Local metal detectorist makes donation to Dorothy House

Back in September, we received a donation that came from a very unusual source. Alec James, a local metal detectorist, had been searching a field near Bradford on Avon for any interesting finds. He wasn’t disappointed!

Alec makes a discovery

Alec had discovered a solid gold coin, a very impressive find that many detectorists only dream of.

He was excited to find out more about the history of the coin and how much it could be worth. He had it valued and turned out it had been undisturbed in the ground for 204 years and is a third of a guinea.

The gold coin features the face of George III, dated 1799. While in mint condition it would have been valued at £1,500, with a small chip in it, it was valued at £175.

What to do with the coin?

With this information, Alec visited the owner of the land he had discovered the coin on and explained about his discovery. The farmer, Andy Hillier, told him what he would like Alec to do with the proceeds:

“Take your wife out to dinner and then donate the rest of the proceeds to a charity of your choice.”

Alec was very touched that Andy had chosen not to claim the money himself and requested that a charity benefit from the find.

Alec chose to donate the money to Dorothy House because many of his family members have died of life limiting illnesses and he couldn’t think of a more worthy place to receive the donation.

Thank you very much Alec and Andy for the donation, and for the heartwarming story!

How you can donate

We are always grateful for donations big or small, and even the very unusual! Find out how you can donate to help us continue our mission to provide outstanding end of life care here.