A couple undertaking renovations in their 18th-century detached home couldn’t believe their eyes after making a recent discovery.
The pair, who bought the home in the village of Ellerby, North Yorkshire, found a treasure trove of 264 rare coins worth an astonishing £250,000 under their kitchen floor.
TikTok user @CoinCollectingWizard, who regularly offers advice on rare coins to his 215,000 followers, discussed the couple’s discovery after purchasing the property a number of years ago.
In the video, he exclaimed: “Holy kitchen renovation. A couple found 264 gold coins buried beneath their kitchen floor worth £250,000.
“On closer inspection, they found the gold coins that dated from 1610 to 1727 and covered the reigns of James I and Charles I through to George I.
“This find of over 260 coins is also one of the largest on archaeological record from Britain.” The coins were discovered just six inches under the concrete of the couple’s home.
The TikTok user pondered why someone would bury such a large amount of coins at the beginning of the century when banks existed, but concluded: “But nonetheless it is a wonderful and truly unexpected discovery.”
In 2022, it emerged a hoard of coins unearthed in Hull belonged to the affluent Fernley-Maisters, a family of merchants dealing in timber, coal, and iron ore, with descendants who served as MPs in the early 18th century.
The collection was amassed during the life of Joseph Fernley, who died in 1725, and his wife Sarah Maister, who lived until 1745. Initially found in July 2019, the coins were valued at around £250,000 by 2022.
Now the TikTok video showcasing the find garnered significant attention, with one user commenting: “Dream find,” and another humorously adding: “I knew I’d left it somewhere.”