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Wednesday, 10th June 2009 (977 views)

A collection of 57 gold coins thought to be around 400 years old has sold for over 50 per cent more than estimated at auction.

The items were discovered by a builder in Oxfordshire, England 30 years ago and were expected to go for £50,000 when they went on sale individually, but ultimately fetched £76,360.

A total of 59 pieces had been in the hoard, but two were previously bought by the British Museum.

Auctioneer James Morton told the BBC that the builder who originally discovered the coins did not actually realise they were gold and gave them away to his grandson.

"It was only much later, when his grandson showed them to me in 2005, that I was able to tell him what they really were," he was quoted as saying.

An auction due to be held in London today features an 18-c gold watch that was once owned by Isabel Peron, former president of Argentina.

 

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