Dahl first published his account in the U.S. weekly magazine Saturday Evening Post, on 20 September 1947, under the title He Plowed Up $1,000,000.

[2] It was then published as a single edition in 1999 by Jonathan Cape under the title The Mildenhall Treasure, with illustrations by Ralph Steadman.

Butcher supposedly did not recognise the objects for what they were, and his boss, Sidney Ford, took possession of the hoard, which consisted of Roman Silver pieces from East Anglia with pagan themes.

In Dahl's version of events, Ford was fully aware of the significance of the find, but could not bear to part with the treasure.

As a result, Butcher was deprived of the full ex gratia reward made to finders of buried gold or silver, since the find had not been reported to the authorities.

Richard Hobbs, curator of the British Museum, drew the attention of the academic world to the importance of Roald Dahl's account.