Red-Coat
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- Joined
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- Location
- Surrey, UK
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Since 2022, a mystery benefactor has been leaving gold and silver coins in churches across England, largely targeting Grade I and Grade II listed buildings in the northwest which are in need of funds for restoration and repair work. So far, at least eight churches have benefited, with the coins being variously tucked into donation boxes, pushed under doors, hidden under altars or wedding kneelers, and in one case handed over personally.
Although the man remains anonymous, at least one of the donations was accompanied by a note signed “James, servant of the living God" and witnesses have described the man as a shy leather-clad biker.
Around £70,000 worth of coins have surfaced so far, with the largest cache being nine gold Britannia coins worth around £30,000 found in a plastic bag within a cardboard box beneath the altar of the 14th Century St Wilfred’s Church in Melling, Lancashire. The church was facing imminent closure unless money could be raised for restoration. Although the coins were accompanied by a note indicating they had been secreted on 16th July 2022, they weren’t actually found until 3rd April this year.
The coins were all dated 1999 and issued by the Royal Mint only as part of 4-coin proof sets with a limited mintage between 1998-2012. They’re one Troy ounce of gold, alloyed with silver to .9167 fineness. The other coins found have reportedly also been bullion coins from limited edition collector series.
Although the man remains anonymous, at least one of the donations was accompanied by a note signed “James, servant of the living God" and witnesses have described the man as a shy leather-clad biker.
Around £70,000 worth of coins have surfaced so far, with the largest cache being nine gold Britannia coins worth around £30,000 found in a plastic bag within a cardboard box beneath the altar of the 14th Century St Wilfred’s Church in Melling, Lancashire. The church was facing imminent closure unless money could be raised for restoration. Although the coins were accompanied by a note indicating they had been secreted on 16th July 2022, they weren’t actually found until 3rd April this year.
The coins were all dated 1999 and issued by the Royal Mint only as part of 4-coin proof sets with a limited mintage between 1998-2012. They’re one Troy ounce of gold, alloyed with silver to .9167 fineness. The other coins found have reportedly also been bullion coins from limited edition collector series.
