15. 5. 2010 178 silver coins found on a trip

The metal detectorists of the West Riding Detector Group felt like they had hit the jackpot eleven years ago. For near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire they found 178 silver coins dating back to the twelfth century.

Initial estimates put the depot's value at around £40,000. It was the largest coin find to date in the north of England. It is also the only hoard composed of pennies of a particular type. The oldest dates from the early eleventh century.

Fifteen members of the West Riding Detector Group were involved in the discovery. "When we go out with metal detectors, we usually find old cartridge cases or worthless metals, but the day we heard the beeping and found the pile of coins was surreal. We hadn't originally planned any trip at all, everything was arranged at the last minute. Today we are all glad we went," said Peter Spencer, a member of the West Riding Detector Group at the time.

"It was like winning the lottery. The prize of the treasure could be up to forty thousand pounds. I could only dream of something like that, but it actually happened," added another searcher, Julian Szulc.

Other members of the West Riding Detector Group also commented on the treasure find to the media. "After just a few minutes it was clear to us that we had found something unusual and rare. I have been searching with metal detectors for 27 years, but I have not discovered anything like this before. Finding silver coins is the best thing I've found so far," said Jeffrey Warden.

Coroner for North Yorkshire Rob Turnbull declared the coins a treasure on the recommendation of an expert from the British Museum. The hoard was then sent to the museum where they were examined and appraised by experts. The money from the sale was split between the group of finders and the owner of the land where the pile of coins was located.

Several institutions, including the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, expressed interest in the hoard at the time. The coins date from around 1132 and at the time of their discovery had a face value of between seven and eight thousand pounds.

The coins were struck during the reign of King Henry I of England, who was of Norman descent. He was the fourth son of the famous William I the Conqueror. He was called Beauclerc because of his learning, and also the Lion of Justice because he improved the legislative and administrative system of the time.

Sources: www.bbc.com, www.yorkpress.co.uk