While Tidying Garden, Couple Finds 600-Year-Old Gold Coins... Hit Jackpot with 900 Million Won Windfall

70 Tudor-Era Gold Coins Discovered in Garden
Sold for 460,000 Pounds at Swiss Auction

An ordinary British couple discovered 70 gold coins from the Tudor dynasty, dating back 600 years, while tidying up their garden. These coins were sold at auction in Zurich, Switzerland, for approximately 890 million won, turning the couple into recipients of a "lottery-level fortune."

Image of gold coins to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

According to the Daily Mail and other foreign media on November 6 (local time), the couple, who live in Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, in southern England, found a shiny piece of metal in the mud while cleaning up their home garden in the spring of 2020. After washing it off, gold coins believed to have been minted in the 15th and 16th centuries were revealed.

There were a total of 70 gold coins, most of which were minted during the reign of Henry VIII in the 1530s. Some coins were engraved with the initials of "Catherine of Aragon" and "Jane Seymour," who were spouses of Henry VIII. The oldest coin was identified as being from the era of Henry VI in the 1420s.

The coins were put up for auction in Zurich, Switzerland, on November 5 (local time), selling for 381,407 pounds (about 730 million won). Including fees, the final amount reached 467,215 pounds (about 890 million won).

The highest price was achieved by the "Jane Seymour Crown," minted in 1536, which sold for 17,000 pounds (about 32 million won). The "Henry VIII Gold Angel" was auctioned for 15,000 pounds (about 28.6 million won), and the "Catherine of Aragon Gold Coin" fetched 8,000 pounds (about 15 million won).

David Guest, the head of the auction, said, "All the gold coins were sold, and the total winning bid was double the pre-auction estimate," adding, "It is an unbelievable stroke of luck for a treasure found while gardening."

Experts believe that a wealthy clergyman buried the coins to protect his assets during the turbulent period of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The discovered coins were once designated as treasure, but due to the suspension of acquisition procedures by museums and public institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were returned to the couple.

The couple told local media, "We learned a lot after discovering the coins, and it was truly a special journey," adding, "It feels like winning the lottery." The two reportedly plan to use part of the proceeds for a family holiday and to purchase a pool table.