Random wandering and recording finds

When I first started detecting my approach to detecting was to randomly pick a field on my permission and then randomly wander over it. These days I try to be a bit more methodical, whilst it's difficult given the permission isn't vast I realise it's better to know what parts you have and haven't covered.

I tried a bit more of a methodical approach yesterday for a few hours and after came upon a nice spot with a good range of items.  Amongst them were my nicest looking button to date and my oldest readable halfpenny from 1753. The key is a barrel tap key and the bent coin is a love token. I think the finds are all from about 1750 - 1880.

The more I detect on the permission the bigger the picture I get from it as there will be odd spots where for no obvious reason finds from a certain age will come up. I guess this is where learning more about archaeology comes into it. I appreciate by finding the items they won't be found again but if the landowner isn't interested in an archaeological dig then is it best just not to bother digging at all?

Perhaps before I started detecting I should have printed off a big map of the site and then I could have marked off what I had found where on the map. Hrm I think I will try to do that as can then mark off on the map the pictures of the finds linked to that area.

Oh yeah it was quite nice when the landowner said that his daughter had taken a little silver ring I had given to her class 'Show and Tell' and told them it was from their 'Treasure Hunter'!

Click the picture to enlarge.