Charity acquires largest hoard of Norman coins in country –

A Norman Conquest-era hoard of 2,584 silver pennies discovered in Down Dale, Somerset, has been acquired for the country by the not-for-profit South West Heritage Trust. Worth £4.3 million ($5.6 million), it is the most valuable treasure ever discovered in England. The organization was able to raise the funding thanks to a significant grant of £4,420,527 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a further £150,000 from the Arts Fund. The money will be shared 50/50 between the landowner and the seven discoverers.

The coins were discovered by seven metal detectorists in January 2019. Only two of them, Lisa Grace and Adam Staples, were experienced and they were teaching others how to use their new machine when one of the newbies discovered something. Williams coin. Conqueror’s Silver Penny. Then they found another, and another. Of course, they should have stopped and called the archaeologists after seeing the first few coins, but they didn’t. Instead, after five hours of detector beeps and amateur digging, they obtained barrels filled with thousands of silver coins. It was only then that they reported the find to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and a week later they deposited the coins in the British Museum.

Over the centuries the coins were scattered by agricultural work, so the treasure was not found anyway because it was buried, but the opportunity to unearth the treasure was lost. The archaeological context, whatever it was, is even more important in this case. Tragic because these treasures are a unique window into the aftermath of the Norman Invasion. The Chew Valley hoard includes 1,343 silver coins belonging to William the Conqueror (r. 1066-1087) and Harold II (r. January 1066-October 14, 1066), the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. 1,240 coins, as well as a 1 penny coin of Edward the Confessor (reigned 1042 to January 1066) and three ‘mules’, a combination of coins forged by William and Harold, Made by money-mongers to evade taxes. The coins bear the names of approximately 100 coiners from 46 mints; some of the coiners were originally from British cities.

All coins date from 1066 to 1068. It is the largest coin hoard ever discovered from the post-Conquest period and the largest Norman hoard discovered since 1833. The treasure was buried in 1068 and the property was later granted to Giza, chaplain to King Edward the Confessor and Bishop of Wales. At the time, Chew Hollow was involved in a rebellion against normal rule led by Harold’s sons, so it’s like the coins were buried for safety.

The Chew Valley Treasures will be on display at the British Museum from 26 November. It will then take a short tour of British museums, including Bath near the site of its discovery, as it settles permanently at Somerset Museum in Taunton.