A COLLECTION at a Northumberland show revealed a surprise donation.

A rare 1966 gold sovereign worth about £250 was found in the tin at Glendale Show.

Regional manager for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) Sally Conner could not believe her eyes when she emptied the tin and an unusual, gold, shiny coin dropped out in front of her.

She said: “I looked online to find out the coin’s value and couldn’t quite believe it. I took it to an antiques dealer to get it verified.

“It’s a conundrum, who put it in our tin? It would be nice to thank them in person for such an extremely generous gesture.”

Support from visitors for the farming charity contributed so much to a Glendale Show wheelbarrow raffle that it raised £400. Christmas card and calendar sales at the Wooler show generated a further £250.

RABI gives out £2m per year to farming people in financial hardship and relies on voluntary donations for much of its income. In 2016, farming’s oldest and largest charity gave out more than £52k to 38 families in Northumberland.

Sally said: “As a regional manager, attending agricultural shows is a key part of my summer workload and the Glendale Show attracts more than 12,000 people every year.

“We are lucky to have wonderful supporters, who appreciate the work we do. The farming world is very close-knit and people regularly look out for each other.

“I’ve seen lots of things in our collection tins over the years, including foreign currency, buttons, pins, washers, springs and bits off tractors. But I’ve never seen a gold sovereign before. You never quite know what you are going to find in a tin when you open it up.”