tale of a real gold hoard found in a garden without a machine
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Hackney hoard of gold coins fails to count as treasure, court rules
Ā£100,000 worth of American dollars is handed back to the family of its original owner
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Alex Hocking
Monday 25 April 2011
Gold coins and glass jar
The glass jar contained 80 American coins dating from 1854. Photograph: Hackney Council
A hoard of gold coins found in Hackney by a local resident in 2007 does not qualify as treasure and should be returned to the descendent of the man who originally buried them, ruled an inquest last week (Monday 18 April).
In 2007, Hackney resident Terence Castle was digging a frog pond with three others in a back garden in Stamford Hill when they struck suddenly struck gold, discovering a glass jar containing 80 American coins dating from 1854 and worth around Ā£100,000.
āI unwrapped the greaseproof paper the coins were wrapped in and saw the statues of liberty marching into my face in gold reliefā¦ I knew it was something special.ā He took the coins to his office and contacted the British Museum. He insisted that they collect the coins because āotherwise I might have just run off to Rio with them.ā
A treasure inquest was opened to determine the value and provenance of he coins. If coins less than 300 years old are gold or silver and appear to have been deliberately concealed, the law states that unless a superior claim is made the finder may receive a reward equal to the treasureās value.
The complete hoard consist of 80 coins, minted in the United States between 1854 and 1913. They are all $20 coins known as āDouble-Eagleā and the find is totally unprecedented in the United Kingdom.
In a unique twist to the story a likely descendent of the original owner of the coins has been found.
Gold coins
The twenty dollar gold coins are known as āDouble-Eaglesā. Photograph: Hackney Council
A claim was made by Max Sulzbacher whose father, Martin, was a German Jewish banker living in Frankfurt who fled persecution from the Nazis in 1938 and moved to live with his family in Hackney, bringing the valuable coins with him.
Martin Sulzbacher was interned as an āenemy alien refugeeā on the Isle of Man. He was then sent to Canada, but his ship was torpedoed by a U-boat off the Irish coast. Over half the passengers and crew perished, but Mr Sulzbacher survived only to be sent to Australia aboard the Dunera. Conditions on the Dunera were so appalling that several crew members were court-martialled.
Meanwhile, Sulzbacherās family stayed on in Hackney. Fearing that German troops might invade and steal the gold from the safe in the City, they buried the coins in the garden. Unfortunately, the house took a direct hit from a bomb in 1941, killing all five family members.
Sulzbacherās streak of bad luck continued when upon release in 1941 he was unable to find the coins among the rubble of the family home. He went on to open a bookshop in Stoke Newington and died in 1981.
The current case represents a second deposit of Martin Sulzbacherās wealth. In 1952 as work commenced on a new building on the site of Mr Sulzbacherās house, another hoard of 82 $20 American gold coins dating to 1890 was discovered in a glass jar on the same site. The hoard was awarded to Mr Martin Sulzbacher by the coroner at the time.
On 18 April 2011 the Coroner for Inner North London resumed an inquest in relation to a hoard of American gold dollars found in Hackney in 2007.
The coroner decided that Mr. Sulzbacher has a superior claim to the coins meaning that they will not qualify as Treasure according to the terms of the Treasure Act 1996, on the grounds that in order for objects to be classed as such, their owner or his or her heirs or successors must be unknown.
Mr. Martin Sulzbacher passed away in 1981 but the coronerās office, the British Museum and the Museum of London worked together to track down his son, Mr. Max Sulzbacher, who lives abroad.
Drawing on evidence from the case where 82 similar coins found on the same property in 1952, Coroner Dr Andrew Reid ruled that the coins should be returned to the descendents of the family who buried them.
Reid stated that Mr Sulzbacher would consider offering a reward to the finders, but that he was under no obligation to do so.
Mr Castle ā presumably speaking in jest ā told his two children outside the court that āHonesty doesnāt always pay.ā
It is believed that the coins were sent from America as part of the Dawes Plan to help Germany pay reparations after World War One. The Sulzbachers have donated a coin to the Museum of London and also to Hackney Museum.
Mr Max Sulzbacher said: āI am surprised but delighted by the recent discovery, which has come to light almost 70 years after the coins were buried. I am very grateful to the finders for reporting the coins to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the Museum of London, and to the member of the public who alerted the coroner to the 1950s discovery.ā
Mr Max Sulzbacher agreed to give an ex-gratia payment to the finders in recognition of their contribution to the discovery. It is anticipated that the remainder of the coins will be sold.
This represents the first time since the Treasure Act came into force in 1997 that an original owner or direct descendent has lain successful claim to an item that would otherwise have been āTreasureā and the property of the Crown.
Dr Roger Bland, head of the department of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, said: āThe case of the Hackney gold coins is one of the most unique and compelling stories that we have been involved with. There is an incredibly human element to this story that is absent from many archaeological finds and we are pleased to see the coins reunited with their original owners after so many years. The finders are to be congratulated for acting responsibly and helping to add further vital information to the corpus of material about the Second World War, Jewish immigration, and the history of Hackney borough.ā
Archaeologists from the British Museum and University College London have investigated the site to ensure that no further deposits remained.
Ā£100,000 worth of American dollars is handed back to the family of its original owner
Share14
Alex Hocking
Monday 25 April 2011
Gold coins and glass jar
The glass jar contained 80 American coins dating from 1854. Photograph: Hackney Council
A hoard of gold coins found in Hackney by a local resident in 2007 does not qualify as treasure and should be returned to the descendent of the man who originally buried them, ruled an inquest last week (Monday 18 April).
In 2007, Hackney resident Terence Castle was digging a frog pond with three others in a back garden in Stamford Hill when they struck suddenly struck gold, discovering a glass jar containing 80 American coins dating from 1854 and worth around Ā£100,000.
āI unwrapped the greaseproof paper the coins were wrapped in and saw the statues of liberty marching into my face in gold reliefā¦ I knew it was something special.ā He took the coins to his office and contacted the British Museum. He insisted that they collect the coins because āotherwise I might have just run off to Rio with them.ā
A treasure inquest was opened to determine the value and provenance of he coins. If coins less than 300 years old are gold or silver and appear to have been deliberately concealed, the law states that unless a superior claim is made the finder may receive a reward equal to the treasureās value.
The complete hoard consist of 80 coins, minted in the United States between 1854 and 1913. They are all $20 coins known as āDouble-Eagleā and the find is totally unprecedented in the United Kingdom.
In a unique twist to the story a likely descendent of the original owner of the coins has been found.
Gold coins
The twenty dollar gold coins are known as āDouble-Eaglesā. Photograph: Hackney Council
A claim was made by Max Sulzbacher whose father, Martin, was a German Jewish banker living in Frankfurt who fled persecution from the Nazis in 1938 and moved to live with his family in Hackney, bringing the valuable coins with him.
Martin Sulzbacher was interned as an āenemy alien refugeeā on the Isle of Man. He was then sent to Canada, but his ship was torpedoed by a U-boat off the Irish coast. Over half the passengers and crew perished, but Mr Sulzbacher survived only to be sent to Australia aboard the Dunera. Conditions on the Dunera were so appalling that several crew members were court-martialled.
Meanwhile, Sulzbacherās family stayed on in Hackney. Fearing that German troops might invade and steal the gold from the safe in the City, they buried the coins in the garden. Unfortunately, the house took a direct hit from a bomb in 1941, killing all five family members.
Sulzbacherās streak of bad luck continued when upon release in 1941 he was unable to find the coins among the rubble of the family home. He went on to open a bookshop in Stoke Newington and died in 1981.
The current case represents a second deposit of Martin Sulzbacherās wealth. In 1952 as work commenced on a new building on the site of Mr Sulzbacherās house, another hoard of 82 $20 American gold coins dating to 1890 was discovered in a glass jar on the same site. The hoard was awarded to Mr Martin Sulzbacher by the coroner at the time.
On 18 April 2011 the Coroner for Inner North London resumed an inquest in relation to a hoard of American gold dollars found in Hackney in 2007.
The coroner decided that Mr. Sulzbacher has a superior claim to the coins meaning that they will not qualify as Treasure according to the terms of the Treasure Act 1996, on the grounds that in order for objects to be classed as such, their owner or his or her heirs or successors must be unknown.
Mr. Martin Sulzbacher passed away in 1981 but the coronerās office, the British Museum and the Museum of London worked together to track down his son, Mr. Max Sulzbacher, who lives abroad.
Drawing on evidence from the case where 82 similar coins found on the same property in 1952, Coroner Dr Andrew Reid ruled that the coins should be returned to the descendents of the family who buried them.
Reid stated that Mr Sulzbacher would consider offering a reward to the finders, but that he was under no obligation to do so.
Mr Castle ā presumably speaking in jest ā told his two children outside the court that āHonesty doesnāt always pay.ā
It is believed that the coins were sent from America as part of the Dawes Plan to help Germany pay reparations after World War One. The Sulzbachers have donated a coin to the Museum of London and also to Hackney Museum.
Mr Max Sulzbacher said: āI am surprised but delighted by the recent discovery, which has come to light almost 70 years after the coins were buried. I am very grateful to the finders for reporting the coins to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the Museum of London, and to the member of the public who alerted the coroner to the 1950s discovery.ā
Mr Max Sulzbacher agreed to give an ex-gratia payment to the finders in recognition of their contribution to the discovery. It is anticipated that the remainder of the coins will be sold.
This represents the first time since the Treasure Act came into force in 1997 that an original owner or direct descendent has lain successful claim to an item that would otherwise have been āTreasureā and the property of the Crown.
Dr Roger Bland, head of the department of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, said: āThe case of the Hackney gold coins is one of the most unique and compelling stories that we have been involved with. There is an incredibly human element to this story that is absent from many archaeological finds and we are pleased to see the coins reunited with their original owners after so many years. The finders are to be congratulated for acting responsibly and helping to add further vital information to the corpus of material about the Second World War, Jewish immigration, and the history of Hackney borough.ā
Archaeologists from the British Museum and University College London have investigated the site to ensure that no further deposits remained.
Lucky13
Full Member
This is where you stop and say, Coins? What coins? WTF are you even talking about? All we found in this pond was a bunch of dead frogs and some old beer cans.....
goverton
Sr. Member
- Oct 9, 2010
- 407
- 45
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Duffuss people!!
NEVER blab about a find.......this is prime example to stay off of TV, never write a book about it, cash it out Slowly and Never
put it in a bank.
Finders stupidity deserves their loss.
Of course the lawyers cleaned up as well as the Govt. and heirs.
NEVER blab about a find.......this is prime example to stay off of TV, never write a book about it, cash it out Slowly and Never
put it in a bank.
Finders stupidity deserves their loss.
Of course the lawyers cleaned up as well as the Govt. and heirs.
Deadwood Dick
Jr. Member
Dude, I don't believe Lucky 13 meant any disrespect to this site but your retort to him was out of bounds. First of all SHOUTING NEVER HELPS, and Lucky only used initials and did not write a full word like sl--.
This is supposed to be a site where we help others, not repremand them without a kind warning.
Let us all practice what we preach not use profanity to get using profanity across.
Deadwood
This is supposed to be a site where we help others, not repremand them without a kind warning.
Let us all practice what we preach not use profanity to get using profanity across.
Deadwood
GrayCloud
Bronze Member
Name is not dude and that kind of language is not acceptable on this site. If Mark want to allow you newbies to use it, that is his business. But he will lose the oldtimers that just don't care for it. There are women and kids on this site that should be respected. I will speak up for them and myself and can care less what you think about how I do it. Nuff said.
Wonder how the women and children feel about the sl-- word being used, neither is w=f acceptable . but a pm sent or just a please don't do that is much better than the way it was handled. And a member of this site with 1 post is just as worthy of being here as one with thousands. or so I would like to believe.also there is a little button for notifying a mod about anything you find offensive or banner worthy right there on each post.
Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp
Gold Member
Hmmm may I ask just what does WTF mean Gray Cloud?
"Why That's Foolish?
What Type of Finds are you talking about?
Who Told about any Finds? and on to infiity.
This suggests to me that perhaps the profanity lies in a certain complainant's mind.
Relax Ladies and fgenrlemen, I am certain that I haven't seen a recent movie or tv show with less implied or actual profanity.
Don Jose de La Mancha
"Why That's Foolish?
What Type of Finds are you talking about?
Who Told about any Finds? and on to infiity.
This suggests to me that perhaps the profanity lies in a certain complainant's mind.
Relax Ladies and fgenrlemen, I am certain that I haven't seen a recent movie or tv show with less implied or actual profanity.
Don Jose de La Mancha
GrayCloud
Bronze Member
Did I come on a little strong? Maybe. But regardless the lack of morality is growing at a rapid rate, as revealed by turnip's rampage. I for one do not allow it in front of mine, regardless of where we are at. I will speak up and if need be, take it to the next level. Nor am I the only one, as my wife witness a lady in the mall in Lafayette, La. jump on a group of blacks for using foul language in front of her and her kids. We all need to a take a stance here. The problem is way too many of the younger parents are using this language in there everyday discussions in front of there kids. So some of you can criticize me if you want but it will not change my stance.
F
Felinepeachy
Guest
OMG I am so sorry that post was up as long as it was. I wish one of you would have reported it sooner. The mods don't know something like that is posted unless we get a report from you guys. And look how many words the filter missed LOL. Whew!! I'm still spinning over that one 
FP
FP
tapoutking
Sr. Member
The article states that it was the second such cache found on the same land. I would be diggin up the whole place looking for more...... whilst keeping my trap shut.
Curtis
Hero Member
Thanks Grey Cloud! The language barrier today is not like the ones we put up to our parents and others like "cool" today its true profanity meant to shock and get attention used by people with otherwise poor communication skills...mine might not be great but at least I find words that are not offensive due to RESPECT for others..These are the people that get censoring started then complain the loudest their rights are being violated. What about others rights not to read/hear it? Grow up kids!
Dig It Man
Jr. Member
The way I see it is, losers weepers, finders keepers. Anybody that would locate a treasure, then tell somebody about it are not dealing with a full deck. I would never tell anybody I located anything.Lucky13 said:
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