Friday 20 May 2022 03:16 PM Treasure-hunting couple unearth five rare 14th century gold coins from reign of ... trends now
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A treasure-hunting couple have unearthed five rare gold coins from the reign of Edward III while the husband was having chemotherapy.
Phil, 71, and Joan Castle, 70, made the remarkable discovery while metal detecting in a ploughed field near their home in New Romney, Kent.
The coins, which could fetch up to £15,000 at auction, are still in immaculate condition, and are believed to be from the 14th century.
Experts say it is a particularly special find as it only has gold coins, with no silver ones nearby.
It was the find of a lifetime for the couple, who have been metal detecting together for more than 30 years.
Phil (left) and Joan Castle (right) have been metal detecting together for more than 30 years. They found the remarkable haul when searching in a ploughed field in New Romney, Kent
The coins and the brass purse bar (pictured) which were found by Mr and Mrs Castle will go to auction next week
The coins date back to the reign of King Edward III (pictured), who ruled England for 50 years from 1327 to 1377
The discovery was made in October 2018, when Mrs Castle found a broken coin on the surface of the ground.
Another signal beside it in the soil revealed a Medieval brass purse bar at eight inches down.
When Mr Castle came over to help he immediately found a gold coin, and over the next two hours the couple found four more gold coins in an area of five metres.
The coins from the reign of King Edward III are 1.3in (3.4cm) in diameter and show the Plantagenet monarch in a ship holding a sword and shield on one side and the royal cross on the other.
They would be the equivalent of a £2,500 coin if minted today.
The brass purse (pictured) was found by Mrs Castle eight inches below the surface of the ploughed field
Over the course of the next two hours the couple found five gold coins (pictured) in almost perfect condition
Mr Castle, who used to work at Woolwich Arsenal, was introduced to metal detecting by Joan who searched for fossils and loved mudlarking on the River Thames.
He said: 'We had no idea what the coins were when we found them.
'At the time, I was having chemo for Leukaemia so detecting was a great relief.'
The hoard has been disclaimed
