Pocket money from the past unearthed

A coin dating from the early 16th Century has been discovered by a boy walking home from school.

The Tudor Groat, worth four English pennies and featuring an image of Henry VIII, was discovered by Daniel Hoggard, 9, of Crow Park Avenue, Sutton-on-Trent.

He spotted it on the roadside of Bulham Lane, which was recently partly dug up to lay a pavement, as he walked home from Sutton-on-Trent Primary School

His mother, Mrs Lucy Atkinson, 32, said: “He is not a typical nine-year-old. He likes his history and watches historical programmes on television.

“He will sit and listen to his great-grandad (Mr Joseph Headland, 92, of Far Holme Lane, Sutton-on-Trent) talking about the old days for hours.

“He got a metal detector for Christmas two years ago, and when he came home saying ‘Mum, I have found this,’ I thought it was just another piece of rubbish, but I had a look and could see it looked oldish.”

They showed the coin to her father, Mr Peter Meanwell, 61, also of Crow Park Avenue, who said it was Tudor. He looked up similar coins on E-bay and saw some were selling for more than £150.

They took the coin to the Coin and Medal Centre, London Road, Newark, where they were told it dated from 1509-1526 and was made in Canterbury or Durham.

It is worth around £60-£70 to collectors, but would be worth more than £100 if it didn’t have a crack running through it.

Mrs Atkinson said: “It is typical of Dan to find something like this — he is so curious.

“He has been really excited since he found it. He has been telling everyone. He took it to school to show the whole class.

“He has to keep it in a little plastic wallet because it is so delicate. He wants to go out and see if he can find anything else now.”

Dan said he had not decided yet whether he wanted to keep the coin or sell it for more pocket money.