Amateur detectorist pretended to uncover ‘Roman horse’ he bought on eBay

A man who claimed to have unearthed a hugely significant Roman brooch while metal detecting has been jailed after admitting the artefact was actually bought on eBay.

Jason Price, 54, of Grantham, Lincolnshire, was paid £5,000 to display the fake artefact at a local museum, even though he had ordered it through eBay, Lincolnshire Police said.

Over several years, Price submitted a number of artefacts to Lincolnshire County Council under the Portable Antiquities Scheme, including Roman coins which were later found to be unauthentic.

Artefacts previously submitted by the amateur metal detectorist were also tested for their authenticity and concerns were raised with the police.

Further testing of Price’s submitted items found them to be modern reproductions with faux patina paint applied to make them look older.

Police said Price claimed he had discovered the 1,800-year-old horse brooch in a field near Leasingham in 2019.

Price, who had served in the Royal Navy, initially claimed he found the copper-alloy brooch under eight inches of soil during a charity event named Detecting for Veterans.

Known as the Leasingham horse brooch, the object was considered a significant find, displayed at The Collection Museum in Lincoln, and featured on Channel 4’s Great British History Hunters.

Under the Portable Antiquities Scheme, anyone who believes they have found a historical artefact can submit it to Lincolnshire County Council, where it is assessed and may be designated a national treasure or an artefact of historical importance.

In October 2020, Price reported he found a Roman Knee Brooch in Long Bennington, which is an area well known for Roman history. This was recorded as a treasure under the Treasure Act.

He also claimed to have found two Roman hoards, including a Bronze Age axe and figurines, but many of the items had actually been purchased online.

Price was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Lincoln Crown Court today after he admitted to four counts of fraud by false representation.

Police said he was ordered to pay £3,250 in compensation to Lincolnshire County Council, given a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days, and required to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

His fraudulent activities and claims risked damaging the reputation of the treasury process and heritage of the Roxholm, Haconby and Long Bennington areas.

Will Mason, head of culture at the county council said: ‘It’s incredibly sad and disappointing that anyone would choose to exploit Lincolnshire’s rich heritage in this way.

‘Thankfully, incidents like this remain rare due to the rigorous examinations carried out on objects before they are added to a museum’s collection.’

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