‘Old piece of metal’ from boot sale is a treasure from the Iron Age
A CAR boot sale buy – which languished in a box for years – has turned out to be an ancient antiquity potentially worth thousands of pounds.
And the owner only found out by chance after his father-in-law spotted an article in our sister title the Daily Express about an object which bore similarities to his “old piece of metal”.
He read about the auction success of an ancient British relic dug up by a metal detectorist, a 2,000-year-old Celtic chieftain’s chariot brooch, and remembered his son-in-law had an item gathering dust that looked a little bit like it.
The Burton Mail also reported back on March 2 that the rare chariot brooch sold for £55,000 – seven times its £6,000-£8,000 estimate – in Derbyshire-based Hansons Auctioneers’ February 2021 Historica sale.
The car boot discovery has since been identified by Hansons as a 2,000-year-old late Iron Age horse harness mount.
It has an engraved curvelinear design inlaid with red champleve enamel and blue glass. This distinctive style originates from South East England and the British Museum has a similar example from London. It’s set to go under the hammer in Hansons’ May 20-21 Historica Auction with a guide price of £1,000£2,000.
Meanwhile its owner, Miguel Ángel Fuster Aparicio, a 38-year up by a AN ANCIENT relic dug at auction metal detectorist has sold pounds. for tens of thousands of chieftain’s The 2,000-year-old Celtic known as chariot brooch, also “outstandingly” a horse brooch, is an had a guide rare object, and
But in the price of £6,000-£8,000.
Auctioneers, sale by Etwall-based Hansons battle an intense bidding with a final took place ending up
– seven hammer price of £55,000 times its estimate. as one The result has been hailed by the firm’s of Hansons’ best ever
He led the owner Charles Hanson. bidders battled auction as four phone object, to secure the unique which was found by detechis torist Ray Pusey in home county of Buckinghamshire in October 2020. Mr Pusey, a detectorist for 30 years, confessed that he nearly didn’t go out the day he found it but, after an hour of a searching, received strong signal. He dug and down to about 10ins ever”. discovered his “best find from The 64-year-old van-driver watched the Haddenham, said: “I if the auction online and wondered its reserve, brooch would just make do quite well or do exceptionally It was an well. I was really pleased. exciting to exceptional result and so split 50/50 watch. The money will be and, when I split with the landowner he nearly fell went round to tell him, are having a over. Me and my wife Chinese to celebrate tonight.” outstanding Mr Hanson said: “It’s an an amazing and rare artefact, but because purchased The brooch, which was bidder, is by a private UK phone made from roughly T-shaped and is decorated cast copper-alloy. The front
– red with champlevé enamel pattern of glass – forming a flowing that curl opposed scrolls with tips like breaking waves. consultant Adam Staples, Historica said: at Hansons Auctioneers, were the “Horse brooches like this the elite. fashion statements of were Horse and chariot trappings
It’s highly prized possessions. hoards were unclear whether these or given as buried for safekeeping votive offerings to the Gods. “The size of this brooch, its prized status and quality make it unlikely to be a casual loss. It’s more probable that it was carefully placed in the ground. Buckinghamshire, where it was found, was once the territory of the Trinovantes and the most Catuvellauni, two of the in powerful and richest tribes Ancient Britain.” was The Chieftain chariot brooch Auction sold last week in an Historica in at Hansons Auctioneers Etwall. find and an incredible result. strong, I “With pre-sale interest but to see it thought it would do well a proud contested to £55,000 was to moment for me. I was inspired discovering work in this industry after the joy of metal detecting and the ancient treasures beneath our feet as a boy. It’s one of our best ever auction results – a wonderful moment for our Historica Department and for me personally. “The horse brooch would probably have belonged to a wealthy Celtic 1st chieftain in the mid it century AD making around 2,000 years old. Measuring a substantial 172mm x 128mm, horse brooches are thought to have been used with a blanket or caparison, a cloth covering for a horse. “The brooch would have been to pinned to the cloth cover the junction between strap and fabric. only rare, “Items like this are not There are they indicate high status. examples only a handful of known auctioned from Britain. The one we in its size was exceptional, not only landscape gardener and former Amazon delivery driver from Ashford, Middlesex, still can’t believe it. “I am very lucky,” he said, “especially because I might never have known about it if my father-in-law hadn’t bought a paper, and he doesn’t usually buy papers.
“I bought it at a car boot sale in Middlesex about two years ago, maybe longer. I can’t remember exactly. It was in a general box of old coins and bits of metal that I paid around £10 for. I never spend much at car boots but like to buy old coins and metal toy cars, that sort of thing.
“Something else actually took my eye in the box the harness mount was in. I had no idea what it was, or that it was so old and valuable. After reading the article, my father-in-law said it might be worth something so we took it to Hansons. When I heard the valuation I thought, this is not possible – it must be a joke. But I’ve done my internet research and now know all about its history. It’s by far the most important thing I’ve ever found at a car boot sale. It’s unbelievable.
“I can’t remember which car boot sale I found it at. Every weekend before lockdown, I would go to all the car boot sales in about a 20-mile radius of Ashford looking for things. I love history.
“It’s just been lying in a box in my garage for at least two years and that’s where it would still be if my father-in-law hadn’t picked up that newspaper when he went fishing. I don’t think he caught any fish that day but he discovered I’d hooked an amazing catch.”
Adam Staples, Hansons’ Historica consultant, said: “What an amazing car boot find. They don’t get much better than that. It’s an impressive example of a late Iron Age harness mount in very good condition considering its age. The Celtic artwork incorporates a subtly concealed animal face and I think there will be fierce competition for it at the auction.”
The late Iron Age harness mount is due to be sold on May 20 at Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall.