COIN HOARD

Circumstances of discovery

In February 2010, 21 Iron Age gold coins and a gold torc fragment were discovered. The coins were found at the same site as five earlier groups of coins (2003 T7, 2005 T18, 2006 T564, 2007 T624 and 2009 T182, with a total of 118 coins) and should be considered as addenda to the earlier hoard.

The coins

The coins consist of 6 gold staters and 15 gold quarter staters, of types associated with the Cantii, a people thought to have inhabited parts of modern Kent during the late Iron Age. All were produced from the mid to late first century BC, with the exception of the stater of Dubnovellaunos, which is dated circa 20 BC to AD 10. The composition of the present group is similar to the earlier finds.

The coins are summarised below:

1. Uninscribed British LZ3 stater Weight: 5.06g

VA 1507 = BMC 347 = ABC 2344

1. Uninscribed British LZ3 stater Weight: 5.53g

VA 1507 = BMC 347 = ABC 2344

1. Uninscribed British LZ1 stater Weight: 5.52g

VA 144 = BMC 2466 = ABC 177

1. Uninscribed British LZ1 stater Weight: 5.54g

VA 144 = BMC 2466 (banding on reverse) = ABC 177

1. Uninscribed British LZ1 stater Weight: 5.58g

VA 144 = BMC 2466 = ABC 177

1. Stater attributed to Dubnovellaunos Weight: 5.55g

VA 176 = BMC 2497 (inscribed [D]VBNOVELA (N retrograde)) = ABC 300

1. Uninscribed British LY3 quarter stater Weight: 1.39g

VA 158 = BMC 371 = ABC 201

1. Uninscribed British PB 'trophy' quarter stater Weight: 1.43g

VA 145 var. = BMC 444 = ABC 192

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.35g

VA 151 = BMC 2469 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.34g

VA 151 = BMC 2469 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.34g

VA 151 = BMC 2469 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.37g

VA 151 = BMC 2469 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.37g

VA 151 = BMC 2469 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.36g

VA 151 = BMC 2469 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.35g

VA 151 = BMC 2469 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.33g

VA 151 = BMC 2470 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.36g

VA 151 = BMC 2470 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.31g

VA 151 = BMC 2470 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.34g

VA 151 = BMC 2470 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.31g

VA 151 = BMC 2470 = ABC 198

1. Uninscribed British LZ2 quarter stater Weight: 1.35g

VA 151 = BMC 2470 = ABC 198

The coins above have been recorded with the CCI as CCI nos 10.1048-10.1068.

VA = Van Arsdell, Celtic Coinage of Britain, London, 1989

BMC = Hobbs, British Iron Age Coins in the British Museum 1996

CCI = Celtic Coin Index (Oxford and online CCI )

The torc fragment (by Emily Gough and Ben Roberts)

Gold fragment of a flange twisted bar torc. Four flanged section. Slightly discoloured in areas and bi-facially chopped on both sides. Max Length: 20.83 mm; max width: 8.16mm; weight: 5.3g.

This flange twisted bar torc can be dated to the Penard metalwork phase (c. 1300- 1150 BC) of the Middle Bronze Age. It is typically found throughout North West Europe, primarily in coastal regions (Roberts, 2007). However given its discovery in association with Late Iron Age coins, it seems likely that it was subsequently recovered and modified during the 1^st century BC.

Roberts, B. 2007. Adorning the living but not the dead: understanding ornaments in Britain c 1400- 1100 cal BC. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 73 135-167.

Recommendation

These coins satisfy the various criteria of the Treasure Act. They are more than 300 years old and the find comprises two or more coins with precious metal content in excess of the 10% threshold. The coins were found scattered in the same area as the previous find and this new group is consistent in date and composition with that find. It can therefore be considered as an addendum to it. Although the manufacture of the original torc is dated to the Bronze Age, a fragment of it appears to have been re-deposited in the Iron Age. There are precedents for the preservation and later re-deposition of Bronze Age objects at other sites (e.g. Snettisham). This fragment was found in the same dispersed area as the coins and it can therefore reasonably be considered to have been part of the same deposition activity that led to the burial of the coins.