Metal detectorists unearth 15th Century coin hoard in the Borders
Two metal detectorists have unearthed a hoard of 15th Century coins in the Scottish Borders.Keith Young and Lisa Stephenson discovered 30 gold and silver coins in close proximity in the Cappercleuch area which is near St Mary's Loch.The coins are a mix of Scottish and English coins, comprising English silver groats minted by Henry V (1413-1422) to Edward IV (1461-1483), and Scottish gold demy and half-demys of James I (1406-1437) and James II (1437-1460).Lisa described the discovery - likely deposited at the site in the early to mid-1460s - as the "find of a lifetime".
The discovery has been reported to the Treasure Trove Unit, which assesses all Scottish archaeological finds.It will then be referred to the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP), an independent panel, where it will be assigned a monetary value to be paid to the finders in the form of an ex-gratia reward.Accredited museums who wish to acquire the find can apply to SAFAP and will be required to raise the funds for the ex-gratia award.Keith said: "Lisa and I have been lucky enough to have found some wonderful artefacts while metal detecting, but nothing quite prepared us for a find like this."Hopefully the hoard will go on public display for others to enjoy."Lisa added: "The hoard is the find of a lifetime and being part of the excavation with the National Museum and Treasure Trove team was an amazing experience, something we'll never forget."
Antony Lee from the Treasure Trove Unit said coin hoards containing a mix of both English and Scottish coins were not unusual.However, he said they did not find many from this period in Scotland which made it a "fascinating find"."Keith and Lisa acted promptly and correctly in reporting it to us," he said."In turn we, along with archaeologists from National Museums Scotland, were able to attend and excavate the site, finding five more coins and documenting the circumstances of the hoard alongside the finders."
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