A vivid insight into metal detectorists’ psychology has been provided by this story
A hoard of nine silver Roman coins was found near Nailsworth by detectorist Wayne Jacobs in 2004. Now, Stroud Museum in the Park (annual budget to buy finds, £100) has launched an appeal to raise £450 to buy them for the benefit of the people of the area. (To make a donation, send a cheque payable to ‘SDC Coin Appeal’ to Museum in the Park, Stratford Park, Stroud, GL5 4AF).
The reaction to this story by detectorists on minelabowners.com, the detecting forum where it appeared is revealing, to say the least…. One suggested a metal detecting rally should be organised (in other words, finance the retention of one cultural asset by destroying a lot more). Another complained that a budget of £100 a year for buying finds wasn’t enough. Two suggested the lottery fund should stump up the cash. And another suggested – “If members of a detecting group were to donate £5 each and provide it to purchase the coins, that would be a great PR move. News coverage would be very beneficial and could be played up” (in other words, there was a golden opportunity to persuade the public metal detectorists were heritage heroes).
Not one of them suggested the blindingly obvious solution: that Wayne should simply renounce his right to payment. Since presumably the money would be shared with the landowner who is the actual owner (and has anyone asked him if he is willing to do without the money?) the most that Wayne would be giving up is a pitiful £225.
Not a lot for a member of a hobby that swears it is in it for the history, not the money!
There was a time when everyone would have instantly donated such items to their local museum without a thought for money or personal advantage. Even now most ordinary people would be highly likely to do so. Schoolchildren, gardeners and members of local archaeology societies for instance tend not to put their hand out and force museums to raise a few hundred pounds by public subscription. But not Wayne or his detecting pals on that forum evidently. £225 is owed and must be paid. Amoral doesn’t even begin to describe it. Let us be guided by the evidence not the public posturing.
*** UPDATE! ***
The Heritage Journal 
22 comments
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19/04/2009 at 18:58
SteveC
im one of the members whos words your twisting to suit yourself, I said
“£100 a year for buying finds, thats garbage, what is the world coming to.
Agree with SteveT, get a lotto grant. ”
I bet they spend 10 times that on picking litter from the car park.
I have, as have others on that forum offered finds free to local museums, also why have you not pointed out that the coins had to be declared as treasure, and the process they go through, and if claimed by the Crown the finder is offered a reward, which again by law he splits with the land owner, normaly 50/50, but ths can be any amount depending on the agreement they have.
You just wanted to show detectorist as being in it for the money, you need to get your facts right.
I dont expect this post to be on here long as you will no doubt remove it as it does not conform to your version of the “truth”
19/04/2009 at 19:26
heritageaction
“I dont expect this post to be on here long as you will no doubt remove it as it does not conform to your version of the “truth” ”
On the contrary. Your post reinforces all that we have said and will certainly be retained as a useful addendum to the article.
For any readers who might be confused: accepting a reward under the Treasure Act is NOT compulsory!
19/04/2009 at 21:26
SteveC
For any readers who might be confused: accepting a reward under the Treasure Act is NOT compulsory!
That is why I used the term “offered”
19/04/2009 at 21:49
heritageaction
And our simple point is that Wayne was free to “offer” and the users of Minelabowers.com were free to suggest that he “offered” but neither happened.
Let every detectorists renounce every sub £500 reward and only take a proportion of higher ones. Until that happens (and it would still involve taking money that is legally but not morally theirs) it is not unreasonable for us to suggest that the public should be guided by evidence, not posturing – unless of course you can confirm that, or anything remotely like it, happens already.
We have little doubt that the above suggestion would be greeted by most detectorists with outrage, incredulity, contempt and ridicule. That is the problem. Professing a love of history while forcing the community to raise money to buy their history from you does not compute and never will.
20/04/2009 at 12:16
heritageaction
Here is the response to our article from the proprietor of Minelabowners.com which many readers may feel further validates our theme:
“To be honest I don’t really care what Heritage action says.
They twist the truth with made up figures and have lost all credibility in the heritage world for stupid ill thought out schemes. We having nothing to hide on minelabowners.com and are very open about our own heritage actions and our assisting the archaeological community.”
As anticipated, the suggestion that some part of the financial “rewards” received by metal detectorists from the hard pressed taxpayer should be renounced has been dismissed as a stupid ill thought out scheme. It is neither a scheme nor stupid. It is a suggestion, to which the answer is “yes we will” or “no we won’t”.
It is ironic that yet again the most sensible advice for the long term continuance of the hobby and a spectacular rise in the level of regard it is held by the public should come not from inside the hobby but from its betes noire – and be angrily shouted down by the noisy majority and their leaders, drowning out the quieter, more thoughtful voices who may well see much merit in the idea. Sensible detectorists are saddled with a majority who serve up an uncontrollable series of PR disasters daily on forums, fields, scheduled sites and EBay. Poor them. Perhaps they should revisit the idea of an exclusive Institute of TRULY Responsible Detectorists (another concept proposed by Heritage Action and strangled at birth by the same unthoughtful “majority” on the fallacious – for responsible detectorists at least – grounds that “unity is strength”). Status befitting their behaviour is unachievable as things stand.
In addition Minelabowner.com’s claim to “assisting the archaeological community” should properly be seen against their proprietor’s recent offer (through his other metal detecting website) to aid and abet French looters, something which has not been seen as assisting the archaeological community in either Britain or France. We discussed that outrageous offer here – https://heritageaction.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/french-metal-detectorists-seek-archaeological-asylum-in-britain/
Once again we find ourselves moved to repeat: the public should be guided by the evidence, not public posturing.
20/04/2009 at 16:53
Paul Odell
Perhaps you would have liked it more if the gentleman who found the coins simply sold them on Ebay, that would have given you more to moan at
instead he followed the law & reported them, surely he should be called a “heritage hero” instead of mud being flung at him !
20/04/2009 at 18:55
Herman
“Not one of them suggested the blindingly obvious solution: that Wayne should simply renounce his right to payment”
How about next pay day you renounce your right to payment. Your whole article is ludicrous, but maybe something good will come of it and those coins might actually end up on eBay and then I can add them to my collection.
20/04/2009 at 19:20
heritageaction
No, we would not prefer him to have not reported them (which would be criminal) nor to have made money from them on Ebay (which would also be anti-social and selfish). We would prefer him to have handed the coins to the museum (which he did) for free (which he didn’t). Only in the latter case could he qualify as heroic (although in our experience most heroes don’t require to be so called). We are surprised how many detectorists have difficulty in understand the above (when a praiseworthy minority of them have no problem with it.)
So long as there are detectorists who can write, as your colleague on Minelabowners.com has done: “if I had travelled 500 miles to a rally I would not want to give MY (!!) hard earned finds to anyone unless a reasonable reward was offered to me” … the hobby’s claims to be motivated by love of history will remain hollow and no amount of spin will make detectorists into heroes. How responsible detectorists can think they have more in common with people with such views than with archaeologists is both a mystery and a tragedy. In truth, they have nothing in common with such people other than ownership of machines. The sooner they act on the logic of that then the better for them and the common inheritance in our opinion.
20/04/2009 at 19:52
heritageaction
Herman:
“How about next pay day you renounce your right to payment. Your whole article is ludicrous, but maybe something good will come of it and those coins might actually end up on eBay and then I can add them to my collection.”
We will take that as yet another “No I won’t” in response to our suggestion that part of the rewards might be better renounced.
So many acquisitive refusers, so few heroic renunciants. Our case is being precisely made, not by us but by detectorists.
21/04/2009 at 14:11
Herman
“So many acquisitive refusers, so few heroic renunciants. Our case is being precisely made, not by us but by detectorists.”
I find it hilarious how you put this at the end of every reply. You sound like an Anti-Detectorist robot and maybe if you keep saying it someone might eventually believe it, keep those fingers crossed.
21/04/2009 at 14:26
Derek
“I find it hilarious how you …..”
Actually, you don’t. Nor do your colleagues. Which is how it should be.
04/03/2012 at 23:58
bill from lachine
heritageaction,
Being a long time metal detectorist based in Canada….I’ve looked upon the P.A.S. (Portable Antiquities Scheme) as being a model for the laws that should be in place in both Canada and the U.S.A.
I felt that the law would or should create a bridge between the ethical metal detectorists community and the archeological community.
Judging by the level of acrimony I see in the comments it appears my optimism was misplaced courtesy of my naivety.
Just as an aside could someone please advise me of the total numbers of finds which have been handed in to the local coroner or other responsible parties by detectorists since the Scheme was enacted.
As they say the proof is in the pudding!
Regards + HH
Bill
05/03/2012 at 04:45
heritageaction
Hi Bill,
What get reported to the coroner are Treasure items that attract a reward under the Treasure Act. A good few hundred do get reported that never used to be before the rewards started. Unsurprisingly. The country pays, the country gets.
But, for the millions of artefacts found that don’t qualify for a reward the level of co-operation appears to be scandalous and the loss of historical knowledge is massive. http://www.heritageaction.org.uk/erosioncounter/
I’d be intrigued to know who has been putting it about that Canada and the US need a PAS. I’ll take a wild guess that it wasn’t an archaeologist or anyone that is interested in conserving the resource, but someone that was making money out of exploiting it!
06/03/2012 at 16:38
bill from lachine
heritage action,
It appears I came to the wrong place for factual information….lol…
The PAS website states that they have 490,650 records and 772,808 objects…..here’s the link.
http://finds.org.uk/
I guess I’ll have to do some more searching on the web as I prefer dealing with honest people and not bs artists.
Regards + HH
Bill
06/03/2012 at 17:50
heritageaction
No, we are correct about the number of Treasure items (ask PAS).
The number you quoted, 772,808, relates to NON-Treasure items recorded by PAS and that number does indeed contrast disgracefully with the 4,422,717 such items the Counter estimates have been found in the same period.
Over here, if one calls someone a dishonest bs artist and then discovers one has completely misunderstood the facts one apologises. Do you have that tradition in Canada? Or do the traditional metal detectorists ploys of abusive denial of the obvious or resounding silence when confronted with an uncomfortable truth apply instead?
We’ll see.
06/03/2012 at 20:23
bill from lachine
heritageaction,
My comments stand….I asked how many items were reported to the authorities and you responded with a few hundred and not the actual figures recorded on the PAS website.
I’ll use the PAS website in future to get factual information on the volume of finds being reported by detectorists.
Regards + HH
Bill
06/03/2012 at 21:36
heritageaction
No, you asked about the coroner (who deals with treasure) and I told you, and you asked about the rest and I pointed you to the erosion counter which very clearly states that most of the millions of items found don’t get reported to PAS.
That’s plain fact, the numbers say that most of your British metal detecting colleagues destroy history.
Not sure why you are denying it but you aren’t convincing anyone!
13/03/2012 at 00:27
bill from lachine
hertiageaction,
I decided to sleep on your response before responding…..
I concede that there probably are some unethical detectorists who are just in it for the money….but believe that many are ethical and play by the code, rules and laws in place.
That said….unfortunately there are some people be they detectorists, lawyers, accountants or dare I say even the occasional archaeologist or curator that are less than altruistic….just a fact of the human condition.
Now in your perfect world all detectorists that fall under the P.A.S. should hand over all finds and forgo any payment…..for said finds….ok so let’s say I agree with that option.
One thing we should be able to agree with is that odds are there are way more artifacts stored away in basements and warehouses than are on public display….not properly catalogued, documented or restored and they will never see the light of day.
Given the budget constraints odds are the budgets will be getting worse and not better.
So what’s the solution???? have detectorists flood the system with more finds being handed over freely to be stored and never be displayed.
Please advise your views.
Regards + HH
Bill
13/03/2012 at 02:50
heritageaction
Previously you abused us on the basis of your own misunderstanding and refused to apologise so we’re disinclined to continue.
17/03/2012 at 12:05
heritageaction
PS…..
We see an English metal detectorist has joined “Bill” in accusing us of “bullsh*t”. That always plays well in the cheap seats but for everyone else this is what Bill actually asked…..
“Could someone please advise me of the total numbers of finds which have been handed in to the local coroner or other responsible parties by detectorists since the Scheme was enacted.”
To which we replied….
“Hi Bill, What get reported to the coroner are Treasure items that attract a reward under the Treasure Act. A good few hundred do get reported that never used to be before the rewards started. Unsurprisingly. The country pays, the country gets.
But, for the millions of artefacts found that don’t qualify for a reward the level of co-operation appears to be scandalous and the loss of historical knowledge is massive. http://www.heritageaction.org.uk/erosioncounter/ ”
So, Bill was answered with the plain truth – about 850 Treasure items a year get reported to the coroner for money and only 772,810 out of about 4,430,000 non-Treasure finds have been reported to PAS for no money and surveys by archaeologists, CBA, English Heritage and detectorists have all suggested we are right.
But then, Bill and his foul-mouthed allies know better. So be it.
18/03/2012 at 00:11
bill from lachine
Nigel Swift,
In closing and these are my last comments on this topic.
It’s quite obvious that we will never see eye to eye on your view of the detecting community….so being in a democratic society we’ll have to agree to disagree.
And yes I admit I was harsh in my exchanges with you….however since you effectively branded the detecting community as looters, thieves and mercenaries.
Why would you expect me or anyone else from the detecting side of the equation to treat you with any more respect or dignity than was extended to us. I feel the question begs to be asked.
Regards + HH
Bill
18/03/2012 at 02:41
heritageaction
“I admit I was harsh in my exchanges with you”
No. Harshness has nothing to do with it. You falsely accused us of lying because you didn’t like the truth. That’s a problem, as it’s what your hobby is based upon.
“you effectively branded the detecting community as looters, thieves and mercenaries”
We have never said most detectorists are looters or mercenaries, only some. That’s another false accusation. We certainly say most detectorists are thieves – of communal knowledge. They are.
As for the question you feel begs to be asked – why should detectorists be treated with respect – the answer is that they certainly shouldn’t so long as the majority of them remain knowledge thieves. I guess being a detectorist for many years prevents you facing that but it doesn’t make it any less true.