bizdevguy
09-10-2004, 12:26 PM
LONDON (Reuters) - A routine walk with his dog turned into a profitable excursion for one man, who discovered a 1,200-year-old gold penny during the stroll and now expects to sell it for thousands of pounds.
The coin was discovered on a public footpath beside the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is the first new Anglo-Saxon gold penny to come to light in nearly a century and the only known gold coin with the name of Coenwulf -- a king who ruled over the central English region of Mercia.
London auctioneers Spink estimate the coin will sell for 120,000-150,000 pounds ($214,100-267,700) when it goes under the hammer in October. But Richard Bishop, an auctioneer at Spink, said the coin's excellent condition might help the price rise beyond the top estimate.
"It's obviously going to be far in excess of anything that the average guy would expect to find when he's out walking his dog," said Bishop.
The coin was discovered on a public footpath beside the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is the first new Anglo-Saxon gold penny to come to light in nearly a century and the only known gold coin with the name of Coenwulf -- a king who ruled over the central English region of Mercia.
London auctioneers Spink estimate the coin will sell for 120,000-150,000 pounds ($214,100-267,700) when it goes under the hammer in October. But Richard Bishop, an auctioneer at Spink, said the coin's excellent condition might help the price rise beyond the top estimate.
"It's obviously going to be far in excess of anything that the average guy would expect to find when he's out walking his dog," said Bishop.