British archaeologists have discovered priceless silver coins that predate the Battle of Hastings
Archaeologists in the United Kingdom recently unearthed A 1,000-year-old treasure in an unusual place: a nuclear power plant construction site.
Oxford Cotswold Archeology (OCA) has announced a discovery consisting of 321 silver coins, in a press release dated January 7. The coins were found at the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, England.
The coins were issued between 1036 and 1044, the organization said – predating the Magna Carta by nearly 200 years and the Battle of Hastings by several decades. They were found in “excellent condition” in a bundle of lead and cloth, in a bundle that researchers likened to Cornish pasty.
“The hoard was found at the junction of two early medieval ditches on the border of a field, a location that suggests deliberate concealment,” the organization described. “The coins were carefully placed in a textile object, probably a purse, and then tightly wrapped in lead sheet.”
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Oxford Cotswold Archeology (OCA) announced the find, which consists of 321 silver coins, in a recent press release. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
“This fantastic discovery gives us an excellent insight into the English monetary and political landscape of the 11th century.”
The coins within the hoard were issued during the reigns of three kings from the House of Wessex: Harold I (1036-40), Harthacnut (1040-2) and Edward the Confessor (1042-66). Most of the coins were minted in London, while others were made in the English cities of Thetford, Norwich, Ipswich, Lincoln and Stamford.
The coins were made in a “turbulent” period of English history: Harold and Harthacnut were the sons of Cnut, whose father Sweyn Forkbeard became the first Danish king to rule England. Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, a few months before the Normans took control of England after the Battle of Hastings.
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Archaeologists say that a wad of coins would have been enough to buy several cows in the 1000s. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
Archaeologists believe the coin’s owner may have been robbed during a regime change, possibly when Edward was crowned in 1043.
“In particular, some of the wealthier individuals associated with the previous regime were exiled or had their property confiscated after Edward’s coronation,” the OCA explained. “The owner of the hoard of coins may have feared the consequences of regime change and decided to bury his wealth as collateral, with the aim of recovering it later.”
“We may never know for sure why this little treasure was never found,” the organization added. “The owner may have been prevented from returning to the site for various reasons, died before they could recover their savings or, alternatively, were unable to relocate the exact location where they were buried.”
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Coins were minted at the beginning of the 11th century in several cities, archaeologists believe. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
In total, the 321 coins found would be worth 320 pence, as they included two halfpenny coins. The archaeological organization said it was difficult to estimate what purchasing power it would have today, but it was comparable to a “piggy bank”.
“Although it is difficult to equate this sum of money with modern purchasing power, evidence from legal codes 10th and 11th centuries suggest that each cattle had a value of approximately 20 pence,” explained the OCA. “Using this metric, we could estimate that she could have bought approximately 16 cows—a small herd!”
Although it is certainly a hoard of money, archaeologists say that this treasure would be more like the savings of a wealthy person than the full wealth of a king.
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“This treasure is also not of enormous size, which indicates exceptional wealth,” the statement explained. “[The owner] he was almost certainly not of national importance or super-elite status. It is more likely that it was owned by a person of local importance, perhaps a wealthy farmer.”
The coins were the “savings pot” of rich people, experts say, and did not belong to the king. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)
In a statement, OCA coin expert Alexander Bliss said the analysis of the hoard involved “input from multiple experts and project partners in numismatics, finds and conservation.”
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“This new hoard of coins gives us valuable insight into the rich historical background of this period, adding to the evidence that Edward the Confessor’s accession to the English throne was marked by a degree of uncertainty and anxiety within wider society,” Bliss said. “To play a small part in bringing his story to life was an honor and a privilege.”
