THE CHEW VALLEY HOARD

 

It began with a speculative trip to a soggy field in south-west England by a seven-strong band of metal detectorists more intent on figuring out how to use some new kit rather than unearthing anything of great historical importance.

But the friends came upon an astonishing hoard of coins – 2,584 silver pennies – from the time of the Norman conquest, which has been valued at £4.3m, making it the highest-value treasure find ever in England.

On Tuesday, the charity South West Heritage Trust announced it had acquired the coins for the nation thanks to major funding including from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund.

From 26 November, the hoard will go on display at the British Museum in London and will then be shown across the UK, including Bath, not far from the spot it was found, before finding a permanent home at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton.

South West Heritage Trust described the hoard as one of the most remarkable ever found. It said it came from a turning point in English history, a time of transition from Saxon to Norman rule just after the Battle of Hastings, and was probably deposited for safekeeping during rebellions in the south-west against William I.

Represented on just under half the coins is Harold II, the last crowned Saxon king of England, while just over half feature William I. The number of Harold II coins is double the number that have ever previously found and increases by nearly fivefold the number of known coins of William I issued in the two years after his coronation in 1066.

About 100 moneyers – the person in charge of producing coins – from 46 mints including Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Hastings, Ipswich, London and York are represented. The coins of Harold II are mainly from mints in south-east England, perhaps suggesting financial preparation for the Norman invasion.

To read the complete article, see:
Coin trove from time of Norman conquest becomes England's highest-value find (https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/oct/22/coin-trove-from-time-of-norman-conquest-becomes-englands-highest-value-find?)

 

To read the other articles, see:
Hoard of silver coins dating from Norman Conquest is Britain's most valuable treasure find ever (https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/22/science/norman-coins-most-valuable-find-britain-intl-scli/index.html)
How 7 Friends Testing a Metal Detector Made Britain's Most Valuable Treasure Find (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/us/chew-valley-hoard.html)
950-year-old coins unearthed by treasure hunters are U.K.'s highest-value find (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/22/norman-coins-hoard-sold-uk-most-valuable-treasure/)

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