More than 1,000 coins found hidden all over a Bedfordshire house have sold for tens of thousands of pounds at auction.
A stunned mother and daughter gradually uncovered the secret collection, which included a William III crown dating back to 1696 (sold for £100), in drawers, nooks and crannies in the family semi in Luton.
The coins belonged to a Luton businessman who passed away last autumn. He was an avid collector and auction goer. His wife and daughter knew he liked coins but had no idea how many he’d secretly squirrelled away.
Bedfordshire saleroom Hanson Ross estimated the collection would make around £17,500. However strong bidding saw it achieve just under £21,000 – and every single lot sold.
Top lots included an Edward VII 1902 gold £2 coin, £730; 50 Austrian Silver Maria Theresa SF Thaler trade coins, £950 from a £300-£400 estimate, and a collection of pre-1947 silver coins including half-crowns, florins, shillings, sixpences and threepences hammered at £340. In addition, a set of Birmingham Mint ‘Great British Regiment’s’ silver medallic Issue cap badges representing 52 regiments made £940.
Amanda West-Butler, director of operations at Hanson Ross, said: “I was thrilled by the result in what was the inaugural Hansons Ross sale and I was delighted for our client.
“When I went to meet the family I couldn’t believe how many coins they’d uncovered. Most were found in shoe boxes at the bottom of a wardrobe in the family home in Luton, but that was just the start. Coins cropped up all over the place. The family kept calling me to tell me they’d found more.
“A collector’s passion can never be under estimated. This gentleman took great pleasure in buying historical coins. Perhaps he didn’t want to let on just how many he had but he left a valuable gift for his family. The collection was put up for auction as his widow as she has been de-cluttering the house.”
The seller said: “I was pleased with the result. I found most of the coins a couple of months ago but more turned up over the course of the next few weeks. I kept finding more every time I cleared another part of the house. They were in drawers and cupboards or wrapped up among other things. Most were in a wardrobe but I found a lot more locked in my husband’s old office desk.
“I had no idea he had so many and, to be honest, I think he’d forgotten about some of them. He started collecting in the mid-1970s and his hobby carried on for more than 40 years. It was just something he liked to do.”
The collection sold on May 12 in the Hanson Ross Coin Auction. All enquiries: [email protected]
Auction services in Beds, Bucks and Herts
Hanson Ross offers valuations, home visits and auction services across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. Free valuation/consignment events are held every Wednesday, 10am-1pm, at The Woburn, 1 George St, MK17 9PX. To find out more, visit www.hansonross.com or call 01525 455 125.
