Hoard

The app serious detectorists
have been waiting for.

Identify any find
Photo-based ID in seconds — coins, brooches, buckles and beyond. Cross-referenced against the British Museum and the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Advanced research maps
LiDAR terrain, Roman roads, historic hoards, scheduled monuments, PAS finds and more — all in one place.

Dig logging & GPS
Track your route, log finds in the field, pin exact locations and build a complete session history.

Community
Share finds, see what detectorists across the UK are turning up, and climb the leaderboard.

How experienced are you?

This helps us tailor how we explain your results.

Please pick one to continue

How to get the best ID

Photo quality = result quality.

A blurry or dark photo gives a vague result. A sharp, well-lit photo gives you a catalogue reference, value range and legal status.

✔ DO THIS

Natural daylight
Plain background
Front AND back
Sharp focus

✘ AVOID

Camera flash
Messy background
One photo only
Blurry or dark

Clean it first. Soft toothbrush, plain water. Never chemicals or wire brushes — they damage the surface and cut value permanently.

Measure everything you can. Weight, diameter, any visible letters or markings. More information = higher accuracy.

Then hit Identify. Hoard cross-references the PAS, British Museum and specialist catalogues. Give it everything — it will do the rest.

What a great photo gets you

Here's a real identification — before you spend a single scan.

Example

Medieval Gold Finger Ring

A hoop ring of high-purity gold with an oval gemstone setting, of a type worn by the medieval gentry. The form and bezel are consistent with English workshops of the 13th–14th century.

Jewellery Medieval · c. 1200–1400 England Very high confidence ◆◆◆ Rare

EST. VALUE

£1,500 – £4,000

CATALOGUE REF

PAS · gold finger-ring

Potential Treasure. A single gold object over 300 years old is reportable under the Treasure Act — Hoard tells you exactly what to do next.

Every scan gives you the name, period, confidence, value range, catalogue reference and legal status — in seconds.

Research before you put the spade in

The same layered map tools archaeologists use — built for detectorists.

OS Historic Maps (1885 & 1888)
Field names, old trackways and lost settlements — invisible on modern maps.

LiDAR TerrainPRO

See buried earthworks and ditches completely invisible at ground level.

Roman Roads & Ancient TrackwaysPRO

Named Roman roads and ancient routes — the coin scatters follow them.

Soil Type, Crop Marks & HillfortsPRO

Understand what survives in the ground and why certain fields produce more.

Research Area ScorePRO

Drop a pin anywhere in the UK — Hoard scores the detecting potential out of 10.

Explore Areas of Historical InterestPRO

Hoard maps an optimised route based on historical data — cover the most productive ground.

From the map to the field — nothing lost

Hoard connects your research, your digs and your finds into one complete record.

Plan your dig.STANDARD

Score an area, save your research, create a Planned Dig — date, notes and checklist, all in one place.

Live GPS tracking.STANDARD

Hoard records your exact route as you walk. Every metre covered, every session saved.

Log in the field.STANDARD

Depth, soil type, signal strength and a quick photo — all pinned to the exact GPS location the moment you dig it.

Identify at home.
Clean it up, scan it properly — the result links back to the exact field pin. Nothing ever gets separated.

Share your finds.
Send your best discoveries straight to friends via WhatsApp, Facebook or SMS — with a beautiful Hoard find card.

Start free. Go Pro when you're ready.

Every serious detectorist ends up on Pro. Try it free for 14 days and see why.

Free £0 →

3 scans/month · Satellite map · Read community feed

Standard £5.99/mo →

30 scans · Historic maps · Dig log · Planned digs · Full community

★ Most Popular

Pro £14.99/mo →

✓ 75 scans/month

✓ LiDAR terrain

✓ Roman Roads

✓ Soil & Crop Marks

✓ Hillforts layer

✓ Research score

✓ Route optimiser

✓ Unlimited waypoints

14-day free Pro trial →

Try every Pro feature free for 14 days (10 scans) when you create your account. No card required.

Front of find

Back of find

Adds accuracy

Tips for best results

️Natural light, no flash

⬛Plain dark or light background

Front, back and edge shots

Close up on any markings

Place a modern coin or ruler next to it to show size

Clean off loose soil first

What is this?

Optional

Coin

Brooch

Buckle & Button

Ring & Jewellery

Military & Badge

Tool & Weapon

Lead Object

Not sure

Diameter in mm

Optional

Exact size eliminates guesswork —

Weight in grams

Optional

Exact weight improves accuracy by up to 40% on coins —

Any letters, words or marks?

Optional

Even a few letters, a maker's mark or a hallmark can pin down the maker, regiment or date

Add the reverse for coins — it names the mint & moneyer and is the key to accurate dating. You can still scan with one photo for a quick, lower-confidence ID.

Analysing your find...

Feel free to minimise the app or browse — your result will be waiting when you return.

Did you know?

Roman coins are the most commonly recorded find in the UK

Over 350,000 Roman coins have been recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, more than any other category of find.

tap to zoom

Estimated Value

–

Hoard's estimate is a guide, not gospel. For a true valuation, a specialist needs to see the find itself.

Condition

Historical Context

Value estimates and Treasure guidance are provided for information only, not as a professional valuation or legal advice.

Hoard is built by an NCMD member

Not signed in

Create a free account to back up your finds

Free Free

— of — scans used this month

— of — scans used today

Your plan (Free / Standard / Pro) and a Club subscription are separate. You can hold one of each at once, and changing one never touches the other. Switching within either one keeps a single subscription — you’re never double-billed.

	Free	Standard	Pro
Price	Free	£5.99/mo	£14.99/mo
Identifications	3/mo	30/mo	75/mo
Satellite + OS map	✓	✓	✓
Historic maps	—	✓	✓
Scheduled Monuments	✓	✓	✓
Historic Hoards	✓	✓	✓
PAS Finds	—	✓	✓
Dig Log + Planned Digs	—	✓	✓
LiDAR + Soil	—	—	✓
Roman Roads + Hillforts	—	—	✓
Research Area score	—	—	✓

Club subscription

A separate plan for detecting clubs — held independently of your own plan. £49/yr or £5.99/mo.

Experience Level

Hoard adjusts result detail to your level — plain English for beginners, technical terminology for experts.

Photography Tips

Raking light technique — improves worn coin accuracy dramatically ▼

Hold a torch or phone light almost parallel to your coin — at about 10 degrees to the surface. This creates shadows in the letters that make worn legends suddenly readable. It works best in a dark room.

Place your coin on a plain dark surface
Turn off overhead lights
Hold your torch at a very low angle — almost flat to the coin
Slowly rotate the light around the coin until letters appear
Photograph immediately and upload to Hoard

This single technique can turn an unreadable coin into an identifiable one. A £5 LED torch is all you need.

Tools & Guides

Tools, Guides & Planning

Research Area, Permission Letter, Know the Law, raking light guide, equipment

›

Location & Legal

Your country

Controls which legal rules appear after a scan

Privacy

Your dig locations are encrypted on your device before they're saved or backed up, so we can't read where you've been. A sealed backup copy of your encryption key is stored responsibly and stays untouched — we only ever use it if you ask us to help recover your locations.

Display

Currency

Used for estimated values

Depth units

For recording how deep a find was buried

Data

Help & Guide

Proud NCMD Member

National Council for Metal Detecting

Legal

Hoard — Metal Detecting Find Identifier

Get a Second Opinion

Think the ID is wrong? Here are your options.

Let's look again with fresh eyes

Re-analyse your photos from scratch, ignoring the first ID — specifically hunting for what it might actually be.

I know what this is

Tell us the correct identification and we'll look it up and fill in the full details automatically.

Ask the detectorist community

Post your photos to these specialist forums where experienced detectorists and archaeologists can help identify your find:

UK Detector Net — Facebook ID group↗ TreasureNet — Metal detecting experts↗ Metal Detecting UK Forum — ID help↗ r/metaldetecting on Reddit↗

Submit to official recording (UK)

The Portable Antiquities Scheme offers free expert identification by museum professionals, completely free and confidential:

Find your local Finds Liaison Officer↗ Submit a find to the PAS database↗

Clean the item first

Soil and corrosion hide detail needed to identify your find accurately.

Do: Gently brush off loose soil with a soft toothbrush. Rinse with plain water if needed.

Don't: Use chemicals, wire brushes, or anything abrasive: these can permanently damage the surface and reduce value.

Use good lighting

Lighting is the single biggest factor in photo quality for identification.

Best: Natural daylight near a window, soft and even with no harsh shadows.

Avoid: Camera flash (creates glare on metal), direct sunlight (harsh shadows), and dark rooms.

Use a plain background

A cluttered background reduces accuracy. Keep it simple.

Good choices: White paper, dark cloth, or plain soil.

Rule of thumb: If your item is dark (corroded iron, dark bronze), use a light background. If it's light (silver, pale alloy), use a dark background.

Fill the frame & angle well

Get close and make the item the whole photo.

Distance: The item should fill at least 70% of the frame.

Angle: Start with a straight top-down shot. Then try a slight tilt to show any raised lettering, inscriptions, or relief detail.

Tip: Take 2–3 photos from different angles and pick the sharpest one.

Ready to re-scan

Follow those steps and you should get a much more accurate identification. Tap below when you're ready.

Quick checklist:
☐ Item cleaned
☐ Natural light, no flash
☐ Plain background
☐ Item fills the frame
☐ Photo is in focus

Hoard Trusted Buyers

✓ Verified

All buyers are vetted and pay competitive prices.

TimeLine Auctions ✓ Hoard Verified

London-based specialist in ancient and medieval coins, jewellery, and artefacts. Free valuations, transparent commission. Trusted by detectorists for over 15 years.

Noonans (formerly Dix Noonan Webb) ✓ Hoard Verified

Premier numismatic auctioneers specialising in British coins, tokens, and militaria. Offers include post-sale guarantee and expert cataloguing.

Are you a dealer? Apply to be listed →

What does your coin look like?

Select the metal, then tap the closest match

Every coin below is shown at its real size

Match it to your screen once and you can hold any find right up to the glass to compare — the next best thing to having it in your hand.

↻ Tap any coin image to flip it over and see the back

Stater

Iron Age — before Roman Britain · Abstract horse or wreath, no portrait

~17 mm · ~5.5 g

Quarter Stater

Iron Age — pre-Roman · A quarter the size of a full stater

~14 mm · ~1.4 g

Roman

Late Roman gold · Solidus or aureus · high-relief imperial bust

~21 mm · ~4.5 g

Noble

Late medieval — Edward III onwards · The largest gold here · King standing in a SHIP

~34 mm · ~7.7 g

Angel

Late medieval to Tudor · Archangel St Michael spearing a dragon · ship on the reverse

~30 mm · ~5.1 g

Sovereign

Georgian to modern · St George and the dragon, milled edge

~22 mm · ~8.0 g

Half Sovereign

Georgian to modern · Half-size sovereign

~19 mm · ~4.0 g

Guinea

1663–1814 · Milled gold, laureate bust

~25 mm · ~8.4 g

Unite

Stuart — James I & Charles I · Crowned armoured BUST (no ship, no archangel)

~30 mm · ~9.0 g

Laurel

James I · Laureate 'laurel-wreath' BUST, like a Roman emperor (no ship)

~30 mm · ~9.0 g

Roman Denarius / Siliqua

Roman silver · Denarius (laureate bust, thin flan) or later Siliqua (thinner, often clipped at the edge)

~18–19 mm · ~2–3.5 g

Anglo-Saxon silver penny

Dark Ages — before the Normans · Crude facing portrait, thin

~20 mm · ~1.3 g

Medieval hammered — Short Cross penny

Early medieval — King John era · Cross stops before edge

~19 mm · ~1.4 g

Medieval hammered — Long Cross penny

Medieval — Edward I to Edward III · Cross reaches coin edge

~19 mm · ~1.4 g

Medieval hammered — Silver farthing

Medieval — Edward I to Edward III · Smallest of the four (~11mm), plain long-cross design

~11 mm · ~0.3 g

Medieval hammered — Silver groat

Fourpence · Edward III to Henry VIII · Largest of the four (~27mm), facing portrait

~27 mm · ~3.0 g

Half Groat

Twopence · Mid-size (~18mm) — bigger than a penny, smaller than a groat

~18 mm · ~1.5 g

Silver Halfpenny

Tiny medieval silver · ~13mm, long-cross — just bigger than a silver farthing

~13 mm · ~0.4 g

Silver Threepence

Tudor to Victorian · Tiny silver, often a milled '3'

~16 mm · ~1.4 g

Tudor or Stuart hammered

Sixpence or Shilling · Tudor and Stuart period

~28 mm · ~6.0 g

Early modern milled silver

Georgian and Victorian era · Perfectly circular, ridged edge

~30 mm · ~11 g

Modern decimal silver-coloured

Modern decimal — after 1971 · 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p

18–27 mm · 3–8 g

Roman Bronze/Copper

Late Roman small bronze · Nummus, Constantinian, AE3 / AE4 · green patina, imperial bust, soldiers or standards reverse

~15–22 mm · ~2–3 g

Georgian Halfpenny

1700s–1800s · Copper, Britannia seated

~29 mm · ~10 g

Victorian Penny

1800s · Large copper, Britannia / Bun head

~31 mm · ~9.4 g

Victorian Halfpenny

1860 onwards · Bronze, smaller than the penny

~25 mm · ~5.7 g

Roman As

Roman bronze · Larger denomination, brown patina

~27 mm · ~10 g

Cartwheel Penny

1797 only · Huge, heavy, broad raised rim

~36 mm · ~28 g

Farthing

Copper farthing · Small, Britannia

~22 mm · ~4.7 g

Victorian Farthing

Victorian bronze · Young/old head, Britannia seated

~20 mm · ~2.8 g

Roman Follis

Early 4th-C large bronze · Thick flan, Genius / camp gate

~25 mm · ~6 g

Roman Sestertius

Large Roman brass · Sharp portrait, big flan

~32 mm · ~25 g

Roman Dupondius

Roman brass · Radiate bust, smaller than a sestertius

~27 mm · ~12 g

Jetton (Nuremberg)

Reckoning counter · Garbled legend, Rose/Orb or ship, no real portrait

~25 mm · ~2.5 g

Trade Token

17th-C · Local merchant issue, name & town

~16 mm · ~1.0 g

Conder Token

1787–1797 · Provincial token, finely engraved

~29 mm · ~10 g

Farthing Token

17th-C farthing token · Small tradesman's issue

~16 mm · ~1.0 g

Roman Radiate

Antoninianus · Radiate (spiked) crown

~22 mm · ~3.5 g

Gaming Counter

Spade-guinea or counter · Imitates a coin, not legal tender

~25 mm · ~5 g

Photo tips

The clearer your photo, the more accurate your result.

GOOD ✔

Clear · sharp · well lit

AVOID ✘

Dark · blurry · flash

GOOD ✔

Clear · sharp · well lit

AVOID ✘

Dark · blurry · flash

GOOD ✔

Clear · sharp · well lit

AVOID ✘

Dark · blurry · flash

Clean your camera lens before shooting
Tap your find on screen to focus before shooting
Use natural light — never use flash
Blurry photos will significantly reduce accuracy

How we estimate value

Hoard's valuations are drawn from:

TimeLine Auctions and Noonans realised prices
Published specialist price guides including Seaby, Abramson, and North
Portable Antiquities Scheme database records

The range is also weighted by how confident we are in the identification — a less certain ID gives a wider range. Everyday finds (musket balls, plain buttons, worn copper) are marked Common find and valued conservatively.

Estimates are indicative only and should not be relied upon as a formal valuation. Actual sale prices vary significantly by condition, provenance, and market conditions at time of sale.

Research & Planning

Permission Letter

Generate a professional landowner letter

›

Know the Law

Scheduled Monuments, Treasure Act, countryside code

›

Reporting a Find

Treasure Act duties and voluntary PAS recording, step by step

›

Photography & Technique

Raking Light Guide ▼

Place your coin on a plain dark surface
Turn off overhead lights
Hold your torch at a very low angle — almost flat to the coin
Slowly rotate the light around the coin until letters appear
Photograph immediately and upload to Hoard

This single technique can turn an unreadable coin into an identifiable one. A £5 LED torch is all you need.

10x Jeweller's Loupe £8–15 ▼

Read partial legends on hammered coins. Even 3 letters changes everything.

Transforms hammered coin accuracy

View on Amazon →

Digital Vernier Caliper £10–15 ▼

Measure diameter to 0.1mm. Eliminates denomination confusion entirely.

Exact size improves accuracy significantly

View on Amazon →

Digital Pocket Scales 0.01g £8–12 ▼

Weigh to 0.01g. A penny weighs 1.3g. A groat weighs 4g.

Exact weight narrows coin type instantly

View on Amazon →

Delicate Cleaning Brushes £2–5 ▼

Remove loose soil before photographing. Never use metal or stiff bristles.

Reveals surface detail that changes identifications

View on Amazon →

Narrow LED Torch £5–10 ▼

For raking light technique. Any narrow beam torch works.

Makes worn legends readable

View on Amazon →

Hoard Measurement Card Coin size gauge ▼

Place your coin on the card. Hoard reads the diameter automatically from your photo.

Eliminates manual measurement

View coin gauge cards on Amazon →

Field Scan results

Research this area?

00:00

0 finds

LiDAR view

Sun direction

Sun height

Exaggerate bumps

Zoom in close to see your changes.

Crop health (NDVI)

Sentinel-2 satellite · 10 m detail, blended

Month

Colours

0 · bare soil1 · lush crop

Colour range starts at

Colour range ends at

Zoom in close to see the squares.

Layers

MAP STYLE — ONE AT A TIME

Find a layer

My Finds

Your logged finds

Historic Hoards

Known hoard sites

PAS finds

Recorded finds per 1 km square

Scheduled Monuments

Detecting is illegal here

Roman Roads PRO

Main and secondary routes

Crop Marks PRO

Buried shapes from aerial survey

Hillforts PRO

Neolithic to Roman forts

Ancient Trackways

Ridgeway, drove roads, hollow ways

Old place names

Telling names from 1900 maps

Battlefields

Extra care and permission needed

Listed Buildings

Old buildings — zoom in close

Historic Parks & Gardens

Old estates and grounds

Watercourses

Rivers, streams and canals

Flood Zones

Old flood plains

Parish Boundaries

Boundary sites are productive

Detecting & the Law

Scheduled Monuments

It is a criminal offence to use a metal detector on a Scheduled Monument without consent from Historic England. Penalties include an unlimited fine and up to 6 months imprisonment.

Scheduled Monuments are legally protected archaeological sites under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The protection applies to the land surface and below ground.

If you discover you are on a Scheduled Monument, stop detecting immediately and leave the site without digging further.

Historic England: Scheduled Monument Consent ↗

Permission & the Countryside Code

You must always have the landowner's written permission before detecting. Detecting on land without permission is trespass and may be a criminal offence under the Theft Act 1968.

Always follow the Countryside Code ↗: respect the land, fill your holes, leave gates as you find them.

Reporting Finds

All finds of potential archaeological or historical interest should be reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) ↗ via your local Finds Liaison Officer.

Treasure (gold, silver, prehistoric base-metal hoards) must be reported to the local coroner within 14 days under the Treasure Act 1996. Failure to report is a criminal offence.

PAS: Treasure Reporting ↗

Good Practice

Follow the National Council for Metal Detecting Code of Conduct ↗. Record context (depth, soil type, location) for every find — this is what Hoard is for.

Reporting a Find

A checklist for reporting responsibly

This is a general checklist, not legal advice, and it cannot tell you whether a find is treasure. If you are unsure, contact your local Finds Liaison Officer or the coroner, and read the official guidance linked below.

Treasure — a legal duty

Some finds are legally treasure under the Treasure Act 1996. Reporting these is a legal requirement, not a choice. Whether a find is treasure depends on its age, material and what else was found with it — check the official definition and ask your Finds Liaison Officer if you are unsure. Do not decide for yourself.

I have checked the official definition of treasure to see whether it may apply to my find. If it may be treasure, I have reported it to the coroner for the area where I found it within 14 days of finding it — or within 14 days of realising it might be treasure. I have not cleaned, conserved or altered the find. I have kept a record of exactly where and when I found it.

PAS: what counts as treasure ↗

GOV.UK: report treasure ↗

Voluntary recording with the PAS

Finds that are not treasure do not have to be reported, but recording them with the Portable Antiquities Scheme is strongly encouraged. It adds your find to the public archaeological record for everyone — and it is completely separate from the legal treasure duty above.

I have recorded the findspot as accurately as I can — ideally an 8-figure grid reference or what3words. I have noted the depth, the date found and a short description. I have photographed the find. I have contacted my local Finds Liaison Officer to record it.

PAS: find your local Finds Liaison Officer ↗

Hoard does not judge whether a find is treasure and this checklist does not replace official guidance. When in doubt, always ask your Finds Liaison Officer.

The complete toolkit for UK metal detectorists

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How experienced are you?

How to get the best ID

What a great photo gets you

Research before you put the spade in

From the map to the field — nothing lost

Start free. Go Pro when you're ready.

Analysing your find...

Roman coins are the most commonly recorded find in the UK

Estimated Value

Condition

Historical Context

Your Hoard is empty

Collection Overview

Finds by Category

Finds by Time Period

Get a Second Opinion

Let's look again with fresh eyes

I know what this is

Ask the detectorist community

Submit to official recording (UK)

Looking again with fresh eyes...

Alternative Identifications

Hoard is still not certain.

Clean the item first

Use good lighting

Use a plain background

Fill the frame & angle well

Ready to re-scan

Hoard Trusted Buyers

Hold a coin to your screen

Add the back for the most accurate ID

Let's help narrow it down

How we estimate value

Layers

Tester access

How happy are you with Hoard?

How experienced are you?

How to get the best ID

What a great photo gets you

Research before you put the spade in

From the map to the field — nothing lost

Start free. Go Pro when you're ready.

Analysing your find...

Roman coins are the most commonly recorded find in the UK

Estimated Value i

Condition

Historical Context

Your Hoard is empty

Collection Overview

Finds by Category

Finds by Time Period

All Finds

Description

Historical Context

Estimated Value

Condition

Reference Sources

Find Location

My Notes

Update Identification

Get a Second Opinion

Let's look again with fresh eyes

I know what this is

Ask the detectorist community

Submit to official recording (UK)

Looking again with fresh eyes...

Alternative Identifications

Hoard is still not certain.

Clean the item first

Use good lighting

Use a plain background

Fill the frame & angle well

Ready to re-scan

Share your find

Hoard Trusted Buyers

Hold a coin to your screen

Add the back for the most accurate ID

Let's help narrow it down

How we estimate value

Layers

Tester access

How happy are you with Hoard?

Estimated Value