A woman in Oxfordshire who uncovered a penny hidden inside the wall of her house in 1971 has received a symbolic reward after locating the coin’s owner. The discovery, made in Bicester by Ellie Mead during renovations, involved a 1945 penny accompanied by a note promising a pint of beer to anyone who found it.

The handwritten card, signed by electrician David Judd and dated June 26, 1971, read: “One pint best beer if penny (1945) returned.” Ms. Mead found the coin and note when her husband knocked down part of a wall. The penny reportedly “flew out” during the process, prompting curiosity that led to a social media appeal to identify Mr. Judd.

Through Facebook, Ms. Mead was able to contact Judd’s daughter, Helen Russell. She said her father, now 92 and living in Devon, had hidden coins as a form of playful “I’ve been here” markers in various houses around Bicester, but this was the first one ever found. Mr. Judd reportedly expressed great enthusiasm at the news of the discovery, calling it “absolutely brilliant,” while refusing to reveal the locations of any other hidden coins.

Following the reunion, Mr. Judd honored the promise by paying the current equivalent of a pint of beer. Ms. Mead intends to spend the pint at a Bicester pub once managed by Mr. Judd’s father, thereby connecting the gesture to local family history. The cost of a pint in 1971 was approximately 10 pence, reflecting significant price changes over the past five decades.

This small piece of local history underscores both playful personal traditions and the changing face of everyday life in English towns like Bicester.