It’s not every day that a couple discovers riches while working on a home improvement project. In reality, home improvements usually cost more than they save. But timing is everything at times! Here’s an example. When homeowners in Northern England started renovating their 18th-century home’s kitchen in July 2019, they discovered a soda-can-sized cup full with gold coins!
The little ceramic cup under the concrete and ancient floorboards had more than 260 coins dated from 1610 to 1727. That’s quite the find! Unsure of what they’d discovered, the couple enlisted the assistance of Spink & Son, a London-based auctioneer. “It is a great and very surprising finding from such an ordinary find site,” auctioneer Gregory Edmund told CNN. This 264-coin discovery is also one of the biggest on British archaeological record, and definitely for the 18th century.”
The coins discovered by the pair date from the periods of James I through George I. Though the most of the coins in the collection were unimportant at the time, two were rather rare. One of these, a 1720 George I guinea, shows a minting flaw. The coin lacks the king’s head and instead has two tail sides! The other is a Brazilian coin that was in circulation at the same period in England. Whether unique or not, such a big number of coins going back so long delivers more than just a gorgeous penny!
The rich trove was most likely buried by the property’s former owners, Joseph and Sarah Fernley-Maisters. When they married in 1694, they came from one of the most powerful families in the region. Traders in iron ore, coal, and lumber, numerous members of the family served in parliament, and Joseph became a real estate magnate. According to Gregory Edmund, the Fernley-Maisters chose to keep the gold coins because they lacked faith in the new Bank of England.
It’s unclear why they stayed buried just under the surface of the house for so long! The solution to that question may never be known. However, the present owners are aware of one fact. According to the 1996 Treasure Law, every gold or silver coin made more than 300 years before it is discovered becomes government property. In such circumstances, the finder is simply entitled to a reasonable market price.
The coins the couple discovered – The Ellerby Hoard – were all produced roughly 292 years ago, with the exception of one solitary coin! That implies they can be sold at auction Spink & Son will auction off the coins next month, and they are projected to fetch between $250,000 and $300,000! Who can say? Big box home retailers in the United Kingdom may have a very nice season!