If you’re like me, you’ve probably had a laugh or two at the expense of sad-looking men who pace beaches with no companionship except that of a metal detector. What are you going to find, loser– treasure?! Apparently, yes.
An newbie (female) metal detector walking the farmlands of Hertfordshire, England uncovered a postage stamp-sized gold pendant from the 15th century that is estimated to bring in around $330,000 at Sotheby’s Old Master Sculpture and Works of Art Sale in London on July 9th, 2009. Here’s the catalogue note from the auction house:
The present, exceedingly rare Medieval mount is engraved with the Holy Trinity and illustrates the seated figure of God the father holding the crucified Christ according to the iconographical type, known as the ‘Throne of Mercy’. Traces of the original enamel work remain in the recesses of the piece indicating that originally the entire mount was enameled.
The engraving and iconography can be compared to the reverse of the Middleham Jewel now in the Victoria and Albert Museum and sold at Sotheby’s on the 11 December 1986 for £1,300,000. The Cloisters, New York also holds and engraved English gold mount in their collection of an earlier date (circa 1485) with a Holy Trinity. The later date of the present mount accounts for its greater sophistication in both design and execution when compared to the Cloisters’ cross.
The mount was discovered in Great Gaddesden, near Ashridge. It is recorded that Henry VIII and the young princess Elizabeth visited Ashridge, the latter passing through when she was called to court. Additionally, both the parish church and the medieval nunnery, St. Margaret’s priory, were in the vicinity of the find in the 16th century.
It looks like a standard-issue metal detector costs about $200 on Amazon.com. That’s $329,800 profit– but what’s the cost of respectability? On the other hand, don’t be surprised if tomorrow this website is titled “The Amateur Metal Detector.”
[...] Original post: Metal detector nerds get the last laugh « The Amateur Art Collector [...]
I used to have a metal detector when I was young. Looks like giving it up was a bad idea.
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LOL, yep that is me on the beach looking for that lost coin someone lost when yelling at their kids to get out of the ocean. But still, no finds like you have here, but go take a look at some of my finds, 4508 coins in one day was a good one, check it out.
thanks