Martin Backhouse, 61, discovered 913 gold coins neatly stacked in dusty hand-stitched packages and pouches beneath the instrument’s keyboard base while he was in the process of tuning it.
The story was widely reported in the national media but Mr Backhouse has revealed to Premier Christianity that his discovery came seven weeks after a fellow Christian shared Isaiah 45:2-3 with him during a time of ministry. The passage includes the words, “I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord”.
Backhouse has since discovered he’s entitled to half of the hoard’s value under the Treasure Act 1996.
Experts from the British Museum found the coins ranged in date from 1847 to 1915, and consist of 633 full sovereigns and 280 half-sovereigns, with the majority dating from the reign of Queen Victoria.
