A REMARKABLE gold coin, which had laid in a Derbyshire field for centuries, will be sold at our auction room in March.

It is such a wonderful find for a metal detectorist to make. Derbyshire is awash with history and the land is also rich in objects which have been lost since Anglo Saxon times.

The gold coin, which measures approximately 2cm across its diameter, was uncovered in the north of the county late last year.

It was brought into a Hansons coin and medal antiques valuation day last week.

Head of our coin department Don Collins said: "A Quarter Noble as a denomination was minted when Edward III was King of England from 1327-77. It was the first English gold coin produced in quantity."

It is remarkable to think this coin was lost by perhaps a local person some 650 years ago. If only the coin could talk.

Mr Collins added: "We can be quite precise in dating the coin since we know the design of the coin is from Edward III's treaty period of 1361-69. With a shield to one side and foliage cross to the other, the coin is inscribed in Latin 'Edward by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland and Aquitaine'."

Weighing only 1.9 grams, it is in extremely good condition, with fine detail evident on both sides. Unlike bronze and base metals, gold can maintain untarnished.

Life in the 1360s when this coin was minted was very tough. The period witnessed the Black Death and Great Famine, which killed around half of England's population.

To read the complete article, see:
Rare coin unearthed in Derbyshire set to go under the hammer (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Bygones-Rare-coin-unearthed-Derbyshire-set-hammer/story-28586388-detail/story.html#3)