A Darlington metal detectorist has found a Henry VIII silver penny in a field in County Durham.

Mark McMullan has been discovering rare historical artefacts all around the town but this is a special find.

Farmers around Darlington are beginning their harvests so Mark has been back out with his detector to continue his searches.

Within his first week back he struck lucky and found a "corker" of an artefact.

Mark described his search as a "beautiful afternoon of treasure hunting".

(Image: Mark McMullan)

He said: "It's been an amazing day for the History Hunter.

"If there is a more powerful image on a coin than the monarch seated on their throne, holding the orb and sceptre, I’m not sure what it is!

"This epic design was first issued by Henry VII between 1485-1509 and then under Henry VIII, up until 1544 and struck at mints across the country, but mainly London, Durham and York.

"The Durham and York versions being struck in the name of the Archbishops.

"Looking more closely at this little beauty I can see it is a 'local' coin minted in Durham.

"As well as the obverse showing King Henry seated on his throne, the reverse shows a shield bearing the quartered arms of England and France.

"If you look really closely, to the left of the shield is a letter C and to the right a letter D. The legend, divided into four parts by an ornate cross, reads CIVI TAS DVR RAM (City of Durham).

"Isn't it amazing what history you can learn from one tiny silver coin!"

Mark has explored the history behind the coin on his Facebook page, the History Hunter. 

Pennies of this type were issued on behalf of the Bishop of Durham ( 2nd coinage), who at this time was Cuthbert Tunstall, the letters on the reverse ( C&D) standing for Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall of Durham.

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Bishop Tunstall acted as one of Queen Catherine's counsellors in her divorce from King Henry VIII and later after some hesitation accepted Henry as the new Head of the Church of England.

With a subsequent dislike for the religious policy imposed by Henry ( hence the abolison of the monestries including Whitby Abbey in our region ), Tunstall ended up imprisoned in the Tower of London at the end of 1551.

However, on the accession of Queen Mary Tudor, Tunstall was given his liberty and became the Bishop of Durham once again in April 1554. He died in 1559 at the ripe old age of 85.