How to identify metal detecting finds in England
Last updated: 17 October 2026
The best way to identify a find is to combine your own research with expert help. Compare it against the Portable Antiquities Scheme's database of nearly two million recorded objects, ask the detecting community for a steer — and for anything you can't place, or that might be important, take it to your Finds Liaison Officer, who identifies finds for free. Two rules throughout: record and photograph it first, and never clean a find to "see it better".
In short
- Identifying finds is a mix of your own research and expert help — rarely one on its own.
- The Portable Antiquities Scheme database (finds.org.uk) is the best free tool — nearly two million recorded objects, with photos, to compare against.
- Photograph the find first — both sides, with something for scale — and note where it came from.
- Never clean a find to identify it. Cleaning can destroy the very detail that identifies it, and it can't be undone.
- The detecting community (clubs, forums) gives a quick steer, but it isn't authoritative — verify before you trust it.
- Your Finds Liaison Officer is the expert, and identifies finds for free — the route for anything old, unusual or important.
- Anything that might be treasure goes to your FLO regardless — it must be reported within 14 days.
Can you identify a find yourself?
Often, yes — at least partly. A lot of common finds (a Victorian penny, a musket ball, a buckle, a buckle fragment) can be placed with a bit of research and a good reference to compare against. But "identify" has levels: working out roughly what and when something is, you can usually do yourself; a precise, reliable identification — the one that matters for a record, a museum or a potential treasure case — is a job for a specialist. The sensible approach is to do your own homework first, then take anything old, unusual or important to the expert.
Where to get a find identified
There are a few routes, and they aren't equally reliable. Use them together, strongest last:
| Route | Good for | How reliable |
|---|---|---|
| The PAS database (finds.org.uk) | Comparing your find against the national record — nearly two million objects, with photos. | High — but self-matching still takes care. |
| The detecting community (clubs, forums, social media) | A quick steer, especially on common types. | Mixed — helpful, not authoritative; verify it. |
| Your Finds Liaison Officer | A definitive identification, free — and recording the find. | Highest — FLOs are specialists. |
| A museum curator or subject specialist | Rare, complex or significant finds. | Highest for their field. |
Start with the PAS database
The single best free tool is the Portable Antiquities Scheme database at finds.org.uk/database. It holds the records of nearly two million objects found by the public across England and Wales — most with photographs — and you can search by object type, material, period and area. Find a few recorded examples that match yours and you've usually got your answer, or at least the right era and name to search further. Because the records were made by FLOs, it's a far more reliable reference than a random image search.
Photograph it first — and don't clean it
Before you do anything else, photograph the find as it is: both sides, in good light, with a coin or a ruler beside it for scale, and make a note of where it came from. Good photos are what let you compare it to the database, show it to the community, or send it to your FLO without handling it further.
And resist the urge to clean it to "see it better". Cleaning can strip away the very surface detail — the design, the lettering, the patina — that identifies a find, and it can't be undone. If it's caked in soil, let it dry and lift that off with a soft brush, nothing more. Our guide to cleaning finds (and when not to) covers this properly.
Asking the community — carefully
Detecting clubs, forums and social-media groups are a friendly, fast way to get a steer on a find, and often someone will recognise a common type in seconds. Treat it as a pointer, not a verdict: identifications online vary in quality, confident answers can be wrong, and you'll sometimes be told to clean a find in ways you shouldn't. Use the community to narrow it down, then confirm anything that matters against the database or with your FLO.
Your Finds Liaison Officer is the expert
For a definitive identification — and for anything old, unusual, or potentially important — the expert is your local Finds Liaison Officer. FLOs are specialists who identify and record finds for the public free of charge, and they can tell you what something is, roughly when it dates to, and whether it needs a conservator or counts as treasure. Anything that might be treasure must go to them regardless, and be reported within 14 days. Our guide to Finds Liaison Officers and recording with the PAS explains how to find yours and what recording involves, and the metal detecting laws page covers the treasure duty.
Record the find, then identify it
Identification starts with a good record. Muld keeps a private find journal on your own phone — photograph each find where you found it, with its position and your notes — so you have exactly what you need to compare it to the database or show your FLO later. Muld doesn't identify finds for you, and it doesn't report to the Portable Antiquities Scheme — it's your own field record, kept until you choose to share it. The core app is free.
Common questions
How do I identify a metal detecting find?
Photograph it first — both sides, with something for scale — and don't clean it. Then compare it against the Portable Antiquities Scheme database at finds.org.uk, which holds nearly two million recorded objects with photos. The detecting community can give a quick steer, but for a reliable identification, or anything old or important, take it to your local Finds Liaison Officer, who identifies finds for free.
Where can I get metal detecting finds identified for free?
Your local Finds Liaison Officer identifies and records finds for the public free of charge — they're the expert route. You can also compare a find yourself, for free, against the Portable Antiquities Scheme database at finds.org.uk. Avoid paid "valuation" services for identification; the free, authoritative help is the FLO and the national database.
Should I clean a find before trying to identify it?
No. Cleaning can strip away the surface detail — design, lettering, patina — that actually identifies a find, and it's irreversible. If a find is caked in soil, let it dry and lift that off gently with a soft brush, and photograph it as it is. Leave real cleaning to a conservator, and never clean anything that might be treasure.
What is the PAS database and can it help me identify a find?
Yes — it's the best free tool. The Portable Antiquities Scheme database (finds.org.uk) is the national record of finds made by the public in England and Wales: nearly two million objects, most with photographs, searchable by type, material, period and area. Finding recorded examples that match yours usually gives you the name, era and the detail to go on.
How do I know if my find is valuable?
Identify it first, then ask. Most finds have historical interest rather than high monetary value, and value depends on type, rarity and condition. If a find might be treasure, value isn't the point — it must be reported to the coroner within 14 days, and a committee assesses any reward. For ordinary finds, your FLO can tell you what it is; be wary of unsolicited "valuations", and never clean a find to make it look more valuable.
What should I do if I can't identify a find?
Take it to your Finds Liaison Officer. That's exactly what they're there for — a find that's heavily worn, corroded, fragmentary or simply unusual is often beyond self-identification, and an FLO can place it or send it to a specialist. Keep it as found, keep your photos and findspot note, and don't be tempted to clean it in the meantime.
Official sources
This page points you to the authoritative, mostly free routes to identifying a find — it isn't an identification service itself. For anything important, the Portable Antiquities Scheme and your Finds Liaison Officer are the people to ask.
- Portable Antiquities Scheme — the database The national record of public finds in England and Wales — searchable, with photos, to compare your find against.
- Find your local Finds Liaison Officer The free, expert route to identifying and recording a find.
- GOV.UK — Treasure Why a potentially-treasure find must go to your FLO and be reported within 14 days.
- Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales Recording finds and good practice, published by the Portable Antiquities Scheme.