With all the get-rich quick schemes around these days - particularly on the Internet - it is easy to overlook more hands-on and traditional methods for making a profit. One of the simplest is to hire a metal detector. Available from as little as 10 pounds a day, a metal detector can allow you to recoup your investment with a modest profit at the conservative end or, very occasionally, land you with a literally priceless treasure. Here are five of the biggest metal detector finds in recent history.
1. The Hoxne Hoard
Discovered by Eric Lawes in the village of Hoxne, Sussex in 1992 while out with his metal detector, the Hoxne Hoard was a treasure of around 15,000 gold and silver Roman coins dating from the 4th and 5th centuries. It was bought up by the British Museum for 1.75 million pounds, which the lucky Lawes split 50-50 with the landowner.
Lawes
2. The Silsden Hoard
This treasure, comprising 27 gold coins from the 1st century and a Roman finger ring, was found by metal detector enthusiast Jeff Wallbank in a field in West Yorkshire. Declared as Treasure Trove and then acquired by Bradford Art Galleries and Museums in 2000, the amazing hoard is now on permanent display at Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley, near to Silsden where it was discovered.
3. The Middleham Jewel
Wielding his metal detector, Ted Seaton stumbled upon a sapphire pedant dating from the 15th century in a field near Middleham Castle, North Yorkshire. It was later sold at auction by Sotheby's to a buyer rumoured to be a member of the Royal household. The price tag? A tidy 1.3 million pounds. It was subsequently bought by the Yorkshire Museum for a mouth watering 2.5 million pounds.
4. The Harrogate hoard
In 2007, a father and son metal detector team by the names David and Andrew unearthed a hoard of Viking booty worth a cool million pounds. It included a 617 silver coins, ornately decorated cups in gold and silver, a solid gold arm ring, brooch pins and various miscellaneous lumps of unworked silver.
5. The Staffordshire hoard
If you were still questioning the validity of metal detector hire as a quick route to riches, then perhaps this one will convert you. In 2009, Terry Herbert discovered the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold in history - 5kg of the stuff. There were also 2.5 kg of silver. Experts believe the over 1,500 military artefacts were war booty that had been buried for safekeeping.
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