The Wragby treasure find
A TREASURE hunter unearthed a 500-year-old silver locket while searching farmland near Wragby, an inquest was told last week.
Adam Staples found the rare item while using a metal detector to search land owned by local businessman Hugh Bourn.
The inquest at Lincoln Cathedral Centre on Thursday, February 16, was told that Mr Staples, who lives in Derby, discovered the locket in a clod of earth.
Experts at the British Museum subsequently identified the 15th or 16th century silver gilt locket bearing the image of the face of Christ.
Three coins were found inside, one of which is a silver penny thought to date back to the reign of Henry V. The other two coins were from Edward V’s time.
Mr Staples did not attend the inquest but in a statement read out at the hearing he told how he came across the item in July 2010.
He said “One of my hobbies is looking for treasure using my metal detector.
“I was in a cultivated field in the Wragby area. I came across the find in a clod of earth. It was a locket with some pennies inside.
“I have a verbal agreement that if any money is made from a find it is split 50-50 with the landowner.”
West Lincolnshire coroner Stuart Fisher ruled that the find is treasure.
The inquest was told that the British Museum has expressed an interest in buying the locket.
