A massive treasure hoard of coins from the 13th and 14th centuries, estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, has been unearthed near the village of Dunscore.
A collection of silver coins from the reigns of Kings Edward I and II, similar to the treasure hoard discovered by metal detectorists in Dunscore. (Photo: The Scotsman)
Metal detectorists discovered 8,407 coins from the 13th and 14th centuries buried near the village of Dunscore, northwest of Dumfries, Scotland, as reported by Ancient Origins on November 22. This is one of the largest medieval coin hoards ever found in Scotland since the 19th century, according to the Treasure Trove Unit (TTU). The coins are estimated to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The Dunscore hoard consists of silver coins from Scotland, Ireland, England, and the continent, most of which date back to the reigns of Kings Edward I and II. King Edward I of England, who led military campaigns against Scotland, was succeeded by Edward II and Edward III. All coins from these reigns bear the name Edward, and their basic design is quite similar.
The process of re-minting coins began in the seventh year of Edward I’s reign, establishing a design style for English coins that lasted for over 200 years. This means that identifying each ancient coin in the Dunscore hoard will be particularly complex and time-consuming.
“The TTU, along with archaeologists from the National Museum of Scotland, excavated this site. Very few medieval coin hoards have been excavated in Scotland. The Dunscore hoard primarily consists of coins from the reigns of Edward I and II, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Each coin will be cataloged before moving on to the distribution process. This requires identification, photographing, measuring, and weighing each coin,” a spokesperson for the TTU stated.
The increase in metal detecting activities during the lockdown has led to an unprecedented number of discoveries reported to the TTU. The agency received 1,551 artifacts in 2019. However, by 2022, to date, the TTU has received over 12,263 artifacts, including the coins found at Dunscore.
