A man from West Yorkshire purchased a tin of 22 medals for just £25 at a car‑boot sale on 14 March 2026. He later turned the box into a cash‑in‑hand, selling the remaining medals for £500 before realizing one piece was special.
The medal in question is a bronze commemorative token of Captain James Cook’s death in 1779. Tennants Auctioneers confirmed it is one of only two surviving examples in public collections, the other housed at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.
When the collector brought the medal to Tennants for appraisal, specialists estimated a price range of £3,000 to £4,000. Yet on 6 May the auction site fetched £5,000 from Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby, a volunteer‑run institution without public funds.
Richard Kornicki, Chairman of Trustees at the museum, said the acquisition would anchor a 2028 exhibition celebrating the 300th anniversary of Cook’s birth. He added the piece will be displayed in the harbourside building where Cook apprenticed as a young man.
The collector, who prefers anonymity, told reporters he was delighted to see his bargain turn into a heritage treasure. He described the moment of discovery as “a turning point” in his hobby of hunting antiques.
Whitby Museum plans to unveil the medal in its 2028 show, scheduled to run from 15 March to 30 April, aligning with the anniversary celebrations.
The sale underscores how everyday finds can surface rare historical artifacts, a reminder that valuable heritage can lie in the most unexpected places.