It isn't often that a couple finds treasure while embarking on a home remodeling project. In fact, typically, home renovations cost a fortune rather than the reverse. But timing really is everything sometimes! Here is one such time.
When homeowners in Northern England began transforming the kitchen of their 18th-century property in July 2019, the couple finds a soda-can-sized cup filled with gold coins!
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Underneath the concrete and old floorboards, the small earthenware cup held more than 260 coins dating from 1610 to 1727. That's quite a discovery!
Couple Finds Hidden Treasure Under Kitchen Floor
Unsure of what they'd unearthed, the couple sought the help of London-based auctioneer Spink & Son. Auctioneer Gregory Edmund told CNN, "It is a wonderful and truly unexpected discovery from so unassuming a find location. This find of 264 coins is also one of the largest on archaeological record from Britain, and certainly for the 18th century period.”
The coins the couple found date back to the reigns of James I to George I. Though most of the coins in the collection were not particularly significant at the time, two were quite unusual. One, a 1720 George I guinea, has a minting defect.
The coin is missing the king's head and has two tail sides instead! The other is a Brazilian coin that was circulating in England at the same time. Unique or not, such a large number of coins dating so far back brings more than just a pretty penny!
Hidden Treasure Makes For An Interesting Find
It is likely that the treasure trove was buried by one-time homeowners of the property, Joseph and Sarah Fernley-Maisters. Married in 1694, the two were members of one of the most influential families in the area. Traders of iron ore, coal, and timber, several family members served in parliament, and Joseph became a real estate mogul.
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According to Gregory Edmund, it is evident that the Fernley-Maisters lacked confidence in the new Bank of England, choosing to hold onto the gold coins. What's not clear is why they remained hidden just below the surface of the home for so long!
We may never know the answer to that question. But, there is one thing that the current owners do know. The 1996 Treasure Law states that any gold or silver coin produced more than 300 years before it is found becomes government property. In such cases, the finder is entitled only to a fair market price.
However, the coins the couple found -The Ellerby Hoard-were all with the exception of one single coin minted approximately 292 years ago! That means they can be auctioned off!
Spink & Son will sell the coins next month at auction, and they are expected to bring between $250,000 and $300,000! Who knows? Big box home stores across England may have a very good season!
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Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Matthew 6:19
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h/t: Good News Network
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