London auctioneers Morton & Eden expect bids of £30,000 for hoard of silver groats found in field In 1465, as the Wars of the Roses raged, someone hid his worldly wealth in a secret location and went into hiding. He never returned to claim his money. Now the 186 silver coins will be auctioned.
the hoard is being kept secret to protect the site. However it is understood to be very near to the site of a medieval village which has since disappeared. This was common in medieval times – there are around 3,000 deserted medieval villages (DMVs) in England, including around 100 in Northants, abandoned for various reasons such as the Great Plague, flooding, the Enclosure Act and rivers changing their course. This accounts for the sight of some substantial churches standing alone in a field far apart from any other habitation.
The hoard, which is expected to arouse a great deal of excitement among coin collectors and dealers, will be offered as part of a sale of Ancient, Islamic, British and World Coins, to be held at Sotheby’s, with whom Morton & Eden have an association. For further information, please contact Jeremy Cheek on 020 7493 5344 or info@mortonandeden.com.
