a problem with looters in the last couple of decades. I told them you could probably find everything of historical value in, oh, about 18 months. Give or take a few weeks. : ) It would make for a hell of a museum. Ha!



Thanks Ken. Maybe not 18 months... 2 years should suffice. :laughing7:
 

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