Historic sale of War of the Roses-era treasure discovered in a Harrogate field by detectorists

A 15th century gold ring sold spotted by a Yorkshire family of metal-detecting enthusiasts has already been sold for £6,500.

Now a collection of rare coins found in the same field in 2020 by Jeff Warden, 65, and his sons, Michael, 41 and Nick, 42, will go under the hammer at Noonans next Wednesday, September 28.

Established in 1990, Noonans auction house, which specialises in coins, medals, jewellery and paper money, estimates the coins may go for hundreds of pounds.

Their original face value was two shillings and threepence.

Nigel Mills, of Noonans Auctioneers, said: “The hoard dates to the late 1470s and was deposited during the Wars of the Roses, a conflict fought between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists lasting for thirty years from 1455 to 1487.

“The hoard is very unusual, comprising 21 coins with a face value of two shillings and threepence together with the gold ring.

“It is likely that the hoard represents a soldier’s valuables who died in the Wars of the Roses.”

The gold ring, engraved with images of the holy trinity, is thought to have belonged to a soldier who died in the Wars of the Roses which were fought from 1455 to 1487.

The Mills family made their famous discovery when lockdown rules started to ease in 2020 during the Covid pandemic.

Jeff Warden uncovered a silver hammered penny before Nick found a further five coins including a silver groat or fourpence, of Edward IV’s reign, minted in Norwich.

Jeff and Michael also recovered several coins and fragments, but it was Nick who then found the medieval ring.

Proceeds from the sale will be split equally between the landowner and the Warden family.

The Wars of the Roses were a bloody battle for the throne of England between two rival wings of the royal House of Plantagenet: – the House of York and the House of Lancaster – which was won by York's son Edward IV.