Coins older than Jesus Christ found in Wales
“I rushed home to show my wife and we were both amazed by this coin, which was unlike anything I'd found, immaculately preserved with such unusual stylized images,” Watson revealed in the statement.
Photo: Museu Amgueddfa Cymru/Museum Wale
Gold coins dating back over 2,000 years have been discovered by metal detectors in Wales, making them the first Iron Age treasure of its kind to be found in the country.
The 15 coins, which have been declared as treasure, are known as staters. They were found on PHOTO = Museu Amgueddfa Cymru/Museum Wale the Welsh island of Anglesey, off the northwest coast of the mainland.
Minted between 60 BCE and 20 BCE, the coins belonged to the Corieltavi group, who at the time inhabited the geographical area that is now the East Midlands of England, according to a press release from the National Museum Wales.
The precious metals were unearthed by three metal detectors in a field between July 2021 and March 2022.
Lloyd Roberts, who claimed to be a metal detectorist for 14 years, found the first coin.
“Finding a gold stater has always been number one on my wish list,” he said in the statement, adding: “That coin alone would have made my year.”
Roberts said his friend, Peter Cockton, found three others. They then contacted the Portable Antiquities Scheme, an organization that records such historical and archaeological findings.
Tim Watson, who said he only started metal detecting after encouragement from his father, found the sixth coin.
“I rushed home to show my wife and we were both amazed by this coin, which was unlike anything I'd found, immaculately preserved with such unusual stylized images,” Watson revealed in the statement.
Watson said his enthusiasm led him to upgrade his metal detector, and he found the remaining nine coins in the following weeks.
The intricate design of the gold coins derives from the reign of Philip II, who ruled the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia (from 359 BC to 336 BC). The obverse side of the coins depicts the crown and hair of the mythical deity Apollo, while the reverse side shows a triangular-headed horse surrounded by symbols.
The coins likely weren't used for everyday transactions, except possibly for some high-value purchases, according to the press release. Instead, it's believed that the staters were used as gifts among elites to secure alliances or show loyalty.
The staters could also have been used as “offerings to the gods” to fulfill a vow, according to the National Museum Wales. Other archaeological findings from Anglesey, as well as Roman sources referring to the island featuring pagan priests, suggest that the area was an important religious center at the time.
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust visited the site in September 2021 to see if there were any clues as to why the coins were buried there.
“This treasure is a fantastic example of the rich archaeological landscape that exists in northwest Wales,” said Sean Derby, archaeologist at the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust's Historic Environment Record.
“While the immediate vicinity of the discovery provides no clue about the origin of the find, the location lies in a known area of prehistoric and Roman activity and helps to enhance our understanding of this region.”
The Welsh museum Oriel Môn intends to acquire the coins and put them on public display.
