A widower was surprised to find a hoard of ancient coins in his late wife's handbag.

The gold and silver coins, part of a group found in an Upper Norwood garden 54 years ago, were discovered while the elderly widower sorted through his wife's belongings.

Joy Hulme had originally discovered the coins as she was tidying a piece of land at the front of her home at The Woodlands in Beulah Hill in March 1953.

Some of the coins dated back to 1282 with more recent ones dating back to 1361.

Complying with the law Mrs Hulme handed over most of her discovery which the coroner decided was treasure.

This meant the coins, including gold nobles and silver groats, had to be handed over to the British Museum which paid out an unknown sum for them.

But Mrs Hulme decided to hold back 14 coins, not even telling her husband about them.

After finding the coins in a pouch in his late wife's handbag Mr Hulme, who now lives in Woking, decided to hand them over.

Among the coins found in Mrs Hulme's handbag was a silver groat from the time of David II of Scots, minted in Edinburgh, a silver penny from Edward I and various gold nobles and silver groats from the period of Edward III Coroner Dr Roy Palmer sitting at Croydon Coroner's Court today officially ruled the extra 14 coins to be treasure.