A VALUER was astonished when a mystery visitor to a Derbyshire auction house opened a rucksack to reveal a £200,000 hoard of gold.
The owner then told how he had kept his collection of rings, sovereigns and ingots under his bath at his Derby home.
And after it was sold at Charles Hanson's Etwall auction house, the wealthy individual stunned staff by announcing that, after being inspired by the teachings of Jesus, he wanted the money to be given to a city charity.
Mr Hanson said the collector had asked that his identity, and that of the charity, be kept secret.
He added: "For one small Derbyshire concern it will make a world of difference and guarantee its longevity in the years to come."
He said the items the collector brought in "resembled a modern-day Saxon hoard".
He said valuer Edward Rycroft was on duty at a Hansons' Friday valuation day when the man walked in with the gold. It included more than 600 sovereigns, cigarette cases, Krugerrands, half sovereigns, ingots and wedding bands. The collector told him he had kept the hoard hidden beneath his bath at his Derby home.
The collection was sold at Hansons' fine art, jewellery and silver sale last Friday, with the £200,000 proceeds going to the charity.
Mr Hanson said the "act of kindness" came after the collector picked up a Bible and randomly opened it up at Jesus's advice to the Rich Man, whom he told: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."
Mr Hanson said: "Our vendor was initially outraged that Jesus believed it wrong to store wealth, but on further investigating Christ's teachings it led him to realise that he was in fact wrong."
He added that the man told him: "After a lot of soul searching and a fierce internal debate, angry scepticism turned into my belief. Like a modern-day Saul of Tarsus, I saw the light'".
In the Bible, Saul was a sect leader who hated Christians but was converted after seeing a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, and became Saint Paul.
