By Isle of Wight Observer
A routine Sunday morning dig turned into the find of a lifetime for one local metal detectorist, unearthing a piece of history that has lain hidden in Island soil for over half a millennium.
Mark Smedmor, a member of the Vectis Searchers Metal Detecting Club, was exploring a field, with his wife, Bridget, when his detector indicated a find. Thinking it was just another alloy can, he nearly walked away, but a subtle glint of gold sticking out of the surface changed everything.”I shouted “gold” and did the obligatory gold dance!” Mark recalls.
What he pulled from the earth was a sensation: a rare Henry VIII Golden Angel coin, dating from at least 1509. “To think this beautifully preserved, still-intact coin had survived five centuries, showing barely any wear, is truly remarkable,” said Mark.
The find now rests with the Local Finds Officer, at the Guildhall Museum in Newport. It will be officially recorded and the coin valued, with the proceeds shared with the landowner.
