The golden, heart-shaped pendant bears the initials of both the king and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Dan Kitwood / Getty ImagesExperts have hypothesized that the pendant may have been made for a tourney in the 16th century .
When Charlie Clarke set out for his friend ’s Warwickshire belongings in 2019 with his metal detector , he hoped to get some fresh tune , and maybe light his brain after the recent death of his frankfurter . Instead , the 34 - year - former coffee shop owner slip up upon a veritable treasure : a 500 - yr - former favourable , heart - shaped chandelier with clear-cut liaison to the Tudor Era .
The find , Clarke toldThe Guardian , made him yell “ like a little schoolgirl , to be honest . My vox went pretty richly - pitched . ”
Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesExperts have hypothesized that the pendant may have been made for a tournament in the 16th century.
He extracted the pendant from about foot deeply in the earth and get it to a local expert , who advise the British Museum . There , researchers reacted to the pendant in much the same style as Clarke had .
“ We all believe : My good , is this for material ? Could this possibly be ? ” Rachel King , the curator of Renaissance Europe , toldThe New York Times .
The philia - shaped pendant , made of 300 grams of 24 - carat gold and attach to a 75 - link chain , bore a pomegranate bush representing Katherine of Aragon , as well as a Tudor rise present Henry VIII . It was also grave with an “ H ” and a “ K , ” and the words “ TOVS and IORS . ” King toldThe Guardianthat “ TOVS and IORS ” was a “ beautiful early English Franglais pun ” with the French password “ toujours ” ( always ) and “ all yours . ”
But the discovery has prompted a number of questions as well . After prove the pendant , investigator confirmed that it was about 500 years one-time , but also that it appeared to be in haste made . For that reason , they ’ve speculate that it may have been made as a prize for a feast or tourney .
Dan Kitwood / Getty ImagesThe reverse side of the dependent shows an “ total heat ” for Henry and a “ K ” for Katherine .
In that case , the pendant may not have been designed to be worn , but merely as a display piece . Indeed , researchers encounter no house of the heart - shaped pendent in their study of Tudor - era portrayal .
“ In the British Museum , we ’ve stimulate the largest collecting of objects from the early Tudor menstruum in precious metal ; none of them are anything like this , ” King toldThe Guardian . King also noted that any artifacts with tie to Katherine of Aragon are rare , as many point related to her were destroy .
The first married woman of Henry VIII , Katherine was cast aside by the Martin Luther King after his eye fell on Anne Boleyn . Convinced that Katherine would not give him his much - desired son — Katherine and Henry had only one surviving child together , the future Queen Mary I — Henry VIII divorced her and we d Boleyn instead .
Somewhere in those disorderly years , the kernel - shaped “ H ” and “ K ” pendant was lose in a Warwickshire . But experts have no approximation how it get there .
“ We do n’t know why it was in Warwickshire and who had it there , ” King toldThe Guardian , adding : “ At least not yet . ”
disregarding of its origins , the tenderness - shape pendant is a true treasure for Charlie Clarke — and one that may change his family ’s life .
AsThe New York Timesexplains , British law posit that anyone who finds treasure must describe their discovery . Museums are then able to make a financial offer for the physical object , paying a fee that is split between the person who made the find , and the individual who own the land where it was found .
Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesThe reverse side of the pendant shows an “H” for Henry and a “K” for Katherine.
James Manning / PA Images via Getty ImagesCharlie Clark , far left , with the pendant he discovered in Warwickshire in 2019 .
Though the pendant has yet to be valued , it ’s expected to get a high-pitched sum which Clarke will split with his friend . Clarke toldThe Guardianthat he plans to use any financial windfall for his four - twelvemonth - one-time son ’s instruction .
“ That ’s all it ’s really about , ” Clarke aver . “ Birmingham is a bit of a rough place , and I recall any parent … would want the good Department of Education for their baby . ”
James Manning/PA Images via Getty ImagesCharlie Clark, far left, with the pendant he discovered in Warwickshire in 2019.
And , certainly , the thrill of notice the pendant is priceless . Clarke mouth off : “ It was just owing . Nobody thinks you ’re ever going to pull out that , in my lifetime especially — I can guess , in 30 lifetimes . ”
After reading about the Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon pendent find by a alloy detectorist in England , see how a alloy detectorist uneartheda 2,000 - year - old phallus pendanton an English farm . Or , discover how another metal detectorist hit across a14th - century Leopard coinworth almost $ 200,000 .
