A group of amateur metal detectorists have stumbled upon a treasure trove of 600 medieval coins, worth an estimated £150,000. This remarkable find, aptly named the ‘Hambleden Hoard’, is believed to be the largest collection of gold and silver coins found in the UK in the last decade.
The historic discovery took place at the Culden Faw estate in Buckinghamshire in April 2019 when seven men, accustomed to excavating shotgun shells and dikes, found gold – literally. The team, consisting of Andrew Winter, Dom Rapley, Eryk Wierucki, Jaroslaw Giedyna, Dariusz Fijalkowski, and brothers Tobiasz and Mateusz Nowak, spent four days meticulously excavating 627 coins from the hidden ancient treasure trove.
The main attraction of this remarkable find is 12 rare gold nobles dating from the reign of Edward III, a period associated with the Black Death. These golden aristocrats were discovered by a team including Dariusz Fijalkowski, a machine operator from Bristol, described by senior coroner Crispin Butler as “extremely rare”, with only 12 examples known known was recorded in the 1963 survey.
The remainder of the hoard includes 547 silver coins from the reigns of Edward I and II, 21 Irish coins, 20 Continental coins and 27 Scottish coins from the reigns of Alexander III, John Balliol and Robert the Bruce . Although these silver coins are more commonly found, their historical significance adds to the overall value of the find.
The team, who initially camped in a tent next to the excavation site to protect their find from potential thieves, expressed disbelief at the scale of the discovery. Mateusz Nowak, a hospital cleaner in Newcastle, described the experience as “a magical moment for everyone”, highlighting the constant surprises encountered during the excavation process.
At a recent inquest held at Beaconsfield Coroner’s Court, senior coroner Crispin Butler declared the treasure met the criteria for a hoard. The process currently includes negotiations between museums, finders and landowners to determine a settlement. The face value of these coins was modest, just over £6 in today’s currency, but estimates of their value could have been as high as £150,000.
With the ‘Hambleden Hoard’ officially declared a treasure, museums are now ready to auction off the rare coins, ensuring that these pieces of history will find a worthy place in the annals of history British cultural heritage history.
