Making a Quick Buck – Coin Counterfeiting and Contemporary Copies in Britain

What are Counterfeit and Contemporary Copy Coins? Coin Copying first appears in Britain right alongside the introduction of coinage with the earliest examples of contemporary copies recorded on the PAS database dating back to the Iron Age (Search results from the database Page: 1 (finds.org.uk)). Counterfeit coins, both contemporary and not, are produced outside the …more

In situ archaeology: why it’s important and what we can do about it.

In archaeology, provenance and context are key to understanding an object or site. This is why we at PAS require a minimum 8-figure national grid reference for the finds we record. Most objects recovered by metal detector users are found in the topsoil, already removed from their context by agricultural practices. Occasionally though, finds from …more

SWYOR’s Christmas selection box of 2023’s star finds

On the winter solstice, as the year draws to an end, it seems like a good time to look back at some of the most interesting finds recorded by the South and West Yorkshire office this year. The 151 finders who recorded in South and West Yorkshire this year added an amazing 3652 objects to …more

Pilgrims and Covenanters: expanding on updated coin records

In his recent post on these pages, SWYOR colleague Andy Benbow discussed the challenges presented to PAS volunteers working from home during lockdown. He highlighted that with few finds coming in, the period provided an opportunity to prioritise ‘housekeeping’ tasks (Databasing During Lockdown, 2020). One of my tasks has been revisiting and updating Medieval and …more

Searching for a Link

PAS self-recorder and one-time PAS volunteer Andrew Ramsden describes his research into die-linking on a particularly nice Medieval coin that was minted exactly 800 years ago this year. “When I was invited by my local FLO, Amy Downes, to assist in the recording of hammered coins at her office, I jumped at the chance as …more