11th-Century Coins Found by Metal Detectors Valued at $5.6M

The Chew Valley Hoard of silver pennies is now the highest-value treasure ever found in England. It heads to the British Museum next month.

Oct 24, 2024By Emily Snow, MA History of Art, BA Art History & Curatorial Studies
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Amal Khreisheh, curator of archaeology at South West Heritage Trust, holding one of the 11th-century coins. Source: The British Museum.

 

A hoard of silver pennies dug up from a soggy field in southwestern England turned out to be the nation’s highest-value treasure to date. Comprising thousands of historic coins, the Chew Valley Hoard was buried near Bristol in the 11th century. The British Museum calls the find “unprecedented.”

 

Chew Valley Hoard Heads to British Museum

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The Chew Valley Hoard dates back to the Norman Conquest era. Source: The British Museum.

 

The 2,584 silver pennies date back to the Norman Conquest—the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by William the Conquerer’s army. Five years ago, a serendipitous group of seven people visited the Chew Valley area with metal detectors. There, they unearthed the massive 1,000-year-old hoard during a downpour. The group reported their discovery as per the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, which handles archaeological finds made by members of the public. This scheme also covers items that fall under the Treasure Act of 1996, which enables the government to preserve cultural artifacts.

 

This week, the South West Heritage Trust announced its acquisition of the Chew Valley Hoard thanks to major grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund. On November 26, the coins will go on public display for the first time at the British Museum in London. Then, the Chew Valley Hoard will tour museums in southwest England, after which the South West Heritage Trust aims to fund its permanent display at the Museum of Somerset.

“A Turning Point in English History”

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Source: The British Museum.

 

The South West Heritage Trust reports that the Chew Valley Hoard contains pennies from the reign of King Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, as well as William the Conquerer coins. In a recent video, Amal Khreisheh, curator of archaeology at South West Heritage Trust, explained that the Chew Valley Hoard “comes from a turning point in English history, and it encapsulates the change from Saxon to Norman rule.”

 

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Khreisheh said, “The hoard was buried in around 1067-1068 on an estate in Chew Valley. We think it was probably buried for safekeeping during the time of rebellions against William in the southwest. We know that in 1068, the people of Exeter rebelled against William. At around this time, Harold’s sons returned from exile in Ireland, and their forces mounted attacks around the River Avon, and then down into Somerset and the Chew Valley.”

 

Finders and Landowner to Split $5.6 Million

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Source: The British Museum.

 

It is remarkably rare to find a 1,000-year-old coin. It is even rarer to find over 2,000 of them in one place. As such, the Chew Valley Hoard is valued at $5.6 million (£4.3 million)—making it the highest-valued treasure ever found in England. Many of the pennies are in pristine condition and are worth thousands of dollars apiece. Now that the South West Heritage Trust has acquired the coins, half of the seven-figure proceeds will go to the seven finders. The other half will go to the landowner on whose property the hoard was found.

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By Emily SnowMA History of Art, BA Art History & Curatorial StudiesEmily Snow is a contributing writer and art historian based in Amsterdam. She earned an MA in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art and loves knitting, her calico cat, and everything Victorian.