17th-Century Irish Marriage Locket Containing Rare Italian Gold Coin Sells for Over £8,500 at London Auction

A remarkably preserved silver locket, lost for centuries after its creation to commemorate the union of two Catholic landowners in 17th-century Ireland, has captured the attention of historians and collectors alike, culminating in a successful sale at a London auction house earlier this autumn.

The artifact, which dates back to approximately 1660, was originally crafted to celebrate the marriage of Robert Coppinger and his wife Margarett, who belonged to a prominent Catholic landowning family residing in County Cork, Ireland. Fashioned in an elegant oval shape, the exterior of Coppinger’s locket is richly adorned with fine religious iconography. The front face features a detailed engraving of the Nativity, while the reverse side depicts the Adoration of the Magi. Alongside these sacred scenes, the locket bears the inscription “ROBT COPPINGER & MARGARETT COPPINGER als. ROCHE,” permanently immortalizing the couple and Margarett’s maiden name.

The ornate craftsmanship does not stop at the exterior metalwork. Opening the locket reveals an inner engraving of the Crucifixion, alongside a hidden treasure: a gold 2 doppia coin minted in 1619 in the Italian territories of Parma and Piacenza during the reign of Duke Ranuccio I Farnese. According to a press release issued by Roseberys Auctions in London, the inclusion of this specific foreign coin would have held profound personal and cultural resonance for the Catholic landowning family. During this turbulent period in European history, high-value currency was frequently carried as portable wealth and worn as jewelry, serving both an aesthetic purpose and a practical function as a secure store of value. The doppia circulated widely as a trade gold coin and was commonly found in the possession of wealthy Europeans navigating cross-border commerce and uncertain political landscapes.

While the exact circumstances surrounding how and when the locket was lost remain shrouded in mystery, its eventual rediscovery is well-documented. Around 1850, a farm laborer working near the historic castle of Mashanaglass in County Cork stumbled upon the metal trinket buried in the earth. Recognizing that he had found something of potential importance, the laborer brought the locket to the rector of the local parish. The artifact underwent early restoration efforts and was ultimately returned to a descendant of the Coppinger family, ensuring that the heirloom found its way back to the lineage of its original owners.

Anna Evans, Head of Works of Art at Roseberys, highlighted the extraordinary survival and emotional resonance of the piece as it made its way to the auction block. "Very few objects survive with such a vivid sense of the people and place to which they belonged," Evans explained, emphasizing the deep historical connection the locket maintains with 17th-century County Cork.

When the locket finally reached the saleroom during Roseberys’ Fine & Decorative auction on October 1, it was presented alongside a fascinating archive of historical documentation that traced its modern rediscovery and authentication. The token of love was paired with a physical copy of The Cork Historical and Archaeological Society Journal from 1895, which featured contemporary academic reporting on the locket’s unearthing beneath the castle of Mashanaglass. Furthermore, the lot included a handwritten letter dated 1892 from the British Museum’s Keeper of Coins, providing official numismatic identification and validation for the 1619 gold piece housed within.

Beyond its sentimental value as a centuries-old marriage token, the contents of the locket hold significant numismatic rarity. Surviving examples of the 2 doppia from this era are exceptionally scarce because such coins were frequently melted down or reminted by subsequent rulers and authorities to supply bullion for new currency. In particular, 1619 doppias rarely appear outside of major institutional collections or specialized numismatic sales, where they consistently command high prices from dedicated collectors.

True to its reputation for rarity and strong market demand, the 1619 doppia and its accompanying locket outperformed expectations at the Roseberys auction. The lot had been assigned a pre-sale estimate ranging between £3,000 and £5,000. Driven by competitive bidding from collectors eager to acquire a piece with such impeccable provenance, the final realized price climbed to £8,528, comfortably eclipsing its initial valuation.

Despite its triumphant sale and overall remarkable state of preservation, the locket bears physical evidence of the dramatic nature of its rediscovery. When the farm laborer struck the earth with his spade near Mashanaglass around 1850, the tool made direct contact with the locket, leaving a noticeable dent on its exterior casing. However, the internal contents remained miraculously safe from the agricultural implement.

"The survival of the coin is owed to the locket," Evans noted, reflecting on the physical mechanics of the find. "Sealed inside it, the coin was shielded from the very spade that unearthed it near Mashanaglass around 1850."

Numismatists and historians have similarly marveled at the unbroken chain of custody and documentation that accompanies the piece. It is exceptionally rare for historians to trace a coin’s trajectory so comprehensively—moving from the mint in Italy, to a personalized marriage keepsake in Ireland, through its accidental burial and subsequent recovery in the 19th century, and finally into the modern auction market with its historical archive intact.

For those interested in learning more about the Coppinger-Roche locket, its journey, and the results of the Fine & Decorative auction, further details can be found by visiting the official website of Roseberys Auctions in London.