I’m £12,500 richer after discovering incredible gem under my floorboards – I can’t believe my luck
A PUB owner is in the money after discovering a 364-year-old coin under the floorboards and it could be worth as much as £12,500.
Shocked David Gorton stumbled upon what he thought was just an old penny during renovation work.
He’d sucked it up in a vacuum cleaner but got it out and then stuck it in his back pocket to look at later in the day.
To his amazement, he then realised it was an Oliver Cromwell silver shilling dating back to 1658.
The coin was probably dropped by a drinker over three-and-a-half centuries ago.
David – who is revamping the Grade II Listed Old Cottage pub, in Margate, Kent – said: “There was a clunk noise and I thought I’d hoovered an old nut or bolt.
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“But I emptied it later and saw it was a coin. I didn’t think anymore and put it in my pocket.”
But he added: “Five hours later I washed it off and thought ‘Oh my God’, it could be something quite rare.”
He recently uncovered a 17th century fireplace and some stone cannonballs which date from the 1600s.
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“We’ve not done much research yet,” David add.
“But it’s easily the oldest relic we’ve come across, excluding cannon balls perhaps.”
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Similar coins have been put up for action for £12,500.
He bought the derelict boozer – itself dating back to the 1650s – in 2009 and has been restoring it since then.
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