British law requires citizens to report any 'hoard' of metal artefacts that are more than 300 years old. This pair of metal detectors failed to comply.
British Museum/PAOne of 300 ancient coins found by Powell and Davis.
After contacting several experts in the city to get their own assessment of the treasure's value, the treasure hunters learned that a crystal ball pendant was the oldest item in the find, dating back to the 5th or 6th century. A ring and bracelet were slightly younger, dating back to the 9th century. But the most valuable artifacts in their find were actually the coins.
Among the coins were extremely rare “two emperors” pieces, depicting two Anglo-Saxon rulers: King Alfred of Wessex and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. The two imperial coins were unofficially valued at more than $128,000 each by one expert contacted by the finders. In total, the Herefordshire find was valued at $3.8 million.
Ancient coins are of historical value because they give us an idea of the state of affairs in Wessex and Mercia and how they were governed during the period when England was being united into a single kingdom.
Evidence of the two kings on two imperial coins suggests that they entered into an alliance. However, this alliance does not seem to have lasted long, as the coins are extremely rare, suggesting that King Alfred, the more prominent of the two figures, reneged on the agreement.
Also worth noting is the location of the find. The fact that the treasure was found near Leominster suggests that part of the Viking army, presumably using Ceolwulf II as a political puppet, was in the area after their defeat in Wiltshire in 878.
In the owl
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