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This early medieval coin hoard was discovered near Maldon in Essex, in January 2025, by a metal-detecting group. Found dispersed across a field, its contents comprise 14 silver pennies, all the Long Cross type of Æthelred II (better known as ‘Æthelred the Unready’; r. AD 978-1016). The hoard’s coins were struck in at least four different mints – eight come from London, three from Lincoln, one from Colchester, and one from Stamford, while the last is of unknown origin – between AD 997 and 1003. They are made of high-quality silver, and are all in very good condition, suggesting that they had not circulated for long before their burial and that the hoard may have been deposited shortly after 1003.
Æthelred’s reign saw a dramatic increase in Viking raids, which the king attempted to counteract through a strategy of appeasement known as the Danegeld. His efforts to pay off the attackers proved unsuccessful, and a number of Æthelred’s coins have been found across Scandinavia, indicating how freely and widely they were distributed. It is possible that this hoard, too, has a Viking origin. While there are no documented Viking raids near Maldon in or after 1003, the find site lies close to the River Chelmer, which directly flows to Hatfield Peverel and other areas of known Scandinavian settlement.
The hoard was recently declared Treasure, and Braintree Museum is hoping to acquire it, along with a 6th-century gilded silver sword pommel cap that was found near Hatfield Peverel last summer (ESS-131D64 on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database).
For more information about the hoard, see https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1198164 or search for ESS-CFCA03 on the PAS database.
The Portable Antiquities Scheme is an initiative to encourage the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. For more information on the Scheme, and to browse its database of almost 1.8 million finds, visit https://finds.org.uk. Information on this find was provided by Lori Rogerson – Finds Liaison Officer for Essex.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Image: Colchester + Ipswich Museums
