30 Apr, 2021 @ 13:33
1 min read

DODGY DETECTORIST on Spain’s Costa Blanca in hot water after he digs up a rare gold coin and tries to sell it online

Detectorist On Spain's Costa Blanca Is Arrested After He Dug Up A Rare Gold Coin And Tried To Sell It Online

A Costa Blanca man has been charged with illegally digging up a rare gold coin and putting it up for sale on the internet.

The Calpe seller was offering one of only 24 coins known to exist from the year 716 which was produced in Cordoba.

It was one of the first currency mintings after the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Policia Nacional officers seized the gold coin from the man’s home along with other rare items including two silver coins.

The Historical Heritage division of the police launched a probe to track down the seller after spotting his advert which had a picture of the gold coin with remains of loose earth on its surface.

That meant it had been illegally dug up and the subsequent house raid uncovered three metal detectors.

He was tracked down after a potential buyer in the Barcelona area was interviewed by the police.

All of the pieces removed by the police were handed over to Alicante’s Archaeological Museum.

READ MORE POLICE SEIZE ILLEGAL TREASURES FROM MAN’S HOME

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Alex Trelinski

Alex worked for 30 years for the BBC as a presenter, producer and manager. He covered a variety of areas specialising in sport, news and politics. After moving to the Costa Blanca over a decade ago, he edited a newspaper for 5 years and worked on local radio.

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