The foundation bought a treasure of Celtic coins and jewelry from a private collection for 1.3 million crowns

The Independent Trust Fund for the Preservation of Jersey's Historic Monuments has purchased part of one of Europe's greatest Iron Age treasures. The artifacts make up about two-thirds of the "Le Câtillon I" set from an accidental find in 1957, which is linked to Britain's largest treasure of Celtic coins found by a metal detector in 2012.

The treasure called "Le Câtillon I" was literally plowed on January 22, 1957 by then-seventeen-year-old Peter Langlois after trying to remove a boulder obstructing his plow. It was discovered in the same field in Grouville, where in July 2012 detectors Reg Mead and Richard Miles found Britain's greatest Iron Age treasure to date - Le Câtillon II, with almost 70,000 Celtic coins and gold and silver jewelery. Because the 1957 find was not claimed by the Crown as was customary at the time, most of the file was subsequently "dispersed by sale without being recorded," the Jersey Heritage Foundation said.

As a result, the exact nature and circumstances of the finding are not sufficiently informative, but Société Jersiaise and Jersey Heritage have since made a number of buyouts, both privately and through public auctions. They gained other parts of the treasure, including some rare jewelry or an important gold stator. Also at the time of the treasure discovery, several artifacts were dedicated to the museum. The latest piece of the treasure, which the foundation has now bought, counts 1,600 Celtic coins and 35 Iron Age jewelery.

According to the fund, the latest items were purchased through patrons and benefactors from the Jersey Heritage program after being recently rejected by the crown for more than 60 years since the discovery: “Our foundation is very grateful for the opportunity to obtain items that we can provide in the public museum collection, where such items belong, "said Jonathan Carter of Jersey Heritage. He added: "The fact that so much time has elapsed between discovery and acquisition demonstrates the need for modern legislation to protect the interests of all (in archeology) involved."

Philip de Jersey, an archaeologist and numismatist specializing in Celtic coins and a consultant for Jersey Heritage, said: “Le Câtillon's findings are undoubtedly one of the most significant Iron Age discoveries across Europe. Every opportunity (to buy significant artifacts) to understand them is to be welcomed. The purchase of these coins and jewelery from the 1957 find is particularly important, as these items were not properly recorded at the time and now we finally have a chance to examine them in detail. "

Jersey Heritage finally issued a recommendation that all artifacts discovered on the island be removed from the country only if there is a risk of their damage or theft. Purchased coins and jewelry will now be preserved and then displayed alongside items from the 2012 Le Câtillon II treasure.

Roman Němec
Sources: jerseyheritage.org, bbc.com, archeology.co.uk

Peter Langlois (right) discovered the treasure of Le Catillon I in 1957. In the photo with Emile Guiton from Societe Jersiaise

Le Câtillon II was analyzed by experts with the participation of thousands of museum visitors

The purchased treasure Le Câtillon I contains hundreds of coins and 35 jewels

gold jewelry and 70,000 Celtic coins numbered the treasure of Le Câtillon II

Le Câtillon II from a detector finding in 2012

Le Câtillon I purchased for the public for CZK 1,300,000