My Ancestor Left an Heirloom: Hunting Family History and Genealogy Treasure Through Metal Detecting Finds

Did your ancestor leave an heirloom? In Europe, for well over one thousand years many people from all walks of life have been putting their names and other personal details on a variety of metal objects, to identify or be identified and to advertise trades or professions. In addition the crown, the armed forces and civilian institutions increasingly awarded medals and badges for service and merit.
There are many thousands of metal objects around engraved with personal details, any of which your ancestor, regardless of how humble, may have made, used or been awarded. In the United Kingdom (UK), there are some 30, 000 metal detectorists busily unearthing this ancestral metalwork, which is not only bringing to light countless thousands of lost or discarded items but spawning new and revised literature on the history and ancestry behind these metal objects.
This book will guide you every step of the way to discover:* The types of metal objects people in the past have made, used or been awarded.* Extensive sources of information on these artefacts and the people associated with them, many of which will be found by simply visiting your local library.* New lines of enquiry that can take family history research back into the mists of time.* How and where you may locate real antique items connected with your ancestors and experience the joy of owning and displaying tangible family history.* How to safely store metal objects so your heirlooms will survive for generations to come.* How to research family history in Britain.
Contents include:* Introduction * Orders of Chivalry * Medals and Badges * Seal Matrices * Heraldic Mounts and Pendants * Buttons * Makers' Marks and Plates * Spoons * Coins and Tokens * Locating 'Lost' Metal Objects * Finding Books * Safe Storage of Metal Heirlooms * A Guide to British Family History Research * A Brief Introduction to Metal Detecting