Believed to have been buried by a soldier during the War of the Roses, A gold ring and 21 coins were discovered in Harrogate in North Yorkshire. A father and his two sons uncovered the discovery using a metal detector in a stubble field. [i]
The trio consisted of father Jeff Warden and his two sons, Michael and Nick. Jeff Warden first uncovered a silver penny. The gold ring they discovered sold recently at Noonan's of Mayfair, London, for $7,500. [ii]
The Wars of the Roses were fought between the Yorkists and Lancastrians, lasting from 1455 until 1487. Of the coins recovered, the earliest date as far back as the 1460s reign of Edward IV, of the House of York. The newest coin is from 1471, following the deposition of Henry VI. [iii]
Researchers suggest that since "the coins are not particularly valuable [it] suggests they did not belong to a wealthy person." It is possible that the gold coin was simply a lucky charm since it depicts the Holy Trinity. [iv]
A specialist at Noonan's, Nigel Mills, indicated that the ring was probably buried just as the soldier was preparing for battle. Mills asserts that the soldier likely succumbed to death before he was able to return and retrieve his buried treasure. The coins were hastily buried, indicating this individual buried these items that "they happened to be carrying at the time," likely while preparing for combat. [v]
The Wars of the Roses were civil wars "fought between the houses of Lancaster and York in a battle for the English throne." The name is believed to be derived from "the badges of the different sides involved in the conflict, the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster." [vi]
The popular TV series, Game of Thrones is based on George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Fire and Ice' series detailing "the political struggle between House Lannister and House Stark." Complex motives and shifting loyalties can be traced back to the 1377 death of King Edward III. [vii]
Edward III's oldest son died before his father. As a result, Edward III's 10-year-old grandson succeeded the throne ahead of the deceased's three surviving sons. This action skipped an entire generation, resulting in several claims to the throne. The video below further details how this inspired the Game of Thrones Series.[vii]
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References
[i] Ansar News, Archaeology breakthrough: Father and sons unearth real-life Game of Thrones treasure, (Sep. 14, 2022)
[ii] Id.
[iii] Id.
[iv] All News Press, Breakthrough in archaeology: father and sons dig up the "real" Game of Thrones Treasure, (Sep. 15, 2022)
[v] Id.
[vi] TED-Ed, The wars that inspired Game of Thrones - Alex Gendler, (May 11, 2015)
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