Nurse finds coin from pandemic back in 1351

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Metal detectorist David Lowe and, inset, the 14th century half groat he found

AN NHS worker had some welcome relief from the pandemic by unearthing a coin 670 years old.

Metal detectorist David Lowe, 55, stumbled across the “weirdly relevant” find which was made shortly after the Black Death.

The nurse spent hours scouring a farmer’s field near Rothbury, Northumberland, on his birthday.

He said experts have estimated the 14th century half groat was minted in London between 1351 and 1361, during the era of Edward III.

The Bubonic plague, which ended in Europe around 1351, killed as many as 200 million people.

It remains the deadliest pandemic in human history and David believes it’s fitting he found the historic item in the midst of the Covid lockdown – nearly seven centuries later.

David said: “After we’ve had the ease of lockdown we’re now able to go out metal detecting.

“After five hours, I got a signal among an area of trash. I thought it was going to be rubbish again but the next minute, this nice little coin popped up. It said Edward III on it.

“It was great and it is significant that the Black Death was around the time this was lost.

“To actually find it, 670 years later during another pandemic is quite weirdly relevant, really.

“What was happening in that era is happening now. It was linking two completely different centuries with similar sorts of things that we’ve got going now.”

David has been able to keep the coin after offering it to the landowner, and because it was only a single find.

He added: “It’s just nice to find something relevant and it was quite an unusual find.”

An online retailer recently sold a similar coin for £120.