Sale of 2,000-year-old relic makes Charles proud
AN ANCIENT relic dug up by a metal detectorist has sold at auction for tens of thousands of pounds.
The 2,000-year-old
Celtic chieftain’s chariot brooch, also known as a horse brooch, is an “outstandingly” rare object, and had a guide price of £6,000-£8,000. But in the sale by Etwallbased Hansons Auctioneers, an intense bidding battle took place ending up with a final hammer price of £55,000 – seven times its estimate.
The brooch, which is roughly T-shaped and made from cast copper-alloy, was purchased by a private UK phone bidder.
The result has been hailed as one of Hansons’ best ever by the firm’s owner Charles Hanson. He led the auction as four phone bidders battled to secure the unique object, which was found by detectorist Ray Pusey in his 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 searching, received a strong signal. He dug down to about 10ins and discovered his “best find ever”.
The 64-year-old van-driver, said: “I watched the auction online and wondered if the brooch would just make its reserve, do quite well or do exceptionally well. I was really pleased. It was an exceptional result and so exciting to watch. The money will be split 50/50 split with the landowner and, when I went round to tell him, he nearly fell over.
“Me and my wife are having a Chinese to celebrate tonight.”
Mr Hanson said: “It’s an outstanding and rare artefact, an amazing find and an incredible result. With pre-sale interest strong,
I thought it would do well but to see it contested to £55,000 was a proud moment for me. I was inspired to work in this industry after discovering 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 chieftain in the mid 1st century AD making it 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 pinned to the cloth to cover the junction between strap and fabric.
“Items like this are not only rare, they indicate high status. There are only a handful of known examples from Britain. The one we auctioned was exceptional, not only in its size but because of its state of preservation.”
The Chieftain chariot brooch was sold last week in Hansons’ Historica Auction.