ESTATE FIND: CHARLES I GOLD UNITE

A rare gold coin from the reign of Charles I could fetch up to £2,500 after being discovered in a pile of loose change. The 400-year-old coin was found by the owner at the back of a dressing table drawer at her late aunt's home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

The historic gold Unite (20 shillings) piece could potentially had been hidden away for decades along with around 200 old coins and bank notes left over from foreign holidays. It is now going under the hammer at Hansons Royal Tunbridge Wells on May 23, where it is set to fetch between £1,500 and £2,500.

Antiques valuer Robin Fletcher said he was astonished when he realised it was a "historical gem" while assessing the coin collection. He said: The vendor found the coin at the back of a dressing table drawer when she was sorting thought her late aunt's effects.

Both the vendor and her husband assumed it must be fake so took little notice of it and tossed it into a box of mixed 20th century coins. As always, I carefully sifted through the coins to see if there was anything of value and was shocked when I saw a glint of gold.

As I was told it was a fake I didn't do a close inspection until I got it back to the office. I then realised I'd struck gold.

"I phoned the seller to let her know. She was surprised and delighted to hear the valuation. It was amazing to pluck out a 400-year-old Charles I gold coin from a mish-mash of mainly low value coins."

He continued: "Charles I (1600-1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from March 27, 1625 until his execution in 1649. We will never know how this historical gem ended up languishing in a dressing table drawer for, probably for decades.

 

To read the complete article, see:
Rare Charles I gold coin found amid loose change could fetch £2,500 (https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/rare-charles-gold-coin-found-26782676)

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