<p><strong>After using my friends spare machine at christmas, I was introduced into the world of “metal detecting” which is walking round a field digging holes in the rain and only finding pennies.</strong> I was hooked! I was so exited pulling out Victoria pennies and old tractor bits, with the slight possibility of treasure. The machine I was using was good but my friend was pulling out so much more, a silver here, a Roman there. “Ok” I said “what machine have you got? ”..... “Its a Minelab mate.”</p> <p>After every video there is on metal detecting (youtube), I though sod it, I”m going for a Minelab. If I enjoy finding pennies with a parrot, what can a Minelab do? So on Wednesday I ordered a Safari. Thanks to father christmas at Joan-Allen my detector arrived on Saturday. Exactly 9 days after I started detecting I was ready to go with a brand new machine, can you guess what happened on day 10?</p> [split] <p>We started in the bottom field on my brand new permission about 9am, for the first half an hour I thought I'd bought a flute and by midday we where wet and ready for a brew! I found a soda can and a penny but detecting was different this time, I had a much better idea of what was going on under ground. I was impressed but wet and my 10 year old son was ready for home. I had just paid a lot of money for a new detector and with it being a new permission, I wanted to nip up to the top field just to get aquatinted with the land. After 10 minutes I found a half penny and was gaining confidence in my flute</p> <p>We started in the bottom field on my brand new permission about 9am, for the first half an hour I thought I'd bought a flute and by midday we where wet and ready for a brew! I found a soda can and a penny but detecting was different this time, I had a much better idea of what was going on under ground. I was impressed but wet and my 10 year old son was ready for home. I had just paid a lot of money for a new detector and with it being a new permission, I wanted to nip up to the top field just to get aquatinted with the land. After 10 minutes I found a half penny and was gaining confidence in my flute, sorry Safari. But what note my Safari flute played next was loud, high and close, it said dig!!!</p> <p>As I’m a novice, I ended up slightly off with my hole. After hitting clay I tried pinpoint again, I came to the conclusion it must be in the side wall. I thought twice about this hole as I only nipped up to this field to take a look. With wet feet, wet pants and my son waiting I nearly gave up. With the Safari giving me such a loud signal and high tone I had to carry on and see this through. So, still unsure of what depth the elusive item was, I took an inch off the side wall and there resting between clay and soil (too deep for the last detector) was definitely something</p> <p>I distinctively remember my friend telling me that silver and gold comes out like new when rubbed over with just your thumb. Wow, silver shone through straight away. I scanned the hole for anything else and calmly called over my friend, not really, more like waving and screaming. When he arrived I dropped it in his hand and said “never give up on a hole” I can’t tell you the exact words he said without expletives the only word left was museum.</p> <p>It turns out that it is a Ninth Century Saxon Mount. The FLO was so exited when she saw it and said that “our Local Museum will defiantly want it”! So after 10 days detecting and exactly 3 hrs on a Minelab Safari, I’ve only gone and hit treasure. Do I love my Safari? .....er yes!!!</p> <p>Thank you Minelab for kickstarting my brand new hobby!!</p>