Three-year-old playing with dad's metal detector unearths $4 million 500-year-old gold pendant

A three-year-old boy playing with his dad’s metal detector unearthed a 500-year-old gold pendant that ended up being worth $4 million.

James Hyatt may define the term ‘beginners luck’ when he quite literally struck gold on his first time using a metal detector.

James was in a field in Essex, England, when he made the extraordinary discovery.

The stunning pendant dates back 500 years and is worth a whole lot of money.

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Striking gold with a metal detector – and it’s worth $4 million

The exciting scenes happened when back in 2009, when James and his dad were in a field in the town of Hockley in England.

As he was handling his dad’s metal detector, it began to beep.

For a first timer, you might expect him to find some coins or an arrowhead.

But no, instead he found a reliquary.

This is a gold container used to hold religious relics.

And inside the container was a stunning gold pendant, believed to go back to the days of Henry VIII.

On the front of the diamond shaped pendant is the image of a female saint, supporting a cross.

It’s possible that this woman is meant to be the Virgin Mary.

On the back is an image of the Five Holy Wounds of Christ – the five ‘piercing wounds’ that Jesus suffered during his crucifixion.

There’s a very really possibility that this pendant could have belonged to the Royal Family of the time period.

And get this – in today’s money, it’s worth $4 million.

At an inquest, it was declared a treasure trove and proceeds from its sale were split between James’s family and the landowner.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, James’ dad, Jason, expressed his astonishment at his son’s finding.

“James was so excited when he realized he had found real treasure,” he said.

According to Jason, his son has a knack for good luck, as he’s prone to finding cash in unusual places like in the sofa at the dentists.

The pendant is now on show at the British Museum.

A 500-year-old gold pendant is pretty impressive – but what other treasures have been uncovered over the years?

Finding a 500-year-old gold pendant with a metal detector is pretty remarkable.

But it got us thinking – what other unexpected treasures have been discovered over the years?

Over in the Caribbean, a sunken ship with $20bn worth of treasure on board was found on the ocean floor.

Then there was the ancient Mayan city in the middle of a jungle, Japan’s underwater pyramid, and a Chinese city at the bottom of a lake.

The world is full of extraordinary things waiting to be discovered – whether it be by a team of archaeologists, or a three-year-old boy with a metal detector.

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