Fields of Gold

A massive haul of 824 gold coins from the Iron Age have been discovered in the United Kingdom.

The coins were found using a metal detector buried in a field near Wickham Market in Suffolk. They were enclosed within a broken pottery jar and had a value when in circulation estimated at todays value of between £500,000 and £1m.

The coins dated from 40BC to AD15 according to the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service and is the largest find of Iron Age coins since 1849. It is thought that the majority of the coins were produced by the tribe of the Iceni who lived in parts of what is now Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Ms Plouviez, Archaeological Officer of the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service says:

"It's a good, exciting find. It gives us a lot of new information about the late Iron Age, and particularly East Anglia in the late Iron Age.

"The discovery is important because it highlights the probable political, economic and religious importance of an area.

"It certainly suggests there was a significant settlement nearby. As far as we understand, it was occupied by wealthy tribes or subtribes".

It is thought that after a treasure trove inquest the coins will be offered to Museums at their current value.
 

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Scott Shields (follow me: )

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