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February 15, 2015

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Treasure unearthed

A hoard of 5,200 silver coins discovered by an amateur archaeologist was unveiled at London’s British Museum on Tuesday, as new figures showed a sharp rise in buried treasure discoveries.

One of the largest ever finds of Anglo-Saxon coins from the 10th and 11th centuries was made by Paul Coleman while out on an organized dig in central England in December last year.

The treasure, dating from the reigns of King Ethelred II (978-1016) and Canute (1016-1035), was buried in the village of Lenborough, Buckinghamshire, and is unofficially estimated to be worth over 1 million pounds (US$1.52 million).

The coins were found “covered in mud and had very little corrosion ... because they were wrapped in a lead sheet,” said Pippa Pearce, the curator in charge of cleaning the treasure. “It’s a very rare treasure, and rare to find so many coins all together and in such good condition,” she added.

The treasure is currently being valued, and Coleman will share the bounty with the landowner. The presentation coincided with the release of the Treasure Annual Report. It reported discoveries had increased significantly in recent years, with 990 in 2012, and 1,008 in 2014.




 

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