Rare Portuguese gold coin found on land in UK worth €30,000
It dates back to the 15th century and d. Printed during the reign of Manuel I. How it ended up in a village of 150 people is a mystery.
Appeared on a rural tour.
When he set out to discover India, Vasco da Gama took with him some gold coins, with the inscription of the king at the time: King Manuel I. 500 years later, one of these copies appeared in the field of rural tourism. In the United Kingdom.. This is a very rare gold piece. Now it goes to auction.
The so-called “Portuguese” coin with a face value of 10 cruzatos was valued at 20 to 30 thousand pounds – the equivalent of 22 thousand and 33 thousand euros – by auctioneer Noonans in London. It was discovered in early July by 62-year-old Mick Edwards in Etchillhampton, a village of just over 150 people in south-west England, 150 kilometers from the capital.
Britt was testing his new metal detector when the equipment gave off a signal. He dug a hole 25 centimeters deep and found the gold coin.
“I was stunned, I just sat there looking at the coin and couldn’t even breathe. “I saw the cross on the coin and thought it might be Spanish, but I found out from a king named Manuel that it was Portuguese,” he said, as quoted by “O Sol” newspaper here.
Copy.
According to Casa da Moida, T. Manuel I’s “Portuguese” was the Portuguese currency, which had the largest circulation in the world due to the commercial importance of Portugal at the time.
It is 36 millimeters in diameter, weighs about 35 grams and is printed in almost pure gold. The specimen now discovered was one of those taken by Vasco da Gama on his ships to India, and was made of gold brought back to Portugal from his voyages to Africa.
This is the first time that a copy of this coin has appeared in England. Something that baffles experts. “It’s very rare. I have no information that anything like it has appeared outside of Portugal,” numismatist Javier Salgado told Lusa Agency, predicting that it will attract bids from collectors above the high estimate due to its good state of preservation.
Henry Blackwell is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. His work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism.