Early medieval silver coins declared as treasure

The early medieval silver coins were found in January 2022

A hoard of 1,000-year-old silver coins unearthed in Cumbria has formally been declared as treasure.

An inquest at Cockermouth Coroners’ Court on Thursday heard that a man found the six coins in the Eden Valley in January 2022.

According to a curator's report, the early medieval coins could date back to as far as AD976.

Staff at Penrith Museum and Carlisle’s Tullie House had expressed an interest in acquiring the coins, the inquest heard.

Viking attacks

The hearing was told that a man found four complete silver hammered pennies and two cut half pennies while using a metal detector.

Area coroner for Cumbria, Kirsty Gomersal, received a curator’s report which stated that the six silver hammered coins dated back to the reign of King Ethelred II of England between AD978 to AD1016.

“The British Museum states that coins of these types were produced in large quantities during the late 10th Century at a time when Viking attacks on England were dramatically escalating; a period which culminated in the conquest of England by the Danish king,” said Ms Gomersal.

Items need to meet certain legal criteria to be declared treasure

From AD991 onwards, historically documented payments were made by the English to Viking armies.

Other undocumented payments and seizures had also made during this period, and significant quantities of coins of these types had been recovered from hoards in England and Scandinavia.

“The find was made in an (Eden Valley) area of known Scandinavian settlement in the vicinity of the main trans-Pennine route that connected York to the Irish Sea," a curator’s report stated.

"It is possible, given the wider context and location of the find, that the hoard represented the loss — or burial for safe keeping — of a portion of the direct proceeds of Viking activity in England.

“It may however also simply reflect the volume of coinage that was produced and which entered circulation at this time.”

Buried treasure

Details of finds such as the coins are provided to the British Museum.

In order to be declared treasure, items have to meet certain legal criteria, including being at least 300 years old and having a precious metal content of at least 10 per cent.

After considering all evidence, Ms Gomersal concluded that the Eden Valley hoard should be formally classed as treasure, and congratulated the finder on his discovery.