British archaeologists found valuable silver coins before the Battle of Hastings

Archaeologists in the United Kingdom recently discovered a 1,000-year-old treasure in an unusual location: the site of a nuclear power plant.

Oxford Cotswold Archeology (OCA) announced the find, which included 321 silver coins, in a press release on Jan. 7. These bullets were found at the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, England.

The coins were issued between 1036 and 1044, the association said – predating the Magna Carta by almost 200 years, and the Battle of Hastings by several decades. They have been found in “mint form” in lead and cloth packaging, in large quantities researchers have compared it to a Cornish pasty.

“The property was found at the junction of two medieval canals, which is an area that points to deliberate concealment,” the agency explained. “The coins were carefully placed inside a cloth, possibly a purse, and then wrapped tightly with a sheet of lead.”

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“This remarkable find gives us great insight into English finance and politics in the 11th century.”

The coins within the hoard were issued during the reigns of three kings of the House of Wessex: Harold I (1036-40), Harthacnut (1040-2) and Edward the Confessor (1042-66). Most of the coins were minted in London, while others were made in the English cities of Thetford, Norwich, Ipswich, Lincoln and Stamford.

The coins were minted at a “troubled” time in English history: Harold and Harthacnut were both sons of Cnut, whose father Sweyn Forkbeard became the first Danish king to rule England. Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, months before the Normans took control of England following the Battle of Hastings.

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Archaeologists say that the amount of coins would have been enough to buy a few cows in 1000 years. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)

Archaeologists believe that the owner of the coins may have been robbed during a regime change, possibly when Edward was placed on the throne in 1043.

“In particular, some wealthy people associated with the former regime were exiled or dispossessed after Edward’s coronation,” explained the OCA. “The owner of the hoard may have feared the consequences of a regime change and decided to bury their wealth as a safeguard, with the intention of recovering it later.”

“We may never know for sure why this small treasure was not returned,” the agency added. “The owner may have been prevented from returning to the place for various reasons, he died before he could return the money he had saved, or, he could not move to the place where he was buried.”

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Coins were minted in the early 11th century in several cities, archaeologists believe. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)

In total, the 321 coins found would have been worth 320 denarii, as they included two pence coins. The archeology group said it was difficult to assess what purchasing power it would have had today, but that it was comparable to a “savings pot.”

“Although it is difficult to measure this amount of money with today’s purchasing power, evidence from 10th and 11th century edicts shows that cattle were worth around 20p each,” explains the OCA. “Using this metric, we can estimate that it bought about 16 cows – a small herd!”

Although it was certainly a large amount of money, archaeologists say that this treasure would have been more like the money of a rich person than the full wealth of a king.

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“This wealth is also not a large size that indicates excessive wealth,” explained the statement. “[The owner] it was probably not of national importance or of the highest rank. It may have belonged to a local, perhaps a rich farmer.”

The coins were the rich man’s “savings jar”, say experts, rather than the king’s. (Oxford Cotswold Archaeology)

In a statement, OCA coin specialist Alexander Bliss said the analysis of the hoard involved “input from many experts and project partners in the field of numismatics, finds and conservation.”

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“This new collection of letters gives us important insight into the rich origins of this period, adding to the evidence that Edward the Confessor’s accession to the English throne was marked by a degree of uncertainty and anxiety in society at large,” said Bliss. “To play a small part in bringing its story to life has been an honor and a privilege.”