The Chew Valley Hoard: A Treasure Trove of Silver Pennies from the Norman Conquest

The metal detectorists' discovery—numbering 2,584 coins—has been valued at £4.3 million ($5.5 million), making it the single most lucrative find in the country's history.

A metal detecting duo have unearthed the single most valuable hoard of coins ever found in the U.K., valued at £4.3 million ($5.5 million).

Discovered in January 2019 by Adam Staples and Lisa Grace, the hoard was found near Chew Valley in Somerset and was later assessed by the British Museum under the U.K.’s 1996 Treasure Act. The coins, which date back to the Norman Conquest, were found to include silver pennies from c. 1066–68, likely buried for safekeeping during the period of upheaval.

The hoard includes coins featuring the faces of Harold Godwinson, the last Saxon King of England, and William the Conqueror, who succeeded Harold following the Battle of Hastings in 1066. About half of the old pennies feature Harold’s face, while the other half show William’s.

According to the Guardian, the Chew Valley Hoard accounts for more than 60 percent of all Harold-faced coins ever found in the U.K. Its share of William-faced coins is higher still, with the total number increasing five-fold following Staples and Grace’s historic discovery.

The coins are thought to have been produced by 100 different moneyers working at 46 mints across England, including Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Hastings, Ipswich, York, and London. The coins featuring Harold probably came from mints in southeast England, and may have been produced in preparation to finance resistance against the Norman invasion.

Some of the coins appear to have been cut in half. Their partial destruction isn’t a result of the passage of time, but a deliberate act on part of the moneyers, as coins from this time were typically broken off into smaller parts to function as smaller denominations. According to Gareth Williams, a curator of early medieval coinage at the British museum, the contemporary value of the hoard would have been about 500 sheep, or the annual income of a large estate.

“It probably didn’t belong to someone from the very top of level of society,” Williams told Current Archeology, a British archaeology magazine, in October 2019, “but this is within the range of a wealthy landowner or merchant.”

The lot has now been acquired by the South West Heritage Trust with the support of National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Art Fund.

“The hoard symbolizes a pivotal moment in English history and we are delighted to have made this acquisition so that it may be enjoyed by generations to come,” said Sam Astill, chief executive of the trust, in a statement.

The coins from the Chew Valley Hoard will go on display at the British Museum in London starting November 26, 2024, after which they will be displayed at museums across the U.K., before settling in their permanent home in the Museum of Somerset.

“The county has a rich heritage and this acquisition will help bring history to life; residents and visitors will be able to engage with the hoard through learning activities and workshops,” said Bill Revans, Somerset Council leader. “As a former history teacher, I am excited by the educational benefits that seeing the hoard in the Museum of Somerset will bring to generations of school children.”

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