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Articles Related to Metal Detecting => Metal Detecting & Archaeological Articles => Topic started by: Neil on December 05, 2019, 11:32:44 AM



Title: A hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins discovered in a field
Post by: Neil on December 05, 2019, 11:32:44 AM
A hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins discovered in a field by an amateur detectorist has fetched £90,000 at auction - three times its original estimate.

The collection, made up of 99 "silver pennies" thought to be 1,000 years old, was found buried on farmland in Suffolk in March 2017.

Among them is a rare "small cross mule" coin, which was sold to a European collector for £13,640 alone.

Detectorist Don Crawley said he was "totally amazed" at the outcome.

The hoard was found under the remains of a Saxon church believed to have been demolished soon after the Norman conquest in the 11th Century.

The coins were bought by collectors from across Britain and Europe
The coins may have been buried by a pilgrim who was making penitence and feared "the impending apocalypse of the Millennium," the auction house suggested.

Mr Crawley, a builder from Bucklesham, near Ipswich, said he made the find on his first visit to the field.

"After walking up an incline in the field, my detector gave off a strong signal and within a short space of time I had recovered 93 coins," he said.

"The finds officer was called in and they investigated the site which turned out to be a long-forgotten Saxon church."


The hoard was examined by experts at the British Museum, who verified it dated from the reign of Aethelred II (978-1016).

An auction spokeswoman said the coins originated from several different mints, including a previously unknown mint at Louth, Lincolnshire.

A rare coin from the Melton Mowbray mint also fetched £8,400.

The entire hoard was originally expected to fetch between £30,000 and £50,000 when it went under the hammer in 84 lots at Dix Noonan Webb auctioneers in London earlier.

Antiquities specialist, Nigel Mills, said the sale showed "how the prices realised at auction for a newly-found hoard can exceed everyone's expectations."


Title: Re: A hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins discovered in a field
Post by: probono on December 05, 2019, 11:03:59 PM
DNW do seem to get good prices - I haven't been able to win anything at auction from them for awhile :)


Title: Re: A hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins discovered in a field
Post by: Val Beechey on December 06, 2019, 01:49:59 AM
Oh my ! Now that’s what you call a Xmas present  ;D

Proves, once again, there’s still some surprises to be found. Wonder if I’ll have one before I have to hang up my boots. I can but dream.

Thanks for posting Neil.


Title: Re: A hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins discovered in a field
Post by: outlaw on December 06, 2019, 06:43:14 AM
Indeed an exciting find and result,  ;D


Title: Re: A hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins discovered in a field
Post by: Mungo on December 12, 2019, 01:04:17 PM
 8) nice


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