
Table of Contents
- A Familiar Field with Ancient Secrets
- An Unexpected Conversation Leads to a New Permission
- A Race Against the Weather
- The Mysterious Disc
- The Power of Community: Seeking Answers Online
- Down the Rabbit Hole: Roman Brothel Tokens?
- The Joy of the Mystery
- The Lessons of the Mysterious Disc
- The Ongoing Quest for Answers
- A Call to Fellow Metal Detectorists
- The Never-Ending Adventure
It was one of those days that every detectorist dreams about. The kind of day when you set out with your trusty machine, hoping for a good find, and end up with not just a new permission, but also a mysterious object that sends you on a journey of discovery. I’ve been detecting for a few years now, and I can tell you, these are the days that keep us coming back, swinging our metal detectors back and forth, rain or shine.
A Familiar Field with Ancient Secrets
I found myself in a field I knew well, one I’d searched many times before. It wasn’t just any field, mind you. This one held the remains of a Bronze Age burial barrow or mound, long since ploughed out over the centuries. Of course, I have permission to detect on this field, but I always stay well away from where the mound used to be. It’s a listed site, after all, and we detectorists have a responsibility to respect our heritage.
As I swept my detector back and forth across the familiar terrain, I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets still lay hidden beneath the soil. How many people had walked this land before me? What stories could this field tell if only it could speak?
An Unexpected Conversation Leads to a New Permission
It was during this pondering that I noticed a lady from the house alongside wandering over to the fence. I’ve had this conversation a hundred times before, and I could almost predict her first words before she spoke them.
“Have you found anything yet?” she asked, right on cue.
I stopped for a chat, always happy to share my passion for the hobby with interested folks. As we talked, she mentioned something that made my detectorist’s heart skip a beat.
“You know,” she said, “I have a small field behind my house. You’d be more than welcome to detect on it if you’d like.”
Now, let me tell you, getting a new permission is always exciting. It’s like being handed a wrapped present – you never know what treasures might be hiding inside. I thanked her profusely and, as soon as our chat was done, made my way around to her house and into the field behind.
A Race Against the Weather
I only had about an hour or so before the heavens opened up and fairly torrential rain started. But in that short time, I managed to unearth a variety of finds. Most were the usual ‘back garden’ type objects – an old tap, a three-pin electrical plug, some crushed drinks tins, an old rusty penknife. Nothing to write home about, but each find tells its own little story of daily life in years gone by.
But then, just as the first drops of rain began to fall, my detector gave off a solid, promising signal. I dug down, my excitement growing with each scoop of earth. And there it was – a find that would puzzle me for days to come.
The Mysterious Disc
As I brushed away the last bits of soil, I found myself holding a round lead alloy disc. It had a raised surround to the edge, giving it a distinct border. But what really caught my eye were the Roman Numerals etched into its surface: XXVI, or 26.
There was also a slight protruding nub off it at one point, almost like it had been attached to something at some stage. But what was it? What purpose did this little disc serve?
My immediate thought was that it might be a Victorian plant tag of some sort. But then, why use Roman numerals instead of the Latin name for a plant? And why 26? 26 what? 26 things? Number 26 in a series?
As the rain began to fall in earnest, I carefully tucked the mysterious disc into my finds pouch and made a dash for shelter. Little did I know that this small, unassuming object would send me on a quest for answers that would last for days.

The Power of Community: Seeking Answers Online
Once I got home and cleaned up my find, I did what many modern detectorists do when faced with a puzzling object – I turned to the online detecting community for help. I posted photos of the disc on one of the Facebook metal detecting groups that specialize in finds identification.
These groups are a testament to the collaborative spirit of our hobby. Detectorists from all walks of life, from beginners to seasoned pros, come together to share knowledge and help each other out. It’s like having a whole team of experts right at your fingertips.
It wasn’t long before one of the more knowledgeable members of the group chimed in with a potential identification. She suggested that it could be an unofficial coin weight and referred me to something along similar lines in the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) database.
The PAS entry she pointed me to described a “Medieval to Post Medieval lead alloy, uniface, circular, probable coin weight. One face is marked in the upper half with a W, with the roman numerals XXXVI or XXVII below. The other face is blank.”
This is the link to the suggested item https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1141508
This description certainly seemed to fit my find. The shape, material, and use of Roman numerals all matched up. But was this really what I had found? And if so, what exactly was an unofficial coin weight used for?
Down the Rabbit Hole: Roman Brothel Tokens?
Just when I thought I might have an answer, another possibility emerged that sent my mind reeling. As I continued my research, I came across a reference to Roman brothel tokens. These were described as lead discs with Roman numerals on one side and, well, let’s just say some rather explicit imagery on the other.
For a moment, my imagination ran wild. Had I stumbled upon some ancient token of illicit transactions? But reality quickly set in as I remembered that my disc was blank on the other side. No explicit imagery to be found, much to my simultaneous relief and disappointment.
The Joy of the Mystery
So there I was, left with a small lead disc and a big mystery. Was it a plant tag, an unofficial coin weight, or maybe even a very tame Roman brothel token? The truth is, I still don’t know for certain.
But you know what? That’s part of what makes this hobby so exciting. Every time we dig up an object, we’re not just unearthing a piece of metal – we’re uncovering a story. Sometimes that story is clear and straightforward, like when you find a coin with a date and monarch’s head. Other times, like with my mysterious disc, the story is more elusive, inviting us to become detectives as well as detectorists.
The Lessons of the Mysterious Disc
This experience reminded me of a few important lessons that I think every detectorist should keep in mind:
- Always be open to new permissions. If I hadn’t stopped to chat with the lady by the fence, I would never have gained access to her field or found this intriguing object.
- Don’t ignore the ‘common’ finds. While we all dream of gold and silver, sometimes the most interesting stories come from everyday objects.
- Clean your finds carefully and gently to protect the integrity of your find..
- Utilize the detecting community. The collective knowledge of fellow detectorists is an invaluable resource.
- Research, research, research. The PAS database and other historical resources can provide crucial context for your finds.
- Embrace the mystery. Not every find will have a clear-cut identification, and that’s okay. The process of discovery is often just as rewarding as the final answer.
The Ongoing Quest for Answers
As I sit here writing this, my mysterious disc sits on my desk, still posing its silent questions. What are you? Where did you come from? What stories could you tell?
I haven’t given up on finding a definitive answer. I plan to reach out to local museums and archaeological societies to see if they can shed any more light on this puzzling object. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll stumble across another similar find that will provide the missing piece of the puzzle.
But even if I never get a conclusive identification, I’ll always treasure this little lead disc. It represents everything I love about metal detecting – the thrill of discovery, the connection to history, the camaraderie of the detecting community, and the joy of a good mystery.
A Call to Fellow Metal Detectorists
So, to all my fellow detectorists out there, I pose this challenge: Keep your eyes open and your minds curious. The next time you dig up something that doesn’t quite make sense, don’t just toss it aside. Take the time to clean it, examine it, and research it. Share it with the community. You never know – you might just be holding a piece of history that no one has seen or understood for centuries.
And if any of you have ever come across something similar to my mysterious disc, I’d love to hear about it. Who knows? Your find might be the key to unlocking the secrets of mine.
The Never-Ending Adventure
As I wrap up this tale of my mysterious disc, I’m reminded once again why I love this hobby so much. Every time I step out into a field with my detector, I’m embarking on an adventure. I’m not just searching for metal objects – I’m searching for stories, for connections to the past, for pieces of the great puzzle of human history.
Sometimes those stories are clear and straightforward. Other times, like with this disc, they’re shrouded in mystery. But each find, whether it’s a Victorian button or a puzzling lead disc, adds another chapter to the ongoing story of our shared past.
So the next time you’re out detecting and your machine signals a find, remember: you’re not just digging for objects. You’re digging for stories. And sometimes, the best stories are the ones that leave us with more questions than answers.
As for me, well, I’ll be heading back out to that field behind the house as soon as the weather clears up. After all, where there’s one intriguing find, there might be more. And even if there isn’t, the thrill of the search is always worth it.
Happy hunting, fellow detectorists. May your coils swing true, your pinpointers beep loudly, and your finds always keep you guessing. For in the end, it’s not just about what we find – it’s about the stories we uncover, the mysteries we ponder, and the history we help preserve, one beep at a time.