Home Page

FEATURES UKDN Forum Latest News About This Hobby FAQ How a Detector Works Rallies & Events For Sale Wanted PRODUCTS Shops Manufacturers Other Supporters Books & Magazines Research Books County Site Lists FIND A DETECTORIST UK Database USA Database Rest of World Database List of  UK Clubs OTHER FEATURES About Brian & Mo' Laws The Treasure Act Links Site Updates The National Body Need to ID a Coin? Read Skidmark Articles Archive material Special Finds

APPLEDORE HOARD GOES ON DISPLAY

A hoard of almost 500 Anglo-Saxon silver pennies found by metal detectorists in 1997 at Appledore, near Dungeness on the Kent coast, has recently gone on display in the British Museum's Money Gallery. The hoard was acquired by the Museum with the financial assistance of the National Art Collections Fund and the British Museum Society.

The hoard was the most significant find of late Anglo-Saxon pennies to be made in England this century. It consisted predominantly of Expanded Cross type coins, characteristic of the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-66). Although a handful of earlier types date from c1030-1050, the huge number of Expanding Cross type coins, many of which appear to have been newly-struck, suggest that the hoard was buried when the type was current in c1050-3.

Most of the coins are in an excellent state of preservation and were buried in an earthenware pot, judging by the fragments recovered. Coins of this period carry the names of the minting towns, and the majority here originate from south eastern mints such as Canterbury, Sandwich, Dover, Romney and Hastings. Northern mints such as Chester, Lincoln and York were also represented in the hoard.

The owner of the hoard was quite rich - a silver penny then was equivalent to £20 or more today. Thus, this hoard of nearly 500 coins would have had a value of around £10,000 in modern terms.

This page created by Brian & Mo' ©  July 2005. Please report any page problems to webmaster@ukdetectornet.co.uk