9 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The greatest Anglo-Saxon treasure trove ever unearthed has been discovered by a metal detectorist

A metal detector in West Norfolk, England, unearthed 131 coins and 4 golden artifacts going back 1,400 years. This is the greatest Anglo-Saxon treasure ever discovered.

The majority of the objects were identified during a six-year period by a single detector who preferred to remain anonymous, according to the report. The British Museum.

Ten of the coins were discovered by retired police officer David Cockle, who also used a metal detector, according to the Evening Standard. According to BBC News, Cockle kept his finding a secret and subsequently unlawfully sold the coins for 15,000 British pounds (approximately $20,000). When authorities found his crime in 2017, he was charged with converting illegal property and sentenced to 16 months in jail for “pure greed,” according to presiding Judge Rupert Overbury. Cockle was also fired from the police department. Eight of the ten coins he sold have been recovered.

According to CoinWeek, the majority of the coins are Frankish tremisses, tiny coins from the sixth century that often contain 85 percent to 95 percent gold. Nine of the coins are solidi, bigger Byzantine coins worth three times the value of a tremissis. According to the British Museum, the trove also contains a pendant, a gold bar, and two more artifacts that specialists believe we’re part of bigger pieces of jewelry. It was buried for unknown reasons circa 600 A.D., prior to the unification of England.

These four golden objects were also found with the hoard. (Photo: British Museum)
These four golden objects were also found with the hoard. (Photo: British Museum)

Previously, the greatest Anglo-Saxon currency treasure in England consisted of 101 coins. According to ARTnews, the treasure was discovered in a purse near Crondall, Hampshire, in 1828. However, because the purse looked to have been damaged at the time of its retrieval, analysts believe the initial haul was far bigger.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



According to the Guardian, the Norfolk coroner is currently investigating the West Norfolk Treasure to determine whether it belongs to the British royal family under the Treasure Act of 1996, which requires all treasures to be reported to the local within 14 days of discovery Coroner. Although it is still unofficial, it seems possible to meet the requirements. According to the portable antiquities project of the British Museum and Amgueddfa’s joint project, the Treasure Act defines “treasure” as a collection of metal objects or coins that are at least 300 years old and contain at least 10% gold or silver by weight. Cymru National Museum of Wales. If the British Monarchy claims the find, it may be placed in the Norwich Castle Museum (with support from the British Museum) for the public’s benefit.

“This is a hugely important find,” Gareth Williams, curator of early medieval coins at the British Museum, said in a statement. “It must be seen alongside other recent finds from East Anglia and elsewhere, and will help to transform our understanding of the economy of early Anglo-Saxon England.”

Related Articles

Earliest glass workshop north of the Alps unearthed in Němčice

25 July 2023

25 July 2023

Archaeologists excavated the famous Iron Age site Němčice and uncovered the earliest glass workshop north of the Alps. Numerous beautiful...

Tens of Thousands of Ancient Bronze Coins Dating from the 4th Century Discovered Off Sardinia

4 November 2023

4 November 2023 1

A diver spotted something metallic at the bottom of the sea off the town of Arzachena in the Sassari province...

Human Presence in Malta Earlier Than Previously Thought: Hunter-Gatherers Navigated 100 km by Sea 1,000 Years Before Farmers

14 April 2025

14 April 2025

Recent archaeological findings have dramatically reshaped our understanding of human history in the Mediterranean, revealing that hunter-gatherers were capable of...

Archaeologists discovered the monastery of Queen Cynethryth, a strong Anglo-Saxon queen

19 August 2021

19 August 2021

Archaeologists from the University of Reading and local volunteers excavating on the grounds of Holy Trinity Church have made an...

A 1600-year-old writing set was unearthed in the city of Bathonea, which has the oldest ancient port in Istanbul

21 August 2022

21 August 2022

During the Istanbul Bathonea excavations, a 1600-year-old writing set containing a miniature vessel, a bone writing pen, and an inkwell,...

Researchers believe mass immigration to Orkney during the Bronze Age was mostly led by women

8 February 2022

8 February 2022

Researchers believe mass immigration to Orkney during the Bronze Age was mostly led by women.  Mass migration to Orkney during...

Treasure Hunters’ permission given to raise mystery canister in hunt for lost Nazi Gold

5 August 2022

5 August 2022

Treasure hunters claim they have permission to lift a buried canister that they believe may hold the loot next month...

The ‘extraordinary’ Roman mosaic depicting scenes from Homer’s Iliad unearthed in a Rutland farmer’s field is the first of its kind in England

25 November 2021

25 November 2021

The 1,500-year-old mosaic discovered by a farmer was considered Britain’s “most exciting” Roman find. The artwork was discovered on private...

A Roman sarcophagus bearing the title of “Emperor’s Protector” was found for the first time in Anatolia

29 April 2022

29 April 2022

A sarcophagus carrying the title of “Emperor’s protector” was discovered in the province of Kocaeli in western Turkey. With the...

Knife and Lost Armor: First-Ever Verified Artifacts from Emperor Nintoku’s 5th-Century Kofun Tomb Revealed

13 August 2025

13 August 2025

In a discovery that is already rewriting the history of Japan’s ancient Kofun period, researchers have confirmed the existence of...

A spectacular rare ancient Roman bronze coin depicting the moon goddess was discovered off the coast of Israel

25 July 2022

25 July 2022

A rare 1850-year-old exceptionally well-preserved bronze coin depicting the Roman moon goddess Luna has been found off the coast of...

The Mountain of Shemharus, King of the Ginn: Toubkal

14 August 2022

14 August 2022

Towering over the Atlas Mountains, Mount Toubkal is the highest peak in Morocco. Toubkal, the highest mountain in all of...

1,800-Year-Old Roman Watchtower Discovered in Croatia

3 August 2025

3 August 2025

Archaeologists in Croatia have uncovered the remains of a 1,800-year-old Roman watchtower that once stood guard along the empire’s northern...

“Unprecedented” Phoenician necropolis found in southern Spain

28 April 2022

28 April 2022

A 4th or 5th-century B.C Phoenician necropolis has been found at Osuna in Southern Spain. A well-preserved underground limestone vault...

Private lodges were uncovered in the colosseum of the ancient city of Pergamon

24 September 2021

24 September 2021

Private lodges built for the elite-class people to watch gladiator or wild animal fights shows have been unearthed in the...