Hoard of Tudor gold coins fetches over £380,000

The New Forest Hoard features 69 gold coins and one silver

A hoard of 70 Tudor coins unearthed in a garden during the first lockdown have sold at auction for just over £380,000.

Known as The New Forest Hoard, 63 gold coins and one silver were found by a family digging a flowerbed in a clump of soil in April 2020 near Milford on Sea, Hampshire.

A further six gold coins were then unearthed following an archaeological excavation in the garden after the hoard was appraised at the British Museum and deemed treasure in October 2021.

The coins that had been estimated to fetch about £230,000 were sold by auctioneer David Guest in Zurich on Wednesday evening for a total hammer price of SFr403,100 (Swiss francs).

The first coin found was struck in the 1420s in the reign of Henry VI and the latest 1536-37 from Henry VIII's reign.

The coins in five different denominations, thought to have been buried in the 1530's, were sold in small groups.

Auctioneer, David Guest said the "stunning" coins were sold to "bidders from all over the world and exceeded my expectations".

He said the family were "over the moon and in a state of elation and amazement... It's been an amazing journey for them."

After the family declared the coins as treasure the coins were taken to the British Museum and studied.

After no museum was in a position to acquire the coins at the time during lockdown they were returned to the family and they were allowed to sell them.