With the details surrounding the possible sum circling through her mind, she became excited. It was thrilling to think she had dug up her very own treasure.
It had been hers all these years, and so she couldn’t help thinking about the payout.
A Common Misconception
Piedforts are commonly mistaken for coins. A numismatic can detect the difference at once, but if you’re not trained in the study of ancient coinage, it’s basically a coin. Just like a precious stone is a precious stone, no matter how you cut it, however, the cut can add value only a trained eye detects.
After discovering the nature of the treasure, Ms. Harding became more and more curious about the existence of piedforts. She began wondering how and why one ended up in her backyard. She was curious.
It Could Be Worth Over a Thousand Pounds
Coming across something that could be worth several thousands of dollars as a college student is a wonderful windfall.
Perhaps it could get her into a flat, or maybe go towards a car. It’s a big deal.
The History of the Piedfort
The value of her find is great, even if historians are not quite certain of the piedfort’s purpose. While the medallion of precious metal may have been used for minting purposes as a pattern, they also may have been used as markers in specialized counting machines similar to the abacus. Numismatics know that piedforts were first determined to exist in France and Great Britain during the Middle Ages.
The very first piedforts are dated back to the 12th century. It makes sense that coin collecting is called “the hobby of kings” because rare piedforts in a kingdom’s coinage were sometimes used as gifts of diplomacy to visiting kings or other nobility. The gift signaled political overtures that became so significant a formal code was adopted in 1355 France that defined those who were entitled to the gift of the piedfort. It came into the language as two words, “pied fort.” It’s loosely translated to “heavily weighted.”
A Very Old Artifact
The museum staff informed Ms. Harding that her piedfort was 700 years old. The precious metal piece had been around since the early 1300s.
It was very valuable to the museum. They informed her about the significance such a find is to the Ludlow museum.