As we reported back in September 2010, discovery is often the path to wealth on the collectibles markets - whether it's a newly-uncovered caché of paintings by Adolf Hitler, or a dug-up ancient Crosby Garrett helmet worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
And the latest example is a treasure trove of 40 medieval hammered and later coins, sold at Richard Winterton Auctioneers in Lichfield, UK, for an impressive £10,000 ($15,550).
According to reports, the collection comprised hammered gold and silver coinage spanning the reigns of Aethelred I, Edward the Confessor, William I, Edward I, King John, Edward IV, Henry VII, Elizabeth I, Henry III and James I.
Rather than being unearthed in a field with a metal detector, the trove was mostly amassed in the 1980s by a local collector and was reportedly brought to Richard Winterton Auctioneers just before Christmas.
"This is one of the finest collections of early hammered coinage I have dealt with in my many years as a coin and medal consultant," the auction house's expert Stephen Wrenn told local newspaper the Lichfield Mercury.
Highlights from the collection included a sought-after Henry VII (1502-1504) gold Angel, sold for £1,800, and an Edward IV second reign (1471-1483) gold angel which brought £1,600.
According to Mr Wrenn, the collection was notable for the fine quality and condition of its coins, amassed by discerning collector who "only collected the best, each of which was carefully researched."
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