Gardeners strike lucky with treasure troves
While pandemic restrictions proved generally stressful or problematic, some homeowners have struck lucky when overhauling their gardens.
When pulling out weeds in their New Forest plot, one Hampshire couple discovered a hoard of 63 gold coins and 1 silver coin, dating from the late 15th to early 16th centuries. The trove included four coins from Henry VIII’s reign, unusually featuring the initials of his wives Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour. Experts are not yet clear as to whether this was a ‘saving hoard’ regularly deposited into or if the coins were buried all at once. In Milton Keynes, 50 modern South African Krugerrand 1oz solid gold coins were found by chance. Minted by the Rand Refinery in Germiston in the 1970s, the circumstances as to how they ended up in Milton Keynes and why they were buried remains a mystery.
The finds are being administered by the British Museum through its Portable Antiquities Scheme.