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@ HebrideanUltraTerfHecate
2025-02-12 12:47:29
nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnddaehgu3wwp6kyqpq00h35p84zntzc8d4wuy0jpszdr88y9dc9lnerqm0ctkjpr0xf5hqd9aqn9
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/viking-penny-and-rare-anvil-make-it-a-golden-year-for-detectorists-2dz0x0rbv
The thousands of finds are not just an assortment of odds and ends, but include a number of pieces of rare historical import. Among them is a 9th-century coin which shows that Britons have been spending a penny for more than a millennium, and not even the Vikings could stop us. The silver penny from Norfolk was struck for Guthrum, an East Anglian king who came from Denmark. It bears his baptismal name of Athelstan, and is the first silver coin to be minted by a Viking ruler in Britain.
Such finds fall under the Treasure Act, which compels finders to disclose any discoveries to the local coroner. If the find is treasure, the finder will be remunerated but the item reverts to the Crown which makes it available to museums.
The recent boom in detectorists has led to a change in the law. Whereas previously an item had to be at least 300 years old, that limit is now 200 years, to include more of the items being discovered. The treasure legislation and the PAS are dependent on the honesty of the people who make the finds, and also their vigilance. One example from this year is a Bronze Age hoard from Urchfont in Wiltshire, which included an extremely rare anvil. Experts say it could have been mistaken for modern equipment, but the detectorist reported it immediately which allowed British Museum excavators to do a proper examination.
https://archive.ph/zqMuX