Couple in Rural England Finds Something Strange in Their Kitchen
In the rural and absolutely picturesque town of South Poorton Farm in Dorset, England, Betty and Robert Fooks live in a cottage built several hundred years ago.
Source: DorsetWildlifeTrust.org
Of course, it’s been renovated several times over the years, but apparently, there was one part of the home that hadn’t been touched in centuries. The Fooks found this out when they took a pickax to their kitchen floor and saw something incredibly interesting.
400-Year-Old Treasure Found in England
Robert told the press that while he was pickaxing, he saw a glazed ceramic vessel that had split open, spilling coins all over the dirt below.
Source: Duke’s
After collecting the dozens of coins, the couple immediately reached out to experts to find out exactly what they had found, when and where they were from, and maybe most importantly, how much they were worth.
The British Museum Cleaned and Identified the Coins
The local liaison officer ensured the coins reached the best possible hands at the British Museum. First, they carefully cleaned the coins and then set to identify them.
Source: Britannica
The mint dates on the coins allowed the British Museum to deduce that the entire collection, which they named the Poorton Coin Hoard, was made between 1642 and 1644.
The Poorton Coin Hoard Collection
They continued to organize the collection and found that while some of the coins were humble silver sixpences, which were then worth six pennies, there were also several extremely rare gold one-pound coins.
Source: Duke’s
On the faces of the coins, experts were able to decipher the faces of several English monarchs, including Queen Mary and her husband Philip, Kings Edward VI, James I, Charles I, and Queen Elizabeth I.
Why Was There a Vase of Coins Under the Floor?
After the coins had been cleaned, organized, and identified, the next question on everyone’s mind was why there was a vase of dozens of valuable coins below the floorboards.
Source: Wikipedia
Because the coins were all minted between 1642 to 1644, historians at the British Museum hypothesized that they were hidden there sometime during the first English Civil War, which lasted from 1642 to 1646.
Personal Wealth Was Often Seized in the 17th Century
During the first English Civil War, it was not uncommon for members of the opposition to invade and loot private homes.
Source: Freepik
Waseem Ahmed, a doctoral student of history who specialized in 17th-century British political history at the University College of London, explained, “If you were a royalist or suspected royalist, you could have your estates sequestrated (seized) by the Parliamentary side and vice versa.”
Local Resident Likely Used the Floorboards as an Ancient Safe
With this information in mind, the historians told the Fooks that they believed the original homeowner had collected their many coins and hid them under the floorboards of the kitchen for safety during the war.
Source: Depositphotos
Similar to how a modern family might use a hidden safe to guard their personal wealth, the hope was that, since only they knew where it was, they could come back for it after the war was over.
British Family Hid Their Treasure so Well, It Wasn’t Found for 400 Years
Of course, it’s unlikely that anyone will ever know what happened to whoever hid their personal treasure below the floor of that kitchen or even why they did so nearly 400 years ago.
Source: Alamy
Though, it’s certainly safe to say they picked a good hiding place as it took four centuries for anyone to find it.
These Coins Have Extreme Historical Importance
Finding buried treasure is exciting in and of itself; however, this particular booty is quite special as it holds extreme historical significance. The coins were minted during the first English Civil War, which makes them incredibly interesting to historians and collectors alike.
Source: Britannica
As Ahmed explained, “Perhaps the most important short-term significance of the Civil Wars was that it culminated in the execution of King Charles I in 1649, and a republic was established for the first time in English history, which lasted 11 years.”
The 400-Year-Old Coins Found in England Turned Out to Be Very Valuable
Because of this historical significance and the fact that it is 400 years old, the Poorton Coin Hoard turned out to be almost unbelievably valuable.
Source: Duke’s
Betty and Robert Fooks employed Duke’s auction house in Dorset to handle the sale of the coins. They sold a few, specifically the gold coins, individually, and some of the other silver pieces in sets. The auction took place on April 23, 2024, and all of the coins sold almost immediately for more than the auctioneers expected.
The Couple in England Who Found the Coins Made $75,900
Some of the individual gold coins sold for more than $6,000, while several of the sets of silver coins went for around $300. At the end of the day, the Fooks took home more than $75,900 (£ 60,740) for their treasure.
Source: Freepik
Betty Fooks didn’t speak to her new-found fortune, but she did tell The Guardian, “If we hadn’t lowered the floor, they would still be hidden there. I presume the person intended to retrieve them but never got the chance.”