A sovereign surprise

The people of Northumberland showed their support for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution through a wheelbarrow raffle at the show which raised £400, plus another £250 in Christmas card and calendar sales.

This was topped off by the discovery of the rare 1966 gold sovereign worth around £250.

RABI regional manager Sally Conner said: “I looked online to find out the coin’s value and couldn’t quite believe it. I took it to an antiques dealer to get it verified. It’s a conundrum, who put it in our tin? It would be nice to thank them in person for such an extremely generous gesture.”

RABI gives out £2million per year to farming people in financial hardship. In 2016, farming’s oldest and largest charity gave out more than £52,000 to 38 families in Northumberland.

Sally added: “I’ve seen lots of things in our collection tins over the years, including foreign currency, buttons, pins, washers, springs and bits off tractors. But I’ve never seen a gold sovereign before. You never quite know what you are going to find in a tin when you open it up.”