Real song and dance over haul of gold coins found in piano

Mystery surrounds the identity of the rightful heirs to a treasure trove of gold coins worth enough to buy a house which were found hidden under an old piano's keyboard.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Apr 2017, 11:46 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 18:27 BST
Tuner Martin Backhouse at Ludlow Museum with the piano where he found a stash of gold, as a mystery surrounds the identity of the rightful heirs to a treasure trove of gold coins worth enough to buy a house which were found hidden under an old piano's keyboard. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday April 20, 2017. The 913 coins, found neatly stacked in dusty hand-stitched packages and pouches, were discovered carefully secreted beneath the instrument's keyboard base while it was being re-tuned. See PA story INQUEST Piano. Photo credit should read: Richard Vernalls/PA WireTuner Martin Backhouse at Ludlow Museum with the piano where he found a stash of gold, as a mystery surrounds the identity of the rightful heirs to a treasure trove of gold coins worth enough to buy a house which were found hidden under an old piano's keyboard. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday April 20, 2017. The 913 coins, found neatly stacked in dusty hand-stitched packages and pouches, were discovered carefully secreted beneath the instrument's keyboard base while it was being re-tuned. See PA story INQUEST Piano. Photo credit should read: Richard Vernalls/PA Wire
Tuner Martin Backhouse at Ludlow Museum with the piano where he found a stash of gold, as a mystery surrounds the identity of the rightful heirs to a treasure trove of gold coins worth enough to buy a house which were found hidden under an old piano's keyboard. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday April 20, 2017. The 913 coins, found neatly stacked in dusty hand-stitched packages and pouches, were discovered carefully secreted beneath the instrument's keyboard base while it was being re-tuned. See PA story INQUEST Piano. Photo credit should read: Richard Vernalls/PA Wire

The 913 coins, found neatly stacked in dusty hand-stitched packages and pouches, were discovered carefully secreted beneath the instrument’s keyboard base while it was being retuned.

Ruling the hoard to be treasure at an inquest yesterday, Shropshire coroner John Ellery said “we simply do not know how they came to be concealed”.

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Despite an international media appeal and local research, the identity as to who put the cash in the instrument – and why they did so – remains a tantalising unknown.

Experts from the British Museum found the coins ranged in date from 1847 to 1915, consisting of 633 full sovereigns and 280 half-sovereigns.

The coins were found to be 91.7% pure gold, with the majority dating from the reign of Queen Victoria.

The hoard itself – which is yet to be formally valued – is now being held at a secure location, while the piano will be returned to its home in a local school.

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For 33 years, the piano was previously owned by Graham and Meg Hemmings, formerly of Saffron Walden, Essex, who used the instrument to teach their children music – and were entirely ignorant of its secret cargo.

The couple, who moved to Shropshire in 2015, then donated the upright Broadwood and Sons-made piano to a nearby school, Bishop’s Castle Community College, last summer, which then decided to have it tuned.

It was tuning technician, 61-year-old Martin Backhouse, who then found the “gob-smacking” stash, initially believing the carefully wrapped cloth packets interfering with the play of the keys to be bags of “moth repellent”.

He and Bishop’s Castle Community College could now potentially be in line for a windfall from the hoard’s sale.

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Asked if it ever crossed his mind to keep the money, he said: “No – I could have quite happily swapped them a brand-new piano for that one.

“But that would not have been right or proper.

“As it was gold, I thought that the school needs it just as much as I do, knowing the problems with the pianos in their school.”

Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Hemmings felt no bitterness, praising church-going Mr Backhouse’s honesty in immediately reporting the find.

Mrs Hemmings, 65, said: “The sadness is, it’s not a complete story, they’ve looked and searched for the people and they unfortunately haven’t come forward.

“It’s an incomplete story – but it’s still an exciting story.”

Related topics:Essex