Mark Dignam found a hoard of coins dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I in a field in Claydon, near Banbury.

A member of the Oxford Blues Metal Detecting Club, he also found a hoard of old coins in Stanton St John.

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Mr Dignam said at the time: “I found one hoard – the Elizabeth I coins – in the parish of Claydon, and the other in Stanton St John.

“I search for relics using a metal detector – I have been detecting for many years.

“With the Elizabeth I coins, I thought it was only one coin and then got another signal, and it was another coin then another and so on – there were 18 in total in an area of two square metres.”

Elizabethan coins found by Mark Dignam (Image: Mark Dignam)

Mr Dignam added that the Stanton St John hoard was found on a club dig with his metal detecting club with the coins all discovered in one hole.

 A gold object was also found at Cuddesdon on a dig.

The detectorist said the coins found in Claydon have been classified as treasure under the Treasure Act, and he has been told that they will be purchased.

The Aylesbury-based Metal Detectives Group is also active in Oxfordshire, and its members last month found some Roman brooches. The location has not yet been revealed.

If a metal detectorist finds coins and those coins meet the criteria outlined in the Treasure Act of 1996 for England and Wales, they are classified as treasure. 

This means the find is not the property of the detectorist, but belongs to the Crown. 

The Treasure Act applies if the coins are at least 300 years old and there are at least 10 of them in the find. 

This means the find is not the property of the detectorist, but belongs to the Crown. 

Finders of treasure must report it to the local coroner within 14 days.

The Crown becomes the owner of the treasure, and museums can then acquire it.

However, if you find treasure you may be in line for financial compensation from the Government.

In England, Wales and Scotland, you need permission from the landowner to go metal detecting, unless the site is historically protected, in which case all metal detecting is illegal.

The popularity of the BBC comedy drama series Detectorists is likely to have encouraged more people to try out metal detecting.

Starring Toby Jones, who was a pupil at Abingdon School, and Mackenzie Crook, Detectorists ran for three series between 2014 and 2017.

The series is set in the fictional small town of Danebury in north Essex.

The plot revolves around the lives, loves and metal-detecting ambitions of Andy and Lance, members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club.

The main filming location for the series was Framlingham, a small market town in Suffolk.

Christmas specials were screened in 2015 and 2022.

In 2024, a ‘magical’ medieval ring found in a field near Abingdon raised thousands of pounds at auction.

The Drayton Medieval gold ring set with a sapphire and bearing an inscription dated from about 1200 -1300AD.

The ring was found by Chris Weir, who was out with his metal detector near Drayton, in 2018. 

The 50p coin in question was released in 2009 to mark 250 years since the opening of Kew Gardens in 1759.

Just over 210,000 copies of the coin were produced by The Royal Mint, which lists the anniversary Kew Gardens coin as one of its rarest.

The coin features the Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Gardens on the tails side and a portrait of the Queen.

After being listed on online auction site eBay, the 50p coin attracted 13 bids before selling for £149.16 over the weekend.

Until recently, the Kew Gardens 50p coin was the rarest of its kind in circulation in the UK.

A 50p depicting the Atlantic Salmon and bearing the King’s portrait is now rarest 50p coin in circulation, the Royal Mint has confirmed.

Just 200,000 of the Atlantic Salmon 50ps have been released to UK banks and post offices, 10,000 less than the 2009 Kew Gardens coin.

Five Incredibly Rare and Valuable British Coins

What makes a coin valuable?

The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.

Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.

The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.

Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.

The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value – while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.

Royal Mint top 10 most valuable 50p coins

Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:

1. Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
2. Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
3. Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
4. Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
5. Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
6. Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
7. Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
8. Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
9. Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
10. Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500

Now in one part of the city, efforts are being made to remind everyone of their contributions to city life.

City councillor Ed Turner, who represents Rose Hill and Iffley, has arranged for plaques to be added to six street signs in his ward.

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They have been installed in Williamson Way, Constance Norman Way, John Parker Close, Norman Brown Close, Carole’s Way and Krebs Gardens.

Family members and residents turned out to join the six unveiling ceremonies, with warm tributes to those being remembered.

Canon Tony Williamson was one of Britain’s leading ‘worker priests’, combining his work as a forklift driver at the Cowley car body plant with his role as an Anglican priest.

He was a union leader, chairing the largest branch of the Transport and General Workers’ Union for 16 years.

As a city councillor, he chaired the housing committee and became council leader. He was also joint leader of Oxfordshire County Council.

As Lord Mayor in 1982-3, he mixed civic duties with clocking in at 7.15am daily at the Pressed Steel factory.

Connie Norman was head teacher at Rose Hill Primary School for more than 25 years and served as Oxfordshire president of the National Union of Teachers.

In 1974, she was presented with the Citizen of the Year award by the Lord Mayor, Barbara Gatehouse, for her service to the community.

Another community champion was city councillor John ‘Jack’ Parker, who worked at Morris Motors, was Lord Mayor in 1986-7, played in a brass band and was involved in youth football.

Norman Brown founded the Rose Hill Roundabout community newspaper and chaired the community association.

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Carole’s Way is named after Carole Roberts who, judging by a thick file of pictures in the Oxford Mail archives, had a busy year as Lord Mayor in 1998-99.

She also chaired the city housing committee and was the first manager of the Rose Hill and Donnington Advice Centre.

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Sir Hans Krebs was Whitley Professor of Biochemistry in Oxford and won the Nobel Prize for his work in 1953. He lived in Abberbury Road, Iffley.

Councillor Turner tells me: “It was very nice for people to get together and learn about those remembered. There is much appetite for more.”