MORE ON FINDING THE HENRY III GOLD PENNY

 

A metal detectorist who gave up his hobby when he started a family, only to return to it when his children were old enough to nag him into taking them out detecting with him, has been rewarded with one of the most extraordinary finds – a fine example of England's oldest gold coin, which has sold for a record-breaking £648,000 at auction.

He will split the proceeds of the find with the landowner and plans to use his windfall to help fund the future education of his children, history-loving 13-year-old Emily, who has ambitions of studying archaeology at university, and Harry, 10.

Emily and Harry are very much a part of this story. I used to be a keen metal detectorist but once I had a family the detector ended up getting buried in a cupboard.

One day my wife said to me: ‘You realise you promised you'd take the kids metal detecting.' So, I said: ‘Right, kids, we're going detecting.' We found an Elizabethan coin, which they were so excited by. It really ignited my passion so I invested in a new detector.

The day after it arrived, I went out into this field. It was a bright, sunny day and within 15 minutes I found the coin. I knew it was gold but I had no idea how important it was.

To read the complete article, see:
‘I owe it to the kids': coin found by detectorist dad sold for £648,000 (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/24/devon-detectorist-13th-century-gold-coin-sold)

On a visit to London yesterday to 'say thank you' to Henry III at his tomb in Westminster Abbey, Mr Leigh-Mallory said: I'm just a normal guy who lives in Devon with his family so this really is a life changing sum of money which will go towards their futures.

But it's not all about the money... it's an honour to be connected to this find and I will remember this day for the rest of my life.

He added: Had it not been for a promise I made to my children to go out searching... I do not believe this gold coin would ever have been found.

To read the complete article, see:
Dad explains how he'll spend £648,000 windfall from rare coin he found by accident (https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/dad-who-found-rare-coin-26039910)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
A NEW GOLD PENNY OF HENRY III (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n03a24.html)
FINDING THE HENRY III GOLD PENNY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n04a32.html)

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