Advise: Dug up in back garden...

[Guest whatk8tydid]

At the weekend I uncovered 2 containers of mixed coins whilst digging in the back garden. There are about 400 the condition ranges a lot - some are covered in rust where the biscuit tin they were stored in has stained them. They date from 1885 until 1918 - Victoria to George V - and are mostly 1/2 crowns (but I haven't go around to looking though them all yet). Can anybody help and tell me..

1) Who should I contact to find out more about them? I presume they're not rare, but there are a lot!

2) Do I clean them and how? ( have just washed off about 70 in warm water so far)

Any help you could give would be great as I know nothing about coins...

[Chris Perkins 228]

What an interesting find.

If the coins have been underground for a long time, they probably are not in the best shape. Luckily they seem to date from when coins contained silver, so they will have value for silver content at least.

Where are you and the coins, I'd like to have a look at them with a view to purchase. I'll offer my usual silver buying price at least, and the offer will be larger if any of them are in collectable conditions. It's probably best to clean them all with soap and water, but nothing else as cleaning/polished will destroy and collectable coins.

[Guest whatk8tydid]

Hi There Chris

It is exciting - buried treasure .I live in Hertfordshire.

I am going to clean the rest up and then at least I know what I have - I am estimating numbers at the moment.

A friend has recommended someone who I can speak to about them locally so I am going to speak to them first. Can I get in touch with you?

Katy

[Chris Perkins 228]

Katy,

Yes of course you can:

Tel: 0871 871 5122

email: cp@predecimal.com

I tell you what, this would probably make interesting radio!

How would you like to come to BBC Luton and tell the BBC Three Counties Radio listeners how you found the treasure and what it consists of etc etc? I could look at it on air and even arrange to purchase it on air (which would probably be a radio first!). I'm sure DJ John Pilgrim would be pleased to have you in for his afternoon programme. My next slot will be in early June.

[Guest Peter_I'm_a_Guest]

What an incredible find Katy - well done!!

I would love to know the story behind this i.e. who buried them? - why? - and why did they not come back for them?

Peter.

[krasnaya_vityaz 0]

Curiously I inquire, does this fall under the "Treasure Trove" law, because of the number of coins and their precious metal content? Is there a date cutoff for "Treasure Trove" finds?

[Guest Guest]

What an incredible find Katy - well done!!

I would love to know the story behind this i.e. who buried them? - why? - and why did they not come back for them?

Thinking about this again & noting the date of the newest coin I wonder if the person who did bury them was a soldier of the first world war who - like my grandad's brother - never came back.

Peter.

[Sylvester 55]

1918 being the last year of the war it is plausible, but bear in mind as 1918 was the last year of the war the call up to war must have been pretty late if he was a soldier.

[Chris Perkins 228]

Katy has been in touch with me actually. She found a few newer coins too (50's) and thinks that the person that burried them could have been the father of the man she bought the house from. She knows that he is dead now, but the death was relatively recent I think. So, nothing as interesting as a soldier going to war and hiding coins before he met his fate I'm afraid!

[Sylvester 55]

Still good though!

I wish i'd found something like that!

[Chris Perkins 228]

I found a 1932 penny in the garden when I was about 12, while digging to plant potatoes. I was well chuffed with that, as you can imagine. Of course, it was corroded badly and worth less than a new penny, but I certainly wanted it to be a year newer!

I also burried a time capsule in about the same place, containing a few modern coins and bits and bobs, which I assume is still there now.

[Sylvester 55]

My father dug up a 1951 florin... well what's left of it.

[mint_mark 10]

I found a Canadian cent from the 1930s in my garden in Southampton. A soldier here to embark for D-day perhaps?

Also two blue marbles with white swirly bits...

[Sylvester 55]

We found Victorian bottles, an old greenhouse and quite a few other bits and bats too.

[krasnaya_vityaz 0]

I live in a house, an English Tudor no less, that was built in 1933. I like to fancy that perhaps there is gold buried somewhere garage somewhere. I have almost thought a metal detector would suit fine.

[Chris Perkins 228]

I live in a house, an English Tudor no less, that was built in 1933. I like to fancy that perhaps there is gold buried somewhere garage somewhere. I have almost thought a metal detector would suit fine.

Is that you in the avatar? !

[Sylvester 55]

I live in a house, an English Tudor no less, that was built in 1933.  I like to fancy that perhaps there is gold buried somewhere garage somewhere.  I have almost thought a metal detector would suit fine.

Is that you in the avatar? !

With a name like Dave?

[mitch91 0]

My mate found a 1922 half penny in school last week let him keep it it was in fine condition

[Chris Perkins 228]

Ah yes, Katy will be joining me with her hoard on Radio on the 10th June.