In the month of May earlier this year, a sizeable silver treasure hoard was found in the UK, thanks in part to a man’s lucky penny.
Scott Heeley set out in a field near Stoke-on-Trent as part of a trip with his metal detector club. Even with an experienced group searching the field, no one had expected to uncover anything astounding that day. Still, the spirits were high. Heeley wasn’t the least bit discouraged after his metal detector went off and he dug up an old penny (a good trait to have for a metal detectorist). He even told his friend “this penny will bring me luck,” and he kept on searching. He just had no idea how right he was.
A few minutes later, Heeley’s metal detector went off again. This time, the results were much better – three silver coins nestled in a small hole. However, the metal detector kept on beeping, so Heeley got to digging. Eventually, the hole opened up and out spilled the hoard. In total, Heeley’s lucky penny brought him 211 silver coins and 69 fragments.
Interestingly, this find was only 30 or so miles from the location of the gigantic Stafordshire treasure hoard.
The coins, which date back to the Roman Empire during the first and second centuries, are being studied at the British Museum in London. They haven’t been appraised yet, but we estimate the find must be worth at least $4,000 for the silver content alone, based on current silver prices. Depending on the fragment sizes and historical value, the find could be worth many times more.
