The hoard includes gold hair rings, bracelets, weapons and a bronze razor.

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A striking illustration of the magnitude of the transactions of the British Empire may be drawn from the records of the Mint. Between the years 1816 and 1836 the money coined in it amounted in round numbers to quarter of a million of copper, twelve millions of silver, and considerably above fifty-five millions of gold, making a total of between sixty-seven and sixty-eight millions of money sent into circulation within twenty years.

Whilst we are dealing with figures, we may add that the charge for coining this enormous amount of precious metal was nearly four hundred and twenty-one thousand pounds, leaving a profit to the Company or Moneyers not much less in amount. Any one may send bullion to be coined, but for many years the Bank of England alone has been the medium between the foreign importer and the Mint. During the lapse of time the sources of our supplies of bullion have been frequently changed. Time was when England itself added silver to the other inexhaustible stores which it had pouring forth from its bosom; Edward 1 for instance received no less than seven hundred and four pounds weight of silver in 1296 from Devonshire, and down to the reign of George 1 silver money has been coined from the proceeeds of the Welsh and other native mines.

Though so numerous and so preserved, any one who has made Roman coins his study, will be aware that the hoard does not contain any coin remarkable, either for the peculiar rarity, or the excellence of this type.The coins of this class and period differ chiefly in the letters which are found in the fields and exergues of their reverse; and for this reason I have paid some attention to the enumeration of them in the preeding lists. This remark is bourne out by an examination of the specimens in question. Thus, out of about 200 coins, I have met with about 120 varieties, of which the large proportion belong to Diocletianus, Maximianus, and Constantius Chlorus, one to Galerius Maximianus and one to Maximinus Daza, but which present, at the same time, only twenty-seven varieties, in the legends of their obverses, the other points in which they differ being confined to the letters in their fields and exergues.

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Read before the Numismatic Society, 27th January 1848

On Monday the 15th August as Mr Commissioner Mayne and his sons were out on a walk, they were induced to go in search of some geological remains, into a small quarry, on the side of the road leading from Little Malvern
to Ledbury. Whilst overturning stones, Mr Cox. Mayne came unexpectedly upon a considerable number of second brass Roman coins, which were lying, as appeared to him, loosely thrown together, a few inches under the surface at the top of the hill itself.

He immediately collected as many as he could without difficulty lay handson, amounting to about 200.

The news of this discovery rapidly spread in all directions, and people flocked from the village to the spot, and were
rewarded by obtaining a few more specimens (probably the same as Mr. Mayne had previously exhumed), before
night-fall.

The following morning a man of the name of Fletcher came across from the Parish of Colwall, on the Herefordshire hills, and on searching more closely, and turning over the soil, discovered another collection of similar coins enclosed in a light-red-coloured earthern pot, of undoubted Roman fabric, which he sold shortly afterwards,
together with the coins, fifty in number, to Mr.Warden, one of the directors of the East India Company. Some portions of the pot, which has been much shattered, I imagine in the process of extraction, have been preserved, and are to night, by the kindness of Mr. Warden, exhibited to the Society. It will be observed, that there still adhered to the sides of the pot, some of the verdigris which covered the coins when found in it. It may be presumed, therefore, that the whole number of coins thus discovered, did not fall far short of 300: for besides
those I have enumerated, which have been placed in my hands for the purpose of description, I saw some twenty or thirty in the hands of the gentleman and cottagers in the neighbourhood; and the post-master of the village informed me that for some days after the discovery, coins were continually passing in letters through the post office. I found, on going down to Malvern, that it was very difficult to obtain a clear and satisfactory account of the order in which the discoveries took place, as almost every one to whom I addressed myself had a different story to
relate. I believe, however, that, on the whole, the above is as correct a version as it is possible to procure; while the appearance itself of the coins goes far to confirm the truth of the narration. It will be observed, for instance, that those which were turned up, and which I saw myself at Malvern, were covered with soft green arugo which peeled off immediately on being touched by the point of a penknife; the result probably of exposure for a long period in the open ground , but at the same time in a dry pebbly soil; while those on the otherhand, which
were found in a pot, had to a great degree resisted the effect of the weather, and retained the metallic lustre and brightness of the tinning, which most if not all of them had originally undergone.

Of these coins I have been able personally to examine about two hundred; and I will now lay before the Society the results of that examination, at the same time exhibiting some specimens from the hoard, including those first discovered by Mr Cox Mayne and those subsequently placed at my disposal by Mr Warden, with this remark, that so far as I know, no coins have been found except of the five emperors Diocletianus, Maximianus, Hercules, Constantius Chlorus, Galerius Maximianus and Maximinus Daza, that they fall therefore within the period between AD 286-311. They are all of the size called second brass, and in excellent preservation; and the larger part of them are so sharp and well defined, that they could hardly have been in circulation.

I have arranged them first chronologically according to the succession of the emperors, and secondly according to the types of the obverses and reverses.

In order to avoid the unneccessary space which I should have been obliged to take up to describe each coin separetely, and given every reverse with its appropriate obverse, side by side, I have adopted the somewhat novel plan of mentioning first, all the legends of the obverses, then all the lengends of the reverses, together with the letters in the field, connecting the two together by Greek Letters, which will refer from one to the other. I am
aware that it may be objected, that by this means some inaccuracies may arise, and some little peculiarities of individual coins may pass unnoticed: but I have preferred running this risk, to extending individual description
to a length which would be wearisome without producing any compensating result; nor indeed in the class of coins of that value to give me any warrant for such extension; for beyond the local interest of their
discovery, they do not possess much value, either from their scarcity, or
from any history on which they throw light.

On the evening of the 15th May 1840 workmen, engaged in repairing the southern enbankment of the river Ribble, near Curedale Hall, and about three miles from Preston, were agreeably surprised by the discovery of hidden treasure, which had for many centuries laid inhumed in that delightful and secluded vale within three feet of the surface of the pasture , and about thirty yards from the edgeof the river. A portion of the earth, under the spot where the treasure lay, having been previously removed, the leaden case, which was in a corroded state, was crushed to pieces by the fall, aided by the weight of the superincumbent soil, and disclosed its extensive and varied treasures before the astonished gaze of the workmen, who immediately set up a simulataneous shout. The attracted the attention of the hind of Curedale Hall, who, hastening to the place, found the workmen collected around the treasure in the act of the general scramble, each endeavouring to obtain the greatest share of the booty. The hind, however, lost little time in informing them that they must return the property, adding that the pieces of metal were probably of pewter or solder and consequently of little value , and that the coins appeared to be nothing more than tin counters. Upon this, the greater part was unpocketed, and being collected together, the treasure was conveyed to the hall, deposited in a tub of water and well washed with a birch-besom, and on the following day deposited in the old bank of Preston. William Asheton Esq., now in Florence, is the owner of the property where the discovery was made. The ingots of silver, annulets, neck chains and rings and other ornaments, are stated to weigh about sixty three pounds, whilst the coins, including the wooden box in which they are enclosed and a portion of the fragments of the leaden case, the hind tells me weights twelve pounds, being about half the weight given in the papers. A portion of the coins and other antiques still remain in the hall for the inspection of visitors, whilst some of the relics of by gone days are stated to have found their way in to the hands of private individuals; and this is not improbable, as several pieces, it is said, have by diligent scratching, been gleaned from the soil since the bulk was removed to the bank.

If it may be allowed to judge of the whole from those exhibited in the hall, and from casts taken from some of the coins in possession of Mr Asshetons agent, I should say, that not more than a third part are Anglo Saxon, the remainder being foreign, chiefly French, with probably a mixture of prelatical coins from other parts of the Continent, and a few even bearing characterssimilar to those of the Cufic Coins, described in a late number of your interesting chronicle.

The Anglo-Saxon coins are chiefly of St.Eadmund, Alfred, Edward the elder, and Athelstan; and as the last named monarch died in the 941, the coins have probably been buried for a period of about nine centuries. I have aalso seen a penny of Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, of a type similar to Plate X11.fig.4., Ruding; this last however is stated to have been found near Ribchester. Scarcely any two of the Ecclesiastical pennies of St Eadmund have the same reverse, and most of them are probably unpublished, as well as St Eadmunds halfpenny, of which I have only seen one specimen. With regards to the coins of Alfred several types occur, and one in particular, that appears unpublished; its beautiful reverse is not, I believe, found on any Anglo Saxon coin figured by Ruding; it is in the possession of the hind at Curedale Hall. Several moneyers' names are found, not to be met with in Rudings list. The rarest however, of Alfreds coins is his halfpenny, not hitherto, known to exist ( a specimen was obtained by a collector in London sometime before the discovery of this hoard) of which a cast has been shown me, bearing the moneyers name, Aberht; and another specimen, bearing on its reverse the London monogram. With respect to the pennies of Alfred, it may be observed, that the greater number appear to be of the type without the portrait and place of mintage. Of the Oxford type, comparatively few specimens occur, and much fewer still of those bearing the portrait. Of the pennies of Edward the elder, bearing the portrait I have only seen two; they are in fine preservation, but differ materially in the form of the head from those appropriated to this monarch by Ruding.Of Athelstan's pennies I have not seen or heard of one bearing the bust.

The French coins are of Charles le Chauve, Louis le Begue, &c, ; and several occur bearing the names of towns, among which may be mentioned, Bourges, Evreux, Limoges, Orleans, Quentin, Toulouse, and Tours; and of some of these in denominations smaller than the usual size. One, of Toulouse, bears on the observe, 'Oddo Rex' . There are also several coins which I am unable satisfactorily to appropriate, bearing on one side, 'Cunnetti', and others of a nearly similar type and fabric, with 'Siefredus Rex', 'Mirabilia fecit, ' and c.

The ownership of the property is undecided, and will probably become a question between the Crown and Mr. Assheton, as agents for both parties have already put in their respective claims.

Many opinions and speculations are afloat as to the original owner of the treasure, and the circumstances under which it was buried. With these vague surmises I will not trouble your readers, but rather consult the history of the eventful times in which the property in question appears to have been concealed. We find that in the reign of Athelstan, Northumbria, was in a very disturbed state, that the King of the Scots, eagerly sought to free himself from his dependence on the English monarch, and that, with this view, he entered into alliance with Howel, King of Wales; and although the powerful army of Athelstan was irresistible, that Anlaf shortly afterwards made a desperate attempt to reconquer the Northumbrian dominions. The celebrated battle of Brunanburgh was fought, and never before, it is stated, was such a carnage known in England. Does it not appear probable, then, that some poweful Northumbrian chieftain , relying on the numerous and hardy allies of Anlaf, might deposit his property in this solitary spot, to serve under the banners of the courageous Dane, and from which expedition he never returned. Athelstan was victorious , and to him belongs the glory of having established what has ever since been called the kingdom of England.

The charitable donations of the three immediate predecessors of Athelstan to the churches of America, gave rise to an intercourse between the English and the transmarine Britons, who still lamentedtheir banishment from the land of their fathers; and when the Normans, under Rollo depopulated Bretagne , numbers of the natives sought and obtained an asylum under the protection of Athelstan. Edgiva, the sister of the English monarch, was also the consort of the French king, Charles the Simple. The circumstance, then , of a friendly intercourse thus subsisting between the two countries , may not unsatisfactorily account for the introduction of the immense number of French coins found in this hoard.

Joseph Kenyon

Preston June 10th 1840

One of the highlights is lot 2058, a letter written by Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) at the age of 12, dated 7 January 1938. It was written to The Lady Mary Cambridge, sent from Sandringham to London. The letter is drafted on Sandringham headed paper and warmly written, wishing Lady Mary Cambridge better health and sharing intimate details of riding adventures and hopes that they may ride together again soon. It is signed “With Love From, Lilibet”.

Also included in the sale auction:

Lot 2039 – Letter written by Queen Victoria, dated 1 August 1857, addressed to “Major General The Hon. Charles Grey” at Konigswinter on the Rhine ; also a private envelope written and signed by Queen Victoria, addressed to “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge” signed “The Queen” in the lower left hand side of the envelope.

Lot 2041 – Mourning envelope addressed to “H.S.H Princess Mary of Teck,” with the Queen’s Monogram on the reverse flap and “The Queen” signed below, Dated 1860

Lot 2053 – A selection of covers and postcards sent to and from the Royal residences (Balmoral Castle, Sandringham, Windsor and Buckingham Palace) between 1908 and 1963. Also seven picture postcards each with the reverse signed “With best wishes from the Queen”.

Skipper Hector Stewart and his fellow fishermen James Turner and Sean D'Arcy found the marble bust, by the 19th-century sculptor Rinaldo Rinaldi, buried in sand while fishing for otter shells.

The men, from Tarbert, Argyll, managed to drag the 13-stone statue of a woman's head into a fish box before hauling it off the seabed.

advertisementArt historians say the perfectly preserved marble sculpture dates from 1869 and is likely to have come from a 130-year-old shipwreck. The work bears the maker's name with the words "Roma 1869" on the back. Pieces by Rinaldi, whose work is on display in the Louvre in Paris, are much sought after and have fetched small fortunes in the past.

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The number of reported valuable finds has increased by nearly 20 per cent in the last year, with discoveries including iron age and medieval hoards, Roman coins and exquisite examples of Anglo-Saxon jewellery.

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The Crown will keep the find made at Harrold.

Trinket just 14mms square was worn as a declaration of wealth.
A tiny decoration which could have adorned the sword belt of a high-ranking Saxon warrior has been declared treasure at an inquest in Bedford.

The early medieval sword mount was unearthed by metal detectorist Bryan Hewitson in Harrold in March.

At a hearing on Tuesday 14th November 2006, Coroner David Morris said the artefact had been found to be made up of more than ten per cent silver, and was more than 300 years old.

That meant it qualified as "treasure" under both the prescribed criteria, and is therefore the property of the Crown.

Jim Inglis, archaeologist at Bedford Museum, said the sword mount will now be considered by the treasure valuation committee, made up of auctioneers, museum officials and a representative from the metal detecting world.

The committee will put a value on the piece, and the British Museum will have first claim on the sword mount if it is prepared to meet the price.

If the British Museum passes up the opportunity, Bedford Museum could then make a move for it.

And if no-one wants it, the sword mount could be "disclaimed" and returned to the finder.

The amount of cash the finder gets as a reward depends on the nature of the agreement he has with the landowner, Mr Inglis added.

He said the sword mount – which weighs just 2.11g and measures about 14mms square – would have been worn as a status symbol by a Saxon, or perhaps a Celt who was copying a fashion of the Saxon occupier.

Mr Inglis said: "It's just to show you're posh and that you can afford something like it on your sword belt.

"How much it is worth would depend, but I don't think you would give up your day job."

Kindly reproduced with permission of Bedford Today
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"The medal is not very big, but it brings back a lot of old stories," Randy McCann said. Last month, McCann, a Ketchum resident, ventured to Ruud Mountain with his medal detector in tow.

He combed the hillside for close to 10 hours looking for silver coins. "I was just out poking around," said McCann, who often takes his medal detector to remote locations to find trinkets.

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Finn found all of it buried in the sand. And with her metal detector, the Suffolk, Va., woman never knows what she'll add to her collection next.

"It's all about the hunt," she said. "You don't know what's under there. It's also very solitary, very peaceful. You're out in the fresh air and in your own little world."

Most beach lovers wouldn't trade sunbathing and swimming for swinging a metal detector as they walk the shore. But a growing number of locals are trying the hobby, according to Finn and other members of the Tidewater Coin & Relic Club. The club holds monthly meetings - about 30 people might attend at a time - and two organized treasure hunts a year.

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The three amber beads, two bronze rings, one bugle-shaped fitting and one spearhead fragment, thought to be up to 3,000 years old, were given the official status in an inquest held at Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court yesterday.

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Description: Silver gilt open framed brooch in the form of a quatrefoil, with D-section frame and pin constriction. The pin is missing. On the flat front an engraved inscription is set within contour lines, the letters separated by closely spaced transversely engraved lines IESVSMARYAVSN.

The brooch is now expected to go before a valuation committee as is normal with all treasure cases.

Gardener Steve Taylor, 46, discovered over 40 gold and bronze bracelets, rings and weapons in a field. Experts estimate the objects - dating from 1300 to 1100BC - could be worth £1million. The cash will be split 50-50 between Steve and the landowner after a coroner ruled the items were treasure.

Steve said yesterday, 'it should be enough for me to pay off all the bills. I was ecstatic when I realised what I had found. I wasn't doing it for a profit but I spent thousands and thousands of hours traipsing across fields."

An inquest into the find heard Steve located it in a field his boss owns near Cirencester, Glos.

A british Museum expert told the hearing that, pieced together, the fragments made at least 38 gold and five bronze objects.

Steve from Hatherley, Cheltenham said "There is probably more - the rest may turn up in the ploughing"

Reproduced from an article published in THe Mirror on Feb 24th 2006, courtesy of Richard Smith