Father and son unearth mysterious ancient artefact on UK treasure hunt in once-in-a-lifetime discovery

When a dad and lad headed out for a bit of a bonding trip, they probably weren’t exactly expecting to make a once-in-lifetime discovery.

But Andrew and Arthur Geoghegan unearthed a mysterious ancient artefact when they went on a treasure hunt in the UK.

The father and his 12-year-old son had embarked on a trip in Lincolnshire with the intention of doing a bit of metal detecting, creating lasting memories, and having a chance to bond.

And they certainly ended up bagging quite the memory in finding a rare gold artefact, believed to date back to the Anglo-Saxon period.

They found it while on a bonding trip. (Andrew Geoghegan)

“Everything got really quiet and serious,” award-winning jewellery designer Andrew Geoghan recalled of the discovery.

“It was the last day of our trip, and the detector gave a low signal that usually means iron or modern scrap. But for some reason, I decided to dig - and as soon as I saw the gold glinting in the soil, my focus became razor-sharp. It was an incredible moment. A lost piece of history had just resurfaced.”

Shining from underground, the artefact measures just 2.5cm in height, but due to its gold colour is thought to be made of 20-23ct gold, making it ‘almost pure’.

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It features intricate twisted wire detailing and gold granulation patterns and appears to have originally been hollowed. However, thanks to centuries of being lost below ground, it was likely flattened out over time due to soil and plough pressure.

Experts are currently baffled over what it actually is; while there’s a chance it is a chape (the protective metal fitting from a dagger’s scabbard), it doesn’t actually fit the existing knowledge of this type of thing.

Andrew worked closely with one of his CAD designers to produce this rendered image of how it might have originally appeared before being squashed:

A CAD Reproduction of the Gold Relic. (Andrew Geoghegan)

Now, the incredible discovery is with the Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) where further analysis will be conducted.

And if it then ends up being classified as treasure under the Treasure Act 1996, it could be acquired by a museum for public display and study.

Enjoying being able to share his metal detecting hobby with his son and ‘enjoying the thrill of discovery’, this find is influencing Andrew's jewellery designs as he’s considering launching a unique engagement ring inspired by the find.

Andrew and Arthur’s expedition was made possible thanks to detectorist Martin Stokes and his organisation Digging History UK.

“Finds like this are incredible,” he said. “But what’s even more important is the community we build - whether it’s connecting with the past or supporting those who have served.”

Well, making a shiny gold connection with the past is certainly one way of bonding with your dad.