This unusual find, discovered by Ashley in the fields of Surrey, bears the portrait of a child with the inscription Mihai I Regele Romaniei, meaning “Michael I, King of Romania.” The piece relates to Michael I, one of Europe’s youngest monarchs, who first became king in 1927 at the age of six and later reigned again from 1940 until his forced abdication in 1947 under Soviet pressure.
Michael I is remembered for his courage during the Second World War, when in 1944 he led a coup that removed Romania’s pro-Nazi government and aligned the country with the Allies, an act which shortened the war in Europe and earned him international respect.
How such a medal ended up in rural Surrey is a mystery, but its discovery highlights the surprising variety of objects that can surface beneath the ploughsoil. Though not an ancient relic, it represents a fascinating piece of 20th-century European history.
And as it happens, Michael I is not the first Romanian the Bearded Bleepers have encountered. Murray’s faithful dog Woody, a Romanian rescue and an eager “top digger”, often joins the team on detecting days, helping sniff out a bit of buried treasure of his own.
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