Detectorist Faked Rare Coins Find
A metal detectorist, who feigned the discovery of medieval silver Crusader coins in a field in Herefordshire, has been acquitted of fraud by false representation.
Michael Jones, from Port Talbot, was declared not guilty by the magistrates at Hereford Justice Centre. The court learned that the 64-year-old had purchased the coins from eBay for £200. Had they been authentically discovered in the county, they would have rewritten the history of Herefordshire and the Welsh borders.
In delivering the verdict, Sue Furnival, the chair of the magistrates, informed Mr Jones that his actions were dishonest. “The prosecution has not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that you intended to profit financially,” she told the court. “You did make false representations, but the crown could not demonstrate financial gain; therefore, we declare you not guilty.” The charge against Mr Jones was dismissed.
In July 2021, he brought the coins to Oatcroft Farm in Titley, Herefordshire, the location of a metal detecting weekend hosted by the K C Rallys club. The court learned that he had concealed the coins in the ground and then feigned their discovery.
While testifying, he admitted to the court that he had purchased the coins online and buried them “for the fame and bravado that comes with it.”
“It was foolish, I know. It was a feel-good act, I merely wanted to enhance my image,” he confessed.
“It was a moment of madness, I just didn’t think.”
Adrian Harris, a fellow K C Rallys club member, informed the court that Mr Jones had invited him to a corner of the field. Mr Harris noted that he could see some freshly dug holes and that they discovered the Crusader coins quite swiftly. “I was overjoyed, jumping up and down, but Mike didn’t seem particularly surprised,” he shared with the magistrates.
Archaeologist Peter Reavill, who was then serving as the Finds Liaison Officer for Herefordshire and Shropshire, stated to the court that if the coins had been genuinely discovered in the field, “they would have potentially altered the history of Herefordshire.”
“They are very rare and very significant, especially if they could be associated with the Knights Templar,” he added. “Such coins have never been discovered in the region before.”
The court learned that the silver deniers were minted in Antioch, now Turkey, between 1163 and 1201. During that period, the land had been seized by Crusaders, and the coins depict a Crusader knight wearing chain-mail and a helmet.
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