Latest news with #coinhoard
BBC News
13 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Le Câtillon II: Grouville treasure finders react to draft law
A pair of metal detecting enthusiasts who unearthed almost 70,000 Iron Age coins said they were "very pleased" with proposals for a new law to make reporting and valuing treasure easier. Richard Miles and Reg Mead made the discovery, which included gold and silver ingots and jewellery, in a field in Grouville, Jersey, in 2012. However, they said there was confusion at the time over how to report their find - now dubbed Le Câtillon II - because there was no statute in proposed Heritage Law, brought forward by Government of Jersey, will provide more clarity, the hoard finders said. Coin hoards, metallic objects more than 300 years old and made of at least 10% gold or silver, and groups of prehistoric metal objects, are among the archaeological finds classed as treasure by the UK's 1996 Treasure Act. Jersey has no similar rules in place, which was highlighted by their find, said Mr Miles."We needed something of a statute law that would lead us... because it was very complicated," he said."We didn't know whether it was going to be treasure trove, whether it was going to be the customary law of Normandy that would apply, whether the State would come in and say they own it."We really didn't know what would happen to [the hoard] so it was all very complex." Mr Miles and Mr Mead followed what they considered to be "best practice" at the time and reported the find to the Receiver General, a representative for the were unsure whether the 14th Century Norman law would apply, which said treasure troves belonged to the Duke of Normandy, who was the English monarch. Mr Mead said: "It was very difficult because there wasn't a test case. Because there was no current laws in Jersey, they agreed we would go back to the Treasure Act."The act means finders must offer to sell their treasure to a UK museum for a price set by the Treasure Valuation Committee (TVC).However, the TVC set the value at £2m, while experts representing Mr Miles and Mr Mead provided an 800-page report that claimed it was worth more than £ entire hoard was purchased by the Jersey government for £4.25m in 2021. Under the new Heritage Law, any find more than 50% gold and silver, that has been hidden with the intention of returning, and has no known heirs, is declared treasure. It must be reported to Jersey Heritage within 14 days and the eventual price will be based on expert advice and linked to the object's market Miles said: "My view is that the law is actually really good. It follows very closely what the best practice in the UK is."It looks after the finders, the landowners, it takes into consideration the Crown and heritage bodies, so really it's a win-win-win situation for everybody and is very fair."Mr Mead added: "It's been put together better than I could've imagined. I'm very pleased."
Fox News
31-07-2025
- General
- Fox News
Ancient Roman soldier's monthly paycheck unearthed in pristine condition in countryside
What may have been a Roman soldier's monthly paycheck has emerged from under the ground, officials announced this month. British officials recently unveiled the discovery of a 1,900-year-old Roman coin hoard in the county of Norfolk, England. The hoard consists of 25 silver denarii in total, equal to the monthly salary of a Roman legionary — or citizen soldier. Adrian Marsden, a coin specialist for the county, told Fox News Digital the hoard was found in 2023, near the village of Great Ellingham. The numismatist said the cache was found by a lucky metal detectorist, who handed it over to local authorities. The coins were spread throughout the field due to farming activity over the centuries, said Marsden. "We've had a few hoards like this over the years, scattered by the plow and often of a similar size," he said. Historians estimate the coins were lost between the 160s and the 170s. "The latest coins [in the hoard] show very little wear and cannot have seen much circulation before the hoard's deposition," Marsden added. Seven of the denarii depict Emperor Hadrian, while others show the profiles of Emperor Vespasian and Trajan. Two coins feature Marcus Aurelius — one during his time as Caesar, another as emperor. The coins had a variety of reverse types, or symbolic images on their tail sides. One is a personification of Africa, as a celebration of Rome's provinces on the continent. "This was a wealthy agricultural area in the Roman period." Another artifact was a Judaea Capta coin, minted to commemorate Rome's capture of Judaea and destruction of the Second Jewish Temple. Though an exciting discovery, Marsden noted it's not unusual for the area. "There are plenty of Roman discoveries in the area, including the occasional small hoard," he said. "This was a wealthy agricultural area in the Roman period." Ancient Romans began settling in Britain in 43 A.D. through an invasion led by Emperor Claudius, after a previous invasion under Julius Caesar failed. After nearly four centuries, the Romans began withdrawing in 410 A.D. – but not without leaving remnants behind that are still found today in the U.K. In late May, volunteers at an Ancient Roman fort in Northumberland were shocked after they discovered two different 2,000-year-old shoes. In June, a museum in London announced that a giant "archaeological puzzle" had been solved some 1,800 years after it was left by Roman residents. Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton contributed reporting.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Buckinghamshire man inspired by Detectorists finds £63k coin haul
A treasure hunter inspired by the BBC comedy Detectorists found a valuable Civil War coin haul just two months after taking up the hoard of 16th Century and 17th Century silver coins, which were discovered near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, fetched £63,000 at auction in Essex on Hickman searched farmland in March 2023 and could not believe his luck when he found the haul. He added: "It's a ridiculous story. I was detecting in a field with power cables above when I got this really puzzling signal."I looked up, thinking it was going to be those cables, but decided to dig because when you're starting out, you need to try everything to learn the good from the bad." After digging about 9 inches to "pinpointer depth", he got no signal, so he filled the hole in and carried on around the he had second thoughts and returned to the spot."Water was coming through the hole and I saw these grey slots poking out through the water," he recalled"Then I saw the edges of an orange pot- I sat back and felt disbelief."He later found the orange pot housed no fewer than 1,064 silver coins dating back to the reign of Elizabeth latest coins were minted in the autumn of 1642, the beginning of the English Civil War and just prior to the Battle of Aylesbury, which took place a few miles away at Holman's Bridge. Amongst the coins were 409 silver shillings, including rare coins struck locally in were also very rare issues from the Aberystwyth mint in coins were all recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and Mr Hickman said the proceeds of the auction would be shared with the owner of the farm."I'd got written permission from the landowner, and everything over a £100 value gets split 50/50," he explained. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
