Michael L eigh-Mallory, 52, found a Henry III gold penny buried 10cm (4in) deep on farmland in the Devon village of Hemyock . Not realising what it was, he posted a picture on social media, where it was spotted by the auctioneers Spink in London.
They identified it as a fine example of England’s oldest gold coin and it has now been sold for a record £648,000 at auction.
L eigh-Mallory will split the proceeds of the find with the landowner and plans to use his windfall to help fund the future education of his children, 13-year-old Emily, who has ambitions to study archaeology at university, and Harry, 10.
Yesterday Leigh-Mallory made a pilgrimage to Henry III’s tomb in Westminster Abbey to pay his respects and offer thanks for his good fortune.
“It is quite surreal really,” he said. “I’m just a normal guy who lives in Devon with his family, so this really is a life-changing sum of money, which will go towards their futures.
“Emily and Harry are very much a part of this story. I used to be a keen metal detectorist but once I had a family the detector ended up getting buried in a cupboard.
Esta historia es de la edición January 25, 2022 de The Guardian.
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