An Edinburgh man who has built up a strong social media following after going out with his metal detector and unearthing precious objects, says some of his relics are on show at National Museum of Scotland.
Sean McMahon, or Edinburgh Detecting, as he goes by on TikTok, has started to build quite the following as he takes his pet bulldog into fields all over the city and the Lothians to see what he can, quite literally, dig up.
With some of his pinned videos gathering over 15,000 likes, Sean, from the Shandon area of Edinburgh, loves getting out and about, finding coins that are over 700 years old.
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Sean heads out with his trusty Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector and also visits various other spots in the UK, saying that there are hundreds of fellow detecting enthusiasts and they're all looking to "strike it rich."
Sean, 47, said: "I usually unearth some interesting relics, some are with the National Museum of Scotland at the moment. "But it takes a lot of time and patience. As a member of Scotland’s oldest club, Scottish Detecting Club, we do things the correct and legal way by making sure we detect land that permission has been gained from the landowner and that we’re not looking around Scheduled Monuments.
"We follow the NCMD code of conduct to ensure we do not leave any mess, do not disturb live ammunition, livestock or crops. I cannot stress this enough.
"The hobby helps me get out and about and see the country with my wife and often we will bring along our pet bulldog for some fresh air and exercise. I started a few years ago but the lockdown reignited my passion for getting back out. I was fed up of watching Gold Rush and River Hunters on TV and thought I should be back out there."
When asked the usual questions such as: what have you found and how old was it, Sean recalls a Roman and Saxon coin, with the silver hammered coins always being a welcomed sight. The thought of finding a coin that hasn't been touched for over 700 years won't quite strike as a buzz to everyone, but it certainly does with Sean.
He added: "I have a prized Edward I silver penny that I found in Kirknewton that is stunning, but these can be few and far between if you haven’t got the right permissions. This is why I joined the club and also tour around the UK visiting other events and clubs with friends from Dundee, Glasgow and the Lothians. Last Sunday we were on the outskirts of Edinburgh and next week in Knaresborough, York. It’s can be very sociable, especially with weekend rally events being held across the UK.
"This past Sunday, I found nine coins here in Edinburgh, three being toasted, meaning no detail remained. One was a John V, Portuguese Reis coin from the 1730’s, a Hibernian (Irish) George III Penny from around 1775, a George III Penny from 1799, a Victorian penny from 1863, a half pence from 1971 and a very unusual Princess of Wales coin which is unusually not dated but I would place it around 1795.
"It’s not just coins, we regularly find bullets, musket balls, thimbles, buckles and lots and lots of buttons. There’s also the rubbish, old pieces of iron, tin and lead. It helps removing these from the ground and putting into the recycling centres, we usually come away with ten times as much rubbish as we do finds, so we’re doing our bit for the environment."
Sean concluded by saying he has a good feeling about this year, adding that sometimes, a hoard or gold coin can be unearthed and he feels that soon, it will be his turn to find such a precious treasure.
Sean goes live on his channel, Edinburgh Detecting, every Sunday on TikTok and also uploads videos of his most treasured finds on his YouTube channel.
Sean's TikTok and YouTube channels can be found below:
TikTok Channel: www.tiktok.com/@edinburghdetecting
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNivb6_VotE0EaILoZzoCTw
