When A Metal Detectorist Dug Beneath A Tree, He Unearthed A British King’s Priceless Treasure

An amateur treasure hunter is scanning soil in a field near the historic English town of Market Harborough. And beneath a tree, his detector suddenly starts beeping. What hidden secrets could be lurking under the surface? Well, he soon spots a glint of dazzling gold and gets the first hint of a jewel that will stun the world!

It’s not the first time that detectorist Kevin Duckett has found something interesting buried out in the English countryside, though. He had actually been indulging his hobby for three decades before stumbling upon the life-changing find in 2017. But nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to discover.

Duckett picked up the treasure and quickly realized that he had found something special. Though it would take years of research before we finally got the truth. If experts are to be believed, the incredible discovery may once have been owned by an infamous British monarch.

You might now be wondering: how did such a priceless artifact end up beneath a Leicestershire field? Was it stolen and then hidden for safekeeping by a thief who never returned? Or perhaps it was dropped as the item’s desperate owner fled from his enemies at great speed. We may never know for sure, but it’s clear that Duckett’s treasure is one of a kind.

Over the centuries, Britain has been ruled by dozens of monarchs – each leaving their own unique legacy behind. And today, the museums there are filled with relics that bring their different reigns to life. From precious jewels and gemstones to weapons and clothing, these artifacts help us to feel closer to the distant past.

Might Duckett have found something that once belonged to the legendary Richard III, whose gravesite was discovered beneath a car park in 2012? After all, the monarch’s remains were eventually found in the city of Leicester. And this is less than 20 miles from the spot where the detectorist made his incredible find!

Or maybe Duckett had stumbled across a jewel that once graced the neck of Queen Victoria – at one point the world’s most powerful woman? Photographs and paintings from her reign show that she was often decked out in the finest gemstones and pearls. Perhaps, then, it would have been easy for one of them to go amiss?

Of course, treasures such as these are what all metal detectorists dream of finding when they set out to scour the countryside. Though few are fortunate enough to actually succeed. And when he embarked on a search of a seemingly innocuous field, Duckett had no idea that he was about to become one of the lucky ones.

According to the Northamptonshire Telegraph, Duckett first started out in the world of metal detecting some time in the 1980s. But it was in September 2017 that he stumbled across the find that would change his life. Recently, Duckett had gained permission to search a field behind the Market Harborough Golf Club – just outside the town center.

The site was actually only 10 miles from Duckett’s home at Fleckney, but the detectorist had never explored that particular spot before. So, he decided to pay a quick visit. Speaking to the Northamptonshire Telegraph in February 2021, he explained, “Being a new location I was on my own as I wanted to go along and do a test run.”

Of course, there was always a chance that he might uncover something significant during this initial search. After all, Market Harborough dates back to Saxon times, and the ruins of a medieval village are located close to the field. Though it wasn’t long before Duckett had found far more than he had bargained for!

“I hadn’t been working away for long when my metal detector started to emit a very loud signal and buzz like mad,” Duckett told the Northamptonshire Telegraph. Digging down, he discovered something incredible beneath just a couple of inches of soil. But to begin with, he wasn’t sure exactly what he had found.

“At first I wondered if it was a crumpled foil dish from a 1970s Mr Kipling product, or even a gold milk bottle top,” Duckett told The Sun in January 2021. When the metal detectorist took a closer look, though, he soon realized that this was something special. Speaking to the Northamptonshire Telegraph, he explained, “I brushed off the soil and I knew straight away that it was a Tudor piece.”

The find, then, dated from some time between the 15th and 17th centuries – or at least that’s what the treasure hunter believed. But the age of the object was not nearly its most impressive feature! Duckett told The Sun, “... [I] knew by its color and weight that it was solid gold.”

On closer inspection, Duckett realized that he had discovered a small statue of a man – some 2.5 inches in height. He continued, “I brushed off the soil and sat down in amazement. The rush of adrenaline and the buzz of excitement started to flow through my body. I was holding what appeared to be a heavy solid gold and enameled figurine.”

Duckett did not know exactly what he had discovered, though the Fleckney resident suspected that it was important. He told the Northamptonshire Telegraph, “I was totally stunned – I knew instantly that this was something really special indeed.” So, he gave his find to the British Museum for safe keeping.

Though this was just the start of Duckett’s journey to find the truth about the golden figurine! Convinced that the statue represented a historic king, the treasure hunter began searching all the records that he could get his hands on in order to identify the subject. And before long, it had become an all-consuming passion.

“Over the course of more than three years I must have sent hundreds and hundreds of emails to academics, historians, researchers and experts all over the country trying to get to the bottom of this,” Duckett told the Northamptonshire Telegraph. “Day in day out I’ve worked away at it.” In fact, the treasure hunter admitted that he “felt like Sherlock Holmes at times!”

Eventually, Duckett’s research began to zero in on Henry VI – an English monarch who reigned during the 15th century. The son of Henry V ascended to the throne in 1422 when he was just a baby. And less than two months later, he was proclaimed King of France on the death of his grandfather: Charles VI.

Despite such a promising start, though, Henry’s reign was plagued by disaster. Having inherited the turmoil of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, he is said to have lacked the temperament necessary to navigate such a conflict. And where his father had been tough and domineering, the young king was timid and disliked violence.

According to the Daily Express, Henry also had mental health issues for much of his adult life. And soon, a bitter struggle to seize power from him began behind the scenes. Eventually, this would escalate into the Wars of the Roses – a conflict which saw the English houses of Lancaster and York competing for the throne.

Eventually, Henry was deposed and locked in the Tower of London as his rival Edward IV assumed power in his stead. In 1471 the king passed away – probably murdered by his successor. But though Henry had been an incompetent monarch in life, his tragic fate soon made him a martyr in death.

Appalled by Edward’s treatment of their former king, the people of England began to deify Henry. And just like St. Edmund and Edward the Confessor before him, he was ultimately transformed into a royal saint. Over the years, a number of alleged miracles were attributed to the late monarch – further strengthening this reputation.

In the end, Henry’s recognition as a saint grew so powerful that it helped his half-nephew Henry Tudor claim a divine right to the throne. So, it made sense that someone might have taken the time to craft his likeness in gold. But there were also other clues that pointed to the statuette’s identity, such as the “SH” – believed to stand for St. Henry – enameled on its base.

Duckett, then, was convinced that his find was a representation of Henry VI. But where had it come from? Also, how had it ended up buried beneath the field? The answer, unexpectedly, came while the treasure hunter was watching a YouTube video uploaded by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) in October 2012.

In the video, experts can be seen recreating the crown once worn by Henry VIII – son of the first Tudor king. Encrusted with hundreds of diamonds, sapphires, rubies and pearls, the ostentatious object also featured five fleur-de-lys designs – a pattern traditionally associated with the royal family. And at the center of each was a small statuette.

Originally, it seems, there were three different representations of Christ adorning the crown, as well as depictions of the Virgin Mary and St. George. But when Henry VIII inherited the jewels, he decided to make some changes. Likely inspired by his split from the Catholic church, he removed the three figures of Jesus and replaced them with three saint kings of England.

With the crown suitably altered, Henry VIII proudly wore it at a number of official events – including his marriage to Anne of Cleves in 1540. When he died, the elaborate headpiece was passed down to his successors and was ultimately worn at a total of six coronations, according to Smithsonianmag.com.

Who was the final monarch to wear the crown, then? Well, that accolade goes to the ill-fated Charles I. It actually appears in a 1631 painting of him – the same artwork that the HRP team would later use for reference. But the reign of this Stuart royal would ultimately end in disaster after the English Civil War broke out in 1642.

Seven years later, Charles was executed at the hands of Oliver Cromwell and it ushered in a period known as the Interregnum. Yet even though the monarchy was restored in 1660, many treasures – such as the crown of Henry VIII – were lost. For years, historians assumed that it had been melted down and made into coins – its gems sold off to the highest bidder.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and Duckett found himself intrigued by the replica crown created by the HSP. His Henry VI statuette looked a lot like the golden figurines that featured in the video, after all. Might there be a connection? Eventually, he decided to make a trip to see the creation in the flesh.

At that time, the crown was on display in Hampton Court Palace in London – once the home of Henry VIII. And when Duckett arrived, he was certainly not disappointed. The treasure hunter told The Sun, “I’ll never forget the sheer excitement as I got closer to the Grand Hall where the replica sat in all its glory.”

Amazingly, Duckett soon realized that the two artifacts were a match. He explained, “I entered the room and my figurine’s identical twin was staring right back at me.” But if the statuette of Henry VI really had come from his successor’s missing crown, how had it ended up in Market Harborough?

According to Leanda de Lisle – who wrote a biography of Charles I – the crown itself may have been downsized prior to the English Civil War. And in a later painting of the monarch, it appears that the golden figurines were no longer present. Yet despite their removal, it’s possible that the beleaguered king held on to the statuette as a sort of totem.

Perhaps, as Charles I’s enemies began to surround him, the monarch might have found some form of solace in the royal saint? Could he have carried it with him as he entered the Civil War battlefields? After all, the spot where Duckett found the jewel is along a route that the king once took, according to de Lisle.

Charles I apparently fled from Oliver Cromwell’s forces after losing the Battle of Naseby in 1645 – taking a route that passed by Market Harborough. Did the king drop the golden figurine in his haste? Or was it seized when the Roundheads attacked and captured a baggage train traveling through the area?

For his part, Duckett thinks the figurine once adorned the crown of Henry VIII. Though the British Museum has yet to confirm the provenance of his find. According to the Northamptonshire Telegraph, officials actually dated the artifact to the Late Middle Ages, which ended shortly before Henry’s reign began.

Experts believe that Duckett’s find is one of the most important ever uncovered by an amateur detectorist, The Sun notes. And now the long process to determine its value begins. First, the artifact will be properly assessed before the Treasure Valuation Committee eventually comes up with a suggested amount.

The British Museum will subsequently be given the opportunity to purchase the artifact for its collections. According to Smithsonianmag.com, experts believe that it will be valued in the region of $2.7 million – a figure that would be split between Duckett and the land owner. Speaking to The Sun, though, the treasure hunter seemed to have other rewards on his mind.

“I’m very proud to have rediscovered [the statuette] for the world to enjoy and study,” Duckett said. Meanwhile, HRP’s chief curator Lucy Worsley jumped on board, adding, “It’s great news that after centuries of slumber this little golden figure has been revealed once more. It is tantalizing to imagine its true history.”