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Widow finds 62 gold coins in biscuit tin; collection sells for £113,000

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

A Cornwall widow discovered the decades-old financial stash while sorting through her late husband's outbuildings near Penzance. Staff at Lay’s Auctioneers subsequently evaluated the storage container, uncovering valuable bullion concealed beneath loose silver coins and assorted household sundries. The late husband had originally secured the pieces in 1975 for roughly £70 to £80 each without informing his family. That forgotten hedge against inflation ultimately reached £113,000 at auction due to widespread interest from UK investors.

Key points

  • The forgotten gold collection remained hidden away in a Cornwall shed for approximately 5…: The forgotten gold collection remained hidden away in a Cornwall shed for approximately 50 years.
  • Intense bidding from collectors and investors ensured every lot from the tin was sold.: Intense bidding from collectors and investors ensured every lot from the tin was sold.
  • All proceeds exceeding £113,000 from the successful auction have been given to the widow.: All proceeds exceeding £113,000 from the successful auction have been given to the widow.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

A metal biscuit tin that had been forgotten in a garden shed near Penzance, Cornwall, has sold for £113,000 at auction. The tin contained 62

gold coins that had been collected and stored away around 50 years ago. The unexpected discovery happened when a widow began clearing out the buildings belonging to her late husband. She took the dusty tin to Lay’s Auctioneers to find out what was inside.

Uncovering a hidden fortune in Penzance

The shed clearance seemed like an ordinary task until the tin was brought to staff at Lay's Auctioneers in Cornwall. At first, the container appeared to hold everyday household items, along with a few loose silver coins on top. However, when auction experts looked more closely, they found dozens of gold coins hidden beneath the other items. Many of them were still inside their original mint packaging.

The collection included 41 South African Krugerrand gold coins and 21 British gold sovereigns. Speaking to The Independent, a representative from the auction house described the surprise of finding the coins. "I plonked it down and looked inside…

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