A piano tuner in Shropshire, England, discovered a hoard of gold coins concealed in a piano that had been donated to a local community group. The Broadwood upright was originally sold in 1906 by a musical instrument shop in Saffron Walden, Essex, but ownership after that is unknown until it was purchased by a local family 1983. The Shropshire Coroner’s Office has launched an investigation and is looking for potential claimants to determine if the gold falls under the 1996 Treasures Act. To be declared “treasure” and property of the Crown, it would have had to have been deliberately concealed and for the original owner to remain untraced. If declared treasure, a museum would be able to buy the coins, with a reward payable to both the piano’s current owner and the finder.
