Saxon Hoard

[Colin G.]

Just for info a large hoard of Saxon coins was found on a detecting rally today, estimated at over 7,000 coins

[Rob]

Where?

[JPK]

Oh yes,late saxon pennies,lots of cnuts

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152447513210706&set=a.63871200705.84690.609540705&type=1&theater

[Rob]

Just means that nothing will change. The entire hoard will be taken by a museum, and collectors won't get a sniff, neither to see nor research - not that the world isn't already awash with Cnut pennies from common mints. More important will be the number of rare mints that are squirrelled away.

[Colin G.]

Buckinghamshire

[scott]

Lucky Cnuts

[Coinery]

Lucky Cnuts

[damian1986]

My understanding is that the hoard will be valued by the Treasure Valuation Committee.

It will be declared as treasure.

By the Treasure Act of 1996 the owner must then offer it for sale to a museum.

The museum will find the funds.

So...

The British museum are currently asking for sizable donations (of the order of 10s of thousands) that will go towards the cataloging and photographing of coins. Because they don't have enough money to take account of what they have.

But...

They'll find a few million quid to cover the purchase of a large hoard.

Which...

Will never be photographed and cataloged because they don't have the money.

Cuckoo.

[azda]

And they also offer pittance for the hoard which is normal

[azda]

The hoard

[Coinery]

Oh, I'm really glad to see them gathered up in 'handfuls' and neatly stacked in 'piles' upon sheets of acidy old newspaper!

[damian1986]

I want them.

Really I just don't see the point in a whole sackful of coins being locked away in a cupboard for the next 100 years.

If the British Museum take an example of each that they don't already have then fair enough - potentially that would be only a small number actually - and the rest, let the market have them. Give them all to me. Cheers.

[azda]

Worth a read on this saxon hoard

http://m.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/news/more-news/silver-coins-worth-1m-found-on-farm-1-6497630

[Peter]

Thanks for that Dave.

A dream find.

[azda]

Yes and 1 numpty saying he hopes the coins don't get sold privately. Seems they are as struck by all accounts

[RLC35]

Worth a read on this saxon hoard

http://m.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/news/more-news/silver-coins-worth-1m-found-on-farm-1-6497630

The President of the Muncie Indiana Coin Club (Lee Sanzo), attends a Spring and Fall dig in Great Britain, sponsored by Pete Welch, each year. Lee said he had attended digs in the same geographical area where these coins were found...but obviously did not have nearly this kind of luck! Ha.Ha!

[Peter]

I've considered joining the Weekend Wanderers but they don't seem to have many digs in my neck of the woods.

I would like to see part of the hoard put into the market for collectors.

Quite frankly I have seen so many abused coins in museums and miss-attributed.

The detector boys seem to operate within the system.

I did ID a load of Roman coins for a guy.I then found out he was a nighthawker...contact closed.

[damian1986]

I would like to see part of the hoard put into the market for collectors.

From an early BNJ:

But why, it may be asked, should the British Museum have the first pick of all finds to the detriment of local museums which must have a special interest in objects found locally? In the first place

the British Museum, as the national museum, represents the Crown and the nation as a whole, and is therefore the proper depository for Crown property of that nature. It is also probably the safest place at present existing at which full access to the objects is possible for serious students. And in the interest of science it is desirable that this practice should remain. In the matter of coins it is, in my opinion, of the utmost importance that there should be centralization so far as possible.

I think "full access to the objects" should mean unfettered and universal access. And not only to "serious" students whatever that means.

It's all good and well locking them away in the British Museum but then what guarantees are there that the hoard will be researched in its entirety any time soon!!??

Actually breaking the hoard up and distributing it to the market is an effective way of doing the research en masse. Numismatic crowdsourcing.

Edited January 2, 2015 by damian1986

[Peter]

Another good read from the Weekend Wanderers site..

http://www.weekendwanderersdetecting.com/INTRODUCTION/Calendar_of_Events/SAXON_HOARD_/saxon_hoard_.html

[azda]

It makes you wonder if this was from a mint operating nearby

[damian1986]

I don't sleep enough hence the rant.

But when they say it will be catalogued by the conservator, to what extent do they catalogue everything? What sort of research would required getting hands on with the coins as opposed to any descriptions / photos taken?

I just wonder if a couple of dozen auction catalogues and dealer's lists would act as better reference points than the lot being locked away for the next 40 years.

On the other hand, and hopefully the hoard is researched in full and presented in the journals, once the initial research has been completed, is there any point the coins being locked away or should they be released onto the market then?

I see the odd coin with provenance 'Ex British Museum Spares' but this doesn't happen anymore apparently - surely it'd be in their interests financially to absolve themselves of a few duplicates If they do get their hands on this lot for 1 million, that's about £180 a coin - I see a healthy profit at those prices

[azda]

A Saxon hoard of this size i think will be throughly gone through as they don't know enough about the Saxon era and it is being talked about in the same breath as the gold hoard from a few years back. The problem is, what do they do with IT afterwards, do they shell out a million just to keep it locked away or for study and conservation to determine any new moneyers und etc.

If these are commoner types i would think they'd rid themselves of the bulk and keep anything they think is of national importance, with new moneyers comes another piece of the saxon jigsaw piecing together that part of history.

Time will tell, but how long it takes is another matter and of course the usual derisory offer from the BM will of course be tabled to the finder

[Rob]

A Saxon hoard of this size i think will be throughly gone through as they don't know enough about the Saxon era and it is being talked about in the same breath as the gold hoard from a few years back. The problem is, what do they do with IT afterwards, do they shell out a million just to keep it locked away or for study and conservation to determine any new moneyers und etc.

If these are commoner types i would think they'd rid themselves of the bulk and keep anything they think is of national importance, with new moneyers comes another piece of the saxon jigsaw piecing together that part of history.

Time will tell, but how long it takes is another matter and of course the usual derisory offer from the BM will of course be tabled to the finder

Like a tenner each? After all, there are thousands of them as this hoard proves, so not rare or desirable. They can make their case fairly easily for reducing the price paid.

I too think the BM should only keep the things they don't have an example of. It would be a shame to have them locked away indefinitely from the public for viewing or the enthusiastic numismatist who would like to do the research the BM is unable to do due to lack of personnel. The problem is magnified by the provincial museums who also have a claim on finds, yet have even fewer resources to deal with hoards. Some museums don't even have a curator to look after the coins, so there is no chance of research/access/viewing of their collections.

[azda]

No doubt prices should drop for this type coinage, let's see what happens this year, I think dealers will now be tearing their hair out of those who have a few of these sitting in stock. I did want an example or 2 of CNUT & AETHELRED but I think eventually they'll be picked up for far cheaper in auctions in the coming 12 months or so when the hoard gains momentum in the press

[Rob]

Not likely in my view because the BM or local museum are likely to take the hoard leaving the net increase of available material at zero. There are too many vested interests and mutual back scratchers to let the public get any spoils.