His tools is only an old metal detector but he already has find £500000 treasure. Peter Beasley, a former bricklayer, 68, digs for six hours-a-day, three days-a-week on fields close to his home in Waterlooville, Hants. Mr Beasley began the hobby 1979 when a work colleague sold his metal detector to him for £80, after he fell down a well on a dig. Within two years he was regularly finding coins and other artefact's dating back to Roman and Norman times, most of which have been given back to the farmers who own the land as a thank you present.
He found a solid gold Roman pendant unearthed in Hampshire about 10 years ago and it has been auctioned off for £30,000 in London. Inscribed with the letters TI CAESAR, the artefact's is cast as a bust of the Roman emperor wearing a laurel wreath and dates back to the first Century AD. Mr. Beasley,found the jewellery in a field near Alton, in December 1999. He has found a 24K gold ring that he believe belong to a royalty in a field in Petersfield in 2008. Mr Beasley think the ring belong to Robert, the eldest son of William the conquerer, as it has his name engraved on it. He maybe will be selling the Norman ring later this year with a guide price of £80,000. His biggest sale was a haul of 250 Roman coins found in fields near Petersfield for £100,000 to the British Museum in 1996.
Mr Beasley said: "I just love exploring and it is all about the discovery. I came into this business as a hobby to keep me out of the house but it is serious."
"I am fascinated by the history of our land and it is the buzz of finding something it is a great feeling to dig something up that you know is hundreds of years old. Or course I have found an awful lot of tat down the years, moles' teeth and countless pieces of scrap metal, but you have to keep going – it is an obsession."
He said: "The land between Chichester and Winchester is land that belonged to William the Conqueror so it is littered with potential finds.
"There are hundreds of us out there and you have to be thorough in doing your research."
"It is really hard work, being out in all-weather when I come home I am absolutely knackered."
He said he still rues the find that got away when he unearthed a Saxon shield, spears and a skeleton while roaming fields at Clanfield.
After a dispute with the landowner he was banned from the 15-acre site, which he believes is home to a Saxon haul of jewellery and up to 3,000 graves worth millions.
Mr Beasley has since stumbled upon another prize find, a six-inch square piece of lead discovered at the site of a Roman villa near Winchester with a grid pattern etched onto it.
He believes it acts as a map for locating estates of Roman soldiers who retired to the south of England after fighting for the empire.
He said: "I have a theory that it can help me find anything, anywhere it Europe."
"If it was to get into the wrong hands it could have devastating effects but I am determined to use it for the good of history."
This guy sound like a professional metal detector digger. With a £500000 treasure, he sure don't need his pension money. But his found sound like need a lots of hardwork and determination. He has been digging treasure for 30 years, that are lots of experience. Do any Malaysian try using metal detector before to find treasure? A friend once told me that people dig old coins near Melaka river few years back.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk , BBC News
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