21.12.2014 The largest depot of Anglo-Saxon silver coins
Categories: Minting - Numismatics , Treasures , Calendar , Nálezy nejenom s detektorem ve Velké Británii a Irsku
A hoard of treasure found by a metal detectorist in Buckinghamshire on 21 December 2014 has been estimated at £1.3 million by hoarders. He discovered over five thousand silver Anglo-Saxon coins in excellent condition.
The hoard of 5248 pennies found by metal detectorist Paul Coleman in Lenborough, Buckinghamshire, is the largesttreasure trove of Anglo-Saxon silver coins found in the UK in the last 150 years. Large discoveries of such coins are not very common, usually Roman coins, for example, are found in larger quantities.
The finder discovered the coins on 21 December 2014 during a traditional event organised by the Weekend Wanderers Club at a farm in Buckinghamshire. In the past there was a medieval village with a Norman manor house and a medieval windmill. However, the exact location of the find has not been made public. It is therefore unclear whether the treasure was located near the power station or elsewhere.
The coins were in a lead casing, which protected the treasure from the elements. Therefore, the coins are in excellent condition. The depot was about 60 centimeters underground. It dates from the reigns of Ethelred II (978 to 1016) and Canute the Great (1016 to 1035).
We wrote here: Amateur treasure hunter finds depot of silver coins worth 36 million
Between 990 and 1042, a huge number of coins were produced. This was intended by the needs of the government to collect taxes and pay bounties, especially to Scandinavian raiders and mercenaries. However, the size of the mintage was limited by the amount of silver available, either from foreign coins or precious metals imported by merchants. A particular source of silver was the treasures of the churches. Silver was also imported from German mines.
The hoard contains coins from over forty different mints throughout England. "They shine beautifully and are like mirrors. They're not scratched at all, thanks to the lead casing," stated lucky finder Paul Coleman, who almost didn't leave the prospecting event. He didn't even have enough money for fuel for his car.
It was thanks to the excellent condition that the value of the coins was finally estimated at £1.3 million. The treasure was examined by experts from the British Museum. It was then acquired by Bucks County Museum, which wanted to save the hoard for future generations. "At first I thought I had found some junk again. It wasn't until I took a closer look that I realised it was coins, of course," smiled the prospector.
Sources: www.artfund.org, www.wikipedia.org, www.bbc.com
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