Thursday, 30th August 2007 (1127 views)

More than 200 ancient gold coins worth tens of thousands of pounds have been discovered in Gloucestershire by a labourer who was digging a drainage ditch.

The angel and half-angel coins, which it is believed were in circulation in 1510, were found buried in the grounds of a home in Burford.

Experts at the auction house Sotheby's said the collection of 204 coins, which will be relinquished to the Crown under treasure trove laws, is worth £160,000.

Jason Clarke, 19, who made the exciting discovery, told the Sun: "I was astonished. We were using a mechanical digger and the boss was controlling it while I was on the ground. Then we both spotted a glint of gold. The hole was full of coins."

Meanwhile an archaeology team has come across a 16th century European coin in a snake infested swamp in Queensland, Australia

The find will raise further questions about whether Spanish or Portuguese explorers discovered the continent before Captain Cook.

Amateur archaeologist Greg Jefferys told the Telegraph: "The coin is critical because it's the only object which we can definitely date. I'm pretty confident it's genuine."

 

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