A 15th-century Portuguese gold coin found by a British amateur “detector”, the first of its kind discovered in the UK, was auctioned for £16,000 on Thursday. (18,000 euros)below estimates.
THE coin that measures 36 millimeters in diameter and weighs around 35 grams, known as “Portuguese”, it was valued between 20,000 and 30,000 pounds (22,400 and 33,600 euros) by the London auctioneer Noonans.
According to the auctioneer, the lot attracted the interest of US and Canadian bidders, but was bought by a buyer in Japan.
Despite the good condition, the experts pointed out how problem a mark that is believed to be made by punching to certify that it was made of pure gold and whose cavity affects both sides of the coin.
First coined by King Manuel I, known as O Venturoso for the impetus he gave to maritime explorations, the “Português” continued to be issued for 40 years, between 1498 and 1538, during the reign of João III.
The coin was produced in Lisbon with gold recovered by Vasco da Gama on his travels to Africa and India.
This specimen was discovered by accident in July by Mick Edwards, a 62-year-old civil servant with a metal detector, which he uses to search for buried objects.
I was stunned and sat staring at the coin unable to even breathe. I could see the cross on the coin and thought it was probably Spanish, but then I found out it was Portuguese for the king named Manuel,” he was quoted as saying in a statement from the auctioneer.
The discovery took place before breakfast at 06:00 in Etchilhampton, about 150 kilometers west of London, near the city of Bath, where Edwards was celebrating 35 years of marriage with his wife.
According to the auctioneer, the land belonged to the Ernle family between 1489 and 1928, an aristocratic family in which John Ernle (1620-1697), who was a deputy and minister of finance, stands out.
The status of the family was reflected in the fact that Queen Anne visited the family home, Whetham House, 10 miles from where the coin was found in 1703.
Source: Observadora
