Unique sandy find

Bewilderment and mystery swept across the faces of two Warnbro residents last week when they discovered a jar filled with old coins at Point Perron.

Weni Winitana said he loved hunting for buried treasure, but admitted he predominately found bottle caps with his metal detector.

He said he was amazed to discover a coffee jar filled with a finders keepers note, a bank cheque from the 1960s and a hoard of coins dated from the late 1880s to early 1900s, buried about 40cm below the sand.

“It was my most exciting find yet — my first thought was: ‘I wonder who it belonged to?’” Mr Winitana said.

Dylan Evdjenic did not believe the coins were of much value but was interested to learn where they had come from.

The note attached mentioned the United Kingdom, which led Mr Winitana to consider the jar’s adventure.

“Perhaps the owner threw it into the ocean in the UK and it arrived here by chance — although it could be a joke,” he said.

Sterling and Currency numismatist Sean Forrest said the later was more likely to be the case.

“Given the jar they came was modern and there was no ageing of the note I would suggest someone buried it pretty recently,” he said.

“It’s a pretty standard hoard of coins from 1800s and 1900s from the UK.

“There is a small coin in the collection which looks like an ancient coin, but despite its age, the ancient coins are only worth about $10 in pristine condition.”

He said the discovery, while exciting, did not have a big commercial value.