Civil War-era coins discovered beneath the kitchen floor of a 17th century cottage have sold for double the asking price – leaving the couple who discovered them ‘over the moon’.
Betty and Robert Fooks unearthed the coin hoard whilst renovating their cottage on South Poorton Farm near Powerstock.
Among the coins sold at Duke’s Auctioneers of Dorchester this week were James I and Charles I gold coins, silver half crowns, shillings and sixpences; Elizabeth I, Phillip and Mary silver shillings and sixpences.
The coin hoard had been estimated at £35,000 - but sold for £60,000 rising to £76,000 including the auction house fees.
Mrs Fooks, a 43-year-old health visitor, said: "The auction was brilliant, a very exciting experience and a bit of a whirlwind. We are delighted with the outcome.
"It started off with the gold coins going for four-figure sums and then it settled down and finished on a high with the Charles I silver coins.
"The building work at the house is still ongoing so we will use some of the money to pay off some debts and we will also have a few treats with it as well."
Mr Fooks discovered the hoard in 2019 whilst using a pickaxe as he was removing the kitchen floor to create more ceiling height.
After digging down 2ft he discovered a smashed glazed pottery bowl full to the brim with gold and silver coins and Mrs Fooks described the moment the discovery was made.
She added: "It is a 400 year old house so there was lots of work to do.
"We were taking all the floors and ceilings out and took it back to its stone walls.
"We decided to lower the ground floor to give us more ceiling height.
"One evening, I was with the children and my husband was digging with a pickaxe when he called to say they've found something.
"He put all the coins in a bucket and brought them home to me.
"If we hadn't lowered the floor they would still be hidden there.
"It is amazing and fascinating (to find the hoard).
"I presume they were buried during the English Civil War and the person intended to retrieve them but never got the chance."
Some of the coins were sold for thousands of pounds apiece, including a 1635 Charles I gold crown, which sold for a staggering £5,000.
A Charles I silver shilling dating to 1641-43 sold for £3,200 while a James I gold laurel coin from 1621-23 went for £2,700.
Julian Smith, specialist at Duke's Auctioneers, said: "It was a fantastic sale and not one lot failed to sell.
"The couple were in the room watching it all happen, smiling away. They were absolutely over the moon with the result which was double the pre-sale estimate. Unsurprisingly, they went off to celebrate.
"I think they plan to spend some of the money on more renovations to the house and they have a child who is starting university so I think this will also help with that.
"I knew the gold coins would sell for high prices but the silver James I coins did very well and bidding was really strong on them. Their condition was pretty good, and you could see good detail and that made a big difference with the collectors who were bidding."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here