A couple from the county of Dorset, located in the south-west of England, has accidentally discovered a historic treasure containing more than a thousand ancient coins while he was renovating the kitchen of a farmhouse dating back to about 400 years ago. The discovery, which has been dubbed “Poorton’s Treasure”, was reported to the authorities and subsequently studied by none other than British Museum.
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How did they find more than a thousand 17th century coins in a kitchen?
Betty and Robert Fooks, owners of the house since 2019, started a renovation project with the aim of increasing the height of the ground floor of their kitchen. It was during this process, digging about 60 centimeters deep, that Robert found a broken glazed ceramic bowl, which contained more than a thousand coins inside. Among the coins found there are gold pieces, silver half-crowns, shillings and pence of the reigns of Elizabeth I, Philip and Mary, James I and Charles I. Many of these coins were in remarkable condition despite being more than four centuries old. Experts at the British Museum they dated the burial of the treasure between the 1642 and 1644, in the midst of the English Civil War. During that period, it was common for people to hide their most valuable possessions for fear of looting or confiscation. Betty Fooks She said that it was her husband who found the treasure while digging in the kitchen. “He put all the coins in a bucket. If we hadn’t lowered the floor, the coins would still be hidden there.”, he told the English newspaper The GuardianThe couple immediately handed over the coins to the authorities, in accordance with British legislation on archaeological finds.
An auction of items from different periods of British history
The contents of the treasure were examined by experts from the Duke's Auctioneers auction house, who conducted the auction of the collection. The lot is estimated to reach a minimum value of 35.000 pounds (about $44.000). Some single coins have already been sold to private collectors: a coin from the King Charles I It was purchased for dollars 6.229, while one of James I reached dollars 3.364. Julian Smith, an expert in ancient coins, explained that the monete They were buried in a section of the house that had no ancient floors, but only earth under modern concrete, and this made it easier to access the treasure during excavations. “In some areas there were old slabs under the concrete, but the area where the coins were found was bare earth”, said Smith. In addition to its economic value, the find has great historical significance. The coins not only reflect the monetary system of the early seventeenth century, but also the political and social context of the time. The variety of coins suggests that the treasure was accumulated over several decades before being deliberately hidden. This discovery adds to other recent cases in the UK, where home renovations have uncovered historic features. In 2023, a couple in Worcestershire found a 20-foot-deep well beneath his kitchen, built in 1897, along with items such as antique horseshoes and nails.
Article published on May 17, 2025 - 11:49 pm
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It seems incredible to me that a couple could find such a large treasure while renovating their kitchen. It is very interesting that the coins are dated from the 17th century. These finds can give a lot of information about the historical era in which they were created.