Archaeologists from the Oxford Cotswold Archaeology (OCA) have discovered a hoard of 321 mint-condition silver coins (319 full pennies plus two cut halfpence) dating to the 11th century CE near the site of the future nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast. The discovery provides valuable insight into the social and political upheaval of the 11th century — and provides further evidence that regime change, following the coronation of Edward the Confessor in 1042, caused great uncertainty amongst the population. The bundle may have been the savings pot of a local figure, who might have feared the impacts of regime change and decided to bury their wealth as a precaution.
The 1,000-year-old silver coin hoard. Image credit: Oxford Cotswold Archaeology.
The newly-discovered coin hoard was carefully wrapped in cloth and lead.
The coins within the hoard were issued during the reigns of Harold I ‘Harefoot’ (1036-40), Harthacnut (1040-2) and Edward the Confessor (1042-66).
The vast majority of the coins date to Harold I’s reign, with noticeably fewer issued by Harthacnut and just 24 by Edward the Confessor.
Though a large proportion of the coins were minted in London, many coins were struck at other locations, including Thetford, Norwich, Ipswich, Lincoln and Stamford.
Some coins came from smaller mints, such as Langport and Axbridge in southwestern England, which makes them quite rare.
“This coin hoard provides us with valuable insight into the rich historical backdrop 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 concern within wider society,” said OCA coin specialist Alexander Bliss.
“Analyzing this new coin hoard has been a wholly collaborative effort, involving valuable input from multiple specialists and project partners in the fields of numismatics, finds and conservation.”
“To play a small part in bringing its story to life has been an honour and a privilege.”
While the hoard represents a substantial amount of money to most people at the time, it likely belonged to an individual of middling status, rather than somebody of very high status or national importance.
The collection was probably a savings pot by a person of local influence and at the time it would have been approximate to the value of a small herd of cows.
“The Pasty, as it was immediately and affectionately named for obvious reasons, was a true privilege to find,” said OCA archaeologist Andrew Pegg.
“I was shaking when I first unearthed it, seeing a single coin edge peeking at me!”
“A perfect archaeological time capsule,” he added.
“The information we are learning from it is stunning and I’m so proud to have added to the history of my own little part of Suffolk.”
The mid-11th century in England was a turbulent period of uncertainty and shifting allegiances.
Following over 25 years of rule by first the Danish king Cnut and then his sons Harold and Harthacnut, Edward the Confessor was crowned in 1042. This event restored the House of Wessex to the throne of England.
Regime change may well have created a degree of uncertainty and concern amongst the wider population.
In particular, some of the wealthier individuals associated with the previous regime were exiled or had property confiscated in the aftermath of Edward’s coronation.
The owner of the coin hoard might have feared the repercussions of the regime change and decided to bury their wealth as safeguard, aiming to retrieve it at a later date.
“We might never know with certainty why this little treasure was never retrieved,” the archaeologists said.
“The discovery of the 11th-century coin hoard is an extraordinary find,” said Damian Leydon, site delivery director at Sizewell C.
