Posted on 10/18/2010 11:40:41 AM PDT by Palter
A valuable hoard of American gold coins has been unearthed in an east London garden — one of Britain's most curious treasure finds.
Buried hoards are discovered every so often, but their Anglo-Saxon, Viking or Roman owners were themselves interred long ago. Whoever hid the 80 coins from the 19th and early 20th centuries may be alive. Why they chose the garden of a residential block in Hackney is a mystery.
Archaeologists more used to deciphering which Roman emperor is depicted on a coin have been taken aback by the find — gold $20 “Double Eagle” pieces dating from 1854 to 1913 and minted mostly in San Francisco and Philadelphia. Estimates put the value at hundreds of thousands of pounds. The coins, so large that each one weighs 33 grams, go on show at the Museum of London tomorrow.
They were uncovered by two residents who decided to do gardening with a couple of friends. A spade hit something hard. Expecting to remove a brick or a rock, they found themselves staring at glistening gold. One finder, interested in archaeology, alerted the Museum of London, which contacted the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the British Museum.
Scheme head Dr Roger Blandtold the Standard: “There is a huge mystery about who might have buried the coins. It's wonderful to speculate. Who buries so many gold coins?”
Today Inner North London coroner Dr Andrew Scott Reid, announcing the find, said the original owner had until next spring to come forward. The finders are remaining anonymous and the find's location is not being released to discourage false claims. An ill-gotten gain has to be possible and police records are being checked.
If the coins are declared Treasure, they will become Crown property and will be valued. Hackney Museum wants to acquire them and the money paid would be split between the land owner and the finders.
'Dr Barrie Cook of the British Museum, Department of Coins and Medals, said: “The 80 coins are all gold 20-dollar pieces of the United States, issued between 1854 and 1913.
“The coins are thus all the same denomination, introduced in this form in 1850, and were struck to the same standard, 90 per cent gold, used from 1837 until the end of US gold coinage in 1933.
“The catalogue shows that the coins gradually increase in number across the decades from 1870 to 1909 (13 coins from 1870-9; 14 from 1880-89; 18 from 1890-99; and 25 from 1900-9).
“Over a quarter of the total were issued in the last 6 six years represented. Together these factors suggest that the material began to be put aside during this later period, rather than being built up systematically across a range of time represented.
“The main element among this latest material are the 17 coins dating to 1908, which suggests that a single batch of coins from that year might have formed the core for the group.”'
Nice bahog find.
Who wants to bet that this particular finder has been beaten regularly by the other finders since he made the call?
Totally. The idiot calls a museum? And then the Crown claims the booty? I hope he at least got smacked with a shovel.
Once they were determined to be U.S. coins, the finder should have asserted they were NOT covered by antiquities laws.
They are then covered by the “keep your mouth shut” laws!
Ethics then prevail in the sharing between the land owner and the gardeners, in the event they are different.
They are then sold in the least restrictive tax environment.
I have only 1 such coin, purchased for $500, back when gold was approx. $320/oz.
I’d guess they were buried during the Blitz. Then the owner was killed either in the bombing or died fighting in Europe.
80 double eagles x $1326.00 melt value = $106080.00
The numismatic value is probably far higher.
Wonder if many Brits have their brains removed at birth these days. They've been trained to be good little Slaves of the State...
Yikes. Dig it up and don’t tell anyone. Idiots.
“One finder, interested in archaeology, alerted the Museum of London, which contacted the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the British Museum. ,,,,,,
If the coins are declared Treasure, they will become Crown property and will be valued. Hackney Museum wants to acquire them and the money paid would be split between the land owner and the finders.”
STUPID STUPID STUPID,,Put two or three in with the loose change in your pocket. Travel elsewhere, say New York, all over the EU, Geneva, Russia,, and sell them. Repeat 5 to 10 times over a few years. Do i have to solve EVERY problem? These are basically rare US coins,,, not king Tut’s Class ring or something.
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They’re not going to be declared treasure. British law says that objects have to be at least 300 years old to be considered treasure.
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