PURE GOLD RALLY 1998

They is thus 37 people who had made displacement as far as England. Aprés to have been given go at six o'clock in the morning to the Gate of the Vault, and to have awaited a latecomer who failed in one minute close not finding our coach, this one takes the direction of the motorway of north. For the small anecdote, this time we preferred to travel by the Shuttle; it is faster, 35 minutes only of crossing. As soon as we arrive on the place of the rally, we will have to find other French of association the A.R.P.C of Cholet. They are ten of their dimensioned and took their cars. But if the participants were with go, which one can say, it is that the lucky finds they, were not it.

In all manners, this voyage in England was not organized to fill the pockets! But it is true: to spend the day not to be unearthed that objects worthy of a discharge is not good for the moral one. In any case, for me this season 1998 will have been better since I found my first and single English aluminium token (I did not gain a price) and I did not find only one cartridge of war or hunting! Because last year I will have been able to assemble an arms manufacture!

Jokes put aside, the day of Saturday was rather disappointing for everyone... although certain lucky succeeded in finding some currencies. The English as well as the archaeologists usually put bus questions the display unit of the discoveries is well filled. There, it is almost empty! At the end of the Afternoon, everyone hopes that Sunday will be better. It should be said that the number of participants borders the 800 prospectors. And there it was necessary to be to believe it: the organizers had concocté us a search in a field where all the prospectors aligned on with dimensions were spread out in a long line of at least a kilometer length, one could have believed that it was a chain (human, not in gold). With the whistle, we were to try to find three tokens particular. These tokens gave right to take part in another play: it was necessary to detect in a small square of ground (similar to a boxing ring of boxing) an ultimate token in order to gain a Roman gold ring (reproduction) of a value from 25.000 F! One imagines the stress of our three English in the boxing ring, but one is needed well gaining. There were of them two very irritated not managing to control itself and another calm and serene whole. Guess which gained!

The day of Sunday was anything else... initially because it with started to rain as of 9 hours of the morning, then because some lucky finds started to fill the display unit. Only, so certain lucky finds appeared well to come from the vintage, one had the impression that others had voluntarily been hidden to give pleasure. Indeed some quite clean currencies (Romans and others) without any ground incrustation sowed the doubt among the experts! More especially as a rumour circulated: the fields had been prospected already and the previous years saw following one another of others rejoined the same place. There it would have had some arnaque' Whereas the organizers ensured us that they never had detected summers. Lastly, it y have all the same a currency in gold of a 1860 (a sovereign) currency Celtic in gold (but quite worn) and two rings in gold of XIXe (including one enormous of 25 gr.) and some silver moneys.

An English, Robert, met on the spot entrusted to us thereafter that the local club of detection prospects these fields since ten years. He, remained in the area had been registered for the rally following week. Six hundred silver moneys of all times and fifteen Celtes currencies in gold were discovered, and statement which there was only 250 to 300 prospectors! One little not to gain with all the blows! But it is promised, the next year one will get information better. The only large positive point they are the contact which was taken and the fact that the rain forced us to discuss during a good part of the weekend. It is without any doubt what it is necessary to retain such demonstrations because one learns much in contact with English archaeologists or pounds found on the spot. We also met a German club of detection which us with guest with a rally in Bavaria on May 31, 1999. If it were said to you that an Italian association us with guest has one rejoins in Rome, you believe a little more in Europe of detection '

P.A.