It is every metal detectorist’s dream to unearth a hoard of gold coins, so when Paul Adams and Andy Sampson found 54 in a field they were delighted.
However, they had not realised that the coins they hoped were worth £250,000 came from a Suffolk field that had been a film location for the BBC comedy Detectorists and the coins were props. “Now I look at them and want to cry.” Mr Sampson said.
Mackenzie Crook, who wrote and starred in the show with Toby Jones was horrified to learn of the pair’s experience. The props had been used in a sequence showing a plough exposing gold coins, and Crook said that the crew had not had any metal detectors on them that day but had picked up as many as they could.
“I intended to go back to find any strays, but was horrified to hear that Paul and Andy had got there first. As a detectorist myself, I was gutted that I contributed to their disappointment.”