Payday for treasure hunters who found 950-year-old coins: UK’s biggest ever find

This hoard is recognized as the most valuable treasure find ever recorded in the UK.

The group will now get half of the proceeds from the 4.3 million pound ($5.6 million) sale of the coins to the South West Heritage Trust which was announced on Tuesday, with the rest going to the landowner.

The coins will go on display at the British Museum in London from next month.

The trust said the Chew Valley hoard is “one of the most remarkable finds” ever reported after a 1996 law made it possible for some people who find valuable historical objects to get a share of the reward when they objects are sold to museums or collectors. .

The hoard symbolizes “a key moment in English history and we are delighted to have made this acquisition so that it can be enjoyed by future generations”, said Sam Astill, chief executive of the trust.

In total, the treasure weighs about 3.4 kg. It contains coins that were struck between 1066 and 1068 and include three rulers: William I, the first Norman king known as “The Conqueror”, Harold II, the last crowned Saxon king of England, and in one case Edward “The Confessor”. ”, the last king of the house of Wessex, who ruled before Harold II and was later canonised.

Lisa Grace and Adam Staples, who led the group that found the hoard, previously told the BBC that their 15-year dream had “finally come true”.

Staples said friends asked him and Grace, his then-partner, to show them how to use their new metal detector.

They decided to travel to the Chew Valley and “make a weekend of it. Have a few beers, go spot,” he said.

Hobbyist treasure hunters are common in the UK, where modern metal detecting technology and greater awareness of treasure hunting, or shore fishing, has made treasure finds less rare.

According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, an estimated 1,378 treasure finds were reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2022, the highest number since records began after the ‘passage of the Treasury Act of 1996.

This cluster “gives us a unique insight into our country’s rich history and one of the most important moments in our history, when these islands were convulsed by the Norman Conquest,” said Chris Bryant, Britain’s minister responsible for heritage.

In October 1066, William of Normandy, who believed himself to be the rightful king of England, invaded and defeated the English army, led by Harold II, at the Battle of Hastings. The Norman Conquest left a major mark on architecture, laws, culture and even the English language.

The coins were probably buried “for safekeeping during the rebellions in the south-west against the new Norman king”, around 1067 or 1068, the trust said.

After a period on display at the British Museum in London, the coins will travel to other UK museums, before going to the Somerset Museum.

This will give “people from different regions the opportunity to see this extraordinary treasure, learn more about our past and protect this part of our heritage for future generations,” Bryant said.

The South West Heritage Trust received most of the money to buy the coins from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which channels money raised from purchases of state-franchised National Lottery tickets into grants for historic preservation. Other funding came from the Art Fund, the Friends of Somerset Museum and the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society.