Coin collectors and history enthusiasts have been fascinated by coin hoards for centuries. These rare coins are often discovered in forgotten places or buried underground.
It is not known where they came from or why they were hidden. Here are three of the most famous and intriguing gold hoards. Each has a story that historians still do not fully understand.
1. “The Hoxne Hoard” (England, 1992)
Eric Lawes, a metal detectorist, unearthed a huge collection of Roman coins and other artifacts in a field near the town of Hoxne in Suffolk, England, in 1992.
It was an amazing find because it had more than 14,000 Roman coins, gold and silver jewelry, silver dishes, and other valuable things.
The treasure was hidden in a pot, and what was inside showed how wealthy and interesting life was for Romans in Britain in the 4th and early 5th centuries.
The Mystery: The Hoxne Hoard was of the late Roman Empire, yet no one knows the reason as to why it was buried.
People believe that the treasure was hidden in Britain when the Roman Empire was falling, perhaps during an invasion or other issues.
Some experts believe that the owner of the treasure may have hidden it to save it from invading forces or because of a sudden personal crisis.
The discovery has sparked more debate on how Roman Britain collapsed as well as how the Romans’ traditions were left to rot in the place.
Value: The coins and artifacts found in the hoard had a gold value. The Hoxne Hoard discovery is one of the most significant in British archaeological history. It shows much about the economy and everyday life in Roman Britain.
2. The Saddle Ridge Hoard
A couple walking their dog in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Northern California unearthed an old, rusty can hidden in the ground in 2013.
They dug up the can and found more than 1,400 gold coins from 1847 to 1894 inside. The coins, mostly $20 gold pieces, were still brand new, even though they had been hidden for more than one hundred years.
It’s “The Mystery.” The history of Saddle Ridge Hoard is still a riddle. There’s no record about how the coins ended up being buried in California hills.
There are some speculations that it might have been hidden by some person during the Gold Rush era, probably for being stolen or because the business failed or due to some such reasons when some person tried to hide a prize but failed.
Another idea is that the coins were hidden by a criminal or outlaw, maybe in the late 1800s, when lawlessness was common in the area.
No one is sure, and even after a lot of research, it’s still not clear where the hoard came from.
Value: The Saddle Ridge Hoard is estimated to be worth over $10 million, making it one of the most expensive gold coin discoveries in U.S. history. At auction, the coins were sold. Some very rare ones brought as much as $1 million each.
3. The Caistor Hoard
What They Found: In 2008, a second metal detectorist in England, this time near the village of Caistor in Lincolnshire, found an amazing collection of Anglo-Saxon coins.
There were 92 gold coins in the find. Most of them were from the 9th and 10th centuries. The treasure was buried in one place, and many of the coins were still in perfect shape.
It’s “The Mystery.” Many people are yet to understand whence the Caistor Hoard came. The coins are believed to be of a noble or trader in Anglo-Saxon times. They probably were buried in a time of unrest in England.
Some may hide because of Viking raids or because the political situation was unstable during the Viking attacks of the 9th and 10th centuries.
Nobody knows for sure why the coins were gathered, but the fact that they are in such good shape suggests that they were either buried soon after their owner died or quickly hidden.
Even though it’s hard to say how much the whole hoard is worth, each coin is worth a lot, especially considering how important they are historically.
The hoard is part of history because they show a lot about the Anglo-Saxon economy, trade, and politics.