A metal detectorist found a gold coin in a field in September 2021 that sold for £540,000 at an auction in Devon… yes, right here in Devon.
The First Gold Coin Of Its Kind To Be Found In 260 years
Micheal Leigh-Mallory found the rare gold coin on his first metal detecting search in more than ten years, having given up the hobby near Hemyock, Devon. He said that “this was my first piece of gold, and I was in a state of shock.”
(Image source: bbcnews.com)
The gold coin was minted in 1257 whilst Henry III was king. The obverse design features a bearded and crowned Henry III on the throne, and the reverse shows a long cross and roses. At the time, a coin like this would have been worth the equivalent of £60 in today’s money.
It is thought that the coin belonged to a former lord of the manor, John de Hyden. Six months before the coin was minted, De Hyden had paid the king 120g of gold to avoid jury service and public office. Later he served a military campaign in Wales, where he may have received some gold coins.
The auctioneers said that the UK buyer of the coin wants it to be shown at a museum, along with the other seven of them that are known to exist.
A big congratulations to Micheal Leigh-Mallory!
Source: BBC News
