A little more than a year ago, a group of metal detectorists discovered a treasure trove of 21 coins in a field near Auchamption Castle in Devon, England. The discovery only recently came to light under the Treasure Discovery Act.
According to DevonLive.com, the group of treasure hunters behind the discovery, Teignbridge History Finders, is led by Jim Ruxton, who described the discovery as one of the group's early discoveries as “amazing”. He said he evaluated it.
The treasure trove, made up of 21 ancient coins, was discovered over several weeks by Ruxton, Paul May, Neil King, Pete Young and Clive Hammett, the BBC reports. They named their discovery “Okey Hoard,” the paper said.
A group of metal detectorists have discovered a treasure trove of ancient coins near Auchamption Castle. (St. Petersburg)
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The discovery was made in late 2023, but could not be announced immediately due to the Treasure Discovery Act.
According to DevonLive.com, the vault's age and composition have led to it being classified as a treasure under the Treasure Act 1996.
Under the Treasure Act 1996, treasure discoverers must not only report news of the discovery to the landowner, but also notify the coroner in the area where the discovery was made.
Ruxton told DevonLive.com that only a few coins were initially discovered, but further investigation revealed more coins.
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“At first it was three coins. Then I got a call saying they had found eight more coins and I should go to the area,” Ruxton told the magazine.
“A few weeks later, I revisited the spot where I found the last coin and found a whopping 21 coins,” he continued.
According to sources, the coin dates from 1282 to 1434 AD.
According to the BBC, Ruxton said the coins do not have significant monetary value for the group, but rather fall into the category of historical finds, and that the group's finds will soon be displayed in a museum. He said he expected that.
The Staffordshire Treasury, discovered in England, is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever discovered. (David Jones/PA Image via Getty Images)
Metal detectorists have been able to consider themselves lucky many times throughout history. One of the most historic hoards ever discovered was discovered in England by metal detectorists called the Staffordshire Hoard.
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According to the Birmingham Museum website, the Staffordshire Treasury is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metal artefacts ever discovered.
It was discovered in a field near Lichfield, Staffordshire in 2009. The vault contained 4,000 items and broken pieces, including many war items such as swords and helmets.
The Hoxun Treasury is another of England's great archaeological discoveries.
One of the most historic coin treasuries discovered in Britain is the Hoxun Treasury, consisting of thousands of Roman gold and silver coins. (CM Dixon/Print Collector/Getty Images)
This special treasure was originally discovered in the village of Hoxun, Suffolk, by a man who was searching the land with a metal detector in an attempt to find his lost hammer.
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While scouting for land in 1992, Eric Laws discovered something far more important. He was the discoverer of the Hoxun Treasury, a collection of over 15,000 Roman gold and silver coins, as well as artifacts such as tableware and jewelry.
