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The discovery of hidden treasure is something often read about in books or seen in movies, but for one couple who stumbled upon a secret stash of gold, riches have become a very real reality!

They found a collection of 260 gold coins under their kitchen floor while building work was going on at their home in Ellerby, Yorkshire back in 2019.

The money dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries and once belonged to a wealthy family known as the Fernley-Maisters.

The coins, which were originally expected to fetch an impressive £250,000 at auction, have now been sold for an eyewatering £754,000.

Sold as individual coins, they were snapped up by dozens of buyers after they grabbed gaining the attention of collectors from all around the world, including bidders from America, Europe, Australia, China and Japan.

The auctioneer selling them said the collection was worth about approximately £100,000 in today's money and called it "one of the largest hoards of 18th Century English gold coins ever found in Britain".

Auctioneer Gregory Edmund called the treasure trove "120 years of English history hidden in a pot the same size as a soda can".

"Picture the scene: you're choosing to re-lay your uneven kitchen floor, you put a pick-axe through the concrete and just beneath you see a tiny sliver of gold," he said.

"At the time, you think it must just be a bit of electrical cable, but you find it's a gold round disc and beneath it there are hundreds more."

Despite the amazing find leading to their story gaining global attention, the identity of the couple who found the coins has been kept private.

Mr Edmund called the final sale price "absolutely extraordinary".

"I will never see an auction like this again," he added.