The metal detector thinks it has found an 800-year-old lost treasure

A metal detector has begun excavating a farm field where he believes he may have found King John’s 800-year-old long-lost treasure.

Raymond Kosschuk, 63, has been awaiting official approval to start excavation at the site in Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, for two years.

The mechanical engineer says he is “100 per cent certain” medieval artefacts discovered at the undisclosed location in 2020 belonged to the former King of England.

King John, who signed the Magna Carta a year before his death in 1216, lost the treasure on 12 October 1216 in an ill-fated crossing of The Wash – an estuary separating Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

Just a week later, the treasure at Newark Castle in Nottinghamshire died of dysentery – or, according to some historians, from drinking poisoned beer – and has remained undiscovered ever since.

Raymond is convinced he’s struck gold after his gear found “overwhelming evidence” of the controversial monarch’s lost treasure.

Raymond and the farmer have now begun digging up their finds and will be presenting them to archaeologists and the Lincolnshire Finds Officer.

He said: “After many ups and downs, the time has finally come that what appears and has been tested to be King John’s prized lost possessions is dug up from his deep grave 15 feet below ground.

“It will be finally recovered this year ahead of the 810th anniversary of its loss.

“Almost two years after finding the website and many weeks of testing and finding other interesting cars but only one turned out positive for multiple high value targets.

“There is strong evidence that the royal insignia is present, along with King John’s 55 rings and many objects not seen since October 1216.

“All judicial authorities have been contacted in relation to the legal requirements under the Treasures Act 1996, the necessary policy protocols are being followed.

“I look forward to digging.”

Raymond first discovered the site in 2020 after equipment he invented began detecting anomalies in readings of magnetic fields.

So far, a quick search with a metal detector has uncovered a plethora of artifacts, including hammered blobs, nails, an eyelet and even a metal buckle.

Coastal geologists have reviewed drill core samples collected on site.

He added: “The geologist has confirmed that the bottom is fast sand and they would have gone under quickly.”

He believes King John left King’s Lynn without a guide and the 2,000-person baggage train, more than a mile long, was caught in a thick fog.

Raymond of Keighley in West Yorkshire previously said: “In the 13th century they didn’t have compasses.

“If the sun had been obscured because of the fog, they would have lost their way.

“I’m 100 percent sure that’s it. This is the real thing. Upon gaining access I isolated an area of ​​high value targets and it has tested positive for elements of gold, silver, emeralds, sapphires and rubies.

“The biggest attraction of this area that I discovered is the accumulation of silver.

“This tells me there is between 60 pounds and 120 pounds of silver, but it could be more. I believe that was the cash box that King John was carrying.

“It’s sitting out there, and if it were that easy to find, it would have been found. That has been hidden for 800 years.”

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