A simple walk in search of a lost hammer ended with the discovery of a Roman treasure worth millions.
Between 2017 and 2020, the number of employees registered in the world approximately approached 3,300 milliona figure that could increase greatly if informal workers are considered. But, work life can change drastically thanks to chance or unexpected luck, as happened to a worker who found an unimaginable treasure from the Roman empire.
This incredible find highlights how a simple twist of fate can change people’s lives forever, turning them into billionaires by chance. The story of two friends who were looking for a lost tool and ended up finding a fortune hidden for centuries continues to surprise the world.
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The story of Eric Lawes and Peter Whatling: workers were searching for a hammer and found treasure
In November 1992, Eric Lawesa humble farmer of englandhe went out to help his friend Peter Whatling to recover a hammer he had lost while working in a field in Suffolk. Armed with his metal detector, Lawes hoped to find the tool, but fate had a much bigger surprise in store for him.
While following the detector signals, the farmer found not the hammer, but a series of buried metal objects. The initial discovery included gold and silver coins and jewelry, But as they were looking, they found a large amount of other precious materials. Given the magnitude of the find, Lawes and Whatling decided to contact the local authorities, who were in charge of carrying out an archaeological excavation.
The treasure turned out to be the largest in the Roman Empire never found in Britain. In total, they were unearthed more than 15,000 coins and 150 valuables, including finely crafted tableware and jewelry. The hammer also eventually turned up during the excavation, but what both friends had found would change their lives forever.
News of the discovery soon became public, and soon both workers became the center of media attention. Despite trying to keep the excavation a secret, the find was leaked, and the The British Museum called an urgent press conference to confirm the treasure’s importance.
According to British law, the treasure could not be claimed by the royal owners so both friends received compensation of 1.75 million pounds, a sum they decided to share equally. This windfall was a more than fair reward for two people who, with honesty and common sense, reported the discovery instead of taking advantage of it.
Hoxne’s treasure, as it was calledbecame one of the British Museum’s most prized jewels and remains one of the most impressive archaeological discoveries in history. What began as a search for a lost hammer ended up being the find of a lifetime, proof of how fate can change everything in an instant.
Source: Ambito
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