Buried Riches

A garden project turned into a golden discovery. One man’s casual digging unearthed a fortune—and a forgotten piece of history.

In a sleepy village on the edge of Devon, England, 68-year-old Thomas Hughes spent his days reading history books and tending to his garden. A retired history teacher and lifelong bachelor, Thomas had a deep affection for tales of the past—but he never expected to become the subject of one.

Thomas had lived in his cottage for nearly two decades. The house was cozy, but the backyard was wild and untamed. Weeds crept through the soil, old stumps jutted out, and stones littered the landscape. After years of putting it off, Thomas finally decided to clear the land in the spring of 2021 to start a vegetable garden.

He spent mornings uprooting weeds and afternoons breaking apart stubborn tree roots. One warm April afternoon, while digging up a thick tangle near the edge of the yard, his shovel struck something hard. At first, he assumed it was another stone. But this was different. The sound had a hollow ring to it.

Curiosity piqued, Thomas got on his knees and brushed away the soil. He unearthed a metal box, rusted and sealed shut. Judging by the corrosion, it had been buried for a long time. Carefully, he pried it open with a spade. Inside were several cloth pouches, and in those pouches—coins. Dozens of them. Circular, golden, glinting under the weak sunlight.

At first, he assumed they were old commemorative coins. But something about their design, the way they shimmered and bore the face of an unfamiliar monarch, told him they were far older than he thought.

The next morning, Thomas contacted the local museum. A team of experts from the Devon Historical Society arrived later that week. What they uncovered confirmed Thomas’s suspicions. The coins were authentic gold from the 17th century, dated between 1649 and 1680. Many bore the likeness of King Charles II. Some were rare mintings from specific British regions.

In total, there were 345 gold coins, hidden for nearly 350 years.

Experts believed the hoard was likely buried during a time of political unrest—possibly during the English Civil War or its aftermath. It may have belonged to a noble family who fled and never returned. The box itself was standard for wealthy households of the period, used for safekeeping jewelry or financial records.

Word of the discovery spread quickly. Newspapers ran headlines like, "Devon Man Unearths Treasure in Garden," and "History Teacher Strikes Gold—Literally." Thomas, ever humble, insisted he hadn’t done anything special. “I was just digging for carrots,” he said, laughing during an interview.

Under British treasure laws, significant historical finds must be reported and evaluated. The coins were authenticated, and the government allowed Thomas to legally sell a portion of the hoard. But he didn’t keep it all.

Instead, he chose to donate the rarest pieces to local museums and university collections. He used some of the proceeds to establish a scholarship fund for underprivileged students pursuing history and archaeology. He also donated to the town’s aging library and refurbished the community center.

Thomas’s story inspired more than just curiosity—it sparked pride. Residents of the village rallied behind him. A local artist even painted a mural near the library of Thomas, spade in hand, gold coins gleaming at his feet.

Despite the fame, Thomas stayed grounded. He completed his garden that summer, planting tomatoes, lettuce, and beets. He added one special feature: a small glass display built into his garden shed showcasing a replica of the original metal box and a few replica coins. Above it, a wooden sign reads: “Here, history grew.”

When asked what the experience meant to him, Thomas said, “History has always spoken to me. But this time, it whispered from the ground itself. I never thought I’d find a story buried in my backyard.”

Image Prompt:

A quiet, overgrown garden in a small English village, with an elderly man in a flannel shirt kneeling beside a dirt patch. His hands brush away soil to reveal an aged, rusted metal box half-buried in the earth. Light glints off a gold coin inside the open lid. The background includes a quaint stone cottage, gardening tools, and ivy creeping along a fence. The moment captures awe, history, and discovery.

Because sometimes, the greatest treasure isn’t what you find—but how it connects you to the past and what you choose to do with it.