Renovating a kitchen is an expensive undertaking, but for Betty and Robert Fuchs from Dorset, it proved to be extremely profitable. While renovating their farmhouse, the couple received an unexpected stroke of luck: they discovered over 1,000 17th century coins hidden under the kitchen floorboards.
Agricultural engineer Robert Fuchs was removing a concrete floor to make way for a higher ceiling when he made a startling discovery: a 400-year-old ancient coin hidden inside a broken glazed ceramic bowl.
The Fuchs immediately reported their find to the local antiquities liaison, who sent the treasure to the British Museum for cleaning and appraisal. The coins, known as the “Poorton Coin Treasure”, are now due to be auctioned at Duke's Auction House in Dorchester, Dorset, with an estimated value of around £35,000.
Betty Fuchs, health visitor for the NHS, shared her excitement: “Our house is centuries old so there was a lot of work to be done. We stripped out the floors and ceilings to expose the original stone walls and decided to lower the first floor to create more ceiling space.”
“One evening, while I was with the kids, my husband was digging with a pickaxe,” she continued, “and he exclaimed that he'd found something incredible. He collected all the coins in a bucket. If we hadn't lowered the floor, the coins might still be hiding there. I think the original owner tried to get them but never got the chance.”
Discovered in October 2019, the treasure contains a variety of coins, including gold coins, silver half-crowns, shillings, and sixpences from James I and Charles I. In addition, there are silver shillings and sixpences from the reigns of Elizabeth I and Philip and Mary.
Duke Auctioneers specialist Julian Smith explained the historical background: “Situated in a small hamlet in west Dorset, the cottage is a longhouse built in the 17th century. The current owners purchased the property in 2019 and undertook an extensive restoration, during which the modern concrete floor was removed and the ground excavated approximately two feet deep, revealing this incredible treasure.”
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