A metal detectorist who found England’s ‘first ever gold coin’ has sold it for a world record of £648,000.
He wanted to keep his identity private and found the coin during his 10th year of metal detecting. He was on Hemyock Farmland, Devon.
This penny is just under an in diameter.
Only eight coins are known to exist, with the majority of them being in museums. This one however is believed to have been the first in over 260 years.
The coin was extremely rare and the discoverer didn’t know it until he took a photo of it on Facebook. A specialist from Spink Auctioneers in London spotted it.

An anonymous treasure hunter found the coin while metal-detecting on Hemyock farmland, Devon.

The coins were found in Hemyock (Devon), a medieval settlement known for its castle.
Numismatists, coin specialists, have called the Henry III penny the “true” portrait of an English King on his throne.
There are only eight known examples of these coins, almost all of which can be found in museums.
It achieved a hammer price of £540,000, with extra fees taking the final figure paid by a private British buyer in the room to £648,000.
The proceeds will be split 50/50 between the landowner and the finder. His fortune will be used to help his children.
The winner bidder plans to lend the coin to an institution or museum.
This is the world’s most expensive Henry III English coin and a world record.

William of Gloucester struck the King Henry III penny in approximately 1257 with North Africa gold. The coin measures less than an inch.
Gregory Edmund, specialist at Spink & Son, said: ‘Not only does this now stand as the most valuable single coin find in British history, but also the most valuable Medieval English coin ever sold at auction.
‘Unsurprisingly therefore it eclipsed our old house record to fall for an incredible £540,000 (£648,000 including costs) to a private room buyer.
It was acquired by an unknown private buyer in the United Kingdom, who plans to lend the coin to any public institution or museum.
“The results were astonishing to the vendors and landowners.”
The 21mm diameter coin displays Henry III’s portrait after he threw the Great Pavement from Westminster Abbey.

Eight of these coins have survived, most are in museums. The first one to be discovered in 260 Years is this one.
The reverse side has a long cross and roses, with pellets.
Some 52,000 of the coins were minted at twice the weight of a silver penny and valued at 20 pence, which equates to £60 in today’s money.
They were financially insolvent as the gold weight was greater than their coin’s value.
After Henry III died, almost all were destroyed.
Other examples of the British Museum are located in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Private collections also have them.
According to the ecologist who found it, it was in an unsightly field. It could have been lost forever. The coin is being protected so future generations can enjoy it. It’s truly an honor to have been its discoverer.
“My wish came true. I happened to be the lucky one. To all the other dreamers and detectorists, I must apologise.
Henry III, king of England between 1216 and his death 1272.
To build treasures overseas, he made it a requirement that all payments in the 1240s/50s be in gold.
This was the first time since the dark ages that the economy didn’t depend on silver coins.
Henry died in 1257. His coins were then melted and replaced by correctly-weighed pennies.
Edmund stated that the coin was an economic experiment. Henry’s Gold Penny has been long viewed as the catastrophic failure of an economically weak or bankrupt monarch.
“This would, however, completely ignore the context of coinage in British History.
“Not only did the appearance of a brand-new gold coinage make a seismic impact on the local medieval landscape, it also shows the influence of international trade routes from gold- and spice-rich Middle East and North Africa on everyday life.
“Artistically, it represents a significant shift in the portrayals of a king controlled by Magna Carta to Edward the Confessor’s own personification of himself as England’s original patron Saint Edward.
It is not a coincidence that King Edward VII, who worshipped the Confessor in his efforts to restore the Abbey at Westminster, deserves the same respect.
Most notable, the coin shows the enthroned King sitting on top of a crosshatched pavement. This could possibly be an early reference to the famed Cosmati Great Pamel at Westminster Abbey which was created in 1259 and laid down in 1268.
“In essence, the coin portrays an enthroned King at the Seat of All Royal Coronations For the First Time Since William The Conqueror.”
The reverse of the coin shows the portrait and crowning image of the monarch bearded on his throne in Westminster Abbey’s Great Pavement.
Hemyock village has taken great interest in this find.
Geoff Taylor of The Catherine Wheel Inn said that the coin is a valuable one and was a good landlord.
Thuwararagia Kumar, village post officer and manager of stores said: “It is really exciting that the gold coin found in Hemyock has placed Hemyock on top.”