In the quaint village of Ellerby, North Yorkshire, a couple embarked on a renovation journey to breathe new life into their 18th-century home, unaware that a fortune lay hidden beneath their feet. During the early stages of redoing their outdated kitchen floor in 2019, workers stumbled upon a discovery that would turn their modest project into a tale of extraordinary luck—a rare coin hoard worth an estimated £280,000 (approximately €281,000).
As renovation workers pried up the old floorboards, they encountered what they initially mistook for an electrical cable buried in concrete. Closer inspection revealed a small, salt-glazed earthenware tumbler, no larger than a soda can, buried 6 to 8 inches underground. When they tipped it over, out spilled over 260 coins, a glittering cache dating from 1610 to 1727 AD. This hoard, now poised for auction by the venerable Spink & Son, represents one of the largest and most significant finds of English gold coins in Britain’s archaeological record.
The hoard offers a snapshot of England’s economy during a transformative era, with coins spanning the reigns of James I to George I. Among the treasures is a rare Brazilian coin, circulated in England during the 1720s, adding an international flair to the find. Two coins stand out for their mint errors, boosting their value significantly. A George I guinea from 1720, minted with two tail sides instead of the king’s head, is valued at around £4,590 (€4,610). Another, a Charles II guinea from 1675, bears a misspelled Latin inscription of the king’s name (“Craolvs” instead of “Carolvs”) and is expected to fetch approximately £1,725 (€1,733).
Gregory Edmund, a seasoned auctioneer at Spink & Son, described the discovery as “fascinating and highly important.” He noted, “These coins, though worn from a hard life, reflect the £50 and £100 denominations used in England between 1610 and 1727. It’s extraordinarily rare for such a hoard to reach the market, and it’s a privilege to document this find for future generations.”
Experts have traced the hoard’s likely owners to Joseph and Sarah Fernley-Maisters, a wealthy mercantile couple who married in 1694. The Fernley-Maisters family, prominent from the 16th to 18th centuries, traded in iron ore, timber, and coal from the Baltic states, amassing considerable wealth. Many family members served in parliament during the early 1700s, cementing their influence in the region. The coins, likely stashed by Joseph and Sarah, were never retrieved, possibly because the family line dwindled after their deaths, leaving the hoard forgotten beneath the floorboards.
But why hide such wealth? According to Edmund, the couple’s distrust of the newly established Bank of England, its banknotes, and even contemporary gold coinage likely drove them to hoard older coins, some dating back to the English Civil War. “Why they never recovered the coins, which were so accessible, remains a mystery,” Edmund mused. “It’s one hell of a piggy bank.”
For the couple who had lived in the historic home for a decade, the discovery was nothing short of a miracle. Under British law, the hoard does not qualify as “treasure” since its youngest coin, a George I guinea from 1727, was less than 300 years old at the time of discovery in July 2019. This means the couple retains ownership of all but the Brazilian coin, which falls under separate regulations.
Set to be auctioned in October 2022, the hoard’s proceeds are expected to far exceed the couple’s renovation costs, turning their home improvement project into a life-changing windfall. This remarkable find not only unveils a piece of England’s past but also proves that sometimes, the greatest treasures are hidden just beneath the surface.