Medieval Artefacts: What UK Detectorists Find Most Often

Medieval Britain stretches roughly from the Norman Conquest of 1066 through to around 1485 and the end of the Wars of the Roses. Those four centuries left an extraordinary volume of material culture buried across the English, Welsh, and Scottish countryside. Fields that once hosted market towns, manors, pilgrim routes, and battlefield camps still hold coins, dress accessories, religious items, and tools just inches below the surface. If you are a UK detectorist — whether you have been at it for decades or just received your first machine — understanding what medieval finds look like, where they come from, and how to handle them correctly will make you a far more effective and responsible hobbyist.

This guide runs through the categories of medieval artefacts that UK detectorists recover most often, explains the historical context behind each one, and covers your legal obligations under the Treasure Act 1996 and the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). By the end, you will know what to look for, how to identify a find, and exactly what to do with it.

Understanding the Legal Framework Before You Start

Before covering what you might find, it is worth stating clearly what the law requires. The Treasure Act 1996 (and its subsequent revisions, including the Treasure (Designation) Order 2002) sets out which finds must be reported to your local coroner within 14 days of discovery, or within 14 days of realising that a find may be treasure. Failure to report is a criminal offence carrying a potential prison sentence of up to three months or an unlimited fine.

Broadly speaking, treasure includes:

• Any metallic object other than a coin that is at least 10% precious metal by weight and is at least 300 years old at the time of finding
• Any group of two or more coins from the same find that are at least 300 years old, if they contain 10% precious metal
• Any group of ten or more coins from the same find, regardless of metal, if they are at least 300 years old
• Any object found in association with items that qualify as treasure

Most medieval artefacts fall comfortably within the 300-year threshold. If you find a silver medieval coin or a gold finger ring, it almost certainly qualifies as treasure and must be reported immediately.

Alongside the legal requirement, the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), administered by the British Museum and the Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales for Wales, encourages voluntary recording of all archaeological finds by members of the public. Even a humble medieval copper-alloy buckle that does not qualify as treasure is worth recording with your local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO). The PAS database currently holds millions of finds, and each entry helps archaeologists build a fuller picture of medieval settlement patterns, trade routes, and daily life. Recording with the PAS costs you nothing and earns the goodwill of the archaeological community.

Getting Permission to Detect

Every piece of land in the UK is owned by somebody, and you must have the landowner’s written permission before you detect on it. This is non-negotiable. The National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) produces a straightforward permission form that you can adapt for your own use.

Key points to include in any permission agreement:

• The exact location of the land, ideally with an OS grid reference or What3Words address
• Any areas that are off-limits (scheduled monuments, badger setts, protected woodland)
• How finds will be shared — the standard arrangement is that treasure proceeds are split equally between finder and landowner, and non-treasure finds are either kept by the finder or shared as agreed
• The date range of the permission

Never detect on Scheduled Ancient Monuments without specific written consent from Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, or Cadw in Wales. Detecting on a scheduled monument without authorisation is a criminal offence under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Most medieval sites of significance — castles, moated manors, abbeys — carry scheduling protection.

The Most Commonly Found Medieval Artefacts

1. Medieval Coins

Medieval coins are the single most commonly recovered category of medieval find by UK detectorists. The English medieval coinage ran from the early Norman hammered pennies of William I right through to the early Tudor period. These hand-struck coins were produced at various mints across England, including London, Canterbury, York, and Durham, with additional output from ecclesiastical mints.

Silver pennies are the bread-and-butter medieval coin find. A worn Edward I or Edward II long cross penny is not dramatic in appearance — it is a small, roughly circular piece of silver, often poorly struck with a cross on the reverse and a stylised portrait on the obverse — but it is a genuine piece of thirteenth or fourteenth century commerce. Millions of these coins were produced, which is why they still surface in arable fields today.

Groats (worth four pence) were introduced in the late thirteenth century and are larger and more visually impressive. The groats of Edward III onwards are particularly attractive coins and are reasonably common finds.

Gold coins — nobles, half-nobles, quarter-nobles, angels, and ryals — are rare but do turn up. Any gold medieval coin is treasure and must be reported.

Practical identification tips:

• Do not clean medieval silver coins with anything abrasive. A gentle rinse in distilled water is acceptable; anything stronger risks destroying surface detail and reducing numismatic value
• Photograph the coin in situ before recovery where possible
• Record the find spot to the nearest six-figure OS grid reference, minimum
• Identify the coin using Coins of England and the United Kingdom (Spink & Son), which is the standard reference work used by the PAS
• Report any single silver or gold coin as potential treasure and contact your FLO

2. Buckles and Belt Fittings

Medieval buckles rank among the most numerous non-coin finds recovered by UK detectorists. From roughly 1100 to 1500, buckles were used on belts, shoes, horse harnesses, and armour. Because they were utilitarian objects that broke and were discarded regularly, they turn up in enormous quantities.

The most frequently found types include:

• Oval frame buckles — simple oval or D-shaped frames, often copper alloy, dating from the twelfth to the fifteenth century
• Kidney-shaped buckles — characteristic of the fourteenth and early fifteenth century, commonly found on sites with high foot traffic such as market towns and pilgrim routes
• Decorated strap ends — the metal terminal fitted to the end of a leather strap, often with foliate or zoomorphic decoration
• Harness pendants and fittings — horse equipment is surprisingly common on agricultural land given the constant use of horses in medieval farming and transport

Most buckles are made of copper alloy (sometimes called by its historic constituents brass or bronze, though the PAS prefers the broader term “copper alloy” unless the composition is confirmed). Occasionally you will find iron buckles, which are considerably harder to date and often survive in poor condition.

A buckle does not qualify as treasure unless it is made of precious metal. Nevertheless, record it with your FLO. Buckle distributions help map medieval settlement and routeways with surprising precision.

3. Dress Pins and Brooches

Annular brooches — simple ring-shaped brooches used to fasten cloaks and garments — are among the most recognisable medieval finds. They come in a wide variety of sizes, from tiny examples used on linen caps to large statement pieces worn on outer garments. Many are plain copper alloy; others carry inscriptions, decorative elements, or in rare cases precious metal.

Inscribed brooches are particularly exciting finds. Many carry devotional inscriptions in Latin or Anglo-Norman French — phrases invoking the Virgin Mary or offering protection against misfortune were fashionable in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. A brooch with a readable inscription should always be recorded carefully with a full transcription.

Dress pins — simple pointed copper alloy or silver pins used to fasten garments — are extraordinarily common finds. They are small, easy to miss on the spade, and often survive in clusters because they were sold in bundles and could be dropped in quantity. If you find one dress pin, search the area carefully; there may be many more within a metre or two.

Seal matrices deserve a mention in this category. These are small personal seals used to stamp wax impressions on documents, and they are among the most interesting medieval finds a detectorist can make. They often carry a personal name, a heraldic device, or a religious image. A seal matrix is always worth reporting to your FLO regardless of its metal content, and many are recorded on the PAS database.

4. Pilgrims’ Badges and Religious Items

England’s medieval landscape was criss-crossed by pilgrimage routes leading to major shrines: Canterbury (St Thomas Becket), Walsingham (the Shrine of Our Lady), York (St William), Bury St Edmunds (St Edmund), Durham (St Cuthbert), and dozens of lesser destinations. Pilgrims purchased small lead-alloy badges at their destination shrine as souvenirs and tokens of devotion, and they wore them on their hats and clothing for the journey home — and sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Pilgrim badges are therefore found all along historic roads and tracks, not just at shrine sites. They are made of lead-tin alloy, which means they survive poorly in acidic soils. On neutral or chalky ground, however, they can be found in remarkably good condition.

Common pilgrim badge types found in the UK include:

• The Canterbury ampulla — a small flask-shaped badge containing symbolic “holy water” from Becket’s shrine, the most commonly found type in southern and eastern England
• Scallop shell badges associated with St James of Compostela, indicating a returned pilgrim from the Spanish shrine
• Walsingham pilgrim badges depicting the Virgin Mary
• York Minster and St William badges

Beyond pilgrim badges, you may find small copper alloy crucifixes, fragments of devotional pendants, and religious medalets. These items are rarely treasure (being lead or copper alloy) but are significant historical finds and should always be recorded.

Moving Forward

Once you have the fundamentals in place, the possibilities open up considerably. The UK offers fantastic opportunities for anyone interested in this hobby, and with the right foundation you will be well placed to make the most of them.