Tag: Treasure

Treasures of Gold and Silver Wire at the Guildhall

A few weeks ago, on opening day actually, I went to see a new exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery which features over 200 items dating from the Middle Ages to the present day, many of them viewable for the first time.  There is a wide range of historical items, royal, military, ecclesiastical, and theatrical… Continue reading Treasures of Gold and Silver Wire at the Guildhall

The Holy Thorn Reliquary

If you go in the big long gallery on the right of the ground floor of the British Museum, most people will flock to the legendary Rosetta Stone which these days rather politically correctly is a duplicate of the original. I was there recently and it is a marvellous object though the crowd of Spanish… Continue reading The Holy Thorn Reliquary

What a rare gold coin from the Black Death can tell us about life in the 1350’s.

One of the things I wanted to do when I was little was to go metal-detecting. I still remember the joy of getting one and going deep into the woods to see what I could find. Sadly for me about 10 minutes into it I was accosted by a local official who told me a… Continue reading What a rare gold coin from the Black Death can tell us about life in the 1350’s.

Solving the mystery of Captain Henry Every – The Pirate who became the subject of the first world-wide manhunt from India to North America

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog on Colonel Blood and his audacious career that involved stealing the Crown Jewels and in the last few days I’ve been reading about a discovery of some Arabian coins unearthed in an orchard on Rhode Island that might shed new light on an incredibly infamous pirate, Captain… Continue reading Solving the mystery of Captain Henry Every – The Pirate who became the subject of the first world-wide manhunt from India to North America

John Donne – A forgotten poet and his discovered manuscript.

In the long and rich history of English literature, John Donne is almost forgotten about by many today but in his time he was pioneering.  Born into a Catholic family at a time when it was illegal to practice the religion in England, Donne wrote often biting satire on legal corruption, mediocre writers, pig-headed officials… Continue reading John Donne – A forgotten poet and his discovered manuscript.

A peek inside a Medieval Book Coffer

Lot’s of people seem to think that reading on the go is a modern phenomenon using electronic devices to snatch a few minutes of solitude on a busy train to work.  I must say, I just don’t get it though I accept almost everyone else does.  Long before I was born, books have been inherently… Continue reading A peek inside a Medieval Book Coffer

A tragic hero, forgotten in his own time but now remembered in ours.

Whilst out with his metal detector on the muddy foreshore of Thameside, amateur historian and enthusiast Tobias Neto stumbled on a very small but very special piece of history in December 2016.   It was a medal, a VC or Victoria Cross, the highest medal for valour possible in the United Kingdom and old Commonwealth… Continue reading A tragic hero, forgotten in his own time but now remembered in ours.

Nazi Gold Train Found In Poland After 70 Years?

As has happened a few times in the history of this blog, an event which I wrote about from a historical standpoint is now unravelling as a live event.  A few months ago I wrote on the treasures of the missing treasures of bad King John and several other missing treasures including Nazi gold and this week… Continue reading Nazi Gold Train Found In Poland After 70 Years?

The Lost Treasures of Bad King John (plus other treasures both found and missing).

Have you ever wanted to get rich quick?  Long before Nigerian spammers were in on the act there was the art of metal-detecting.  Often metal-detecting enthusiasts are derided as being a little bit odd and depicted as spending their lives wondering around barren fields with not much to show for it but then one of them… Continue reading The Lost Treasures of Bad King John (plus other treasures both found and missing).