Successful Treasure Hunting
With The Bill Wyman
Signature Detector
The excitement of
treasure hunting
is that you never
know what the
next find might be.
www.billwymandetector.com
Treasure Hunting
There’s an unbelievable amount of treasure under the ground just
waiting to be discovered.
Throughout history, armies have invaded the British Isles and the
resulting wars, battles and skirmishes have resulted in countless
valuables and the remains of war being scattered on the ground
only to disappear below the surface.
For many years people would bury their valuables to keep them
safe, and often they went to their graves with the knowledge of
the secret place where the loot was hidden.
Then there are everyday accidental losses, a broken bracelet,
coins that fall from the pocket, a ring which slips off a finger.
Imagine this happening somewhere every day multiplied by
millions of people over the thousands of years since metal was
invented.
There’s no shortage of things left to be discovered and more and more treasures are being unearthed
by metal detectorists every year. The fascination of finding things is what they tell us about our history
and for the lucky few their finds can be of immense value.
A fascinating hobby with the
added thrill of finding treasure
…the unsung
heroes of the
UK’s heritage.
This is what David Lammy, the Minister
for Culture said as he praised the role
responsible metal detectorists are
playing in preserving the country’s
heritage by reporting their finds through
the Portable Antiquities Scheme
(PAS). Treasure finds have increased
threefold and 93% of these finds have
been found by metal detector owners.
Detectorists are finding more than ever
before and more of it is ending up in our
local, regional and national museums.
Treasure hunting gets you out into the great
outdoors with a mission - to unearth the
wealth that lies underfoot. Fields, woodland,
beaches, even your own back garden all
contain valuable and interesting things from
the past just waiting to be discovered. The first
time you unearth a coin or artefact from long
ago, ponder over its origins and how it came
to be lost, you will understand the MAGIC OF
TREASURE HUNTING.
Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman is surely one of the
country’s best known musicians but not so many people
know of his passion for metal detecting and amateur
archaeology. A truly magnificent collection of coins and
artefacts bears witness to his skill and dedication to the
hobby. Bill knows from first hand experience the essential
features for a detector which has to meet his exacting
professional requirements whilst being easy enough for a
child to handle
The Bill Wyman Signature Detector is a lightweight treasure
finding instrument ideal for newcomers to detecting of all
ages, incorporating all the latest developments in location
technology. It is child’s play to use and you don’t have to
worry about technical controls. There’s a special setting to
optimise performance on the beach and a brilliant dual tone
facility which actually separates targets into ‘good’ and ‘bad’
so you can decide if they are worth digging up or not! You
won’t find this combination of features anywhere else. That’s
because this thoughtful design is the crystallisation of Bill
Wyman’s many years of metal detecting success - a success
he’s keen for others to share.
The Bill Wyman
Signature Detector
Latest technology with the voice of experience
Bill’s project to design his own
detector took shape when his daughter
Katie started to share her dad’s
passion for treasure hunting.
Everything you need to know about metal detecting and lots of information, hints and tips and
fun items on treasure hunting can be found at www.billwymandetector.com
Top Treasure Finds
This Edward III Gold Double
Florin was found by a
detectorist in the south of the
country. Issued in 1343, it is
only the third example to be
found (the other 2 are in the
British Museum), so it is the
only one in private hands.
The coin was auctioned by
Spinks and achieved a record
breaking price of £460,000.
Cliff Bradshaw found this
Bronze Age gold cup in
a field near Sandwich.
Even in its mangled
condition it was a
tremendously important
find which sold for
£250K, which he shared
with the landowner.
This is a part of the
Reigate Hoard found in
1990 by Roger Mintey.
Consisting of several
thousand coins, it is
arguably the best metal
detector coin find ever.
10. Search-head
15cm ISOCON searchhead. The business end
of the detector. Unique
design. Highly durable
and waterproof.
1. Arm-rest
Supports the upper arm for
perfect balance and control of the
search-head motion. Rear struts
stop the detector rolling into the
mud when you put the detector
down and start digging.
9. Stem Length Adjustment
Twistlock connector separates stem for transport
or adjusts length. Children can easily manage this
detector. No worries.
2. Control Box
Lightweight, robust. Micro-electronics latest technology
‘non-motion’ search system.
3. On/Off/Sensitivity Control
Switch on, twist to the recommended setting, start
detecting. Could you start out on the road to successful
detecting any easier than that?
4. Push-button Retune Control
Press to retune for maximum sensitivity. That’s really
all you have to do to maintain peak performance.
SMART electronics do the rest.
5. Site Selector Control
Set according to site ground conditions. The Bill
Wyman Signature Detector excels on ground
conditions where many more expensive detectors
struggle.
6. Headphone Socket
Mini jack socket for headphones.
Easier to discern weak signals.
Keeps your ears warm too.
7. Loudspeaker
Clear tone with audio target
analysis. Less time wasted digging
up rubbish.
Anatomy of my ideal METAL DETECTOR
by Bill Wyman
8. Battery
Compartment
Neat dropin battery
connections for 9
volt battery type
PP3/MN1604
or equivalent.
Maximum power,
lightweight.
7
4
5
2
6
3
1
8
9
10
My Bill Wyman Signature Detector is lightweight,
easy to use and affordable – yet has significant
performance levels. It is the ideal detector for
anyone starting out treasure hunting.
Metal detecting has been going a long time. Is there
anything left to find?
A staggering amount of treasure has been found by
metal detectorists but it looks like this is just the tip of
the iceberg. Last year, more metal detector finds were
recorded than ever, 45% up on the year before. About
58,000 valuable finds were actually reported giving a lot
of satisfaction to those hobbyists and adding significantly
to archaeological knowledge. Minister for Culture, David
Lammy, reported to the Commons recently that, “Metal
detectorists are the unsung heroes of the UK’s heritage.”
What happens if I make a valuable find?
Metal detectorists are obliged to report any item which
appears to have historical significance. In practice most
items are handed back to the finder but if the museum
wishes to retain the object, the finder should receive a
reward equivalent to the open market value. Because of
the unique nature of many detector finds there have been
some enormous payouts.
A rare gold ‘Leopard’ coin found last year by one
fortunate detectorist sold at Sotheby’s recently for a
record £460,000.
Where can I go detecting?
On private land you should always ask permission first.
That’s for your benefit as much as anything else. You
need to agree with the landowner how valuable finds
will be divided. Cliff Bradshaw, finder of a Bronze Age
gold cup, near to Sandwich in Kent shared a reward of
£250,000 50/50 with the farmer on whose land he was
detecting. Public land is usually OK provided you don’t
cause damage and beaches are great for mainly modern
objects like coins and jewellery. There are some excellent
metal detector clubs around the country which are a
great way to get out and about with other enthusiasts and
pick up some tips. Good site research and an eye for the
lie of the land provide clues to the most likely treasure
locations. Then you just need a professional standard
metal detector to zero in on the treasure. My Bill Wyman
Signature Detector will do just fine.
Metal detectors are quite expensive, aren’t they?
You can pay £1000 and more for a metal detector, but
take my advice, there’s no point paying that much. An
expensive metal detector does not increase your chances
of treasure hunting success. Some of the best finds have
been made with modestly priced detectors. It is much
more important that the detector is easy to use because
that boosts your confidence enormously. The Bill Wyman
Signature Detector has got just the right performance
characteristics based on my real detecting experience.
The price is right. You just can’t go wrong.
Bill Wyman’s FAQ
Bill Wyman – History Detective
I have always been interested in archaeology and early cultures and when
I bought a manor house in Suffolk in 1968 I kept finding fragments in the
grounds which fired my interest even more. In the early 1990’s I brought my
first C.Scope metal detector and this helped me uncover the site of a Roman
homestead. I’ve been a serious detecting enthusiast ever since and was
delighted when my daughter Katie showed an interest in the hobby.
When I’m detecting I really enjoy the peace and quiet of being out in the fields;
the fresh air, hearing the birds sing and all the exercise.
In all, I’ve found hundreds of coins going back to Roman Britain, as well as
blades from 3,000 years ago. I’ve also found gold coins from the 1300’s which
are worth £1,000 each. But I’m not interested in their monetary value, it’s the
history that’s important to me.
After I’ve been out metal detecting I come home with my pockets full, wash the
finds, spread them out to dry and begin to wonder what they all are. Then I can
invent my own stories about how a particular coin or brooch came to be in that
field. Detecting makes history so much more interesting – it’s a great hobby.
Find out more about Bill’s treasure detecting adventures in his book Bill
Wyman’s Treasure Islands published by Sutton.
The Bill Wyman Signature Detector is designed and manufactured in the UK by C.Scope International Ltd. World leaders in metal detecting technology
for more than 25 years.
C.Scope International Ltd, Kingsnorth Technology Park,
Wotton Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 6LN
Tel 01233 629181 Fax 01233 645897
www.billwymandetector.com
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