Metal-detecting grandma stumbles upon medieval artifact made of real gold

A grandmother recently discovered a medieval gold cross while metal detecting in a farmer’s field — and it could be worth tens of thousands of dollars.The cross was found by 58-year-old metal detecting hobbyist Shelley Couzins in August, news agency Southwest News Service (SWNS) reported.The discovery was only recently publicized.Couzins, a grandmother of five who took up metal detecting four years ago, told SWNS she was out with a group on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent in the United Kingdom when, after five hours of searching, she found nothing but “rubbish.”Around lunchtime, her metal detector suddenly began beeping, prompting her to dig roughly 12 inches into the freshly plowed soil.“It was quite quiet all morning, and then I heard this beep,” Couzins recalled.She soon unearthed a gold cross — but initially dismissed it as costume jewelry.It wasn’t until she returned to the group’s main tent that fellow hobbyists told her the cross was made of real gold.“It is like a metal detectorist’s dream,” Couzins told SWNS. “You only find something like this once in a lifetime.”Couzins was searching with a group called Medway History Finders, which has withheld the field’s exact location over concerns about illegal treasure hunters.The cross, which weighs 10.6 grams, was subsequently reported to a Finds Liaison Officer under England’s treasure reporting process.The grandmother said she was “absolutely gutted” about having to surrender the artifact.“I like to keep everything I find.

I know I will probably never see it again,” Couzins said.The artifact was identified as a medieval gold reliquary cross, depicting Jesus’ crucifixion on one side and the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus on the other, according to SWNS.The cross can also be opened to hold religious relics, though Couzins said she left it sealed for fear of damaging it.The artifact is being assessed by the British Museum, according to SWNS.Its ultimate ownership and value ha...