Schoolgirl finds coin in the grass dating back to William the Conqueror's reign

15 November 2023 , 13:37

1132     0

A schoolgirl found the currency thought to have been minted around 1069 (Image: Winstanley School / SWNS)

A schoolgirl has made an astonishing discovery of a 1,000 year old coin from the time of William the Conqueror - right in her school playground.

Vilte, a Year 9 pupil, initially thought she had found a 5p coin but was amazed to learn she'd stumbled upon a medieval treasure dating back a millennium. The 13 year old was enjoying breaktime with friends at Winstanley School in Braunstone, Leics, when she spotted the coin on a strip of grass.

With the help of her history teacher, she discovered it was a penny from around 1069, during the reign of William the Conqueror. It's thought that the historic coin may have been unearthed when workmen replaced a lamppost on the school grounds last summer.

Vilte noticed the coin was lighter than a regular 5p and had unfamiliar markings, so she took it to her teachers. She told the BBC : "I was just talking to some friends and it caught my eye on the floor so I sort of picked it up. I took it to my history teacher's room and said 'do you know anything about this coin, because it looks really strange, and is definitely not your ordinary coin?'"

The coin dates back to William the Conqueror's reign (Winstanley School / SWNS)

After some research, they discovered the coin's true age. "It was really shocking. You don't expect to find that in your school, you know. It was just a little bit of a surprise," Vilte added.

EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness

Headteacher Dave Bennett confirmed that experts at Leicestershire County Council had verified the coin's identity. He said: "When Vilte found it we knew it was some interest and then when we did some more research it was verified it was from that time.

"Then we tried to work out why it was there and why Vilte had found it and nobody else had noticed it. We had just had some building work done, with a telegraph pole lifted out and back in, and it must have come from that.

"But for Vilte to find it, most people would have just ignored it I think. You think maybe you'd find something from the 1960s but to find something 1,000-years-old is just amazing. At the moment its in the safe, but we don't think it should stay there. We'd like it to be displayed in a museum with Vilte's story."

Samantha Curtis, from the school, added: "We believe that the coin was disturbed by some construction work which had been carried out, and was probably unearthed with some of the mud. Vilte found the coin in amongst the grass which makes finding it even more remarkable.

"We have spoken to various agencies for advice, [the] Team Manager for Heritage at Leicestershire County Council said that the coin would have been a considerable loss for whoever had dropped it, probably from a pocket or coin purse, for a farm labourer or worker at the time it would have been of high value.

"At the time when the coin was in circulation the school site would have been agricultural land or forest not far from the ancient settlement of Braunstone. Our location is close to the Fosse Way, a popular route for people travelling from Leicester to other locations.

"We hope that a local museum might be interested in the coin for one of their collections, with Vilte being credited for its discovery. But we are still currently seeking the best outcome so that the coin can be preserved in the correct atmospheric conditions to prevent corrosion."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Susie Beever