The beginner's luck of a young detectorist - a sword from the 17th century

Ten-year-old schoolboy Fionntan Hughes from Derrylaughan, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, was given a new Minelab Vanquish detector for his birthday and had great luck with it on his first day: He found a sword that was about 300 years old.

Little Fionntan had had a cheap children's detector for several years, but it didn't work very well, it was more like a toy. That's why he'd been begging his father for months to buy a new, full-size device. That came true on Wednesday, July 29, when he received a new metal detector for his 10th birthday. Together with his cousin and his father, they immediately went to try out the new present near their house.

That evening, Fionntan's detector initially had two signals, but both objects turned out to be "insignificant little things." The third signal, however, came from the discovery of a badly rusted gun from about 30 cm underground.t be until we cleaned it up a bit," Fionntan said, adding that he felt "pretty excited" when he realized it was a sword.

His father, Paul, was with his son when the find was made and made no secret of his joy, commenting that Fionntan was a lucky beginner. Mr Hughes told BBC News that he had no idea of the age of the artefact, but would definitely like to entrust it to experts so he could learn more about its origins. He explained that Fionntan had been asking for a metal detector for some time, which is why he decided last month to buy him just Minelab Vanquish, which is also suitable for children aged around ten and up, thanks to its customisable design and ease of use.

The family doesn't yet know the exact age or origin of the sword, but hopes the museum will take an interest in it. Confirming the age and type of weapon has been quite difficult due to the condition of the sword, but estimates by several antique dealers as well as military historians generally agree around the late 17th century. but some would date it to the early 19th century.

"The weapon is a basket sword used by English officers between 1720 and 1780, or it could bea Scottish sword from between 1700 and 1850," said Philip Spooner, an antique arms dealer with 30 years' experience. He said it is "most likely an English officer's sword" because of its ornate design.

Brothers Mark and David Hawkins, who have been in the antiques business for 55 years, explained that it is difficult to guess the age and determine the type of sword from photographs because of its condition: 'All that thick and rusty can easily exaggerate the shape and size of everything. However, we think it is probably an English sword with a sloping basket, flattened grating and a large pommel - typical of early types." According to dealers, this particular style began to appear between 1610 and 1640. However, because some design patterns were in use for more than 100 years, they said this sword may also be from the "late 17th to early 18th century."

Mr Hughes would need advice on how to handle and possibly conserve the artefact as he fears its condition is 'deteriorating by the day: "The last thing I want is to leave the sword rusting in my garage," he said, adding that he would prefer to see it in the hands of experts or on public display.

His 10-year-old son has no idea where the sword's next journey should go, but he's sure looking forward to more interesting finds...

Roman Nemec

Sources: bbc.com, mineleab.com, facebook,com, inews.co.uk