An incredibly rare collection of 12th century silver pennies was recently unearthed by an unnamed metal detectorist exploring near the village of Wymondham in the county of Norfolk in eastern England. This valuable cache of coins included seven pieces minted during the reign of King Stephen, an ancestor of William the Conqueror, and two more dated to the reigns of Stephen’s successors, Henry II and III. The discovery of pennies dating back to the time of King Stephen is especially notable, as these silver pieces are among the hardest-to-find of all medieval coins.
The coins the detectorist found were not all intact. The silver pieces from King Stephen’s time included two whole pennies, three cut halfpennies and two cut quarter pennies, while the collection included two cut quarters from pennies minted during the reigns of the two Henrys. Despite the dismemberment the silver pieces, all had value during their time, as a common 12th century laborer would generally earn between one and two pennies for a day’s work.
More Change Than Treasure
The discovery of this remarkable collection of ultra-rare coins was announced by numismatist (coin expert) Adrian Marsden from the Norfolk Historic Environment Service. In an interview with the BBC, he expressed his opinion that the coins minted during King Stephen’s time had been carried together inside a coin purse, while the other two silver pieces had been lost separately at a later time by another individual.
“I suspect this is a purse loss because…
