THE RARE TUDOR COIN

The rare Tudor coin I discovered between my boots!

The ‘mudlarks’ who originally searched the Thames for treasures were often very poor young children in Georgian and Victorian England. They scoured the mud of the Thames hoping to find something they could sell to earn a few pennies and feed their families. At low tide, these children could be seen wading knee-deep in the thick mud in large groups. It is said that wealthier people sometimes found it extremely amusing to throw coins into the mud from bridges, then laughingly watch the neglected and hungry children scramble for them. As a modern mudlark, I have since found an enormous variety of coins in the Thames. Their origins range from the Iron Age to the 21st century. There's something magical about knowing you are the first person to touch a coin since it was lost or thrown into the river – sometimes centuries ago. Did the person who lost it go to bed with an empty stomach that night, or was it intentionally thrown into the water? It certainly sparks the imagination.

I want to tell you about one of my favorite coin finds of all time. Hard to believe, but I had actually stopped searching the shore and had put my trowel and knee pads aside. The sun was setting, and I was gazing thoughtfully at the Thames. I looked down at one spot, and my gaze fell between my boots. I noticed a small round object. I bent down to pick it up, although I was pretty sure it was a dud or a piece of industrial waste. But it wasn't! I blinked in the fading light and could just make out the faint silhouette of a queen and a scepter.

I posted a photo of it on Twitter, and shortly after, it was confirmed to be a silver half-crown of Queen Elizabeth I, minted in 1601. It is particularly special because it was found not far from Greenwich, the birthplace of Queen Elizabeth I and her favorite palace. It is also the only Elizabethan half-crown found in the Thames. As always, I spent a lot of time thinking about who might have lost it and how. In this case, I doubt anyone intentionally threw it into the river. The coin would have been worth a lot in its time and certainly enough to treat a large group to a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the South Bank! Queen Elizabeth I was known for her lavish parties at Greenwich Palace. Could it be that someone, slightly intoxicated from such a party, stumbled along the river and dropped their coin purse into the Thames? One thing is certain: a poor mudlark at the time would have been overjoyed to find this Elizabethan coin. It would have been enough to feed a family for a few weeks. However, it was not to be, and this coin lay undiscovered in the mud for several hundred years before I found it between my boots.

My silver half-crown from the time of Queen Elizabeth I is my first find from the mud that I reported to the Museum of London, and it is now registered in the Portable Antiquities Scheme Database (finds.org). All mudlark finds that are over 300 years old or of significant historical importance must be reported to the museum.

It now proudly sits in one of my display cabinets and is my favorite coin find.

About Tideline Art

This is Nicola White, self-proclaimed "mudlark" and founder of Tideline Art. Nicola regularly posts videos on her YouTube channel, showcasing her incredible treasures and finds. Over the next 12 months, Nicola will be sharing her fascinating stories and finds with us on the Muck Boot blog!

When I moved to London from Cornwall over twenty years ago, I had no idea that the Thames would show me such a fascinating and magical world, and that its muddy banks at low tide would reveal a wealth of historical secrets and figures from the past. I was used to walking along windy beaches in Cornwall and discovering finds, but I never thought anything similar could be possible in an urban environment like London.

More about Mudlarking
Stories from the Thames

Related Product
Muck Boot Arctic Sport

Links
Portable Antiquities Scheme Database
Thames Foreshore Permits
Nicola White's YouTube Channel