Some coins from the time of the Norman Conquest (11th century), found by chance by seven friends who were looking for metals, became the most valuable find in England, estimated at 5.1 million euros, which will be displayed in November at the British Museum.
The treasure, made up of 2,584 silver coins, was discovered five years ago in the Chew Valley area, in the north of the county of Somerset (southwest England), while friends were trying to understand how metal detectors worked.
That day in January 2019, as they placed the sensors on the ground, they came across the coins, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.
After finding the first piece, the machines continued to beep loudly at the site, where at the end of the day they had over 2,000 Norman coins, so they decided to celebrate the discovery with a few pints of beer in a local 'pub'.
Under the Treasure Act 1996, which applies in Wales, England and Northern Ireland, those who find treasure can receive a reward funded by a museum or other institution.
The charity South West Heritage Trust, dedicated to the care of historic objects, has now announced that it has acquired the coins for the country thanks to significant funding coming in part from help from the National Lottery.
The pieces, of enormous historical value, will be exhibited at the "British Museum" on November 26th and will subsequently be displayed in other museums in the United Kingdom, including Somerset.
The South West Heritage Trust described the treasure as one of the most important ever found.
One of the seven friends, Adam Staples, told The Guardian that he had been on a fantastic and incredible adventure and that he couldn't express what he felt when he found coin after coin.
‘It was a feeling of awe. Finding a coin was great. Then, in a few minutes, a few more, then 10 coins, 50 coins. It got bigger and bigger. And your emotions just multiplied. It definitely changed my life. It was like holding history in your hands and obviously the financial aspect is fantastic too,’ he added.
The owner of the land, whose identity has not been revealed, will receive half of the profits and the seven discoverers will divide their share of the ‘treasure’ equally.
‘We've all agreed to share it and we're happy with the deal,’ said Staples, a native of Derby, in the north of England, who runs an auction house specialising in ancient coins.
Several of the coins found bear the image of Harold II, the last king of Anglo-Saxon England, while others correspond to the image of the Norman king William I, also called William the Conqueror.
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