It began with a speculative trip to a soggy field in south-west England by a seven-strong band of metal detectorists more intent on figuring out how to use some new kit rather than unearthing anything of great historical importance.
But the friends came upon an astonishing hoard of coins – 2,584 silver pennies – from the time of the Norman conquest, which has been valued at £4.3m, making it the highest-value treasure find ever in England.
“It’s fantastic, unbelievable,” Adam Staples, one of the finders of the Chew Valley hoard, told the Guardian on Monday. He said it was hard to put into words the emotions as coin after coin emerged.
“It was a feeling of amazement. To find one coin was great. Then within a few minutes a few more, then 10 coins, 50 coins. It was ever increasing. And your emotions are just multiplying. 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.”
The landowner, who is not being named, will receive half the proceeds and the seven finders are splitting their portion equally. “We all agreed to share it and we’re all happy with the agreement,” said Staples, who is from Derby and runs an auction house specialising in ancient coins.
On Tuesday, the charity South West Heritage Trust announced it had acquired the coins for the nation thanks to major funding including from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund.
From 26 November, the hoard will go on display at the British Museum in London and will then be shown across the UK, including Bath, not far from the spot it was found, before finding a permanent home at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton.
South West Heritage Trust described the hoard as one of the most remarkable ever found. It said it came from a turning point in English history, a time of transition from Saxon to Norman rule just after the Battle of Hastings, and was probably deposited for safekeeping during rebellions in the south-west against William I.
Represented on just under half the coins is Harold II, the last crowned Saxon king of England, while just over half feature William I. The number of Harold II coins is double the number that have ever previously found and increases by nearly fivefold the number of known coins of William I issued in the two years after his coronation in 1066.
About 100 moneyers – the person in charge of producing coins – from 46 mints including Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Hastings, Ipswich, London and York are represented. The coins of Harold II are mainly from mints in south-east England, perhaps suggesting financial preparation for the Norman invasion.
Staples, his then partner Lisa Grace, an expert in cataloguing antiquities, and his Staffordshire bull terrier, Titan, were in the Somerset field because some friends had asked him to show them how to use a new detector. He told them: “We’ll make a weekend of it. Have a few beers, go detecting.”
The first coin to emerge on that stormy day in January 2019 was a William I penny. Staples described it as beautiful, with lovely blue tones. He began detecting in the same spot and he quickly found another coin.
Their friends came over and the machines continued to beep. They collected the coins in a bucket supplied by the landowner and in Staples’ waterproof coat. He got a soaking but didn’t mind.
By the end of the day they had found about 2,400 coins. They went to the pub and kept a close eye on the car containing a fortune as they celebrated. The following week they took the coins to the British Museum.
The find eclipses in value even that of the Staffordshire hoard, a collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork that was valued at £3.3m.
Under the Treasure Act 1996, which applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, finders of “treasure” are eligible for a reward, funded by a museum that wishes to acquire it.
Staples thinks the Chew Valley hoard may be connected to the story of King Harold’s sons’ unsuccessful rebellion against William I and attack on Bristol. “The hoard may have been the result of looting or maybe the result of somebody hiding their money away because of the revolt.”
He still hunts for treasure. “I was out yesterday. I actually found a little Viking bronze belt mount from about 1100 AD. I’m still just as keen.”
