According to The Sun, this 65-year-old man recently went out treasure hunting with the Spade Crusade gold mining club and is still an amateur gold detector.
Dave, from Halesowen, West Midlands, England, told BNPS: “It was really just another day. The sun was shining, we had a group chat and then we were ordered to start digging.”
“I got a signal indicating there was iron. Most people wouldn’t bother digging it because they want something better, but I decided to give it a try.”
The man found up to 350 coins. (Photo source: BNPS).
Dave Cliffton was stunned when he discovered the massive treasure. (Photo source: BNPS).
After digging about 12 cm deep, Dave discovered a horseshoe, but his instincts told him that a more valuable prize was waiting below.
“I dug deeper and saw the edge of three silver coins. I couldn’t believe my luck; I felt a bit dizzy. I had dug them up and then got another signal from the side of the hole and deeper down,” he continued.
As he continued to unearth more coins, Dave’s “heart was pounding” and he was “shaking” with excitement.
In the next four hours over an area of nearly 4 meters, the lucky man, along with a team of experienced diggers, found a total of 335 coins.
The next day, they discovered 15 more coins, bringing the total to 350. This treasure is believed to have been buried during the English Civil War in the 1640s.
A James I gold coin worth about £4,000. (Photo source: BNPS).
One of the coins is valued at up to £6,000, while a gold coin from the time of James I that was excavated could be worth up to £4,000.
They were minted by royal mints from the time of Kings Edward VI, Elizabeth I, James I, and Charles I.
Dave said: “Now that the initial excitement has worn off, I feel a bit shocked about everything.”
Metal detectorist Stephen Grey, a member involved in this excavation, stated: “It is almost certain that they were buried during the time of Charles I and the Civil War.”
