An extremely rare silver penny of Baron Eustace Fitzjohn, a 12th century Yorkshire BusinessMagnate has been discovered recently by a metal detectorist and is to be offered byInternational coins, medals, banknotes and jewellery specialists Dix Noonan Webb in alive/online auction of Coins and Historical Medals on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at10am on www.DNW.co.uk. The coin, which measures 19mm in diameter, was minted inYork is one of only 20 surviving examples with this design and is estimated to fetch £10,000-15,000.

On August 15, Rob Brown a 56-year-old from Leeds, was using his Deus XP metal detectoron a stubble field near Pickering in North Yorkshire when on arriving and walking just 20paces he got his first signal of the day. At a depth of just two inches in a clump of soil, hesaw the edge of a silver coin which on closer inspection had a design on one side ofa standing helmeted knight holding a sword. Around this is an inscription which readsEUSTACIUS. On the reverse is a cross within a quatrefoil with the legend EBOR. ACIT.DEFT.

Rob did not initially recognise the coin which is a very rare silver penny issued in York byEustace Fitzjohn, the Lord of Malton and Knaresborough who served under King Henry Ibecoming a wealthy landowner through marriage and then supporting the Empress Matildawhen she fought a civil war with her cousin Stephen in the period known as the anarchy inEngland. There is a fortification which dates from this conflict near the coins find spot.

As Rob, who has been metal-detecting for 8 years, explained: "I was detecting with a friendand we found the coin, we weren't sure if it was Saxon or Viking, so put a picture on aFacebook page devoted to milled and hammered coins - lots of people were reacting andwere very excited - many knew instantly who/ what it was!"

In 1138, Eustace lost custody of Bamburgh Castle to Stephen and decided to join forces withDavid I of Scotland fighting with him against Stephen at the battle of the standard that year.In July 1157 Eustace was killed in Flintshire after being ambushed by the Welsh army.

Nigel Mills, Expert in Artefacts and Antiquities at Dix Noonan Webb, commented: "BaronEustace Fitzjohn was a Justician of the north and became a great monastic patron. He was tosome extent, the Baron Alan Sugar of his day coming from a humble background butachieving great wealth and prominence. As it was a period of Civil War, Baron Fitzjohn hadthe authority to have coins struck in York which were primarily for local use."

To visit the Dix Noonan Webb website, see:
https://www.dnw.co.uk/