A rare treasure of silver coins from the 11th century

Nearly 1,000-year-old silver coins in excellent condition have been discovered during excavations at the site of a future nuclear power station in England. They were found by a team of archaeologists from Oxford Cotswold Archaeology. They were wrapped in a tight package made up of strips of cloth and lead.

The excavation on the Suffolk coast is being funded by Sizewell C, the company in charge of building the power station. The team of archaeologists hired discovered a deposited depot of someone from the local area dating back to the mid-11th century. He was probably worried about troubled and turbulent times during the regime change after the coronation of Edward the Confessor in 1042.

The set of 321 silver coins dates from 1036 to 1044, when King Harold I reigned. (1035 - 1040), King Hardiknut of Denmark and England (reigned in England from 1040 - 1042) and his successor, the last English King Edward the Confessor (1042 - 1066). Most of the coins were struck in London, others were struck at Thetford and Norwich in Norfolk, others at Ipswich, Lincoln and Stamford in Lincolnshire.

"I shuddered when I first discovered it. I saw the edge of one coin peeking out at me," recalled archaeologist Andrew Pegg. "It's the perfect archaeological time capsule. The information we learn from it is astounding. I'm so proud to have added to the history of my own little part of Suffolk," he added.

According to archaeologists, the coins represented a relatively large amount of money that most people of the time could not afford. Yet they probably belonged to someone of middle rather than upper class status. Apparently, the owner was unable to return for the coins, probably having died or unable to find the exact location of the deposit years later.

"The discovery of a hoard of 11th century coins is an extraordinary find. The archaeology is an important step in Sizewell C's project to help us understand what lies beneath the ground before construction begins, said Damian Leydon, director of Sizewell C. "This project provides a rare and fascinating insight into Suffolk's rich history and deepens our understanding of this part of Britain. Working with Oxford Cotswold Archaeology, we plan to make these discoveries as accessible to the public as possible," he added.

"The analysis of this new hoard of coins has been a collaborative effort involving valuable input from many specialists and project partners in the fields of numismatics, finds and conservation. Playing a small role in bringing its story to life has been an honor and a privilege," said Alexander Bliss, numismatic specialist at the OCA.

The site also revealed other finds, including a wooden wagon axle from the Iron Age, and artifacts from World War II. The Millennium Coin Depot and the circumstances of its discovery will be featured in a new episode of Digging for Britain on BBC 2.

Roman Nemec

Sources: sizewellc.com, bbc.com

The packet of coins had to be carefully unwrapped

one of the coins in the set

a wooden axle from the Iron Age and the remains of wooden boards possibly from a cart

wooden axle in situ

the coins were wrapped in a strip of fabric with lead

in situ coin hoard

detail of the extraction

11th century coin hoard

the coins were in excellent, almost mintable condition