Treasure hunt must have been a thrilling experience. A good find motivated you to look for more. Stan Cooper, 60, is an armature treasure hunter and a metal detector enthusiast. He has been detecting for the last twenty years and usually found copper coinage and musket balls which kept his interest alive but did not have much value. But last year he hit the jackpot, so to say. He discovered a rare brooch dating back to the 13th century. It was a find of a lifetime for the treasure hunter. The 2.5cm gold brooch is shaped like a heart but what is unique about it is the two hands clasped together at its base. It is evidently created by a skilled craftsman as the hands also have decorative sleeves. This piece of jewelry may be tiny but it has great value and an enormous find for the metal detector enthusiast. The brooch is almost the same size as a pound coin and was hidden beneath the soil in a farmer’s field near Sandbach, Cheshire.
A Fine Piece of Medieval Jewelry
Experts believe that the decorative brooch was made sometime between 135 and 1450. The style and the design of the small jewelry piece suggest that it was originally made as a betrothal gift. The hands clasping at the base of the brooch seem to be male and female. Stan Cooper could make out that it was gold but was totally unaware of its true provenance. It was much later after the experts evaluated it that he was astonished to find that the small brooch was worth at least £25,000. The brooch is very rare as the experts point out that you normally don’t find a brooch containing the heart and clasped hands together on one piece. Adam Partridge auctioneers in Macclesfield, Cheshire is handling the sale of the rare find and their Bill Forest pointed out that the annular-style brooch that combines two symbols; a heart and hands clasped. It is rare and the craftsmanship is so fine that a jeweler would struggle to replicate it. The design is very well conceived and makes an ideal betrothal gift from a gentleman.
The Find of a Lifetime
The brooch must have been commissioned by a gentleman of very high standing. He must have got the best craftsmen of the time to create a betrothal gift for his other half. It is of high interest for collectors who collect medieval jewelry. Mr Cooper, who is a works manager for a manufacturing company lives near the site of his find. He got the permission to dig on the farm in May last year and the discovery was finally made in June. The brooch was covered in dirt and it was difficult to make out what it was. After it was cleaned it became evident that it was gold. The jewelry is in perfect condition despite being underground for hundreds of years. I t was put in a polythene bag and sent to an ultrasonic cleaner. It must have been made from high quality gold as just in ten minutes it came out shining like a polished piece of jewelry. The brooch was reported to the authorities and then sent to the British Museum for experts to examine. Mr. Cooper was lucky that the Crown disclaimed it he was free to sell his find. He has promised that he will share his earning from the brooch with the farmer on whose land the brooch was found.
