Leeds metal detectorist spends two decades unearthing historical treasure

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Leeds metal detectorist spends two decades unearthing historical treasure

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/leeds-metal-detectorist-spends-two-decades-unearthing-historical-treasure-1-8710207

LAURA DRYSDALE Published: 13:44 Friday 18 August 2017

Each time his metal detector beeps, Michael Smith digs and digs in the hope of unearthing another piece of our county's history. From coins and brooches to medieval belts, his finds have made their way into museum exhibitions up and down the country.

And the thrill the 61-year-old, from Cottingley, gets every time he discovers a new item spurs him to keep going and uncover more of the region's treasures. "It's a great buzz knowing that someone has dropped this item years ago, and probably got back home and panicked that it was gone," he said. "It's some feeling knowing you are the first person to see or handle it for hundreds or thousands of years." Mr Smith, a chef by trade, began his hobby in the 1990s. His detecting equipment, worth around £1,400, helps filter out valuable or historical objects hidden underground.

Read more at: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/leeds-metal-detectorist-spends-two-decades-unearthing-historical-treasure-1-8710207