Gold coin from the 17th century

Most of the time, he looks for lost jewellery, which he then returns to the owners. But in November, a prospector from England managed to find a gold coin - a guinea. It dates back to the 17th century.

The rare gold coin was discovered by metal detectorist Shane Newbold. It comes from the coastal port town of Grimsby, which is in Lincolnshire. Specifically, he recovered a half guinea. It was a coin minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814. The name comes from Guinea in West Africa, where much of the gold used to mint this coin came from.

The man specifically found the coin minted in 1696, during the reign of William III. He became king of England after James II was dethroned. His wife was the famous Mary II. Stuart. The coin Newbold discovered can sell for between £400 and £2,800. A lot depends on the condition.

"I wanted a new hobby that would help me keep fit. That's why I chose to search with a metal detector. Walking is great, plus it's such a peaceful hobby," smiled the happy finder.

He has already managed to discover a few medieval coins, but they are not as valuable as the newly found coin. At the same time, Newbold is trying to do "good". He's returning the old jewellery he's found that belonged to specific people. For example, wedding rings or bracelets.

"Actually, I'm opening the way to other places I could search with a metal detector. I'm hoping that the people I've helped will let me maybe explore on their property," Newbold smiles.

He's already done a few of these good deeds. For example, he discovered a wedding ring that belonged to a now-deceased man. Subsequently, he was able to locate the wife of the gentleman's owner, who was overjoyed with the jewel. The ring was found in Cleethorpes, a seaside resort on the Humber Estuary in north-east Lincolnshire.

Lynda Enever lost her husband in May. Roy was ill and had contracted coronavirus. When he died, his wife started wearing his ring. "I lost the jewel during an afternoon with my grandson. He wanted to throw a ball and while playing, the ring slipped off my finger. I looked for it, but nothing. I was upset and disappointed because my husband's wedding ring really means a lot to me. We had it made from old earrings," the woman recounted.

Newbold tracked down the owner of the ring using social media. "I found the ring after about an hour and a half of searching. It was buried in the sand about twelve inches deep, I was able to find a silver bracelet that belonged to a little girl. She got the jewel for her birthday and was unhappy about the loss," the searcher added.

Source: www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk