As it turns out, you don’t need to be an archaeologist to uncover a trove of centuries-old gold coins. All you need to do is be up for a little home renovation. That is, of course, assuming your house happens to have a trove of centuries-old gold coins hidden within it somewhere — which, admittedly, most homes do not.
Writing at Hyperallergic, Sarah Rose Sharp recounted an unlikely find made by a couple in Ellerby, North Yorkshire, who were at work on renovations on their home in 2019 when they found an array of 260 gold coins that were dated between 1610 to 1727. As Sharp points out, the timing of the discovery was especially important — something else of similar vintage might well be considered a historic find under the Treasure Act, and thus be considered governmental property.
That’s not the case here, however, and instead the coins are set to be auctioned off. Spink is set to conduct the auction next month, where it’s referred to as “The ‘Ellerby Area’ Hoard of English Gold Coins.” Based on their value, they should sell for at least £250,000 — or, based on current exchange rates, $288,000.
To be fair, most random objects found when renovating homes aren’t nearly as lucrative. This has included hand grenades and human urine, neither of which seems likely to bring in well over $250,000 at auction.
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