A man found a large stash of gold coins in Northern Ireland, but he used a metal detector, not a rainbow or leprechaun to locate the treasure. Paul Raynard was looking for a lost wedding ring in a farmer’s field near Ballycastle, Northern Ireland when he detected the coins underground. The coins are estimated to be worth £100,000 (approximately $130,000 US Dollars).
The stash includes 84 coins that date back to the 1500s and includes a very rare Henry VIII coin, according to Metro UK. It may be the biggest treasure ever found in Ireland.
Raynard and his friend Michael Gwynne were on holidays to hunt for treasure but they went to this particular field to help find the wedding ring of a friend of Gwynne’s. After an hour and a half of searching Paul detected something and dug up a few coins. He ran to fetch Gwynne and they filmed the discovery.
The video footage shows Paul shouting, “There are millions – this is the moment we dreamed of” as he begins to unearth the stash. “This is the dream of dreams,” adds Gwynne.
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Gwynne was shaking with excitement as they begin to dig in the mud and pull out the muddy coins.
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The treasure find is a lifelong goal of Raynard’s. He took up metal detecting as a hobby when he was 7-years-old and took it up more seriously when he was 35. He regularly studies old maps for clues of possible treasure, but this discovery was completely unexpected.
The coins are now at the Ulster Museum for official identification and valuation by a team of experts. Their value will be split between Raynard and the landowner should they choose to sell the coins.
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