A lot of people enjoy gardening. We can see why they love this hobby so much – after all, what can be more relaxing than spending your day tending to plants? For the person in this story, gardening led to an even more exciting time than usual. After all, no one expected that she was going to find a 700-year-old coin in the dirt. Even better, this happened to her when she was no more than 9 years old. But many years after she first found the treasure, the police wanted to have a word with her about it… She had no idea that it was going to lead to anything like this!
Helping Her Mom
Kate Harding had been a regular little girl at the beginning of this story. The 9-year-old girl had been working in the garden and helping out her mom. She had been playing around when she found a silver coin in the soil! After taking a look at it, she made a beeline for the house.
Helping Her Mom
Buried Treasure
She knew that she had just found something valuable even though she was still very young. This was why she wanted to keep it a secret. She ended up returning to her room to take a better look at the coin. Based on the way it looked, she could tell that it had been in the ground for a long time.
Buried Treasure
Abandoned In Her Dresser Drawer
For an entire week, she did not think about anything but the coin. However, that could not go on for the rest of her life. Once she left it in the drawer, she pretty much forgot that it existed. This was not the last of the coin either. Kate ended up reuniting with it at the time that she needed it the most!
Abandoned In Her Dresser Drawer
Brings Her Back
Before she rediscovered the coin, she continued to live her life as usual. She was so busy that she hardly gave it a second thought. Despite everything, it had been waiting for her in the closet drawer all that time. Her next encounter with it happened when she was packing up her things as she got ready to go to college.
Brings Her Back
A Sudden Loss
You see, Kate had to deal with a horrible tragedy when she was still young. She actually lost her mother not long after she stumbled upon the coin in the garden. When she found it in the drawer many years later, she instantly recalled the days that she spent with her mother in the garden! It brought a smile to her face.
A Sudden Loss
A Good Memory
It had a very profound impact on the young woman. After she was flooded with memories of her mother, Kate made up her mind. She was not going to lose or misplace the coin ever again. As a matter of fact, she planned to keep it close to her so that she could always think of her late mom and all their happy memories.
A Good Memory
It’s History
When she was a little girl, she did not know anything about the coin. As an adult, Kate was much better equipped to conduct some research of her own. After seeing it once more, she could not help but feel very curious about it. She was determined to learn more as much as she could about the coin! But how was she going to do that?
It’s History
I Need Answers
She made this decision by the time that she was 23 years old. Kate wanted to know where it came from and what it was. The coin quickly took over her life! She had a lot of questions and was willing to work hard if that was what it would take to get her answers.
I Need Answers
Trying To Understand
The next day, she paid a visit to the local museum to see if they could help her out. She knew that this was her best bet at learning more about her treasure. Kate wanted to know what the experts had to say about it. The young woman recounted her story in the hopes of getting a better understanding of her personal treasure. What did they have to say to her about it?
Trying To Understand
Looking For Answers
Before this, she first went around the museum to see if she could find out more about the coin from there. Kate just wanted to figure out the origins of her treasure. Not once did she expect that it was going to cause her a lot of trouble! She probably regretted going to the museum on that day.
Looking For Answers
Unexpected News
After she took out the coin from the bag, she handed it over to the staff members at the museum. The experts took a look at it, assessing it from different angles. They had something important to tell her. Kate did not expect to hear this piece of news whatsoever. It completely blind-sided it, to say the least.
Unexpected News
A Rarity
To her surprise, the staff members informed her that it was not actually a coin. For the longest time, Kate had been wrong about such a basic thing regarding her most treasured item! It turned out that it was something else altogether. But what on earth could it possibly be if it was not a coin?
A Rarity
No Doubt In Her Mind
When Kate found the object in the soil, she had immediately assumed that it was a coin. It looked so similar to one! She wanted to know even more about it, only to find out that she got it all wrong. However, the revelation only made the piece even more fascinating and valuable.
No Doubt In Her Mind
Not Good News
The truth was that there were only four different units of this item in the whole United Kingdom. It is easy to assume that she would take this piece of news with great delight. However, this was not the case at all. It turned out that this was the beginning of a problem for her. Uh-oh.
Not Good News
Not A Coin
The experts informed Kate that while it indeed looking just like a coin, it was actually a piedfort. But what makes the two of them so different? Even though you would have mistaken it for one at a glance, the truth is that these objects have twice the thickness and weight of a regular coin.
Not A Coin
An Understandable Mistake
There was nothing wrong with a person mistaking a piedfort for a coin. It was actually to be expected. Only an expert would know the difference between the two items. As you can imagine, Kate was intrigued. On top of that, she wondered what one of those things had been doing in their backyard.
An Understandable Mistake
A Heap Of Cash
After learning that the treasure was even more valuable than she already had in mind, her interest grew bigger. Could this be what she needed to clear those pesky student loans of hers? The thought made her giddy. This might mean that she did not have to live paycheck to paycheck any longer.
A Heap Of Cash
Misunderstood
Wait until you hear how she reacted upon finding out the true value of the piedfort. Kate was delighted when she heard how much it was worth after the historical treasure was appraised. As the person to have discovered it so many years ago, she felt entitled to the profits that she could make from its sale.
Misunderstood
A Great Find
Did you want to know what piedforts are for? The truth is that experts do not know its true purpose. The theory goes that they were used by mint workers or officials as instructions or reckoning counters. Everyone agrees that they used to be important, but no one knows exactly why this is the case.
A Great Find
She Couldn’t Believe It
The object was very rare and had been in existence for 700 years or so. Once Kate heard this, she needed to sit down. She could not believe what she had just heard! However, she probably wished that she took what they told her more seriously after that brouhaha that took place.
She Couldn’t Believe It
Discovering Its Value
There were several things that made the piedfort so valuable. For one thing, it was used as a symbol of an important event in history. We are talking about the ascension of Charles IV to the French throne in 1322. When you throw in the fact that it is many centuries old, its high value makes a lot of sense.
Discovering Its Value
It’s Worth
Can you believe that the piedfort was worth a whopping $3,000? Kate was thinking of all the things that she could do with such a huge sum of money. However, she eventually made a surprising decision. She believed that no sum of money could make her sell it. After all, it carried a lot of sentimental value.
It’s Worth
Forego The Cash
If you ask Kate, there was no way she could put a price on the piedfort. Let us remember the reason that she kept it close after such a long time. This object always made her feel closer to her late mother. Even though it was worth a lot of money, she decided that she was simply going to keep the piedfort.
Forego The Cash
On Different Pages
Sadly, this turned out to be the wrong move for her. We are not only talking about the money either. The British police must be heartless since it did not seem to care about her story. They had been eager to retrieve the piedfort from her! It was clear that the two parties were not on the same page.
On Different Pages
A Messy Situation
Kate was shocked by the turn of events but refused to give in to their demands. The authorities, on the other hand, could not understand why she would not let go of it. After all, she was going to receive a lot of money in exchange for it! They were shocked when she put up so much resistance over this.
A Messy Situation
Her Mistake
The Ludlow Museum urged her to inform the local coroner of her rare discovery. Once she did that, they could start the negotiations for the piedfort. As soon as they saw the historical piece, they showed a deep interest in acquiring it from her. But how did things go so wrong after such a good start?
Her Mistake
She Didn’t Want To Sell
Sadly, Kate had already made up her mind even by then. She did not plan on giving the piedfort to anyone! This was the reason she simply ignored the requests that they made. She was under the belief that the museum staff was going to give up sooner or later. It turned out that she was wrong about that.
She Didn’t Want To Sell
Determined
The museum continued to send her letters asking about the piedfort. They wanted to buy it from her, which explains all the calls and letters regarding the matter. Sadly, she chose to ignore their attempts. The coin was so important enough to her that she refused to part ways with it no matter what.
Determined
Can’t Hide Forever
It was hard for her to evade the matter for the rest of the life when a coroner from Southern Shropshire called Anthony Sibcy entered the picture. When he started working on this case, he did give up. It was one of those situations that you can describe as an immovable object meets an unstoppable force!
Can’t Hide Forever
A Terrible Surprise
After some time, the authorities came knocking at her door. She got a summons for a court hearing. She was thrown off by this turn of events. For one thing, she could not think of anything that she did to warrant such a thing. She was the rightful owner of the piedfort, wasn’t she?
A Terrible Surprise
In Too Deep
Even though she could claim that, there was actually a law about this situation. She had no idea that this was the case! Who would have thought that there are laws about historical coins? You probably had no idea either. At the time, the walls were closing in on her. There was no way for her to get out of it… or was there?
In Too Deep
First Person
The truth was that she was the first person to be charged under the law. This was the first time that she had ever heard of the Treasure Act of 1996. She did not expect that her decisions would bring her to a courtroom. Kate just wanted to learn more about the coin, but it landed her in a precarious situation.
First Person
The Treasure Act
Needless to say, the aforementioned law is legally binding since it was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. According to this rule, any person who discovers an object that can be considered a treasure needs to report it to the authorities. This is the end of the story for Kate just yet either…
The Treasure Act
The Law
There is another important thing that applies to the case at hand. It says something about items that are not coins but have been in existence for over 300 years old and comes with 10 percent special metals… These things need to be reported within 14 days! As we all know, Kate did no such thing.
The Law
A Criminal
To be fair to Kate, she had no idea that she needed to do anything like that. Can they really blame her? She did not even know that it was valuable for the longest time. If the authorities did not tell her about it, she would not have known about the law. Sadly, the authorities did not seem to care about all of that.
A Criminal
Who Was Right?
As you can see, things were getting out of hand. She had no idea that she was going to be charged with a criminal offense! What made things worse was that she did not report the piedfort and refused to turn it in. However, who was in the right in this situation? Was anyone really at fault here?
Who Was Right?
Jail Time
Kate must have felt like she was out of her depth. We doubt that she had any idea that this was going to happen to her. In that position, she must have missed her late mother even more. What could she do now? She needed help as soon as possible. After all, she did not want to be prosecuted and serve time in jail.
Jail Time
In Her Defense
Assistance came to her in the form of a talented lawyer hailing from Shrewsbury. Brendan Reedy was ready to help Kate with her case. He is best known for his work in helping clients in the police station, the magistrate’s courts, Court of Appeal, and the Crown Court. Kate knew that he could help her.
In Her Defense
On Her Side
It was a good thing that he took her side, no questions asked. He planned to defend her in the courtroom from the officials. Kate could no longer contain her emotions. She had no idea if she was going to come out the winner or the loser. On top of that, would she have to give up the piedfort?
On Her Side
A Big Headache
The lawyer argued her case by claiming that Kate did not come forward since she hit it for the longest time. It said that the item only made her think of her deceased mother. On top of that, she had been very young when she stumbled upon it. How was she supposed to report it at the age of 9?
A Big Headache
Only Time Would Tell
Kate hoped that this was going to be enough to help her out. With her lawyer, she tried to stay optimistic that things would look up for her. Despite this, they knew that the courts could be strict when it comes to getting what they want. There was nothing for her to do but to wait it out.
Only Time Would Tell
Gardening With Mom
In a very candid way, Kate talked about how she did not report the discovery after learning the law. But why is that? She admitted that this was not the best thing to do, but the special item reminded her of the days that she spent in the garden with her late mother. For Kate, those memories were priceless.
Gardening With Mom
It Was Priceless
As you can see, there was a lot of pressure on Kate to turn it in. Despite everything, however, she insisted that she was the rightful owner of the piedfort. She did not care how much it was worth. The only thing that mattered to her would be the memories that she associated with it.
It Was Priceless
She Had Nowhere To Turn
It served as the last reminder of her late mom. Even though the charges were eventually dropped, Kate could not help but worry that they would continue to go after her. It was important for her to think long and hard about her next move. What did she plan to do about it?
She Had Nowhere To Turn
Speaking To The Coroner
She was exhausted by the end of the trial. However, it was probably a relief to know that she could walk free. The only downside for her was that she needed to shell out $30 in legal fees. While she strongly felt like the rightful owner of the piedfort, the truth was that it was not hers to keep. What now?
Speaking To The Coroner
Still A Surprise
Once the trial came to an end, Kate decided to take responsibility for her actions. She finally did what she needed to do! By this, we mean that she finally talked to the coroner about it. However, they were shocked when they heard what Kate had to say… Are you ready to hear the latest development?
Still A Surprise
She Lost It
Isn’t it amazing to hear that the Ludlow Museum offered her $3,000 for the treasure? This was the same institution that let Kate know more about the piedfort. Sadly, she explained that she lost the piece when she talked to the coroner. In the end, the museum was unable to acquire the precious historical item.
She Lost It
Not Alone
But what did the people think about the whole thing? Well, some of them were shocked by the behavior shown by the authorities! They sided with Kate in this situation. One of them even said, “Since when did museums become law enforcers? I too would ignore threatening letters from a bunch of ‘collectors.’”
Not Alone
Public Outrage
A lot of netizens could not believe that they had to go to court over it. They were furious to hear about what the authorities did. To them, it was unacceptable that they would take away her possession just like that. “I’m all for preserving English heritage, but quite rightly this is her property…” a concerned netizen chimed in. It is a good thing that Kate got a lot of support in those days.
Public Outrage
Bending The Law
There was even one individual who had a good question about this situation: “…What happened to possession is 9/10ths of the law?” Indeed. Another person was just as frustrated and said that they did not see the logic in the young woman giving away a coin that she found no matter how valuable it was.
Bending The Law
Confusion
However, this might be the most important question that anyone had brought up. A man called Alan was the one to raise this issue. He asked, “If the find was in 1996, did it occur before or after the Treasure Act came into force?” Fair enough, the answer to this question could change everything.
Confusion
No Boundaries
The truth is that it was pretty much impossible for the prosecuting attorney to figure out the actual date of discovery. After all, it happened such a long time ago! We are sure that Kate does not know it either. Despite everything, the museum had no qualms crossing lines if it meant getting its way.
No Boundaries
More Questions
Alan had other questions as well! He said, “If it took place 14 years ago she was only 9 years old. What was the age of criminal responsibility at the time? For juveniles under the age of 15, the prosecution would still have to prove that she knew that the act was seriously wrong.”
More Questions
Getting Serious
Alan went on to say that the behavior of the court had been truly appalling. He also had a piece of advice for Kate. According to him, she should appeal before a real judge and ask to wipe her record clean. Who would have thought that such a small coin would wreak so much havoc? We hope that it was worth all that trouble.
Getting Serious
No Matter What
People were also interested to know the whereabouts of the coin. Was it possible for Kate to have lost it after having it for 14 years? Even though it was suspicious, there is no proof that says whether or not this was the case. Oh well. At any rate, Kate clearly wanted to do everything to keep the piedfort in her possession.
No Matter What
Distraught
We do not know if she really did an unethical thing to get out of this mess. You know what they say: desperate times call for desperate measures. Can you really blame her if she really is holding onto the piedfort for as long as she could? It is hard to lose a loved one and say goodbye to the things that remind you of them!
Distraught
Willing To Do Anything
It is hard to imagine what it must be like to be in her shoes. Who knows, we might have done the exact same thing! Kate knew that no amount of money would replace all the memories that she and her mom had in the garden. In a way, it is sweet that she stood up for her principles if that was what she did.
Willing To Do Anything
Into Thin Air
Once word got out that the coin had gone missing, the harassment from the museum toned down a little. Kate was alone and could live in peace at long last. The museum was sad that it had been unable to acquire the precious piece, of course. However, where on earth could it be now? The truth is that nobody knows for sure.
Into Thin Air
Heirloom
Even though Kate could have made a lot of money right away, she decided to turn down the offer from the museum. Some people believe that she simply hid the piedfort somewhere inside the house. Who knows? It is definitely a possibility. Maybe she plans to hand it over from one generation to the next like an heirloom. At any rate, we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will resurface in the near future.
Heirloom