BROOCH

This report concerns a coin brooch reported as possible Treasure at the beginning of August 2008. The brooch is made of an Anglo-Saxon silver penny of the Short Cross type of Cnut (1016-35), issued in the later part of Cnut's reign by the moneyer Thurulf of Stamford.

The coin has been gilded on the reverse and has been pierced four times so that brooch fittings could be secured to the obverse with rivets. This is part of a growing body of similar finds from the mid eleventh and twelfth centuries, although this particular example uses a slightly earlier coin type than other examples, as the fashion seems to have become widespread in the early 1050s. All recent recorded finds have passed through the Treasure process, and have been deemed to be Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996), since although a single coin does not constitute Treasure, a single item of jewellery does, and such finds are regarded as jewellery, rather than as coins.

However, this is not a recent find, but was acquired on 23rd July 2008. It was acquired with another similar piece at the very least 15 years ago, but more probably around 1988. The identification of the coin with Bosham is based on a ticket acquired with the coin, probably representing an auction ticket but possibly a ticket from a previous collector.

Since the object was found more than fifteen years ago, it predates the introduction of the Treasure Act (1996), and thus comes under the terms of the old law of Treasure Trove. Unlike the Treasure Act (1996), the old law specified that an object or objects had to be buried with intent to recover in order to qualify as Treasure. There is no surviving evidence to indicate whether this was the case in this instance, and the evidence of comparable finds suggests that it is more likely to have been a single stray loss.

It is therefore my opinion that, while this would constitute a case of Treasure if it were a recent find, it does not, on the evidence available to me, represent Treasure Trove under the terms of the pre-1996 laws.