Focus on UK Metal Detecting: Doing it by the Book

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A metal detectorist asked me about one of the copper alloy objects in his collection:

"found this in lincolnshire in december, its lovely, would you say its a celtic wine spout paul? flo thinks post medieval but i think she is wrong, what do you think? it as been recorded already". 

I've had a couple of strainer bowl spouts in my hands in my time and said that in my opinion, this was not one of them, and asked what the PAS number was. I got a pretty revealing reply.

"DUR - 7D1704 would imagine you asked me that because you thought i do metal detecting illegally, well i can assure you i do it by the book , everything i find i record with my flo in accordance with the treasure act etc. i was thinking a spout off a wine vessel , FLO says its post medieval but i disagree". 

There is this constant confusion between legality and best practice. They are not the same thing.And reporting to the FLO is nothing to do with the Treasure Act.