An Astonishing Trove of Coins Dating to the Norman Conquest Just Became the Most Valuable Treasure Ever Found in Britain

In early 2019, seven metal detectorists found a cache of 2,584 coins dating to the Norman Conquest in southern England. Now, the nearly 1,000-year-old silver pennies have sold for $5.6 million—making them the most expensive treasure ever found in the United Kingdom.

“It’s fantastic, unbelievable,” Adam Staples, one of the metal detectorists who unearthed the coins in the Chew Valley area, tells the Guardian’s Steven Morris. “It has definitely changed my life. It was like holding history in your hand. And, obviously, the financial side of it is brilliant as well.”

Staples and the other detectorists reported their “unprecedented” discovery to officials using the British Museum’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, a record of archaeological finds made by members of the public, according to a statement from the museum.

This week, the museum announced that the charity South West Heritage Trust has acquired the entire coin collection “for the nation.” The trove will soon embark on a tour of English museums, including the British Museum, before being permanently displayed at the Museum of Somerset.

Half of the so-called Chew Valley Hoard’s price tag will be divided between Staples and his fellow detectorists—landing each of them nearly $400,000—while the other half, $2.8 million, goes to the unnamed owner of the land on which the coins were found.

The coins themselves, all made of silver, were cast between 1066 and 1068—the period immediately following the Norman Conquest in 1066, when William the Conqueror took control of the English throne. Earlier that year, the king known as Edward the Confessor had died, and Harold II had been crowned as his successor. William, who was the duke of Normandy, took issue with the appointment, claiming he’d been destined for the throne, and invaded Britain. In October, when William and his armies defeated Harold’s men at the Battle of Hastings, he became England’s first Norman king.

The Chew Valley Hoard represents this transition to Norman rule, with about half of its coins featuring Harold and the other half featuring William—as well as a single piece engraved with the profile of the bygone Edward. According to the British Museum, the coin collection was likely buried for safekeeping during a period of rebellions that occurred in the southwest against the new Norman king’s rule.

“We know that the people of Exeter rebelled against William in 1068 and that Harold’s sons, who were in exile in Ireland, came back and started mounting attacks along the River Avon down into Somerset,” Amal Khreisheh, curator of archaeology at the South West Heritage Trust, tells the Associated Press’ Jill Lawless. “So it’s probably against that background they were hidden.”

On that lucky day in 2019, the first coin the detectorists unearthed featured William’s likeness. That one coin alone was “a find-of-the-year sort of discovery,” adds Staples, who runs an auction house specializing in ancient coins. They quickly found another—and soon realized that they’d stumbled upon a large trove.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adam Staples (@adams_treasure)

“I’ve found lots of amazing things but to see something like this coming up and realize you’ve finally hit the big one, it's just a dream come true,” Staples tells BBC News’ Emma Elgee.

After the detectorists had filled a bucket—and Staples’ coat—with similar coins, they celebrated at a local pub while keeping watch over the car, where their discovery was stored, per the Guardian. Soon after, they brought the collection to the British Museum.

“The Chew Valley Hoard is one of the most significant finds from the Norman Conquest, shedding new light on a fascinating period in English history,” says Jenny Waldman, the director of Art Fund, which helped fund the purchase. “We’re thrilled to have supported the Museum of Somerset to acquire this remarkable addition to their collection, for local people and visitors to enjoy now and in the future.”

Sonja Anderson | READ MORE

Sonja Anderson is a writer and reporter based in New York City.