October 2011 was the winning month, I recently purchased a Minelab Explorer XS, a 10 years old machine but a very interesting detector. For a very long time I wanted to get a Minelab but due to some financial issue I wasn't able to but on September 2011 I had a phone call of my dad saying son you have been a very good man and support us a lot over the years and I want to offer you a detector as my appreciation, I didn't know what to say to my dad over the phone and for a very long time I didn't feel that way and said Dad I will find you the best roman artifacts in South Wales (with a big smile). Few days later I purchase my Explorer XS, a bargain and it come with all upgrades. I was over the moon and sent my dad a email with the picture of my Minelab, he replied go and get me that Roman goodies, I said ok tomorow I will find it for you I promess. Its 7 o'clock all my gear ready for this new hunt, I had only two hours sleep full of joy and setting up the detector with my first programmes. Soon I arrived at my local farm where previously I find a Roman coin. First I was seating down on my knee on this wet pasture and praying god to find me a nice artifacts for my dad, here we go first time I powered the MInelab Explorer XS and it was for me learning how to play piano in a short time. After few setting from a good friend of mine the machine was nice and stable. For the next two hours I didn't had much and I was so devoted to find anything roman just to say here dad its yours. Me and my dad haven't seen for nearly 3 years, I leave abroad but we always have been very close and is my top mate. So a quick break and I was ready for more detecting, the machine was perfoming like you can beleive, and I stopped and said that sound is very interedting and novice of the Explorer XS I was looking on the screen and it was something to dig for. After using my spade at 8 inches down I find a plate of bronze very dirty and with a bit of dissapoitement, I said never mind I will have more luck at the next signal. Make sure the plate was safe in a my bag I remove the dirt and good god to thank you so much that plate was showing some nice patterns with blue and red enameled. I soon went back to the car and decided to call it a day. Soon I got home I did carefullly clean this plate and post it to a internet site waiting for a identification of this object. I wasn't sure myself of the artifacts if it was for sure Roman or not and decided to contact my dad and said my good old friend I got you that goodies you ask me to get. He was so pleased I call me about ten times that evening to see if he can find by himself some sort of description but with out luck. I had to wait few days to have a final answer from a FLO, he told me you got one of the best Roman enameld plate he never seen till date I said to him you made my day, my year and made a old man very happy today. Soon on the phone tell my father the good news he said to me someone have give us some luck and my response was yeah its Minelab dad, he replied who is that Minelab and with crying my eyes out of joy I said to my father it's not a friend it's my detector, well thanks him for me. And that was my first day with my Minelab and my first interesting life story I had and for sure this machine will follow me till the end. Thank you Minelab and thank you for making two happy guys. By the way my dad will turn 79th soon and with my familly we going to offer him a Minelab Explorer so it will be a father and son complicity. Nordine - West Glamorgan