The British Museum has reported record levels of historical discoveries. People found more than 47,000 objects with metal detectors. Many people go out in the countryside to try and find old coins and other treasure. More people have been metal detecting because of the coronavirus. Metal detecting is a hobby where social distancing is easy. People have been recording their discoveries on an app on the museum's website. The U.K. Culture Minister said: "It is brilliant to see the [app] growing from strength to strength during lockdown thanks to garden discoveries and digital reporting."
The museum said people have found many exciting things. Perhaps the best find among the new discoveries are coins. One of the finds contained 50 South African solid gold coins northwest of London. Another find contained gold coins and one silver coin with the faces of British kings. Experts say these coins were buried in the 16th century. Another find was from ancient Roman furniture. It had the face of the god Oceanus on it and dates to AD 43-200. The museum said the app, "ensures finds, important for understanding Britain's past, are not lost but instead recorded".