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‘What are we looking for?’ asked Hawksby, as he studied the ie

‘You’ll notice all the usual equipraver – chisels of various sizes, wire brushes, even a nail file But if you lookon’ She handed round three enlarge the top of the workbench for the team to consider

‘It looks like a half crown to me,’ said Hawksby

‘Same size, same shape, different value,’ said William, ‘as I discovered when I visited a numismatist at the British Museum, who told me he’s fairly sure it’s a Spanish cob, which as you can see is dated 1649’

‘No doubt you asked him its value?’

‘He had no idea, sir, but recommended I visit Dix Noonan Webb in Mayfair, who are specialists in the field Mr Noonan showed me a similar exaues which sold for just over a thousand pounds’

‘Multiply that by seven hundred,’ said Lamont, ‘and Carter would end up with more than seven hundred thousand’

‘I think I knohat he’s up to,’ said William

‘Spit it out, Warwick,’ said Hawksby

‘I suspect that all the old silver he’s been buying recently has beenseven hundred newly minted Spanish cob coins’

‘If you look at the photographs ht have missed in normal circumstances’ She pointed to the bottom left-hand corner of one of the pictures

‘It looks like a bucket of water to me

,’ said Hawksby

‘That was ht,’ said William, ‘until I think I’ve worked out Carter’s next move’

‘Don’t keep us all in suspense,’ said Hawksby