The find was made under unfortunate circumstances. The site had been recently cleared for building work, and the finder was using a metal-detector without the knowledge and permission of the owners of the site. The discovery was made late on a November day, in failing light. The finder recovered the material in great haste, probably overlooking some small items, because he knew he had no legal right to search in that area. He did not, as the law requires, report his discovery to the authorities. Instead, he unwisely attempted to sell the objects he had found to private buyers.