I've struck gold... again! Wrexham man finds treasure again!

[Neil]

By Richard Hartley-parkinson

The saying goes that lighting never strikes twice, and the same could be said for finding treasure. But that's exactly what happened for George McKean who struck gold in the same spot where he found a hoard of coins 28 years ago.

He and his brother-in-law first found 41 gold coins and a ring on the Duke of Westminster's estate in Huntington, Staffordshire in 1986.

This time, the 59-year-old unearthed a medieval gold ring with an engraving of St Christopher - the patron saint of travel - carrying Jesus as a child, and a sliver coin which has been dated to the 1420s when King Henry VI was on the throne.
The reflection shows the image of St Christopher carrying Jesus on his shoulder

The new finds will be displayed at the Grosvenor Museum in Chester where his original discovery, known as the Huntington Hoard, has been for the last 28 years

Mr McKean, of Wrexham, said: 'I'm very excited about it. I'm not in it for the money, it's the finding of it and the recording of it and having it put into the museum. That is what it is all about.'

WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN THE COIN AND RING WERE DROPPED In the early part of the 1420s King Henry V ruled over England. He died in 1422 and his son, Henry VI, took to the throne. Later the same year he is proclaimed kind of France after Charles VI's death.
In 1426 the English defeat the French in the Battle of St James near Avranches
Lincoln college became the 10th constituent college of the University of Oxford in 1427. A year later, Magdalene College was incorporated into the University of Cambridge


A treasure report by Dr Barry Cooke, curator of medieval and early modern coinage, from the department of coins and medals from the British Museum was read out at a hearing by Michael Wallbank, assistant deputy coroner for Cheshire.
It stated: 'This is a medieval finger ring iconographic in type with a rectangular bessel engraved with an image of St Christopher supporting the Christ child on his shoulder.

'St Christopher carries a staff in his right hand and then clutches his cloak around his body with his left. He gazes up at Christ who raises his right hand in blessing.
'St Christopher, the Patron Saint of travellers, was invoked against sudden death.
'The shoulders of the ring taper into a slim band which are engraved with flowers. The flowers on the right side contain a portion of white enamel.'

The ring dates between the 15th or early 16th century and is 20mm in diameter.
Due to its age and because the object contains more than 10 per cent precious metal, it qualified as treasure under the Treasure Act 1996, an inquest heard.
The report added: 'The coin found in close proximity to the ring is a silver groat that has over 90 per cent fine metal and it is a Henry VI angullette issue dating to the 1420s.

'Both the ring and the coin will be entirely consistent with these items forming to the 1986 Huntington treasure trove.'

Mr McKean has been searching the region for more than 40 years and has been a member of the Flintshire-based society for more than 30 years.
 Some of the original treasure that was discovered in 1986 and that is now being kept at Cheshire West Museums
He added: 'The society are all very pleased but there are quite a few things that go through the Coroner's Court a year that come from our club. I have another thing going through in a couple of months - another ring that I found in Wrexham. So this is the fourth time I've been to the court with treasure.'
Mr McKean found the items on March 18, 2010 and had the permission of the tenant and the Duke of Westminster's Estate to search the land.
Mr Wallbank concluded the hearing by saying: 'The two items fall within the definition of the Treasure Act 1996 for the reasons indicated in Dr Cooke's report. I accordingly declare them to be treasure.'

After the hearing, Mr McKean said: 'The collection is now in the Grosvenor Museum but it's never been on display.
'The ring and coin will go with the coins but I'm not sure if it will go on display or not

[Chef Geoff]

Now there is a lesson in perseverance, 28 years later, I wonder hour many hours he has spent (along with others) in that very same field and just goes to show a site is never empty.
I see the press have mastered the art of alchemy and changing silver coins into gold I'm sorry to be annal but they haven't even done it very well. This is how the coins should look (ish).