Latest news with #FieldingsAuctioneers
BBC News
06-05-2025
- BBC News
Brewood inheritance discovery could unlock thousands at auction
A handyman who inherited an 18th Century home made a rare discovery which could unlock thousands of pounds at auction. Michael Hamson, 79, unexpectedly came into ownership of the house in Brewood, Staffordshire, when its former owner Mary Eileen Jones, who he had helped with odd jobs for decades, passed away in her 90s. Looking around the old house, Mr Hamson said he discovered a "boatload" of padlocks, all dating from the 1800s and made by a company founded by one of Ms Jones' estimate the hundreds of locks, designed for securing everything from prisons to castles, could be worth thousands of pounds. "We went in and there was a wooden crate all nailed together," Mr Hamson said of when he first viewed the house. "It was covered in junk and when I wheeled it out, it had quite a lot of locks in."Noticing a loose panel under the stairs, Mr Hamson said he pulled it off to find "another boatload" of stashed locks. They are all hallmarked with branding for E. Jones & Sons, a company founded by local entrepreneur Enoch Jones hundreds of years was the great-grandfather of Ms Jones and Mr Hamson found out the business had stayed in the family until her father, Thomas, sold it. "By the looks of it, he was too attached to let everything go so it's all come here," he added. Antiques Roadshow expert Will Farmer said the rare discovery could be quite valuable. "The fact these locks have been held for posterity in this old house to be discovered today is just such an incredible find," he said."I think at auction, if these were sold, you're looking at a value of somewhere between £4,000-£6,000."The collection is set to go under the hammer at Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge on 16 May. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rare Roman coin fetches nearly £5,000 at auction
A Roman coin that is believed to be the first of its kind found in the UK has sold for nearly £5,000. Ron Walters, 76, from Kingswinford, West Midlands, found the coin with his metal detector in Wall Heath near Dudley last year. Mark Hannam, from Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge, said the coin was bought by a collector from Scotland for £4,700 on Friday. "Even though it's been in the soil for over 1,900 years, he's very pleased to add it to his collection," said Mr Hannam. The coin, which dates to AD69, is thought to be the only one of its kind to be found in the British Isles. It portrays the emperor Aulus Vitellius, who ruled for just eight months during a period of civil war known as the "Year of the Four Emperors". "To find a coin from AD69 is incredibly rare," said Mr Hannam. "Most coins we find in this country are from the third and fourth centuries, and we are talking about a time when the gold was at its purest level." The farmer on whose land the coin was unearthed will keep half the proceeds from the sale and Mr Walters, as the finder, will get the rest. "It's not just the money," he said before the sale. "It's the historic value. "It's a once in a lifetime find." The coin went for considerably less than the only other similar artefact to go under the hammer, which was sold last year in Switzerland for around £50,000. But Mr Walters told BBC Radio WM he was happy with the sale. "Anything's a bonus," he said. "Normally the things that you find, you put in your collection because they're not worth selling on." He is planning to put the proceeds towards some repairs to his motorhome - and to continue with his metal-detecting hobby. "It's surprising what comes up – not just coins, it can be anything. "Belt buckles, buttons - they've all got a story to tell." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. 'Hoard puts Worcestershire into the history books' Hunt continues for missing Viking hoard artefacts Detectorist's delight after unearthing gold coins Fieldings Auctioneers
BBC News
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rare Roman coin found in Dudley field sells for nearly £5,000
A Roman coin that is believed to be the first of its kind found in the UK has sold for nearly £5, Walters, 76, from Kingswinford, West Midlands, found the coin with his metal detector in Wall Heath near Dudley last Hannam, from Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge, said the coin was bought by a collector from Scotland for £4,700 on Friday."Even though it's been in the soil for over 1,900 years, he's very pleased to add it to his collection," said Mr Hannam. The coin, which dates to AD69, is thought to be the only one of its kind to be found in the British portrays the emperor Aulus Vitellius, who ruled for just eight months during a period of civil war known as the "Year of the Four Emperors"."To find a coin from AD69 is incredibly rare," said Mr Hannam. "Most coins we find in this country are from the third and fourth centuries, and we are talking about a time when the gold was at its purest level." The farmer on whose land the coin was unearthed will keep half the proceeds from the sale and Mr Walters, as the finder, will get the rest."It's not just the money," he said before the sale. "It's the historic value."It's a once in a lifetime find."The coin went for considerably less than the only other similar artefact to go under the hammer, which was sold last year in Switzerland for around £50, Mr Walters told BBC Radio WM he was happy with the sale."Anything's a bonus," he said. "Normally the things that you find, you put in your collection because they're not worth selling on."He is planning to put the proceeds towards some repairs to his motorhome - and to continue with his metal-detecting hobby."It's surprising what comes up – not just coins, it can be anything."Belt buckles, buttons - they've all got a story to tell." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local great grandad unearths Ancient Roman gold coin in farmer's field
A GREAT GRANDAD has unearthed a Roman coin believed to be the first of its kind ever found in Britain in a farmer's field. Ron Walters finally struck gold after six years of searching the same farmer's field in Wall Heath, near Dudley, last May. The 76-year-old from Kingswinford said he stumbled across the rare Roman coin, which dates back to 69 AD, after being told by his wife to "bugger off out for a bit". It is believed to be the first gold aureus of Emperor Aulus Vitellius to be recorded as a find in the British Isles and could be worth as much as £50,000. Mr Walters said: 'I was out for a couple of hours, and I picked a signal up. I started digging a bit but then I lost the signal. The coin dates back to 69 AD (Image: Black Country History Hunters / SWNS) "I managed to get this reading again from a clod of earth about 2ft away from me, I broke it open and then this coin dropped into my hand. "My heart was racing, I just popped it in my pocket and went straight back home. "In metal detecting circles, a Roman coin is probably among the best things you can find, that or Ancient English gold. "And there's nothing like this been found in England before by all accounts. I can only imagine a soldier travelled with it, possibly via France. "It was really interesting to find something of such historical importance. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does at auction." The 1,955-year-old coin was sent to the British Museum, disclaimed and returned to Mr Walters, who contacted auctioneers to organise its sale. Mr Walters said he will split the proceeds from the sale with the field's landowner. The coin has been given an estimate of between £5,000-£6,000 and will be sold by Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge tomorrow (March 27). The coin has been given an estimate of between £5,000-£6,000 and will be sold by Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge (Image: Black Country History Hunters / SWNS) However, it could fetch much more as only one similar coin has ever gone through auction and was sold last year in Switzerland for around £50,000. Mark Hannam, senior coin specialist and auctioneer at Fieldings, said the coin was "a genuinely amazing find" and "a unique piece of history." He added: "To find a coin from AD69 is incredibly rare, as most coins we find in this country are from the third and fourth centuries, and we are talking about a time when the gold was at its purest level. "The fact that this one has escaped ploughing in the ground for over 1,900 years, the coin, although still in excellent condition, is quite remarkable given its condition." Words by Olivia Warburton and Ed Chatterton.
