Treasure Unearthed: Discovering a Stash of 748 Ancient Roman and Iron Age Coins

I started my journey as a history hunter at the age of four, which all began with watching Indiana Jones.

In the past, I would engage in fossil hunting, scouring my family’s farmland for artifacts. The items I discovered usually turned out to be fossilized shells or strangely formed rocks. However, it was through these experiences that my fascination with unearthing historical narratives truly began.

When I turned 12, my grandmother gave me my first metal detector, which sparked my passion for history—especially the history of ancient Rome.

There’s a Roman road near our farm in Suffolk where I often went detecting. It always felt as though I was traveling back in time when imagining those Roman soldiers marching down that very path.

I'm employed at my family's butcher shop, yet my real enthusiasm lies with metal detecting and exploring historical sites.

When I turned 16, I discovered my first Roman coin. It was a sestertius featuring Marcus Aurelius. Unearthing that coin felt like a enchanting experience.

I came across it close to a pond, or more precisely, a kind of spring, which is intriguing since I later learned that springs often link to numerous ancient Roman treasures, like the Helmingham Hall hoard that I initially uncovered in 2019.

The finding of the Roman treasure trove at Helmingham Hall in Suffolk, England, has been among the most incredible experiences of my lifetime. It’s surreal for me since I have always had a passion for Roman history, and then to actually uncover the biggest such collection ever found in Britain—it feels almost like a fairy tale.

The day prior to discovering it, I was studying Roman roads and old pathways in Suffolk. There, I spotted an unusual crop mark at the edge of a field. Further investigation revealed that this mark was close to a field pond or spring, prompting me to visit the location the following day.

The location at Helmingham is close to the village of Ashbocking, where I reside. I have explored this terrain extensively as the presence of Roman roads in the vicinity has always intrigued me.

In just 15 minutes, I stumbled upon two ancient Roman brooches. These artifacts indicated that individuals had traversed that very spot roughly 2,000 years earlier.

I advanced a bit farther into the field and discovered my initial coin: A denarius minted during Julius Caesar’s time, produced between 46 and 47 BC.

I removed the clay and discovered an image of Caesar towering above defeated Gauls. This triggered a powerful surge of adrenaline throughout me, causing Goosebumps to run along my back.

I found it hard to believe. The coin itself could have been the discovery of a lifetime. Although I considered going home to inform the landowner about my finding, I decided to keep searching in the same area.

Afterward, I discovered yet another coin, followed by one more. In the span of several hours, I amassed 180 denarii.

I recall holding around three or four denarii in my palm. I examined them closely, gazed upward toward the sky, and suddenly understood that I had fulfilled my childhood ambition of discovering a Roman treasure trove.

When I was 16 years old, I undertook a photojournalism assignment where we had to design the front page of a simulated newspaper. My headline read: Teenager uncovers largest Roman treasure trove in history.

After all those years, the headline had finally become reality.

I reached out to my father, David, to share the news with him, and he was utterly astonished. To safeguard the hoard, he actually stayed at the excavation site for two consecutive nights. As far as I'm concerned, he deserves recognition as the true unsung hero of this tale.

At the time, I wasn't aware that I was on the verge of discovering one of the largest collections of Roman artifacts ever unearthed.

The instant I discovered that I had stumbled upon the genuine treasure remains etched in my memory. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, my metal detector picked up an unusual signal following the discovery of multiple coins.

It seemed peculiar—the combination of iron-like sounds with those that were not metallic—and part of me wanted to walk away, but I decided to keep digging. As soon as I raised the shovel, I spotted fragments of pottery containing embedded coins. At that moment, I realized I had uncovered the spot where the treasure was hidden.

It was Sunday evening at home when I arranged the coins on paper towels atop our kitchen table. Suddenly, an idea struck me.

These coins once belonged to an individual—a possibly prominent Roman soldier who arrived during the invasion of Britain and who, for some reason, maybe due to their death, did not return to collect them. This realization was quite sobering.

Another idea is that it could have been a shared deposit of coins made by an Iron Age group, possibly as a tribute to deities or to appease the approaching Romans. The reason behind burying those coins there poses a fascinatingly intriguing query.

First thing the following morning, we reached out to archaeologists so they could start the appropriate excavation process, which lasted for two days, and we returned to the site with them during this period.

It really took me three months to retrieve most of the treasure trove, which included a total of 748 gold and silver coins from both Roman and Iron Age origins.

After those two days of archaeological excavation, I returned to the site to carefully survey it, and during this process, I stumbled upon indications of an undocumented Roman settlement.

I discovered a Roman pestle that might have been employed by a female to crush charcoal for making eyeliner. Additionally, I came across numerous fragments of Roman pottery, including elegant tableware.

Among the treasures found was a gold aureus minted during the reign of Emperor Claudius, the same ruler responsible for invading Britain. This link added immense significance to the discovery. The coin is remarkably well-crafted and substantial, and it now resides within a local museum in Ipswich.

It would have held significant value back then, akin to how we carry around coins or bills worth hundreds nowadays.

The oldest coin in the collection originates from 206 BC, during the period of the Roman Republic, whereas the most recent one comes from Emperor Claudius’s rule, approximately between 46-47 AD.

Once I discovered the stash, I reported it according to the legal requirements. As part of this procedure, museums had the chance to purchase the coins initially, acquiring 68 in total. The remaining pieces were returned to me along with the owner of the land.

We sold them through an auction where they were initially estimated to be worth £75,000 ($100,000). However, they ended up fetching more than £132,000 ($176,000), highlighting the current fascination with Roman history. The subject of the Roman Empire has gained significant attention recently.

I recently visited the location again to record a podcast with my friend, Paul. During our visit, I stumbled upon a gold Iron Age coin while we were exploring.

It was a gold stater minted during the reign of Cunobelin, a ruler in pre-Roman Britain who passed away around 41 AD, shortly preceding the Roman invasion. The coin features an attractive depiction of a horse on one side and a barley stalk on the opposite side.

Despite all these years, I continue to uncover gems at this location. It was quite an astounding discovery. The gold extracted from the earth remains exceptionally pristine and breathtaking. The coin shows barely any signs of corrosion.

I'm not into metal detecting for financial gain; it has never been about that. My motivation comes from my passion for history and the ability to handle objects that have remained untouched since they were misplaced or interred centuries or even millennia ago. It feels like traveling through time.

For instance, whoever misplaced that gold stater issued under King Cunobelin existed during the Roman conquest of Britain, an era of significant historical impact. The experience of handling that same coin once more after two millennia was extraordinarily poignant.

During my metal detecting adventures, I've come across numerous stunning items, among them several Roman coins—one highlights Faustina the Younger, who was married to Marcus Aurelius, and another depicts Constantine the Great with an image of a soldier thrusting his spear into a downed horseback rider.

However, one of my most cherished discoveries was a medieval seal matrix employed for authenticating documents. I unearthed it in a spot just behind our farmhouse where numerous pieces of medieval pottery were also located, indicating habitation around the 12th and 13th centuries.

The seal matrix featured a Latin phrase encircling it with a cross at its center. Following some investigation, we managed to uncover the initial owner: A person named Philip Govan, who could have resided on the property.

Archaeologists or find officials will dip these seals into molten wax for reuse and to gather additional details from the impressions. However, it took me 16 years to muster the courage to apply Philip Govan's seal in this manner due to my fear of potentially damaging it.

I discovered another kind of seal during my detection process, which turned out to be a papal bulla. This particular seal originated from the Vatican’s offices in Rome and was affixed to grants or documents for authentication purposes.

My most cherished discovery was a Roman signet ring unearthed near the ancient Roman road on our property. This piece features a turquoise stone carved with an intaglio design. Upon cleaning off the layer of dirt, I could see an engraving of a person brandishing a club—an image representing Hercules.

Who was the last person to wear it? That will forever remain a mystery. However, it might just as easily have been a Roman soldier who traversed the same path that runs alongside our farmland. The moment I slipped the ring onto my smallest digit, a rush of excitement coursed through me.

Near the location where the Helmingham hoard was concealed lies a prominent Roman site that has been identified over three decades. I approached the owner of the property with the idea of conducting some metal detecting, and during my conversation with a worker from the farm, they mentioned that our chances of finding anything were slim.

However, I decided to give it a try and see what would happen. In doing so, I discovered an artifact: a large Roman terret ring that was originally used as part of a chariot’s bridle apparatus. Upon reporting this finding, the archaeologist expressed surprise at its size, having not encountered such a substantial example previously. This discovery adds further proof that Romans inhabited the region.

To me, that's the essence of it: Being able to contribute to our understanding of history.

However, you must understand what you’re observing. Once, I discovered an exquisite Roman quern-stone—an ancient tool used for grinding grains such as wheat—lodged into a riverbank. This led me to believe that a farmer likely mistook it for a large ordinary rock and discarded it casually.

To become a successful detectorist, you must conduct thorough research to piece together the clues you uncover.

I'll always continue investigating. Who can predict what might come next? Maybe I'm destined to uncover an Anglo-Saxon treasure trove someday. We reside near Sutton Hoo and its renowned ship burial site.

Everything I understand is that I will continue my search as each discovery puts me one step nearer to history, which is precisely what drives me.

George Ridgway is a detectorist and historian who unearthed Britain’s biggest early-Roman cache. Follow him on Instagram at @george.historyhunter and his podcast @TheLandRovers .

The opinions stated here all belong to the author.

As relayed to Shane Croucher.

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