In January 2019, Adam Staples and his friends traveled to Chew Valley in Somerset, England, to test a new metal detector. While exploring a farmer's field, the device found a trove of silver coins buried in the soil. Staples, an auctioneer specializing in ancient coins, immediately knew they had found something extraordinary.
He was right. The group had uncovered what is now called the Chew Valley Hoard — a collection of 2,584 silver pennies dating back over 1,000 years. On October 23, 2024, the South West Heritage Trust purchased the coins for $5.5 million, making it Britain’s most valuable treasure find. Staples and his friends will receive half the money, each taking home about $400,000. The other half, approximately $2.8 million, will go to the owner of the land where the coins were found.
The coins, which date from 1066 to 1068, are believed to have been minted at 46 different locations in England. They represent a significant turning point in England's history, following the Norman Conquest of 1066. This conquest marked the defeat and death of King Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king, at the hands of William I. Roughly half the coins bear King Harold's image, while the other half feature William I , who ruled England until 1087. Experts think the coins were buried for safekeeping.
"We know that the people of Exeter rebelled against William in 1068 and that Harold's sons, who were exiled in Ireland, came back and started mounting attacks along the River Avon down into Somerset," said Amal Khreisheh, curator of archeology at South West Heritage. "So it's probably against that background they were hidden."
Some of the coins are cut in half. This practice was common in ancient times to create smaller units of currency. Gareth Williams, a curator at the British Museum, estimates that the Chew Valley Hoard was probably worth about 500 sheep or the annual income of a large estate.
The Chew Valley Hoard will tour museums across the UK, beginning with the British Museum in London in November 2024. The coins will then be permanently housed at the South West Museum of Somerset.
Resources: BBC.com, Artnet.com, Theguardian.com
