"Starting Tomorrow, I Will Also Carry a Metal Detector"…British Netizens Amazed by Discovery of '3.3 Billion Won Gold Piece'

Fragment of King Henry VIII's Crown Discovered by Amateur Treasure Hunter
[Image Source = The Sun Broadcast Screen Capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] The central piece of the crown of England's Henry VIII, which had been missing for 500 years and was known as the "Lost Crown," was discovered by an amateur treasure hunter. Local experts estimate the value of this gold piece to be around 2 million pounds (approximately 3.3 billion KRW).

According to the British media outlet The Sun on the 30th, amateur treasure hunter Kevin Duckett found the central piece of Henry VIII's lost crown in a field in Northamptonshire.

Kevin recalled, "At first, I was confused whether it was a crumpled foil plate or a gold milk bottle cap. I received a very strong signal on the detector and started digging down. It was embedded in the side of the hole just a few inches below."

He added, "Carefully removing the soil, I found solid gold. I was so surprised that I sat down on the spot. It looked like a heavy gold and enamel box."

Kevin also mentioned that he was certain the figure was Henry VIII based on the inscription "SH" (Saint Henry) engraved at the bottom of the gold piece.

Henry VIII's Crown Exhibited at the British Museum
[Image Source = The Sun Broadcast Screenshot]

British historians believe the gold piece Kevin found is a fragment of the crown Henry VIII lost 500 years ago. This gold piece is in the form of a statue of a crowned figure. Originally, Henry VIII's crown was adorned with carvings of Christ, Saint George, and the Virgin Mary, but after he established the Church of England, it is known that he had three English kings, including himself, engraved on it.

Historians stated, "Henry VIII's crown was inherited by Charles I, but when Oliver Cromwell, who led the Puritan Revolution, abolished the monarchy in 1649 and executed Charles I, he ordered the crown to be melted down to mint coins. He also commanded that all 344 jewels and decorations embedded in the crown be removed and sold."

They continued, "It is believed that before Charles I was captured and the crown was damaged, the statue of Henry VIII was buried underground. This piece could be worth up to 2 million pounds (approximately 3.3 billion KRW)."

British netizens responded with comments such as "Unbelievable. This is an incredible discovery," and "Starting tomorrow, I will try to find everything I can with a metal detector."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.