(July 23) -- Tony Pilson has spent 30 years amassing a huge collection of everyday items that is now thought to be worth a fortune. What does he collect? You're probably wearing one right now.
Pilson, a "mudlark," collected over 2,500 buttons and cuff links from the banks of the river Thames in England. He donated the collection to the Museum of London for an exhibit unveiled Wednesday, the Daily Mail reported.
Skip over this content
Mudlarking began during the Industrial Revolution, when poor people would scour the mud along the Thames for items of value that may have been dropped or discarded. Today's mudlarkers, like Pilson, are amateur treasure hunters with a special permit to seek out objects as a hobby, armed with modern technology like metal detectors. The hunters are obliged to turn their findings over to the museum, according to BBC News.
"Rubbish... used to be dumped in the river, meaning that many curious items were left there," said Hazel Forsyth, senior curator at the Museum of London.
Those "curious items" include the buttons and cuff links 76-year-old Pilson collects, which easily detached from clothing as people traveled by boat along the river. Pilson has also found silverware, smoking pipes and even some Victorian-era pornography.
His button collection, however, may be the most impressive find. Made of silver or pewter and some even dating back to medieval times, Pilson's collection is thought be worth hundreds of thousands of British pounds. He kept his prized possessions in his bedroom, before turning them over to the museum.
The majority of the buttons date from the 1300s to the 1800s, the age of "conspicuous consumption." Many buttons are emblazoned with unique insignias, meant to designate social status.
'It is an extraordinary feeling to know you have unearthed something from so long ago, just sitting there beneath the surface of the hustle and bustle of the city," Pilson said. "It's the luck of the draw, the uncertainty of what you might find that makes it so appealing."
For more on Pilson's collection and mudlarking, read the Daily Mail.
Skip over this content
