Rare Tudor chain discovered
February 1 2023
There's news here in the UK this morning of a most spectacular metal detectorist's find; a gold tudor chain and pendant decorated with the initials of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. From The Guardian:
Charlie Clarke [above] had been metal detecting for just six months when he stumbled across what he calls his “once in a lifetime – no, once in 30 lifetimes”, find. He was exploring a Warwickshire field, turning up “junk” and about to call it a day, when a clear beep on his detector led him to dig to the depth of his elbow. What he saw there caused him to shriek “like a little schoolgirl, to be honest. My voice went pretty high-pitched”.
What the Birmingham cafe owner had discovered was a huge and quite spectacular early Tudor pendant and chain, made in gold and enamel and bearing the initials and symbols of Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
It's now on display at the British Museum. Though check before you go, since the BM is now closed for a while due to strike action.
