An amateur treasure hunter, Malcolm Weale, unearthed a silver coin minted during the reign of Guthrum, a Christian Viking commander who ruled over eastern England in the ninth century. The coin is now on display at the British Museum, alongside other significant finds by amateur hunters in 2023 and 2024.
At the museum, Weale explained that the find marked the culmination of decades of treasure hunting with his metal detector in the countryside and forests near his home in eastern England. “I was shaking at the moment of the discovery and knew it was a life-changing, incredible, historical find,” he said.
Viking coin now part of museum’s annual report on the Portable Antiquities scheme
The 54-year-old has spent most of his life treasure hunting. He stated that he began searching for buried treasures as a boy.
The Viking coin is displayed as part of the British Museum’s annual report on the Portable Antiquities Scheme, a British government-funded initiative that documents numerous archaeological discoveries made by the public each year.
With metal detectors and patience, amateur treasure hunters unearth pieces of British historyhttps://t.co/XJmJ4ipR1t pic.twitter.com/Hu7ieXx1ET
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 11, 2025
Other notable items on display included 3,000-year-old Bronze metalworker’s tools, a seventh-century gold and garnet necklace, and a gold signet ring that may be linked to Queen Elizabeth I.
All of the finds in this collection were classed as “treasure” by a coroner, meaning they will be independently valued and subsequently offered to local museums for purchase.
The gold and garnet necklace, part of the collection, exemplified the true quality of English craftsmanship. According to Helen Gake, archaeologist and Finds Liaison Officer for the antiquities program, this treasure showcased the excellence of ancient English craftsmen, whom she regarded as the best in Europe.
In many countries metal detection is illegal, England took the opposite approach, encouraging it and working with hobbyists to record artifacts. The result is the "Portable Antiquities Scheme" the world's largest database of small archaeological finds.
Now at 1,755,530 artifacts. pic.twitter.com/zLZT0LWlgZ— LiorLefineder (@lefineder) September 18, 2024
The gold ring was found in an ancient royal hunting ground
Much like Mr. Weale’s discovery of the Viking coin, Andy Akroyd also found a gold ring in a field near his home in Bedfordshire. He struck gold figuratively and literally, as the 16th-century ring was engraved with a phoenix, a symbol closely associated with Queen Elizabeth I.
The area he swept for metal was once a royal hunting ground, which could potentially mean one of the queen’s supporters wore and lost the ring.
When an item is declared as treasure, such as the ones found by Mr. Weale and Mr. Akroyd, its value is divided among all parties involved. This means the price is split between the finder and the owner of the land where it was discovered. Consequently, most people do not become rich from their finds; instead, they hunt treasure purely for enjoyment.
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