I wasn't feeling too well this particular day, but I was desperate to get out metal detecting. So reluctantly, I paid a trip to the field closest to me. I wasn't expecting to find much as I call this field my "Junk " field - the reason being that the last two seasons I had spent clearing it of modern junk with my trusty Minelab Safari.
So off I went accompanied by my E-TRAC, a detector I am beginning to fall in love with. I set up my kit, turned the E-TRAC on and started heading towards the top of the field. Within four steps I got a signal, a low growl which I felt sure was a ring pull I had missed previously.
So begrudgingly I dug down and scanned the clod, the ring pull was in the clod, I broke the clod apart and there staring up at me was the tiniest Hammered silver coin I had ever seen! Immediately I saw the stars on the coin and knew it was my first Scottish Hammered coin - up until this point, despite living in Scotland, all the hammered coins I had found were English.
To say I was chuffed was an understatement, I identified it as an Alexander half penny, but better was to come!
On returning home I emailed a picture to a couple of friends to confirm my ID, by return email I was informed it was not an Alexander but a Robert and that if it was a Robert the Bruce then it was extremely rare. Being told this I emailed a couple of coin specialists and asked them to identify the coin for me, all the while keeping my fingers crossed that it was a Robert the Bruce.
After what seemed an eternity it was confirmed that it was indeed a Robert the Bruce half penny and was a rare find. I was amazed, the last Robert the Bruce Half Penny that had been sold at auction was worth a staggering £2000 and was in nowhere near the same condition as the coin I had found.
In the few months I have owned the E-TRAC it has more than paid for itself in terms of finds. Now I would not part with my E-TRAC for nothing.
Adriantj - Fife, UK